Date: 2/02/2016 22:46:02
From: AussieDJ
ID: 841037
Subject: February 2016 Chat

Outside … occasionally doing a spot of weeding in a neglected corner of the garden. Otherwise, just taking it easy for a bit. No pressure.

Oh, is that the time?

Where did January go?

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Date: 2/02/2016 22:49:19
From: roughbarked
ID: 841038
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

AussieDJ said:


Outside … occasionally doing a spot of weeding in a neglected corner of the garden. Otherwise, just taking it easy for a bit. No pressure.

Oh, is that the time?

Where did January go?

Zip. Went past quickly. Autumn plantings start.

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Date: 3/02/2016 09:03:21
From: bluegreen
ID: 841101
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

More pictures of the yard cleanup. The main vege garden has been weeded too. Looking forward to getting some veges growing again.

 photo IMG_3685_zpsoc029qyc.jpg  photo IMG_3684_zpsrmrz75kh.jpg  photo IMG_3683_zpsro7xta7j.jpg

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Date: 3/02/2016 19:00:29
From: roughbarked
ID: 841325
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

Eating lotsa yummy beans and corn and zucchini, capsicum, flying saucer squash, carrots. Making sauce out of tomatoes. Eggplants almost ready.

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Date: 3/02/2016 20:50:14
From: roughbarked
ID: 841419
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

roughbarked said:


Eating lotsa yummy beans and corn and zucchini, capsicum, flying saucer squash, carrots. Making sauce out of tomatoes. Eggplants almost ready.

Beets are still good to eat but the celery is all seed. Grapesare munchy and the apples are coming on, those that the ringnecked parrots haven’t yet nibbled on.

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Date: 3/02/2016 22:15:36
From: Happy Potter
ID: 841473
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

bluegreen said:


More pictures of the yard cleanup. The main vege garden has been weeded too. Looking forward to getting some veges growing again.

 photo IMG_3685_zpsoc029qyc.jpg  photo IMG_3684_zpsrmrz75kh.jpg  photo IMG_3683_zpsro7xta7j.jpg

It’s looking great now :)

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Date: 3/02/2016 22:27:31
From: roughbarked
ID: 841491
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

Happy Potter said:

It’s looking great now :)

I made a bigger mess

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Date: 4/02/2016 09:11:59
From: bluegreen
ID: 841621
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

roughbarked said:


Happy Potter said:

It’s looking great now :)

I made a bigger mess

post hole digger?

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Date: 4/02/2016 09:24:56
From: roughbarked
ID: 841626
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

bluegreen said:


roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

It’s looking great now :)

I made a bigger mess

post hole digger?

no.
I used a tractor that had a forklift on front and a mulcher on the back.

For 36 years I had been bringing logs for firewood and dragging the branches that fell off the trees I planted 30+ years ago. Amongst this was the dead trees that were cut down after the 19 years of next to nothing rainfall. My fence is 66 metres long and I’d used up around 30 of those metres with such stuff. It is all on crown land and though my planting of trees and slashing, hand pulling weeds had meant that there had been no fires for 36 years, I thought it was about time I cleaned up closer to home.
So I sorted the logs and stacked them and threw everything else where the mulcher could get at it. Now have several cubic metres of wood chips to put on the trees.
The logs I forklifted over the fence into my yard and the rest got mulched up. Before I got the tractor in, I hung the camera on the gate and took a selfie.

After it was all done.

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Date: 4/02/2016 12:54:55
From: bluegreen
ID: 841673
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

A lot of work, but satisfying to see it done I’m sure.

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Date: 4/02/2016 14:05:48
From: roughbarked
ID: 841702
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

bluegreen said:


A lot of work, but satisfying to see it done I’m sure.

Absolutely. ;)

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Date: 5/02/2016 20:27:02
From: buffy
ID: 842435
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

And…today the birds found the peach tree. So now I have lots of peaches on the bench sorted into small, medium (this tree doesn’t do large) and birdpecked. I’ll eat the birdpecked first. Waiting on an answer to my email offering some to the neighbours 500m down the road. I was a bit busy preparing food, washing, hanging out washing and watering the veggies to wander down there when I got home from work.

:)

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Date: 6/02/2016 19:26:58
From: buffy
ID: 842794
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

And, today was the last peach pick. I’ve picked everything that was left. Today I made this:

http://allrecipes.com.au/recipe/18318/peach-custard-tart.aspx

It’s just out of the oven, so I can’t report on it yet. The recipe reads well though.

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Date: 7/02/2016 10:01:58
From: bluegreen
ID: 843049
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

buffy said:

And, today was the last peach pick. I’ve picked everything that was left. Today I made this:

http://allrecipes.com.au/recipe/18318/peach-custard-tart.aspx

It’s just out of the oven, so I can’t report on it yet. The recipe reads well though.

