no camera so piccies later.

apart from constant weeding, mowing and spraying probably my biggest single garden enterprise is -
- corn and sunflower plantings.
outside my bedroom window i have cleaned up and taken over the failed wildflower bed, fertilised and framed either side of the window with these tall plants. a hedge of basil seedlings have been planted on the edge of this bed and under the window low broccoli and alium plants will complete the picture.

another big area to the west of my so-called meditation garden is also being prepared and planted as corn/sunflower combo.

i have just pruned my favourite red pelargonium. i intent to plant all the prunings as new ‘potted colour plants’.

earwigs, centipedes and slugs – i set the traps and baits yesterday and caught lots last night.
a bit late tho’ – i managed to germinate lots of carrots but now half of the are eaten – blast!!
replant time.

You need more birds…

Why are the centipedes a problem?

Dinetta said:

You need more birds…

Why are the centipedes a problem?

millipedes not centipedes sorry.
millions of birds here. 50 sparrows, murray magpies, wrens, blackbirds, grass parrots, magpies – the list goes on. slugs, earwigs and millipedes hide in tiny places during the day and come out at night when the birds are asleep.

it’s hot today – the north wind is strong and dry – so i’ve have my 4 glasses of water already

chooks in shady spot – sprouts – onions – sprouts up close.
the sprouts need a colder clime so i won’t attempt them again

it’s hot today – the north wind is strong and dry – so i’ve have my 4 glasses of water already
=======================

Like bluddy summer isn’t it:(

everything is weedy – so the peas look good except for the grasses in between – the navel orange is ever so close to producing sweet fruit and the silver beet has been good for months now

picking the last of the broccoli, silver beet, carrots and the first broad beans
raspberries and strawbs are growing ok but i forgot to prune my grapevine and that is now budding.

Lucky1 said:

it’s hot today – the north wind is strong and dry – so i’ve have my 4 glasses of water already
=======================

Like bluddy summer isn’t it:(

quite a shock really – i had to water the seeds – first time since april i have used the watering cans – might need the hoses tomorrow.
wah wah wah – give me my rain back.

Good work Pepe! Plenty to eat at your place :)
I think snails have eaten all my little carrot seedlings :(

these little broad beans are available every day now and are a high protein food altho’ they taste nicest cooked in butter. the carrot is as long as a knife and three times as thick and not in the least woody. the leeks are self sown and a bit small.

They look scrumptious…do you just eat the beans part of the beans, and not the seed casing as well??

Dinetta said:

They look scrumptious…do you just eat the beans part of the beans, and not the seed casing as well??

yeah they are appetising – mind you eggs are just coming into season after the winter layoff and they are extremely appealing now as well.
you throw away the casing – makes good compost – chooks don’t eat it.

What beans did you say they were?

Also, what’s a good bean for the corn, it’s supposed to climb and keep the corn steady whilst providing it with underground nutrition as well…

What does well in your summer is ideal for here…

Dinetta said:

What beans did you say they were?

Also, what’s a good bean for the corn, it’s supposed to climb and keep the corn steady whilst providing it with underground nutrition as well…

What does well in your summer is ideal for here…

broad beans. the only winter bean – they are head height here at present and tied to stakes.
you probably need summer (french) climbing beans – purple king, epicure and blue lake. they are better than broad beans.

Looks really good Pepe, it’s making me hungry…………….

pepe said:

these little broad beans are available every day now and are a high protein food altho’ they taste nicest cooked in butter. the carrot is as long as a knife and three times as thick and not in the least woody. the leeks are self sown and a bit small.

I want to try broad beans one day. I hope they measure up better than kohl rabi and radicchio.

the wife’s front wildflower garden and one of her cheery anthuses – the first sweet peas

spuds weeded and topped with pine needles – who’s dat shield bug on my orange tree? – chard with very big leaves

picking lots for spring which is usually a time of sparse pickings.
silver beet, chard, spinach, broad beans, peas, carrots, leeks, celery, herbs, cabbage, sprouts and ludricrous quantities of citrus. mostly green stuff but still very welcome.

raspbarries and strawbs are looking good and the sweet peas and orange blossum make the place smell pleasant.

chickpeas are close to harvest and spuds, corn, new carrots and sunflowers are up – altho’ earwigs and millipedes have ‘thinned’ some of the corn.

i’ve spread lucerne mulch on spuds, citrus and herbs. that stuff is smokin’ – a one plant compost heap once it gets wet.

Sounds terrific Pepe :D

Likewise with the earwig damage here.. these things are really starting to get on my nerves.

