Hello all, just dropped by to make sure all our Qld garden nuts are high and dry and safe. I see Dinetta, Bubba and PM have posted, what news on Longy, Sheremark, Pomolo and anyone else I’m forgetting up that way?

Sorry for my long absence, I will really make more of an effort to drop by…
especially now that I have a vegie patch on the go at long last and my first chookies arrive in 3 days!

The vegie patch story is quite funny. I only cleared one of the two as time was of the essence. I acquired some vegie seedlings and needed to get them in pronto so I squeezed them in as best I could – I had oregano, basil, chillies, three different types of lettuce, beetroot, carrots, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, butternut pumpkin, zucchini, lebanese cucumbers and stringless beans all in a single bed measuring about 3m x1.5m. Yep, you guessed it – things got swamped! The cucs swamped the beans, surprisingly the zucc swamped the pumpkin, not the other way around. The cucs have broken out and are heading across country at the moment, LOL!

Have harvested heaps of lettuce and herbs, one small zucchini, some mini beetroot (I wanted to make a beetroot salad for christmas and they were still a bit young, oh well), three lebanese cucumbers, a handful of twisted and distorted baby carrots because wally here didn’t realise they had more than one seedling in each and they ended up growing spiralled around each other, and three beans, lol! (hoping for more now that I’ve cut the cuc leaves back to let some light in)

I pick up eight 18 month old hand raised Isa Browns on Saturday, four of which will move on to a client of mine as soon as her chook run is built…more than likely by me, LOL! Their current owners are moving to QLD at the end of Jan (not quite sure why they’d want to do that right now but anyway…) and they are just happy for the chooks to have a home where they will be treated as pets and won’t go in the pot when they stop laying but will have a cushy retirement instead. I think it’s Lucky’s phrase I’m quoting here…“I couldn’t eat anything I’d named” :)

So I have planted the wormwood along the fence line, it’s now fully enclosed with a chicken wire roof so is fox and cat proof, the door is hung and just needs a latch system, but I will leave that to the brains of the operation…my new man, who made nifty makeshift hinges out of eyebolts drilled through the door and the post instead of my more haphazard approach of wiring it. This is the chook palais! A swinging door instead of one you have to manhandle to open or close.

Hope everyone is healthy and happy and having a great start to 2011. Promise I will drop by more often this year.

Stay well,

Horty

hortfurball said:

Hello all, just dropped by to make sure all our Qld garden nuts are high and dry and safe. I see Dinetta, Bubba and PM have posted, what news on Longy, Sheremark, Pomolo and anyone else I’m forgetting up that way?

Sorry for my long absence, I will really make more of an effort to drop by…
especially now that I have a vegie patch on the go at long last and my first chookies arrive in 3 days!

The vegie patch story is quite funny. I only cleared one of the two as time was of the essence. I acquired some vegie seedlings and needed to get them in pronto so I squeezed them in as best I could – I had oregano, basil, chillies, three different types of lettuce, beetroot, carrots, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, butternut pumpkin, zucchini, lebanese cucumbers and stringless beans all in a single bed measuring about 3m x1.5m. Yep, you guessed it – things got swamped! The cucs swamped the beans, surprisingly the zucc swamped the pumpkin, not the other way around. The cucs have broken out and are heading across country at the moment, LOL!

Have harvested heaps of lettuce and herbs, one small zucchini, some mini beetroot (I wanted to make a beetroot salad for christmas and they were still a bit young, oh well), three lebanese cucumbers, a handful of twisted and distorted baby carrots because wally here didn’t realise they had more than one seedling in each and they ended up growing spiralled around each other, and three beans, lol! (hoping for more now that I’ve cut the cuc leaves back to let some light in)

I pick up eight 18 month old hand raised Isa Browns on Saturday, four of which will move on to a client of mine as soon as her chook run is built…more than likely by me, LOL! Their current owners are moving to QLD at the end of Jan (not quite sure why they’d want to do that right now but anyway…) and they are just happy for the chooks to have a home where they will be treated as pets and won’t go in the pot when they stop laying but will have a cushy retirement instead. I think it’s Lucky’s phrase I’m quoting here…“I couldn’t eat anything I’d named” :)

So I have planted the wormwood along the fence line, it’s now fully enclosed with a chicken wire roof so is fox and cat proof, the door is hung and just needs a latch system, but I will leave that to the brains of the operation…my new man, who made nifty makeshift hinges out of eyebolts drilled through the door and the post instead of my more haphazard approach of wiring it. This is the chook palais! A swinging door instead of one you have to manhandle to open or close.

