Food Gardening

[wide eyed and legless]

First lot of spuds coming on well, where is the rain?

 

[theQuinny]

Excellent mate. I picked about 10 kg a few weeks back.

 

[altone]

Dammit am I getting this all wrong? I normally get spuds late Autumn and winter when I plant them.
I'm growing mainly salad and other leafy greens, carrots, radish and beans.
Plus the baby tomatoes and chillies for later on.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I have been picking the cold weather tomatoes, 'Iceberg' for about a week now those warm days we have had coloured them up, the spuds I have tried earlier for the last 2 years, bear in mind though a frost will kill them. I have most things out of the seed tray into 100 mm pots now, capsicum, tomatoes, cucmber, zuchini, and marrow. Simba dwarf beans are up and a dozen black cherry tomatoes are in situ as are 16 honey bee tomatoes.

 

[theQuinny]

Getting a good crop of tomatoes this year

 

[Redreuben]

I’m in Fremantle just grey water repellant sand ! I use clay cat litter to put some water retention in the soil but keeping gardens fed is a constant battle, returning to brewing will help that, spent grain is great soil builder !

 

[Peterbrew]

I’m in Fremantle just grey water repellant sand ! I use clay cat litter to put some water retention in the soil but keeping gardens fed is a constant battle, returning to brewing will help that, spent grain is great soil builder !

Bensonite clay, compost and mulch will fix you up. We used to live in freo and can still grow in that sand

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Been doing commando raids on the spuds, pulling a few out for dinner each night, how I wish I could grow them all year round.
Opened a packet of saved Cobra Climbing beans riddled with holes and a load of dust and full of small flying insects a bit like tics with a hardish shell, sent off to the UK for more beans. Got my first crop of Broad Beans off will put them in the bender with garlic, mint and olive oil.
Looking forward to the next few months.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Can't help myself with the spuds, plundered the Kestrel this time. a few peas and carrots to go with a nice Rib Eye. I always cook more spuds than is needed, fry up for breakfast the following morning.

 

[altone]

I never seem to factor in spuds as I'm always short of room.

I do plant kipfler if I have a bit of space and put desiree offcuts wherever I can - just dug up the last of them until I get settled in the new place.

I mainly aim for herbs leafy greens tomatoes capsicum and chilli plus whatever brassicas I can fit.
Oh plus beans and radish,

Fruits mainly citrus and berries with a nice little apple tree that I hope survives the move.

I'm pulling up my first crop of heirloom carrots atm very colourful and tasty but not something I always plant.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I never seem to factor in spuds as I'm always short of room.

I do plant kipfler if I have a bit of space and put desiree offcuts wherever I can - just dug up the last of them until I get settled in the new place.

I mainly aim for herbs leafy greens tomatoes capsicum and chilli plus whatever brassicas I can fit.
Oh plus beans and radish,

Fruits mainly citrus and berries with a nice little apple tree that I hope survives the move.

I'm pulling up my first crop of heirloom carrots atm very colourful and tasty but not something I always plant.

If you need any more tomato plants and capsicum Cloughy let me know, I bought some seeds back from Prague Long Red and White Capsicum, also have some Giant Bell to spare.

 

[altone]

Tomatoes I think I've got enough (probably too many) but the capsicums if they're in punnets/pots
I might take you up on if I can get the last 2 raised beds moved to the new place in time.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

They are in pots, got some Butternut pumpkin and Marrow too.

 

[altone]

They are in pots, got some Butternut pumpkin and Marrow too.

Awesome! I'd better get the beds moved asap.
As for the butternut squash etc. The non raised beds where I can let stuff wander will take time
so it would be a waste.
Last resident seems to have filled them with scoria then topped it off with that brightly coloured red recycled timber mulch
that stains your fingers and could contain who knows what.

I'll slowly rip it out and refill with compost and manure, Then plant in a few months.

Will pm once I've got the 3rd raised bed up and grab whatever capsicum you still have.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

War against the aphids, they seem to love capsicum plants, against my better judgement I have put up some of the yellow sticky insect traps, unfortunately they take out the good guys too.
Planted the last load of spuds, border line on the time of year, watered in well expected to get another 8mm of rain, never happened, will just have to keep them well watered, they are Kestrel so should be ready to dig up by Christmas (hopefully).
Anyone who is not fond of broad beans like myself, boil put into a food blender, add garlic, chilli, olive oil, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce, delicious, nutritious and high in fiber.

 

[altone]

Thank's for the plant donations WEAL
I've got them in the raised beds already, just got to keep the water up to them now.
Most of the plants I've moved to the new place seem to be surviving so far which is good, although I've definitely stuffed one of my pomegranate bushes.
Thought I'd killed my beloved red veined sorrel too but it's starting to come back
Still heaps of trees berries and herbs to get back in the ground though and I'd better plant up some seeds for later too.

I've got roses in the front so the aphids seem happy to stay on those - I occasionally just spray with soapy water if the numbers get high otherwise I just squish them.

 

[Redreuben]

Spent the day in the garden today mulching the mango, citrus, and asparagus with some sweet homemade compost ready for the summer heat. The best part though ? Hot bath with a pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord.
Cheers

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Finally a day in the garden, wife has been picking the Simba dwarf beans, 3 lots in now, the Enorma beans I planted are off and climbing as are the Kings Cobra climbing beans. Thankfully we have been having good rain so my late spuds should be OK for Christmas day ( more rain to come Thursday through to Saturday. Pulled some carrots and spuds for tonight's dinner, tomatoes starting to ripen, Sweet Aperitif good trusses but small supposedly the sweetest tomato in the world. Going to pull out a second year tomato a Beef Steak, (has performed really well for a second year plant) along with my winter tomatoes to make room for a dozen Money Makers.
Passion Fruit still going strong not even a year in the garden, loads of fruit and still flowering.

 

[altone]

Well in contrast to WEAL's lovely food garden, here's what's left of my Rowville veg areas.

I moved 2 raised beds made of hardwood sleepers like the big green shed sells and built a new one at the new place.
The railway sleeper beds I just couldn't be bothered moving again as they are so damned heavy.

I managed to gather all my garlic up and have moved as much of the other perennials as I need like fruit trees and herbs
even dug up half the asparagus which seems to be growing again.

So the new tenant will inherit warragul greens and parsley that grow wild, asparagus, chinese chives, oregano. rhubarb, comfrey,
a few crappy lettuce and chard plants, some horseradish, vietnamese mint and whatever else pops up.

The new garden is still in progress with lots of things surviving in pots until I can dig out and build up the pebble filled
edge beds so I can plant them.

I do have 3 raised beds full but they don't look very exciting yet




edit: If I get a chance tomorrow I'll post pics of some of the plants waiting for a permanent home at the
new place.
And some ideas on bringing food into the front garden.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Good to see some rhubarb altone, probably my favourite produce with spuds, tomatoes,beans and marrow close behind. Corn I love but not a great return for the effort.
Reckon the corn put on about 100 mm with the rain from yesterday.
Rhubarb, looking forward to a good season.