Happy Potter said:

Sounds terrific Pepe :D
Likewise with the earwig damage here.. these things are really starting to get on my nerves.

busy as always potter? D
dem earwigs are pesky. i’m not planting much more until they grow up and stop bothering me, they are living on door jambs at present and rain on my head as i open the door.

your rhubarb sounds terrific and i reckon if your fertilise the citrus they can handle the overabundant flowering – i think?

pepe said:

picking lots for spring which is usually a time of sparse pickings.
silver beet, chard, spinach, broad beans, peas, carrots, leeks, celery, herbs, cabbage, sprouts and ludricrous quantities of citrus. mostly green stuff but still very welcome.

raspbarries and strawbs are looking good and the sweet peas and orange blossum make the place smell pleasant.

chickpeas are close to harvest and spuds, corn, new carrots and sunflowers are up – altho’ earwigs and millipedes have ‘thinned’ some of the corn.

i’ve spread lucerne mulch on spuds, citrus and herbs. that stuff is smokin’ – a one plant compost heap once it gets wet.

Sounds like a salad bowl you’ve got there Pepe.

Sounds like a salad bowl you’ve got there Pepe.
———
g’day pomolo – we’re doing our best to send the rain (rather than the dust) northway.
i forgot to mention the singleo parsnip which i’m keeping until the cook announces a sunday roast.
… and rosemary which along with herbs like parsley, oregano and thyme is a culinary delight when the recipe calls for it.

the jungle look prevails with everything going to seed – herbs, orange and spinach; sweetpea and orange aromas; lemon balm, garlic and fennel

spuds surrounded by the wet spring grasses including the peas and chickpea crop to the right of spuds; globe artichoke; compost ready to use

young carrots, fruiting strawbs and corn seedlings (look closely)

the orange blossum and sweetpea in closeup

pepe said:

the orange blossum and sweetpea in closeup

Your garden is looking wonderful Pepe. I love this pic of orange blossom and sweet peas – you’ll have a bumper crop of oranges!!

Your garden is looking wonderful Pepe. I love this pic of orange blossom and sweet peas – you’ll have a bumper crop of oranges!!
——————————-
morning OC40 – i saw the colour of your roses – wow. nice to have your blog up and running again.

HP and i might have a few too many orange blossum but what the heck – the wind will blow them off or we can prune when the time comes.
my japanese seedless mandarine is equally full and that is one nice tasting mandy. heres hoping.

i spend hours picking and shelling peas – than i ask the wife -‘do you think this will be enough?’ – she grabs a handful and stuffs them in her gob saying – ‘too many’.

pepe said:

the jungle look prevails with everything going to seed – herbs, orange and spinach; sweetpea and orange aromas; lemon balm, garlic and fennel

Should end up with lots of oranges from that lot of flowers.

pepe said:

young carrots, fruiting strawbs and corn seedlings (look closely)

I made an apple and home grown strawberry cobbler for this w/e. Enjoyed by all. Great strawberry flavour. Our corn is biggrr than yours. Na na na na na!

orchid40 said:

pepe said:

the orange blossum and sweetpea in closeup

Your garden is looking wonderful Pepe. I love this pic of orange blossom and sweet peas – you’ll have a bumper crop of oranges!!

Hey! I just said that. LOL.

I made an apple and home grown strawberry cobbler for this w/e. Enjoyed by all. Great strawberry flavour. Our corn is biggrr than yours. Na na na na na!
——
oh alright. my piccies are bigger than yours. la dee da!

you queenslanders have a funny climate – its summer up there – dry and cold?? i don’t understand your growing seasons at all.

pepe said:

I made an apple and home grown strawberry cobbler for this w/e. Enjoyed by all. Great strawberry flavour. Our corn is biggrr than yours. Na na na na na!
——
oh alright. my piccies are bigger than yours. la dee da!

you queenslanders have a funny climate – its summer up there – dry and cold?? i don’t understand your growing seasons at all.

I’ll have to pay that one. Your piccies are better than mine too.

Dry and hot here now. The cold bit was last week. lol. You don’t understand our seasons!!! How do you think they affect us when they are like this? Mind you, we don’t have daylight saving so the plants are confused.

the brussel sprouts are looking like a plant from the dinosaur era – i have lots of broccoli seedlings looking for a patch of soil.
this year is very odd – after the drought i’m finding that i’m planting the summer crops much later – partially because the mornings are still cold on the ears and partially because there are large herds of millipedes and earwigs under every cover.

pepe said:

the brussel sprouts are looking like a plant from the dinosaur era – i have lots of broccoli seedlings looking for a patch of soil.
this year is very odd – after the drought i’m finding that i’m planting the summer crops much later – partially because the mornings are still cold on the ears and partially because there are large herds of millipedes and earwigs under every cover.

Morning Pepe.

how dones one prune these raspberries?
winter toms – i’m still waiting for toms!
lettuce seedlings inside pigeon protection guards.

peony poppy, lavandar and broccoli

pepe said:

how dones one prune these raspberries?
winter toms – i’m still waiting for toms!
lettuce seedlings inside pigeon protection guards.

Gee! I wish my raspberry looked even a little like that. Mine is still a stick with 5 leaves on top.

pepe said:

peony poppy, lavandar and broccoli

Our broccoli is long gone.

pomolo said:

pepe said:

how dones one prune these raspberries?
winter toms – i’m still waiting for toms!
lettuce seedlings inside pigeon protection guards.

Gee! I wish my raspberry looked even a little like that. Mine is still a stick with 5 leaves on top.

