Food Gardening

[wide eyed and legless]

Thrips have been the brunt of my angst so far, I have red cabbage growing and I have to check them everyday. Even though they are growing under an insect exclusion netting they seem to get in, believe I read somewhere they can live in the soil so maybe they were already in there.
I have summer cauliflower ready to go in along with cabbage, if I put them outside the cabbage whites will get them if I put them under the cover of the netting I am encouraging the thrips.
I have been using potassium soap on them if that doesn't kill them my thumb an forefinger sliding over the slippery surface will.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Anyone grow grapes? I have some table grapes and each year I get a black spot on the grapes and the new branches. I imagine it is some sort of mould any hints on what to spray the vines with.

 

[5teve]

Not sure if the black spot in grapes is the same type of fungus as in apples and roses etc, so maybe check if a fungicide like mancozeb is registered for use with them. Lime sulphur might be good too, but might be a bit late in the game now in summer for that. Safest bet might be try make your own baking soda based organic fungicide maybe.

With black spot fungi, the goal is more prevention than cure as it's harder to kill the active spores.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Yes realised it is to late now, but want to get prepared for next year, cut them right back today.

 

[wynnum1]

eco-fungicide is a registered organic fungicide for the control of powdery mildew, black spot and rust. Safe for veggies ...
Potassium bicarbonate i think is one of the ingredients .

 

[fungrel]

eco-fungicide is a registered organic fungicide for the control of powdery mildew, black spot and rust. Safe for veggies ...
Potassium bicarbonate i think is one of the ingredients .

One of the most recent books I've been reading on hops has recommended tablespoon bicarbonate soda to 4L water to control as a natural fungicide on hops.
Been using this for the last 4 weeks on all plants, works well.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Well another valuable lesson learned, while insect exclusion net is good for keeping out insects for rats it is totally useless. Going to have to get some roofing iron to go around the bottom half of the 'house'. Rats are wily and can climb like a monkey, even clambered up a 15 mm plastic hydro tube to chew a hole through the mesh. A rats taste for corn is like a heroin addict after smack.
I thought I would be able to fool the leader into trying to get purchase from the rat trap on the side of the house, went out at 2.00 am nothing in the trap but another hole on the opposite side.

 

[Dave70]

Yeah I know, chemicals and all that. **** it. I have no plans to eat the rats, nor do I have dogs that may see a slow one as a quick snack.
I nailed a few of these to a piece of timber and wiped out a whole clan in a week. Works like a charm. Now the chooks get to eat all the feed.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I must admit I don't like killing them that way, a painful death, but I bought a load of similar (red ones)
I will get some of the blue ones to try. I want to keep throwing my used grain in the compost I don't mind them tucking into that but first it was the tomatoes and as soon as the corn starts to ripen they have left the tomato's alone. Sat out till dark with an air rifle, I was doing more harm than good shooting up the apples cos I was bored.
$200 + for the iron, to late for this year but the rats will be fucked for next year.

 

[Haciluku]

Guys,
I am thinking of putting some veggie planters and a greenhouse in my backyard.
Need a hand here.
Veggie planters - plan to use sleepers. Getting the ecowood one or the normal one with plastic sheet lining?
Greenhouse - Plan to use some of my left over woods to build one. Where do you buy the plastic sheet?

Anyone got photos please post for me. Thanks.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

You can use poly carbonate, I have this on two of mine and another I was given a load of the plastic cafe blind I used that around the bottom insect exclusion mesh for remainder of the sides and poly film for the top because its all hydroponic.
This mob is good to deal with and you can get everything from there.
https://jag.net.au/product-category/green-house-products/commercial-green-house-film/

 

[Haciluku]

Thanks WEAL.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

When you choose the timber for the beds I think I read somewhere that the thicker treated pine is treated with arsenic, also the plastic is not ideal, but I doubt much chemical wise will leach into the soil.

 

[Airgead]

I built mine out of the non CCA treated pine. It's a non arsenic thing that's designed for vege beds and the like. It's a reddish colour instead of the green CCA. Can be hard to find but I picked up mine at Bunnings. I think it was about 10 bucks per sleeper.

 

[wynnum1]

What about concrete sleepers.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

What about concrete sleepers.

To expensive, depending on how big Haciluku wants his beds I would be going for the 25 mm treated pine or as Airgead suggests something that doesn't contain the arsenic personally I use the cover sheets for roofing or fencing iron free and no worries about contaminants, although most vegetables make toxins to prevent us mammals eating them, I doubt whether they realise we do cook them.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

The rat population is down by 1 in my backyard this morning, could have been their leader as no other traps touched, or damage was perceived. 5 more traps are now baited with corn and covered with corn leaves, if they chose a new leader will be interesting if he/she wants to come in and negotiate.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

The bait is taking its toll on the rats I have found 2 dead and one dying, my steel fencing material arrives Tuesday, so will be right for next year, just have to keep the Grapefruit tree from getting to close to the roof otherwise they will be getting in there. They seem smart enough to check if they can manage to get out the same way and with the tomato plants hitting the roof they would take advantage of that.
Preparing the soil today ready to plant broad beans and peas, also have to get some winter cabbage and cauliflower into seed trays.

 

[ibegood]

Stick with your bait, they will climb roofing like no tomorrow, the will climb glass if need be so just poison the fuckers too stop feeding and breeding them.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I know that is the path to take, but it is a horrible death, my brother used a trap which was effective and caught them alive but being to soft took the to the park and released them, I could shoot them.I think.