Hope everyone is healthy and happy and having a great start to 2011. Promise I will drop by more often this year.

Stay well,

Horty

well met.. HNY Horty

Let’s see if I can remember how to do this. If I’ve done this right, this will be a pic of my vegie garden…

hortfurball said:

Hello all, just dropped by to make sure all our Qld garden nuts are high and dry and safe. I see Dinetta, Bubba and PM have posted, what news on Longy, Sheremark, Pomolo and anyone else I’m forgetting up that way?

Sorry for my long absence, I will really make more of an effort to drop by…
especially now that I have a vegie patch on the go at long last and my first chookies arrive in 3 days!

The vegie patch story is quite funny. I only cleared one of the two as time was of the essence. I acquired some vegie seedlings and needed to get them in pronto so I squeezed them in as best I could – I had oregano, basil, chillies, three different types of lettuce, beetroot, carrots, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, butternut pumpkin, zucchini, lebanese cucumbers and stringless beans all in a single bed measuring about 3m x1.5m. Yep, you guessed it – things got swamped! The cucs swamped the beans, surprisingly the zucc swamped the pumpkin, not the other way around. The cucs have broken out and are heading across country at the moment, LOL!

Have harvested heaps of lettuce and herbs, one small zucchini, some mini beetroot (I wanted to make a beetroot salad for christmas and they were still a bit young, oh well), three lebanese cucumbers, a handful of twisted and distorted baby carrots because wally here didn’t realise they had more than one seedling in each and they ended up growing spiralled around each other, and three beans, lol! (hoping for more now that I’ve cut the cuc leaves back to let some light in)

I pick up eight 18 month old hand raised Isa Browns on Saturday, four of which will move on to a client of mine as soon as her chook run is built…more than likely by me, LOL! Their current owners are moving to QLD at the end of Jan (not quite sure why they’d want to do that right now but anyway…) and they are just happy for the chooks to have a home where they will be treated as pets and won’t go in the pot when they stop laying but will have a cushy retirement instead. I think it’s Lucky’s phrase I’m quoting here…“I couldn’t eat anything I’d named” :)

So I have planted the wormwood along the fence line, it’s now fully enclosed with a chicken wire roof so is fox and cat proof, the door is hung and just needs a latch system, but I will leave that to the brains of the operation…my new man, who made nifty makeshift hinges out of eyebolts drilled through the door and the post instead of my more haphazard approach of wiring it. This is the chook palais! A swinging door instead of one you have to manhandle to open or close.

Hope everyone is healthy and happy and having a great start to 2011. Promise I will drop by more often this year.

Stay well,

Horty

what a night, first Collie makes an appearance and now Horty rises again! It is great to hear how your garden is going, and fantastic picture by the way.

OH! Horty too!!

Welcome back :D You have been productive, great vege bed, and your overgrown garden sounds like mine lol. Chooks..
And the new man, woohoo!
You have a lot of catchig up to do young lady, hehe.

Fantabulous garden bed there! Congratulations…

I think it’s Lucky’s phrase I’m quoting here…“I couldn’t eat anything I’d named” :)
—————————————————
Damn straight and glad to see you posting here Horty:)

Hugs to the girls and you too.

hortfurball said:

Let’s see if I can remember how to do this. If I’ve done this right, this will be a pic of my vegie garden…

Oh wow…….way to go Horty:)

great to see you too Horty, and glad to hear things are looking up for you :)

hortfurball said:

Let’s see if I can remember how to do this. If I’ve done this right, this will be a pic of my vegie garden…

too neat LOL.

nice to hear the news – welcome back HFB

Hi Horty.

Nice to hear from you HFB :)

hortfurball said:

Let’s see if I can remember how to do this. If I’ve done this right, this will be a pic of my vegie garden…

Looks great :)

Just stole this from another thread…
Dinetta said:

In this weather I could probably grow lettuce in the full sun, there is so much clod about…

Think I just gathered a vital tip. Does everybody cover their vegie gardens with shadecloth in the height of summer? Does lettuce fry if you grow it in full sun? Would it be a good idea to plant a small deciduous tree on the western side of the beds to shade from afternoon sun?

pepe said:

too neat LOL.

LOL! Not any more it’s not! Must get an updated pic with the lettuce bolting to seed, the cuc running away with itself, the tommies in a mad tangle and the weeds everywhere! Anyone else get masses of pea seedlings pop up from the pea straw? And I mean MASSES!! I was weeding them daily and laying them back down on the surface to dry out and add to the straw mulch.