Mine were pruned at the end of the season….. new canes not touched, just tied up.

Mine were pruned at the end of the season….. new canes not touched, just tied up.
-
yours are very orderly – grumble – mine are like jungle vines. still i’m planning to irrigate them this year – small steps.

pepe said:

Mine were pruned at the end of the season….. new canes not touched, just tied up.
-
yours are very orderly – grumble – mine are like jungle vines. still i’m planning to irrigate them this year – small steps.

Mine are dead:(

Died in that 15 day heatwave………planting a passion fruit vine there one day soon….

Lucky1 said:

pepe said:

Mine were pruned at the end of the season….. new canes not touched, just tied up.
-
yours are very orderly – grumble – mine are like jungle vines. still i’m planning to irrigate them this year – small steps.

Mine are dead:( Died in that 15 day heatwave………planting a passion fruit vine there one day soon….

i knew that. LOL. you might have to come over here and point while i prune.

neighbours just lit their bonfire – impressive – flames 12 metres in the sky.

pepe said:

Lucky1 said:

pepe said:

Mine were pruned at the end of the season….. new canes not touched, just tied up.
-
yours are very orderly – grumble – mine are like jungle vines. still i’m planning to irrigate them this year – small steps.

Mine are dead:( Died in that 15 day heatwave………planting a passion fruit vine there one day soon….

i knew that. LOL. you might have to come over here and point while i prune.

neighbours just lit their bonfire – impressive – flames 12 metres in the sky.

I know there are 2 varieties…. mine (prune the last year canes) and one where all canes are cut back……do you know what one you have???

I know there are 2 varieties…. mine (prune the last year canes) and one where all canes are cut back……do you know what one you have???
————————
the jungle ones. i planted canes this winter and they are growing strongly. i also left some 3 year old (unirrigated) plants in place.
sorry i don’t know variety nor where they originated.

pepe said:

I know there are 2 varieties…. mine (prune the last year canes) and one where all canes are cut back……do you know what one you have???
————————
the jungle ones. i planted canes this winter and they are growing strongly. i also left some 3 year old (unirrigated) plants in place.
sorry i don’t know variety nor where they originated.

Thats okay….. you’ll soon know when they are pruned and no fruit follows…..that it was pruned wrong.

Thats okay….. you’ll soon know when they are pruned and no fruit follows…..that it was pruned wrong.
————————————————————————-
or… when i get lots of fruit….that i have fluked it again LOL.

pepe said:

Thats okay….. you’ll soon know when they are pruned and no fruit follows…..that it was pruned wrong.
————————————————————————-
or… when i get lots of fruit….that i have fluked it again LOL.

hehehhe

this topic is going to last two more months!! i might invent a new one.

i was looking at GA’s vege planting guide -
i’m ok on carrots, leeks, spinach, spuds, mustard, broccoli. in fact i’m pleased someone else is planting broccoli because i have 6 big ones in and a dozen ready to go.

however their recommendations – rockmelon, pumpkin and climbing beans ?
could be early because its an unusually cold spring. many of my sunflowers, all my basil and some corn wouldn’t germinate in any but the hottest places.

My first corn planting is doing quite well, and I was chuffed, but last weekend another local said they are picking already and she is freezing cobs and cobs!! Oh well…she also believes in putting liver underneath the passionfruit before planting it out…

Pepe, the corn is forming inside the corn (you know what I mean)…I have a 25 litre bucket of very well rotted horsemanure in water…it’s been rotting for about 4 months now (I just keep filling the bucket)…can I just pour this onto the corn or should I dilute it? What ratio?

Also, the corn roots are showing above-ground and I remember you saying that these should be hilled something like potatoes…can I just use the HP that’s been lying around for a couple of months? There are blue lake beans (I think they’re blue lake) planted right beside the corn (this is a 3 sisters garden) and I plan to plant out rockmelon, zucch and pumpkin early December…late I know but like you we have had very coolish nights…I can just put toilet rolls around the beans (should have done it to the tomatoes) to protect them from the HP…thanks…

Pepe, the corn is forming inside the corn (you know what I mean)…I have a 25 litre bucket of very well rotted horsemanure in water…it’s been rotting for about 4 months now (I just keep filling the bucket)…can I just pour this onto the corn or should I dilute it? What ratio?
————————
you probably mean the cobs are just beginning to form.
definitely cover the aerial roots. the horse manure sounds ok but i would put a layer of mulch down first and then pour the horse poo over it. this might upset the beans?? try a couple first and see if you like the outcome. you might buy some coir bricks, soak them in the liquidified hp. and then apply the lot as a thick mulch over the crops. i’m not sure – good luck.
i poured liquid pigeon poo over my corn and it has boosted them – and they are only 100mm high – so the hp won’t hurt the corn.

