Someone had to do it.

roughbarked said:

Someone had to do it.

Yes, you did :)

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

Someone had to do it.

Yes, you did :)

:)
Morning HP.

Noted RB, thankyou. I just grabbed seedlings from the local nursery as I hadn’t put seeds in on time. I will in future! I hate the time wasted, and I’ll be uttering some cuss words if I have to buy cauli’s. They’ve always grown well before.

P’bucket seems to dumb down the photo quality, but there are tiny pale leaves barely covering the little cauli heads. I’ll let the chooks into the fenced vege beds area once I fence off the smaller leeks bed.

roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

Someone had to do it.

Yes, you did :)

:)
Morning HP.

Good morning Roughy :)

A funny morning. I spent the day baking yesty, muffins of all sorts for the family and GS, palmiers, bikkies and a fruit cake. Sent two loads of blueberry muffins to work with the man to share with his workmates, and drop one load off to GS on his way. Now he’s sending me texts, ‘ hey XXXX wants to know if you’ll divorce me and marry him, what you say? I told him he’s a nice bloke but you’re too busy cooking for me’. Hahahaha.

Happy Potter said:

Noted RB, thankyou. I just grabbed seedlings from the local nursery as I hadn’t put seeds in on time. I will in future! I hate the time wasted, and I’ll be uttering some cuss words if I have to buy cauli’s. They’ve always grown well before.

P’bucket seems to dumb down the photo quality, but there are tiny pale leaves barely covering the little cauli heads. I’ll let the chooks into the fenced vege beds area once I fence off the smaller leeks bed.

You could try force feeding them. The caulis should get big without you noticing, generally. They need to grow rapidly or they just sit there all winter.

roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

Noted RB, thankyou. I just grabbed seedlings from the local nursery as I hadn’t put seeds in on time. I will in future! I hate the time wasted, and I’ll be uttering some cuss words if I have to buy cauli’s. They’ve always grown well before.

P’bucket seems to dumb down the photo quality, but there are tiny pale leaves barely covering the little cauli heads. I’ll let the chooks into the fenced vege beds area once I fence off the smaller leeks bed.

You could try force feeding them. The caulis should get big without you noticing, generally. They need to grow rapidly or they just sit there all winter.

I’d thought of that but they are just so tiny, leaves too. The whole plants are 3 inches across. I could give it a go though, got heaps of seasol and powerfeed left, esp’ powerfeed as I noted it’s too strong for some things, even with a one mil dropper to 2 litres of water. I’ve barely used any out of the 10 lt tub.

Happy Potter said:

I’d thought of that but they are just so tiny, leaves too. The whole plants are 3 inches across. I could give it a go though, got heaps of seasol and powerfeed left, esp’ powerfeed as I noted it’s too strong for some things, even with a one mil dropper to 2 litres of water. I’ve barely used any out of the 10 lt tub.

Yep well you can try with the powerfeed and seasol mix.

roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

I’d thought of that but they are just so tiny, leaves too. The whole plants are 3 inches across. I could give it a go though, got heaps of seasol and powerfeed left, esp’ powerfeed as I noted it’s too strong for some things, even with a one mil dropper to 2 litres of water. I’ve barely used any out of the 10 lt tub.

Yep well you can try with the powerfeed and seasol mix.

Ok! Nothing to lose eh. They are in full sun.

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

I’d thought of that but they are just so tiny, leaves too. The whole plants are 3 inches across. I could give it a go though, got heaps of seasol and powerfeed left, esp’ powerfeed as I noted it’s too strong for some things, even with a one mil dropper to 2 litres of water. I’ve barely used any out of the 10 lt tub.

Yep well you can try with the powerfeed and seasol mix.

If you know how to handle and use chookpoop then this is probably the strongest fertilizer. A lot of care and responsibility involved though.

Ok! Nothing to lose eh. They are in full sun.

roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

Yep well you can try with the powerfeed and seasol mix.

If you know how to handle and use chookpoop then this is probably the strongest fertilizer. A lot of care and responsibility involved though.

Ok! Nothing to lose eh. They are in full sun.

I put chook poo, dynamic lifter equivalent from the local poultry farm, in the beds with a pinch of potash and blood and bone, dug well in watered and rested before I plant them out. But because the pumpkin vine only grew on one side and it’s roots hadn’t spread out over the whole bed, when I planted the cauli seedlings I didn’t add anything. Perhaps plants are hungrier than I think.

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

If you know how to handle and use chookpoop then this is probably the strongest fertilizer. A lot of care and responsibility involved though.

Ok! Nothing to lose eh. They are in full sun.