How was it? I might suggest it to a friend who is looking for ideas for her excess.

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Date: 7/02/2016 16:12:38
From: buffy
ID: 843152
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

bluegreen said:


buffy said:

And, today was the last peach pick. I’ve picked everything that was left. Today I made this:

http://allrecipes.com.au/recipe/18318/peach-custard-tart.aspx

It’s just out of the oven, so I can’t report on it yet. The recipe reads well though.

How was it? I might suggest it to a friend who is looking for ideas for her excess.

With a little tweaking, excellent. The pastry didn’t come together properly – I had to add a little milk to make it bind. And I think the cup of sugar is too much, 3/4 or even 1/2 would have been enough as the peaches were sweet when ripe. But it’s delicious and rich.

Tonight I’m going to make a peach crumble, but I’m going to put a layer of biscuit pastry underneath it and treat it as a slice. Could be interesting.

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Date: 7/02/2016 16:27:13
From: buffy
ID: 843158
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

Oh, and I did it in a deep flan tin….looks spectacular that way.

:)

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Date: 8/02/2016 08:17:46
From: roughbarked
ID: 843508
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

I’m still getting unknown weeds from sugar cane mulch sold by the big B as weed suppressant.
here’s one

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Date: 8/02/2016 09:09:51
From: bluegreen
ID: 843536
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

roughbarked said:


I’m still getting unknown weeds from sugar cane mulch sold by the big B as weed suppressant.
here’s one


Not what I would expect from sugar cane mulch!

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Date: 8/02/2016 09:18:42
From: roughbarked
ID: 843537
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

bluegreen said:


roughbarked said:

I’m still getting unknown weeds from sugar cane mulch sold by the big B as weed suppressant.
here’s one


Not what I would expect from sugar cane mulch!

Exactly.

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Date: 8/02/2016 16:32:24
From: buffy
ID: 843818
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

>>Tonight I’m going to make a peach crumble, but I’m going to put a layer of biscuit pastry underneath it and treat it as a slice. Could be interesting<<

Not so successful. That recipe goes in the recycling bin. Edible, but not very exciting. The peach custard tart was a lot better.

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Date: 8/02/2016 18:45:41
From: roughbarked
ID: 843894
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

roughbarked said:


bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

I’m still getting unknown weeds from sugar cane mulch sold by the big B as weed suppressant.
here’s one


Not what I would expect from sugar cane mulch!

Exactly.

Ipomoea quamoclit.

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Date: 8/02/2016 21:36:07
From: roughbarked
ID: 843989
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

roughbarked said:


roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

Not what I would expect from sugar cane mulch!

Exactly.

Ipomoea quamoclit.

I know it is from sugarcane mulch because the other half put only this on the garden while I was away. Only in this spot.

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Date: 9/02/2016 09:21:52
From: bluegreen
ID: 844135
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

roughbarked said:


roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

Not what I would expect from sugar cane mulch!

Exactly.

Ipomoea quamoclit.

Ahh. A variety of Morning Glory, a long known problem weed.

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Date: 9/02/2016 13:24:36
From: roughbarked
ID: 844222
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

bluegreen said:


roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

Exactly.

Ipomoea quamoclit.

Ahh. A variety of Morning Glory, a long known problem weed.


I have never seen it before.

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Date: 10/02/2016 09:09:42
From: bluegreen
ID: 844579
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

roughbarked said:


bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

Ipomoea quamoclit.

Ahh. A variety of Morning Glory, a long known problem weed.


I have never seen it before.

I have only ever seen the blue one myself, but google showed up that colour when I searched for Ipomoea quamoclit.

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Date: 10/02/2016 13:42:28
From: roughbarked
ID: 844619
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

bluegreen said:


roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

Ahh. A variety of Morning Glory, a long known problem weed.


I have never seen it before.

I have only ever seen the blue one myself, but google showed up that colour when I searched for Ipomoea quamoclit.

This is far smaller flower and leaves than the blue one.

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Date: 11/02/2016 20:26:44
From: buffy
ID: 845298
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

So, it seems even if I get my tomato plants going early, we have an early start to Summer and I keep up the water…they still think of themselves as Autumn fruit. Just starting to pick now.

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Date: 11/02/2016 21:04:50
From: roughbarked
ID: 845307
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

buffy said:

So, it seems even if I get my tomato plants going early, we have an early start to Summer and I keep up the water…they still think of themselves as Autumn fruit. Just starting to pick now.

I’ve had a good season. Not the usual number of searing days without water. 91 mm for January. Have been getting more tomates than I can possibly consume for aages.