Pepe, I have been mulching all the while with very aged HP, on the theory it might still have some nitrogen in it but not too much and this will wash into the soil with each watering…layered this with bought alfalfa hay mulch…think I’ll “mound up” with sugarcane as it is not a hot mulch and then HP on top…toilet roll protectors around the beans… :)

Dinetta said:

Pepe, I have been mulching all the while with very aged HP, on the theory it might still have some nitrogen in it but not too much and this will wash into the soil with each watering…layered this with bought alfalfa hay mulch…think I’ll “mound up” with sugarcane as it is not a hot mulch and then HP on top…toilet roll protectors around the beans… :)

sounds fantastic dinetta – the three sisters are getting the full treatment. how big are the beans?
its an important experiment because if it works many people will try to get those crops yielding in one spot.

Dinetta said:

…I have a 25 litre bucket of very well rotted horsemanure in water…it’s been rotting for about 4 months now (I just keep filling the bucket)…can I just pour this onto the corn or should I dilute it? What ratio?

I would dilute it. “Weak tea” is the recommended ratio!

I believe there is a tendency to overdo the fertilisation of crops in our country. Over use degrades the soil and the excess nutrients end out washing away into our waterways. You can always increase the strength if you want, but it is impossible to take it back if you overdo it. As corn likes lots of water when cobs are forming, lots of applications of weak manure tea will keep them thriving.

Also bigger is not necessarily better. The tendency for commercial crops is to grow things bigger and bigger. The force feeding of the crops to get these sizes results in watery, tasteless produce. Small, tougher grown fruit and veg are often more packed with flavour.

pepe said:

Dinetta said:

Pepe, I have been mulching all the while with very aged HP, on the theory it might still have some nitrogen in it but not too much and this will wash into the soil with each watering…layered this with bought alfalfa hay mulch…think I’ll “mound up” with sugarcane as it is not a hot mulch and then HP on top…toilet roll protectors around the beans… :)

sounds fantastic dinetta – the three sisters are getting the full treatment. how big are the beans?
its an important experiment because if it works many people will try to get those crops yielding in one spot.

Thanks for the interest Pepe…

The beans that are up, are about 4” high…they’ve been somewhat skeletonized but thriving nonthe less…I only got a 50% strike rate with them so just shoved some more seeds in about 2 weeks ago and after this there’s no more beans going in for the first planting as I need to start planting out the zucch, rockmelon and pumpkins early December…the idea is the curcubits will be shading and protecting the roots of the corn, and the beans, of course, fix the nitrogen in the soil for the corn… roots…

the experiment was close to a failure last year, except for the pumpkin which had triffids in its genes…so this year’s crop is also an experiment but I might cheat with the beans for the second corn planting and buy transplants, once the corn is 6” high…I really must take a photo soon…

The area is a slightly reduced quadrant in a round bed just over 2 m in diameter…if this goes OK I might use half the bed, as with some luck I will have other vegetable garden beds established by then…

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

…I have a 25 litre bucket of very well rotted horsemanure in water…it’s been rotting for about 4 months now (I just keep filling the bucket)…can I just pour this onto the corn or should I dilute it? What ratio?

I would dilute it. “Weak tea” is the recommended ratio!

I believe there is a tendency to overdo the fertilisation of crops in our country. Over use degrades the soil and the excess nutrients end out washing away into our waterways. You can always increase the strength if you want, but it is impossible to take it back if you overdo it. As corn likes lots of water when cobs are forming, lots of applications of weak manure tea will keep them thriving.

Also bigger is not necessarily better. The tendency for commercial crops is to grow things bigger and bigger. The force feeding of the crops to get these sizes results in watery, tasteless produce. Small, tougher grown fruit and veg are often more packed with flavour.

Good info there, thanks BlueGreen…I haven’t used any commercial fertilizers, only commercial bags of compost from time to time (as when I first started the no-dig component of this bed about 3 years ago)..although the kelp and charlie carp are commercial, that’s a thought…

I’m more inclined to under-fertilize less regularly than the recommended level, but I do know that corn is a “heavy feeder” and this is why I’m picking Pepe’s brian on the matter…

Pepe I have some coir, ready to be soaked…pardon my ignorance but what’s the principle behind stacking this against the corn roots?

Pepe I have some coir, ready to be soaked…pardon my ignorance but what’s the principle behind stacking this against the corn roots?
—————————
corn is a tall plant and the aerial roots stabilise it against the wind like a tripod at its base.
the aerial roots are also feeder roots. toms, sunflowers and brassicas have similar secondary roots up their stems. if you bury these roots they feed nutrients into the sap flow enabling the plant to grow higher and stronger.
they might have developed like this in areas near rivers where floods caused alluvial soil to be deposited over the plants as they grew?

pepe said:

Pepe I have some coir, ready to be soaked…pardon my ignorance but what’s the principle behind stacking this against the corn roots?
—————————
corn is a tall plant and the aerial roots stabilise it against the wind like a tripod at its base.
the aerial roots are also feeder roots. toms, sunflowers and brassicas have similar secondary roots up their stems. if you bury these roots they feed nutrients into the sap flow enabling the plant to grow higher and stronger.
they might have developed like this in areas near rivers where floods caused alluvial soil to be deposited over the plants as they grew?