Lucky, if you meant the chooks when you said ‘hugs to the girls’, they’re not here yet, LOL! Two more sleeps! I still want some purebred chooks, which is why I’m only keeping 4 of the Isas. The Isas should be regular layers while I find my ‘specialty’ chooks (Double Laced Barnevelder, Buff Cochin and Gold Laced Wyandotte). Ultimately I think seven chooks is enough, even though I’m allowed up to 10 under council laws. Of course I might be tempted to add a Blue Australorp or an Orpington, and if I can find a Brahma in this colour I want!!
http://www.backyardpoultry.com/vis/2006/chicken4%20copy.jpg
All the buff Brahmas seem to be a standard one tone buff though, a bit disappointing.

hortfurball said:

Just stole this from another thread…
Dinetta said:

In this weather I could probably grow lettuce in the full sun, there is so much clod about…

Think I just gathered a vital tip. Does everybody cover their vegie gardens with shadecloth in the height of summer? Does lettuce fry if you grow it in full sun? Would it be a good idea to plant a small deciduous tree on the western side of the beds to shade from afternoon sun?

No, not everybody covers their lettuce in summer, but when the sun is 50C on the ground, lettuce (which are heat tender) tend not to cope. Some of the asian varieties do very well, but even those I grow under the shade of the jacaranda…

Hi back to everyone! :)
waves

Another random question before I dash off to work for the arvo…with Lebanese Cucumbers, do they always have largish fibrousy seeds in the middle or am I growing them wrong? Too fast/too much water/not enough water/not enough fertiliser? I’m used to eating the continental (burpless) cucs with the small soft seeds so am a bit spoiled. Perhaps I should get continental cuc seeds/seedlings next time.

Dinetta said:

No, not everybody covers their lettuce in summer, but when the sun is 50C on the ground, lettuce (which are heat tender) tend not to cope. Some of the asian varieties do very well, but even those I grow under the shade of the jacaranda…

Thanks Dinetta, we have had a VERY hot summer so far. I noticed the lettuce seemed a bit frazzled on occasion, might see what I can do, I have a very large piece of spare shadecloth that should fit the bill and is not needed elsewhere.

Will pop back in with updated vegie garden pics and new chook and chook run pics after the weekend. I don’t tend to get on the puter much over the weekend these days. New man lives down in Mandurah, comes up on Friday eve and leaves early Monday morning and we tend to be pretty busy. He spoils me rotten and I try not to let him (with limited success) but he is a good influence and I have now been a non smoker for 10 days. :) I was part way towards quitting when we met, had cut right down and stopped smoking in the car, just needed the added impetus to take that final step and stop completely. So far doing well, it’s been hard, but getting a little easier every day now that I’m past the first week.

Have just realised I’m running late, must run.
Have a good day all.

hortfurball said:

but he is a good influence and I have now been a non smoker for 10 days. :) I was part way towards quitting when we met, had cut right down and stopped smoking in the car, just needed the added impetus to take that final step and stop completely. So far doing well, it’s been hard, but getting a little easier every day now that I’m past the first week.

Have just realised I’m running late, must run.
Have a good day all.

Oh well done! That’s fabulous news :)

hortfurball said:

Hi back to everyone! :)
waves

Another random question before I dash off to work for the arvo…with Lebanese Cucumbers, do they always have largish fibrousy seeds in the middle or am I growing them wrong? Too fast/too much water/not enough water/not enough fertiliser? I’m used to eating the continental (burpless) cucs with the small soft seeds so am a bit spoiled. Perhaps I should get continental cuc seeds/seedlings next time.

The ones I buy have small soft seeds.

hortfurball said:

Hi back to everyone! :)
waves

Another random question before I dash off to work for the arvo…with Lebanese Cucumbers, do they always have largish fibrousy seeds in the middle or am I growing them wrong? Too fast/too much water/not enough water/not enough fertiliser? I’m used to eating the continental (burpless) cucs with the small soft seeds so am a bit spoiled. Perhaps I should get continental cuc seeds/seedlings next time.

picking them too late? Lebanese Cucs do not grow very big so try picking them a bit earlier.

hortfurball said:

He spoils me rotten and I try not to let him (with limited success) but he is a good influence and I have now been a non smoker for 10 days. :) I was part way towards quitting when we met, had cut right down and stopped smoking in the car, just needed the added impetus to take that final step and stop completely. So far doing well, it’s been hard, but getting a little easier every day now that I’m past the first week.

good stuff :)

hortfurball said:

I have now been a non smoker for 10 days. :)

Good work there!

hortfurball said:

I have now been a non smoker for 10 days. :) I was part way towards quitting when we met, had cut right down and stopped smoking in the car, just needed the added impetus to take that final step and stop completely. So far doing well, it’s been hard, but getting a little easier every day now that I’m past the first week.