I put chook poo, dynamic lifter equivalent from the local poultry farm, in the beds with a pinch of potash and blood and bone, dug well in watered and rested before I plant them out. But because the pumpkin vine only grew on one side and it’s roots hadn’t spread out over the whole bed, when I planted the cauli seedlings I didn’t add anything. Perhaps plants are hungrier than I think.

Cauli’s are big feeders. If they don’t get it they don’t perform.

I wonder if those seedlings had been under stress (prior to you getting them,) to start flowering so small. Looks like they are “bolting” or flowering prematurely.

bluegreen said:

I wonder if those seedlings had been under stress (prior to you getting them,) to start flowering so small. Looks like they are “bolting” or flowering prematurely.

This is a likely scenario.

Which is why it is best to grow them yourself or purchase them from a known local grower. Usually found at market days.

Punnets of seedlings may be left without nutrients for a while after they are shipped to somewhere.

And this morning I shall prune the nectarine and peach to within an inch of their lives. They need to come right back down to where I can reach them. This will considerably reduce my cropping this year, but watch out for next year!

And we have a lunch at the pub today for Mr buffy, who has retired from his community officer ambulance work. Since we moved here around 14 years ago he has been pretty much ‘available’ all the time he has been at home. Not paid to be available, paid if he goes out. And he’s done quite a lot of jobs. This is one of the busiest ACO branches in the state. In the last couple of months he has made himself ‘not available’ except on every second weekend, which is a lot more sensible. But it’s time for him to be right out of it. Not constantly ready to drop everything and move.

buffy said:

And we have a lunch at the pub today for Mr buffy, who has retired from his community officer ambulance work. Since we moved here around 14 years ago he has been pretty much ‘available’ all the time he has been at home. Not paid to be available, paid if he goes out. And he’s done quite a lot of jobs. This is one of the busiest ACO branches in the state. In the last couple of months he has made himself ‘not available’ except on every second weekend, which is a lot more sensible. But it’s time for him to be right out of it. Not constantly ready to drop everything and move.

Kudos to Mr Buffy. 14 years is not an insignificant contribution,

bluegreen said:

buffy said:

And we have a lunch at the pub today for Mr buffy, who has retired from his community officer ambulance work. Since we moved here around 14 years ago he has been pretty much ‘available’ all the time he has been at home. Not paid to be available, paid if he goes out. And he’s done quite a lot of jobs. This is one of the busiest ACO branches in the state. In the last couple of months he has made himself ‘not available’ except on every second weekend, which is a lot more sensible. But it’s time for him to be right out of it. Not constantly ready to drop everything and move.

Kudos to Mr Buffy. 14 years is not an insignificant contribution,

He’s actually done around 40 years of emergency service work, including two stints (10 and 9 years) as a paramedic, time in the CFA, time operating the police camera car, and this stint of 12 years as community officer. CFA time did overlap some of the others, and for about 12 months he was in the camera car as well as community officer.

It was a nice afternoon. Some of his patients came, in particular a family who have their father with them because they did resusc until the ambulance arrived and he responded to defibrillation from Mr buffy. On the third shock. Mr buffy thought he’d lost that one…and I understand he swore when he actually felt a pulse return! Also his other ambulance community officers, all of whom he’s recruited, and some from other towns around the area. A couple of people from Hamilton. And the acting CEO of Ambulance Victoria came too. I spent some time talking to him. All in all, pleasant.

buffy said:

bluegreen said:

buffy said:

And we have a lunch at the pub today for Mr buffy, who has retired from his community officer ambulance work. Since we moved here around 14 years ago he has been pretty much ‘available’ all the time he has been at home. Not paid to be available, paid if he goes out. And he’s done quite a lot of jobs. This is one of the busiest ACO branches in the state. In the last couple of months he has made himself ‘not available’ except on every second weekend, which is a lot more sensible. But it’s time for him to be right out of it. Not constantly ready to drop everything and move.

Kudos to Mr Buffy. 14 years is not an insignificant contribution,

He’s actually done around 40 years of emergency service work, including two stints (10 and 9 years) as a paramedic, time in the CFA, time operating the police camera car, and this stint of 12 years as community officer. CFA time did overlap some of the others, and for about 12 months he was in the camera car as well as community officer.

It was a nice afternoon. Some of his patients came, in particular a family who have their father with them because they did resusc until the ambulance arrived and he responded to defibrillation from Mr buffy. On the third shock. Mr buffy thought he’d lost that one…and I understand he swore when he actually felt a pulse return! Also his other ambulance community officers, all of whom he’s recruited, and some from other towns around the area. A couple of people from Hamilton. And the acting CEO of Ambulance Victoria came too. I spent some time talking to him. All in all, pleasant.

lovely :)

Is everyone in hibernation? I know there isn’t much going on in the garden.