Oh I see: good point. Maybe the coir, by keeping the aerial roots moist, enables uptake of nutrients through them?

Oh I see: good point. Maybe the coir, by keeping the aerial roots moist, enables uptake of nutrients through them?
————————-
the coir should have nutrients mixed into it. thus the horse poo – also pellets and any manure will do.

the beans are the worrying bit tho’. you can mulch around them but they need to speed up.

pepe said:

Oh I see: good point. Maybe the coir, by keeping the aerial roots moist, enables uptake of nutrients through them?
————————-
the coir should have nutrients mixed into it. thus the horse poo – also pellets and any manure will do.

the beans are the worrying bit tho’. you can mulch around them but they need to speed up.

The beans got planted 4 weeks after the corn…may have been a packet on it’s last legs but they did not strike well last year either…

The beans got planted 4 weeks after the corn…may have been a packet on it’s last legs but they did not strike well last year either…
—————————————-
new bean seed needed. probably a thin powder coating of dolomite lime in case the soil is slightly too acidic.

a difficult combination that i have tried. the beans struggle for light and probably need to be climbing the corn at this stage.

even beans as advanced as these didn’t make it. somehow the beans corn combination ends up with one or the other dominating – in this case the corn.

pepe said:

even beans as advanced as these didn’t make it. somehow the beans corn combination ends up with one or the other dominating – in this case the corn.

Good morning Pepe…lurve the director’s chair in the cornfield LOL!

I’ll go back to my information source: maybe the beans were meant to be planted the same time as the corn but because of the schmozzle the experiment was last year, I planted the corn first to make sure it was even going to germinate…could’ve just had beans and curcubits I suppose, but I still remember the home-grown corn from our late market gardener…

http://www.kidsgardening.com/growingideas/PROJECTS/MARCH02/mar02-pg1.htm

Try here Pepe: as you can see I’ve got the timing wrong: planted the beans too late…also, I didn’t see this before, they say to soak the bean seeds over night…this would make a difference to germination rate…and the curcubits are meant to be planted at the same time as the bean seeds…oh well, better luck next year…

Good morning Pepe…lurve the director’s chair in the cornfield LOL! I’ll go back to my information source: maybe the beans were meant to be planted the same time as the corn but because of the schmozzle the experiment was last year, I planted the corn first to make sure it was even going to germinate…could’ve just had beans and curcubits I suppose, but I still remember the home-grown corn from our late market gardener…
—————
corn is spendid when eaten within an hour of picking – otherwise forget it.
you will get good corn i expect….. and probably good beans and pumpkin as well – its just the combination of the three sisters that eludes everybody.

all gardens must have an armchair spot – gardeners lifestyle is important LOL.

pepe said:

– its just the combination of the three sisters that eludes everybody.

all gardens must have an armchair spot – gardeners lifestyle is important LOL.

Pardon my ignorance, but would the corn grown for long-term use (i.e. the stuff that’s dried to make flour, etc) have a different growing pattern to sweet corn? Would it take longer to bear fruit, so to speak, and therefore the beans could keep up with it? I’m being academic of course, but I have been wondering about this all morning (needed to think of something whilst oiling the kwila table…)

Oh absolutely re the armchair spot…there’s something about the placement of a chair in a particular spot in the garden gives one the “ah!” moment…followed by a reduction in BP and HR….

Dinetta said:

pepe said:

– its just the combination of the three sisters that eludes everybody.

all gardens must have an armchair spot – gardeners lifestyle is important LOL.

Pardon my ignorance, but would the corn grown for long-term use (i.e. the stuff that’s dried to make flour, etc) have a different growing pattern to sweet corn? Would it take longer to bear fruit, so to speak, and therefore the beans could keep up with it? I’m being academic of course, but I have been wondering about this all morning (needed to think of something whilst oiling the kwila table…) Oh absolutely re the armchair spot…there’s something about the placement of a chair in a particular spot in the garden gives one the “ah!” moment…followed by a reduction in BP and HR….

i’ve never made polenta, corn flour etc. i think practically all summer veges grow in 12- 16 weeks so i doubt there is a big difference in other corn growth rates.

sitting in the garden also sorts out ideas and sooner or later you’ll be inspired to do something…..unless of course you have an endless supply of chilled vermouth at hand LOL.

i’ve cleaned in readiness for the cleaner – who should arrive any minute now.

pepe said:

even beans as advanced as these didn’t make it. somehow the beans corn combination ends up with one or the other dominating – in this case the corn.

Wow Pepe – looks like the Jolly Green Giant lives there!

orchid40 said:

pepe said:

even beans as advanced as these didn’t make it. somehow the beans corn combination ends up with one or the other dominating – in this case the corn.

Wow Pepe – looks like the Jolly Green Giant lives there!

It does wot!

orchid40 said:

pepe said:

even beans as advanced as these didn’t make it. somehow the beans corn combination ends up with one or the other dominating – in this case the corn.