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Date: 12/02/2016 13:24:50
From: buffy
ID: 845565
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

buffy said:

>>Tonight I’m going to make a peach crumble, but I’m going to put a layer of biscuit pastry underneath it and treat it as a slice. Could be interesting<<

Not so successful. That recipe goes in the recycling bin. Edible, but not very exciting. The peach custard tart was a lot better.

Addendum: This slice improved with ageing. The oats in the topping are not so overpowering now it has been sitting in the fridge for 4 or 5 days. Still not going to bother with it again, but we will now eat it instead of composting it.

:)

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Date: 14/02/2016 13:59:47
From: buffy
ID: 846566
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

And in Casterton, (almost) every apple and every pear has dropped on the ground and dessicated. And there are cracks in the ground. One lonely sunflower flowering in the veggie patch. Oh well. Obviously only winter veggies for there.

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Date: 14/02/2016 22:09:05
From: roughbarked
ID: 846678
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

buffy said:

And in Casterton, (almost) every apple and every pear has dropped on the ground and dessicated. And there are cracks in the ground. One lonely sunflower flowering in the veggie patch. Oh well. Obviously only winter veggies for there.

Do pick up thd dessicated fruit and dispose of it accordingly. This is where Carpophilus breed. This beetle is almost as piss offable as Kweensland Froot Flies

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Date: 15/02/2016 08:30:13
From: buffy
ID: 846749
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

‘Driedfruit beetle do not breed in fruit on the tree. Adults lay eggs in rotting or damaged fruit on the orchard floor. Mature larvae emerge from the fruit and pupate in the ground.’ – Ref: WA ag site

When I say dessicated, I mean dessicated. Completely dried. Not rotting. No flesh. Crumble to powder under the mower blades. Still, I lost all the fruit, but I don’t have to worry about them attracting Euro wasps this year.

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Date: 15/02/2016 08:39:36
From: roughbarked
ID: 846753
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

buffy said:

‘Driedfruit beetle do not breed in fruit on the tree. Adults lay eggs in rotting or damaged fruit on the orchard floor. Mature larvae emerge from the fruit and pupate in the ground.’ – Ref: WA ag site

When I say dessicated, I mean dessicated. Completely dried. Not rotting. No flesh. Crumble to powder under the mower blades. Still, I lost all the fruit, but I don’t have to worry about them attracting Euro wasps this year.

Still and all, cleaning up the fruit on the ground is always beneficial.

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Date: 20/02/2016 10:37:05
From: buffy
ID: 848958
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

Quiet in here lately. My seed for sicily purple cauli, January king cabbage, de cicco broccoli and purple sprouting broccoli arrived yesterday, so I’ll get them going. I’ve got some sprouting broccoli seedlings just about ready to go out. A few cabbage whites around, but I’ll take the chance. I put out some red pak choy last week and it’s doing OK so far. I was actually thinking it can be a sacrificial crop if necessary, although we do eat pak choy.

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Date: 21/02/2016 10:59:17
From: buffy
ID: 849246
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

And this morning I have put in some lettuce seedlings, some beetroot seedlings and some broccoli (green sprouting) seedlings. And popped some carrot and parsnip seed under seed raising mix. And thinned the earlier carrots – I was surprised at the size of some of the thinnings, we will have carrots for tea tonight. Also picked my first bicolour corn cobs. And they look magnificent. Unfortunately I have a cold and my tastebuds seem to be compromised, but if I take a Sudafed a couple of hours before tea time, I reckon I should be able to enjoy the food better.

:)

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Date: 22/02/2016 09:34:46
From: bluegreen
ID: 849693
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

buffy said:

And this morning I have put in some lettuce seedlings, some beetroot seedlings and some broccoli (green sprouting) seedlings. And popped some carrot and parsnip seed under seed raising mix. And thinned the earlier carrots – I was surprised at the size of some of the thinnings, we will have carrots for tea tonight. Also picked my first bicolour corn cobs. And they look magnificent. Unfortunately I have a cold and my tastebuds seem to be compromised, but if I take a Sudafed a couple of hours before tea time, I reckon I should be able to enjoy the food better.

:)

I got too excited with my weeded vege bed the other week and bought some kale and silverbeet seedlings, but still haven’t planted them so they are languishing in their punnets getting lanky. Bugger about the cold and the tastebuds.

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Date: 22/02/2016 09:39:47
From: bluegreen
ID: 849696
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

Plumber is here pulling out my water tank pump. It stopped on Saturday and he had a look at it yesterday but couldn’t get it going, so it is off to the pump specialist today to see if it is fixable. Buckets of water sitting around (filled at a trickle via gravity) because bore water tastes crap, even after going through two filters.