Onya sonya. What’s that ad at the moment…evey cigarette you don’t smoke increases your willpower (or won’t power in this case). Now if I could only apply that philosphy to eating :)

Honestly though good on you. I know how hard it is to give up smoking. I stopped smoking in 1981 :)

bubba louie said:

hortfurball said:

Hi back to everyone! :)
waves

Another random question before I dash off to work for the arvo…with Lebanese Cucumbers, do they always have largish fibrousy seeds in the middle or am I growing them wrong? Too fast/too much water/not enough water/not enough fertiliser? I’m used to eating the continental (burpless) cucs with the small soft seeds so am a bit spoiled. Perhaps I should get continental cuc seeds/seedlings next time.

The ones I buy have small soft seeds.

Might not be Lebanese cucs? What kind of skin do they have?

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

hortfurball said:

Hi back to everyone! :)
waves

Another random question before I dash off to work for the arvo…with Lebanese Cucumbers, do they always have largish fibrousy seeds in the middle or am I growing them wrong? Too fast/too much water/not enough water/not enough fertiliser? I’m used to eating the continental (burpless) cucs with the small soft seeds so am a bit spoiled. Perhaps I should get continental cuc seeds/seedlings next time.

The ones I buy have small soft seeds.

Might not be Lebanese cucs? What kind of skin do they have?

Mine or Horty’s?

bubba louie said:

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

The ones I buy have small soft seeds.

Might not be Lebanese cucs? What kind of skin do they have?

Mine or Horty’s?

Horty’s…I often buy lebanese cucumbers at WW…. you don’t think she’s got Continentals do you?

hortfurball said:

Hi back to everyone! :)
waves

Another random question before I dash off to work for the arvo…with Lebanese Cucumbers, do they always have largish fibrousy seeds in the middle or am I growing them wrong? Too fast/too much water/not enough water/not enough fertiliser? I’m used to eating the continental (burpless) cucs with the small soft seeds so am a bit spoiled. Perhaps I should get continental cuc seeds/seedlings next time.

i think BG’s answer is right – lebanese cueys are only 10cm (4”) long.

well done on the smoking.
i quit 9 june 2010

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

Dinetta said:

Might not be Lebanese cucs? What kind of skin do they have?

Mine or Horty’s?

Horty’s…I often buy lebanese cucumbers at WW…. you don’t think she’s got Continentals do you?

Continentals are pretty soft too.

LOL! Not any more it’s not! Must get an updated pic with the lettuce bolting to seed, the cuc running away with itself, the tommies in a mad tangle and the weeds everywhere! Anyone else get masses of pea seedlings pop up from the pea straw? And I mean MASSES!! I was weeding them daily and laying them back down on the surface to dry out and add to the straw mulch.
——————-
yep – i’ve been picking peas that came up in the mulch – and lots of them – so – like you i’ve been pulling them out.

a mad tangle – good start. what i have perfected is the infill planting that – in itself looks ok – but when added to the existing old garden – gives a kinda ‘lost in time’ look. not an easy one to teach (chuckle).

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

hortfurball said:

Hi back to everyone! :)
waves

Another random question before I dash off to work for the arvo…with Lebanese Cucumbers, do they always have largish fibrousy seeds in the middle or am I growing them wrong? Too fast/too much water/not enough water/not enough fertiliser? I’m used to eating the continental (burpless) cucs with the small soft seeds so am a bit spoiled. Perhaps I should get continental cuc seeds/seedlings next time.

The ones I buy have small soft seeds.

Might not be Lebanese cucs? What kind of skin do they have?

Well they were sold as lebanese cuc seedlings. They have a cucumbery type skin, LOL! But they do have small hairs on the skin at periodic intervals. That should be an identifying quality as I don’t remember normal or continental cucs having that. Maybe I did pick them too late, they were between 10 and 15cm in length approximately (I knew they should be smaller than normal cucs so picked them as soon as I found them). The skins were a bit lighter in colour than I expected, so I wonder if not enough fert.

bubba louie said:

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

The ones I buy have small soft seeds.

Might not be Lebanese cucs? What kind of skin do they have?

Mine or Horty’s?

Damn good question, LOL! I took it to mean mine but now not so sure.