Wow Pepe – looks like the Jolly Green Giant lives there!

january 2008 – i dug up an old photo orchid.

its raining at present but i’ll try to get a good shot of ‘red russian’ kale.

it is one amazing plant. beautiful as well as hardy. the wife hasn’t cooked with it yet and it’s sort of bitter and dull to taste. its like silver beet but has purple colouring with the green and would survive anywhere.
pete cundall is right in promoting it because, apart from its health credentials, it would guarantee ‘food security’.

pepe said:

its raining at present but i’ll try to get a good shot of ‘red russian’ kale.

it is one amazing plant. beautiful as well as hardy. the wife hasn’t cooked with it yet and it’s sort of bitter and dull to taste. its like silver beet but has purple colouring with the green and would survive anywhere.
pete cundall is right in promoting it because, apart from its health credentials, it would guarantee ‘food security’.

sounds like my kind of vegetable…

peas and broad beans are ripe and wasting on the vine. fridge is full and no one has the time to harvest and pod. in my primary school days some kids were absent during harvest season. i can see why – you do all this work to grow stuff and then, at the end of the growing season, you have to muster your strength to harvest and preserve. we have got a lot to relearn – ‘we’ being us urban sophisticates who have lost sight of old rural ways.

flowers of spring nastursiums, poppies1&2, old mans beard (native clematis), teatree and dutch iris

corn in need of fertiliser

passionfruit flowers – male or female – i dunno.

pepe said:

corn in need of fertiliser

passionfruit flowers – male or female – i dunno.

corn should have been planted with phosphates in the ground under the seed.. but no matter .. lift the mulch and drop som chook poo pellets along.. drop the mulch back on.. water. ;)

as for passionfruit.. or any fruit’s flower .. if you can see an ovary.. it is a female

corn should have been planted with phosphates in the ground under the seed.. but no matter .. lift the mulch and drop som chook poo pellets along.. drop the mulch back on.. water. ;)

as for passionfruit.. or any fruit’s flower .. if you can see an ovary.. it is a female
——-
no worries – the corn is about to get the dregs of the liquid pigeon poo bottling.
as for the ovaries – feeling a bit of a voyeur – but i’m going to solve your cryptic puzzle.

pepe said:

corn should have been planted with phosphates in the ground under the seed.. but no matter .. lift the mulch and drop som chook poo pellets along.. drop the mulch back on.. water. ;)

as for passionfruit.. or any fruit’s flower .. if you can see an ovary.. it is a female
——-
no worries – the corn is about to get the dregs of the liquid pigeon poo bottling.
as for the ovaries – feeling a bit of a voyeur – but i’m going to solve your cryptic puzzle.

yeah .. a bit cryptic but I was trying to cover all flowers.

in your shot your should be able to recognise .. petals.. colour discovery, attraction of passion.. above that are anthers.. er.. male pollen distributors.. above that a swollen protuberance.. ie: the ovary or passionfruit pre-forming.. on top of that, the stigmas or female pollen receptors.. ;)

pepe said:

The web forming grubs on these are a pain, aren’t they?

pepe said:

passionfruit flowers – male or female – i dunno.

both – only one sort of flower on passionfruit as far as I know.

bluegreen said:

pepe said:

The web forming grubs on these are a pain, aren’t they?

oh dear – i had better take a closer look – do you suspect spider mite? ms pepe’s patch – so i didn’t take much notice.

bluegreen said:

pepe said:

The web forming grubs on these are a pain, aren’t they?

web forming grubs.. more birds help if you can attract them.. ie: mix tea tree with grevillea and melaleauca
more light can also help.

yes you can cut them off and burn them.. the tea tree won’t mind a bit as long as you don’t leave long woody bits with no leaves.

pepe said:

bluegreen said:

pepe said:

The web forming grubs on these are a pain, aren’t they?

oh dear – i had better take a closer look – do you suspect spider mite? ms pepe’s patch – so i didn’t take much notice.

it’s a grub that does it. eats the leaves and makes nests of web. flowers are always pretty though. I have successfully struck cuttings and grown from seed so if the plant looks too far gone, you can always replace it.

roughbarked said:

yes you can cut them off and burn them.. the tea tree won’t mind a bit as long as you don’t leave long woody bits with no leaves.

I just squish them with gloves on. Unfortunately the grub tends to eat all the leaves on the lower part of the bush so it’s hard to cut the plant back below the damage and still have leaves on it!

bluegreen said:

pepe said:

bluegreen said:

The web forming grubs on these are a pain, aren’t they?

oh dear – i had better take a closer look – do you suspect spider mite? ms pepe’s patch – so i didn’t take much notice.

it’s a grub that does it. eats the leaves and makes nests of web. flowers are always pretty though. I have successfully struck cuttings and grown from seed so if the plant looks too far gone, you can always replace it.

roughbarked has a signature on some sites that support it..
“any plant may be grown from a single bud if the correct conditions can be replicated”

roughbarked said:

roughbarked has a signature on some sites that support it..
“any plant may be grown from a single bud if the correct conditions can be replicated”

I have yet to gain the expertise :)

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

yes you can cut them off and burn them.. the tea tree won’t mind a bit as long as you don’t leave long woody bits with no leaves.