But I picked the first daffodil this morning. And the paperwhites are out…..they don’t know if they are daffs or jonquils really.

buffy said:

Is everyone in hibernation? I know there isn’t much going on in the garden.

But I picked the first daffodil this morning. And the paperwhites are out…..they don’t know if they are daffs or jonquils really.

Don’t think the daffodils survived but the jonquils did. I went out of bothering about bulbs decades ago. Still have some Spreklia and Belladonna and Flag Iris. The fruit fly people killed the daylilies spraying for fruit fly. The yard has a weed problem with grape Hyacinth. Working on deleting those. Though I’ll probably keep some in pots. Zephryanthes have been flowering for a while.

Have peas flowering which isn’t the best while the frosts are about.

buffy said:

Is everyone in hibernation? I know there isn’t much going on in the garden.

Been sick with a cold, so sort of hibernating.

bluegreen said:

buffy said:

Is everyone in hibernation? I know there isn’t much going on in the garden.

Been sick with a cold, so sort of hibernating.

Been busy with Giant Son stuff. We have finally been able to arrange for a mental health reassessment in the community, not in a hospital. GS has agreed and is happy about it and we are happy too. First of several appointments within days.
I can’t tell you the tricks I did to arrange this, too long a story, but it was funny but scary and anxiety provoking all at the same time. I came out of a doctors apt with the boy punching the air :D

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

buffy said:

Is everyone in hibernation? I know there isn’t much going on in the garden.

Been sick with a cold, so sort of hibernating.

Been busy with Giant Son stuff. We have finally been able to arrange for a mental health reassessment in the community, not in a hospital. GS has agreed and is happy about it and we are happy too. First of several appointments within days.
I can’t tell you the tricks I did to arrange this, too long a story, but it was funny but scary and anxiety provoking all at the same time. I came out of a doctors apt with the boy punching the air :D

So much more sense to do an assessment in his normal living environment. Shame it is so hard to get this though.

I hope my apple tree appreciates it’s crew cut. Seems to have quite a good number of fruiting spurs now. I suppose after 8 years or so, it should be hitting its straps.

Where is the wild weather? Little wind, little rain, no snow. And temps haven’t dropped to zero.

Bah!

buffy said:

Where is the wild weather? Little wind, little rain, no snow. And temps haven’t dropped to zero.

Bah!

Hmm, 6.6º here and not likely to get over 9º all day. No frost for the next week at least with no temp getting below 3 and clouds about.

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

Where is the wild weather? Little wind, little rain, no snow. And temps haven’t dropped to zero.

Bah!

Hmm, 6.6º here and not likely to get over 9º all day. No frost for the next week at least with no temp getting below 3 and clouds about.

It is winter weather as normal here. Had a brief thunderstorm but that’s not that unusual. Some of the more elevated areas (in the Strathbogies) got hail, but that’s not particularly unusual either. But of a beat up it seems, although maybe the city folks in the more northern states think it is cold?

We have a bit of rain now. But no wind, so quite fine to walk to the café for coffee with an umbrella.

Same here, just the usual cold and wet. The hens are having a girls day in on the roost. I have a humongous slow cooker pot of beef broth on the go.

I haven’t pruned my opalescent apple, but did prune the ballerina apples. They are so easy.

Right at the moment the sun is (sort of) shining. My silly girls all rushed out into the run. In the rain. When I opened the gate this morning. Not sure where they are at the moment. I might go and see if anyone is defying the cold and laying an egg for me today.

I’ve got a big pot of chicken stock clarifying at the moment. I don’t usually bother, but I thought I’d give it a go this time. I think Stephanie Alexander actually knows what she is talking about in her instructions. Lovely gungy scum forming on top now, half way into the 1 hour simmer.

:)

Hello Gardeners. A chilly 2 degrees here. No wind at all. The sun is just thinking about getting up now. We are going to Casterton to cut grass today. It’s meant to be not raining. The grass will be wet, so the sidechute will need to be on the mower, but it needs a tidy up. If I’m enthusiastic a couple of roses might get pruned too.

There is still frost everywhere the sun hasn’t yet hit.

roughbarked said:

There is still frost everywhere the sun hasn’t yet hit.

In fact there was still enough ice on the water in this bucket of opal bits that I could rest the camera on it after 10 AM. Though indeed the light was very bright.

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bbbrrrrrrr. It’s been hitting minus temps here overnight according to the website, but I’m not up early enough to notice these days.

We’ve had one minus 1 morning, but there was no frost and no frozen buckets. It’s just been dull and miserable for weeks now. The soil is finally damp, but still no runoff into the dams. Although the big ‘lake’ where one of the local creeks spreads out has now spread out, and the swans are there in numbers. No nests yet.