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Date: 22/02/2016 16:20:33
From: bluegreen
ID: 849892
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

bluegreen said:


Plumber is here pulling out my water tank pump. It stopped on Saturday and he had a look at it yesterday but couldn’t get it going, so it is off to the pump specialist today to see if it is fixable. Buckets of water sitting around (filled at a trickle via gravity) because bore water tastes crap, even after going through two filters.

$30 later and some burnt out wiring replaced. Mind you apparently I was lucky the whole thing didn’t catch fire.

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Date: 22/02/2016 18:36:16
From: roughbarked
ID: 849933
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

bluegreen said:


bluegreen said:

Plumber is here pulling out my water tank pump. It stopped on Saturday and he had a look at it yesterday but couldn’t get it going, so it is off to the pump specialist today to see if it is fixable. Buckets of water sitting around (filled at a trickle via gravity) because bore water tastes crap, even after going through two filters.

$30 later and some burnt out wiring replaced. Mind you apparently I was lucky the whole thing didn’t catch fire.

They say that a lot because every short circuit could potentially spark a fire except for the fact that a spark needs tinder to get going.

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Date: 28/02/2016 15:06:54
From: buffy
ID: 852747
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

Time to get some pictures in before it changes into March. My maincrop tomatoes, Grosse Lisse and Rouge de Marmande, with some intermixed heritage varieties plants that were leftover from my other plantings:

 photo 2016 NewVegBed1 28Feb16_zpsvd76gqm8.jpg

And some of my heritage ones, including Black Krim, Mortgage Lifter and Tommy Toe:

 photo 2016 NewVegBed2 28Feb16_zpsgfo6ngef.jpg

The capsicums in the front there are Italian Fryers, Quadrato and Mini Sweet. Not sure which ones are which though.

Over between the tanks are the tomatoes I am already picking from, including Ananas Noir, Black Krim, Tigerella and Red and Black. I’ve had some corn from there too, and there are some capsicums stuffed in around the back. Also some carrots and parsnips coming along for later. The soil is nice and deep there.

 photo 2016 TankBed1 28Feb16_zps79rrc8b5.jpg  photo 2016 TankBed2 28Feb16_zpscc8jxegn.jpg

I thought they were capsicums in there (my labelling regime has been somewhat lax on the chillis and capsicums this year!) but some of them are looking long and thin. Anyone want to hazard a guess what these might turn out to be? I have no idea what colour or final size they will turn out to be:

 photo 2016 Chiili 28Feb16_zps87sv1lcs.jpg

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Date: 28/02/2016 15:17:04
From: roughbarked
ID: 852752
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

Can only repeat what I said over <——there., Really neat stuff.

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Date: 29/02/2016 09:25:33
From: bluegreen
ID: 852993
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

So jealous, buffy. Like your bed within a bed, might pinch that idea for mine when it is up and running again as it is too big to reach into. I’ve got no idea of your chilli/capsicum. There are so many varieties that look similar you might just have to wait and see.

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Date: 29/02/2016 12:27:33
From: buffy
ID: 853039
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

bluegreen said:


So jealous, buffy. Like your bed within a bed, might pinch that idea for mine when it is up and running again as it is too big to reach into. I’ve got no idea of your chilli/capsicum. There are so many varieties that look similar you might just have to wait and see.

The bed within the bed was originally a border of strawberry plants. Which failed pretty dismally. Yesterday I rejigged the bit at the front of that photo, turned over the soil, buried a line of chookpoo on shredded paper, and tipped a bag of potting mix on top. Now planted out with lettuce seedlings. I’ll run tomatoes along there next season. The front edge is a treated pine sleeper up on edge, the back lovely old thing is a real redgum sleeper from when some lines around here were ripped up. (Sacrilege, but there you go. I got some fabulous sleepers for the garden)

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Date: 1/03/2016 17:16:10
From: Happy Potter
ID: 853507
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

It all looks great Buffy :)
I’ve got those capsicums and the label is long yellow Hungarian capsicums. Some call them banana capsicums. They come in green as well and will ripen to orange then red. We like them at the orange stage.

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Date: 1/03/2016 19:53:08
From: buffy
ID: 853536
Subject: re: February 2016 Chat

Happy Potter said:


It all looks great Buffy :)
I’ve got those capsicums and the label is long yellow Hungarian capsicums. Some call them banana capsicums. They come in green as well and will ripen to orange then red. We like them at the orange stage.

I have grown the yellow ones (accidentally) before when a punnet I bought wasn’t what it said it was. These are from seed and I can’t recall which packet…..that happens a bit around here. I do label, but then the labels fade and then…

Still I guess we get surprise veggies!

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