I just squish them with gloves on. Unfortunately the grub tends to eat all the leaves on the lower part of the bush so it’s hard to cut the plant back below the damage and still have leaves on it!

squishing them usually removes any leaves still unaffected as well.. but hey.. allow the branch to make new buds by watering the plant and opening a path for more light to hit it. then prune it..

ie: my wife complained about Melaleuca planted along the drive scratching her car.. I said; “well learn to reverse properly or allow me to prune them and you stay away from them with the secateurs”.. but also went out and did what I call a soft prune.. daughter asked what I meant.. So I said “come and watch”.. ;)

when pruning natives .. always cut it all off back to where a healthy new side shoot is growing. Don’t cut them otherwise unless it is already a disaster.

Always water well before and after cutting.

if you don’t want woodiness.. keep pinching tips.. ;)

thanks BG and RB.

teatree – i can see about 8 of these web nests on the branches where they fork – and one little bird’s nest taking advantage of the availabilty of nesting material. the plant should be fine – some pruning is in order.

passionfruit flowers might be combined sex – little yellow trays below purple ‘triffid’ arms. i will observe any swelling now.

pepe said:

thanks BG and RB.

teatree – i can see about 8 of these web nests on the branches where they fork – and one little bird’s nest taking advantage of the availabilty of nesting material. the plant should be fine – some pruning is in order.

passionfruit flowers might be combined sex – little yellow trays below purple ‘triffid’ arms. i will observe any swelling now.

be careful pruning if a bird is using the area to nest.. blue wrens like such spots and materials. ;)

pepe said:

flowers of spring nastursiums, poppies1&2, old mans beard (native clematis), teatree and dutch iris

Love this one…is it native to your area?

pepe said:

corn in need of fertiliser

Looking at that spacing, I didn’t do too badly laying out mine after all…

Ooooh, I must grab the camera and take my own shots…just for fun…

pepe said:

as for the ovaries – feeling a bit of a voyeur – but i’m going to solve your cryptic puzzle.

ROTFL!! I know just how you feel LOL!

Dinetta said:

pepe said:

flowers of spring nastursiums, poppies1&2, old mans beard (native clematis), teatree and dutch iris

Love this one…is it native to your area?

an old friend grew it from seed and gave us one. not indigenous to this area as far as i know.

pigeon poo bottled and dregs spread down the corn rows (on top of mulch). i will mulch them again when they grow a bit.

cars are stopping to admire our poppies. one woman came in to ask for seed. the apples are flowering like never before – it’s a good year for once.

pepe said:

cars are stopping to admire our poppies. one woman came in to ask for seed. the apples are flowering like never before – it’s a good year for once.

I’d stop and have a look too Pepe. Any chance of a pic of the apple trees in flower. I’ve never seen one before.

pomolo said:

pepe said:

cars are stopping to admire our poppies. one woman came in to ask for seed. the apples are flowering like never before – it’s a good year for once.

I’d stop and have a look too Pepe. Any chance of a pic of the apple trees in flower. I’ve never seen one before.

here’s some pomme blossom for the most popular porson on the porum – (especially when she leaves for a while LOL)

i will get some bigger trees on other peoples places if possible.

my neighbour has got some serious apple blossum

He has indeed…two trees, by the looks of it…

Dinetta said:

He has indeed…two trees, by the looks of it…

six – but these are the best two at present. the big one is thirty years old and he’s grafted three types of apple on the one tree – man – what a crop if all goes well. its only six foot high and he nets it.

Pepe, your poppies are a picture, and so are your neighbour’s apple trees!

orchid40 said:

Pepe, your poppies are a picture, and so are your neighbour’s apple trees!

ta – you say the nicest things – and i’ll tell the neighbour he’s a star.

tank pegged and sprayed. that’s tank not tent!

pepe said:

pomolo said:

pepe said:

cars are stopping to admire our poppies. one woman came in to ask for seed. the apples are flowering like never before – it’s a good year for once.

I’d stop and have a look too Pepe. Any chance of a pic of the apple trees in flower. I’ve never seen one before.

here’s some pomme blossom for the most popular porson on the porum – (especially when she leaves for a while LOL)

i will get some bigger trees on other peoples places if possible.

Wow! They’re kinda cute. Very low to the ground by the looks. I know, yours is just a baby.

I am now Pomolo… Mppotp. At last someone appreciates my worth whether I’m here or away.

pepe said:

my neighbour has got some serious apple blossum

They are nice. Kind of a jungle next door eh? We can grow a sub tropical apple up here but I have no idea what it’s like for eating. Should keep it in mind. Working on avocados and mangoes atm.

BTW, I got 10 mangoes for $10 at a roadside stall yesterday. They are all golden yellow with a red blush on the skin. They look absolutely yummy but I am still suffering with no sense of taste and no sense of smell from my flu and I’m stalling off from eating them just yet. Too, too cruel.

pomolo said:

BTW, I got 10 mangoes for $10 at a roadside stall yesterday. They are all golden yellow with a red blush on the skin. They look absolutely yummy but I am still suffering with no sense of taste and no sense of smell from my flu and I’m stalling off from eating them just yet. Too, too cruel.