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

Dinetta said:

Might not be Lebanese cucs? What kind of skin do they have?

Mine or Horty’s?

Horty’s…I often buy lebanese cucumbers at WW…. you don’t think she’s got Continentals do you?

Not a chance. I love my continentals because the seeds are so insignificant and soft. Plus, these were too small.

pepe said:

hortfurball said:

Hi back to everyone! :)
waves

Another random question before I dash off to work for the arvo…with Lebanese Cucumbers, do they always have largish fibrousy seeds in the middle or am I growing them wrong? Too fast/too much water/not enough water/not enough fertiliser? I’m used to eating the continental (burpless) cucs with the small soft seeds so am a bit spoiled. Perhaps I should get continental cuc seeds/seedlings next time.

i think BG’s answer is right – lebanese cueys are only 10cm (4”) long.

well done on the smoking.
i quit 9 june 2010

Hmmm, so I have to check more often and find them younger…I harvested the others as soon as I found them but obviously a little too late. We’ve had some stinking hot days here so I missed a few days here and there. (also wasn’t expecting them to be ready so soon after planting…now I know)

pepe said:

LOL! Not any more it’s not! Must get an updated pic with the lettuce bolting to seed, the cuc running away with itself, the tommies in a mad tangle and the weeds everywhere! Anyone else get masses of pea seedlings pop up from the pea straw? And I mean MASSES!! I was weeding them daily and laying them back down on the surface to dry out and add to the straw mulch.
——————-
yep – i’ve been picking peas that came up in the mulch – and lots of them – so – like you i’ve been pulling them out.

a mad tangle – good start. what i have perfected is the infill planting that – in itself looks ok – but when added to the existing old garden – gives a kinda ‘lost in time’ look. not an easy one to teach (chuckle).

So are they edible peas or lupins, do you know? I just presumed they were going to be lupins.

hortfurball said:

Dinetta said:

bubba louie said:

The ones I buy have small soft seeds.

Might not be Lebanese cucs? What kind of skin do they have?

Well they were sold as lebanese cuc seedlings. They have a cucumbery type skin, LOL! But they do have small hairs on the skin at periodic intervals. That should be an identifying quality as I don’t remember normal or continental cucs having that. Maybe I did pick them too late, they were between 10 and 15cm in length approximately (I knew they should be smaller than normal cucs so picked them as soon as I found them). The skins were a bit lighter in colour than I expected, so I wonder if not enough fert.

lighter/yellowing skin also suggests they were getting a bit old.

Hmmm, so I have to check more often and find them younger…I harvested the others as soon as I found them but obviously a little too late. We’ve had some stinking hot days here so I missed a few days here and there. (also wasn’t expecting them to be ready so soon after planting…now I know)
———-
100-150mm long is right so the theory of the big cucumber is busted.
with perth’s hot weather the most likely culprit is lack of water / heat stress.

they are the best cuey IMHO – but the continentals and burpless can be bigtime producers – so maybe try a different one next time.

hortfurball said:

pepe said:

LOL! Not any more it’s not! Must get an updated pic with the lettuce bolting to seed, the cuc running away with itself, the tommies in a mad tangle and the weeds everywhere! Anyone else get masses of pea seedlings pop up from the pea straw? And I mean MASSES!! I was weeding them daily and laying them back down on the surface to dry out and add to the straw mulch.
——————-
yep – i’ve been picking peas that came up in the mulch – and lots of them – so – like you i’ve been pulling them out.

a mad tangle – good start. what i have perfected is the infill planting that – in itself looks ok – but when added to the existing old garden – gives a kinda ‘lost in time’ look. not an easy one to teach (chuckle).

So are they edible peas or lupins, do you know? I just presumed they were going to be lupins.

field peas – probably greenfeast? – not bad but not good either.

the planting time for snow peas is approaching and they can be grown up a trellis too – count me in.

Meet the girls!
Day one = 8 eggs :D
Day two = 6 eggs and two slackers!

This pale girl is one of my favourites – She’s one of only two at this stage who have let me pick them up for a cuddle (she was the first). She’s the first to try to sneak past you at the gate and the first to check out anything new – cheeky, naughty and friendly. :)

A very hot day = panting chooks.

My handiwork on the nesting boxes, fitted into a couple of old cupboards.

hortfurball said:

My handiwork on the nesting boxes, fitted into a couple of old cupboards.

geez – talk about palatial.
very nice tho.
chooks are real value for money – world’s best eggs for free.

They look like happy chooks :)