Put them in the meat keeper part of the fridge…they should stop ripening…just how bad is your cold/flu that you can’t smell a ripe mango??? You’re a worry…

Dinetta said:

pomolo said:

BTW, I got 10 mangoes for $10 at a roadside stall yesterday. They are all golden yellow with a red blush on the skin. They look absolutely yummy but I am still suffering with no sense of taste and no sense of smell from my flu and I’m stalling off from eating them just yet. Too, too cruel.

Put them in the meat keeper part of the fridge…they should stop ripening…just how bad is your cold/flu that you can’t smell a ripe mango??? You’re a worry…

I lose those senses everytime I get anything like a cold or flu. Makes cooking a bit of a hit and miss.

harvest – can you see the big parsnip?
roast for tea.

Oh yummo, that will be one yummy roasted parsnip for sure.:)

How are the broad beans going??? Mine are starting to look a bit worse for wear.

Lucky1 said:

Oh yummo, that will be one yummy roasted parsnip for sure.:)

How are the broad beans going??? Mine are starting to look a bit worse for wear.

yep – bbeans, peas will probably be mowed next week.
apart from anything else (hot weather, lack of rainfall, old age, disease) i just get tired of picking and podding. they’ve been great tho’ – ah but?

I didn’t know you could roast parsnips? Quite like parsnip in a stir fry…

Dinetta said:

I didn’t know you could roast parsnips? Quite like parsnip in a stir fry…

you should try them with your next roast. Yummy!!

Dinetta said:

I didn’t know you could roast parsnips? Quite like parsnip in a stir fry…

I can’t believe you can eat parsnips!

Dinetta said:

I didn’t know you could roast parsnips? Quite like parsnip in a stir fry…

you haven’t been down south much have you?
the best parsnips have been frosted – when baked until the outsides are brown they are so sweet you could mistake them for a fried bannana – only they have more flavour.

pain master said:

Dinetta said:

I didn’t know you could roast parsnips? Quite like parsnip in a stir fry…

I can’t believe you can eat parsnips!

OK, it might be each to his own, along with brussels sprouts and broccoli, to name a couple, but yes I do like the taste of parsnips when eaten in a kind of cooked vege “fruit salad”, which is what a stir fry amounts to…on it’s own I don’t think it’s appealing…

pain master said:

Dinetta said:

I didn’t know you could roast parsnips? Quite like parsnip in a stir fry…

I can’t believe you can eat parsnips!

savour.
my mum always had them with a roast – in fact – it’s fair to say you haven’t tasted roast unless you’ve had roasted parsnip.

pepe said:

harvest – can you see the big parsnip?
roast for tea.

I wish I could grow eggs in the garden. Not many roots either. Wouldn’t have to water them much either.

pain master said:

Dinetta said:

I didn’t know you could roast parsnips? Quite like parsnip in a stir fry…

I can’t believe you can eat parsnips!

ROFL. Same. I suspect it’s one of those things that different people actually taste differently – Mr Bon thinks it’s mild and can’t understand why I find it so highly offensive.

the parsnip was a huge disappointment – tasteless.
we have no frost here so the parsnips look great but they are tasteless. youse who have frosts should plant them next autumn – the ones i grew in the adelaide hills were sensational.
one the bright side the broccoli stole the show – so at least i can grow that here.

eggs are still part of the harvest pomolo – i grow chooks even tho’ they don’t have roots.

Shame about the parsnips…by frosted, do you mean they have to have endured a winter frost before being harvested?

Dinetta said:

Shame about the parsnips…by frosted, do you mean they have to have endured a winter frost before being harvested?

yep – they can be covered in frost and it only makes them better. in fact i suspect that without it they are useless – thus all the personal testimonies to tasteless parsnips.

Wow!! You learn something new every day!!

pepe said:

the parsnip was a huge disappointment – tasteless.
we have no frost here so the parsnips look great but they are tasteless. youse who have frosts should plant them next autumn – the ones i grew in the adelaide hills were sensational.
one the bright side the broccoli stole the show – so at least i can grow that here.

eggs are still part of the harvest pomolo – i grow chooks even tho’ they don’t have roots.

And you grow wiser too Pepe.

And you grow wiser too Pepe.
————————————-
thanks – i’m beginning to think i just get more cantankerous.

pepe said:

And you grow wiser too Pepe.
————————————-
thanks – i’m beginning to think i just get more cantankerous.

That too. But you said it. LOL.

pepe said:

Dinetta said:

Shame about the parsnips…by frosted, do you mean they have to have endured a winter frost before being harvested?

yep – they can be covered in frost and it only makes them better. in fact i suspect that without it they are useless – thus all the personal testimonies to tasteless parsnips.

giggles

I wouldn’t mind them at all if they were tasteless. The ones I’ve had have all had a very strong, very unpleasant flavour. Though Mr Bon sitting next to me will call them mildly flavoured.