We went to Casterton today to cut grass. There is still enough residual warmth for it to grow, although it’s messy to do. I’ve been photographing fungi and sending details in to Fungimap. Today’s were

The second one is on the cherry tree that died 3 or 4 years ago. Tidying up the world.

I went back to Casterton today. Managed to get down to a short-sleeved t-shirt and even sweated enough to drip. Weeded out the veggies – again – chopped down the last of the asparagus, smothered the bed in sheep poo and topped it with old pea straw. Oh, and vacuumed out the house, set up the air mattress and set the fire. We will be overnighting there on our way back from Adelaide the week after next.

Tomorrow I will do some weeding here at home.

I ate too much last night. It was the final night for the Bald Archy’s Exhibition and as usual they put on a dinner for the volunteers. Now I didn’t do any volunteering this year, but I got invited anyway. They just keep doing better and better. The food was fantastic, they had 3,808 people through the door (a regional best for the exhibition) and the takings, less expenses, all go back to local community groups.

I should have stuck to either seconds of the mains, or dessert, but not both!

bluegreen said:

I ate too much last night. It was the final night for the Bald Archy’s Exhibition and as usual they put on a dinner for the volunteers. Now I didn’t do any volunteering this year, but I got invited anyway. They just keep doing better and better. The food was fantastic, they had 3,808 people through the door (a regional best for the exhibition) and the takings, less expenses, all go back to local community groups.

I should have stuck to either seconds of the mains, or dessert, but not both!

Hehe :D

And the weather has gone downhill again. Overcast, windy (30, gusting to over 50km/hr). I did some weeding, but it’s not pleasant. I think I might lie down and read for an hour or two this afternoon. I am on holidays after all.

We are going to Adelaide on Thursday to join the Indian Pacific for a couple of days.

Sawfly larvae. Kill them or let them be? I know they can devastate trees in large numbers but I think are otherwise harmless? Do they predate on anything that would make them desirable to keep? I’m not particularly concerned about this tree as it has to come down. it is a self sown eucalyptus too close to the house that I haven’t gotten around to removing yet.

bluegreen said:

Sawfly larvae. Kill them or let them be? I know they can devastate trees in large numbers but I think are otherwise harmless? Do they predate on anything that would make them desirable to keep? I’m not particularly concerned about this tree as it has to come down. it is a self sown eucalyptus too close to the house that I haven’t gotten around to removing yet.

Squishing them can be messy. If it bothers you, snip of the branch and dispose of them.

I used to remove them from the young trees but not worried about them on the larger trees. They just pruned them. Get a bucket of hot water, a pair of secateurs, and drop the bundle into the water. It will smell brilliantly of eucalyptus. Leave it a day or so and then tip the bodies into the compost bin to be cooked a bit more. Have you ever seen them moving across the ground from one tree to the next? A great wriggling mass of bodies….icky.

roughbarked said:

Squishing them can be messy. If it bothers you, snip of the branch and dispose of them.

That’s what I figured, but is it OK to leave them alone? I don’t want to kill them if they are not doing any harm or are potentially beneficial, like food for birds or something.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

Squishing them can be messy. If it bothers you, snip of the branch and dispose of them.

That’s what I figured, but is it OK to leave them alone? I don’t want to kill them if they are not doing any harm or are potentially beneficial, like food for birds or something.

They have their defences against being eaten in this stage of their life cycle. The adult forms are more readily consumed by birds though they also disperse more rapidly and reproduce in the adult phase. The only real control is grow more trees. Everything needs an equilibium.

Hi all long time neighbour, first time visitor (I can’t back that up)

I was given a bunch of seed of Rhodanthe manglesii a while ago.. the person who gave it to me said something about putting them in the fridge before planting in early Spring. How long before planting should I put them in the fridge? and when is the best time to plant?

Arts said:

Hi all long time neighbour, first time visitor (I can’t back that up)

I was given a bunch of seed of Rhodanthe manglesii a while ago.. the person who gave it to me said something about putting them in the fridge before planting in early Spring. How long before planting should I put them in the fridge? and when is the best time to plant?

I’ll back it up. I’ve not seen you over here asking a question in at least ten years. Scarify the seed. The best time to plant is in the winter.

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

Been sick with a cold, so sort of hibernating.

Been busy with Giant Son stuff. We have finally been able to arrange for a mental health reassessment in the community, not in a hospital. GS has agreed and is happy about it and we are happy too. First of several appointments within days.
I can’t tell you the tricks I did to arrange this, too long a story, but it was funny but scary and anxiety provoking all at the same time. I came out of a doctors apt with the boy punching the air :D

So much more sense to do an assessment in his normal living environment. Shame it is so hard to get this though.

Well we did the assessment. GS was not well on the day, very teary anxious and emotional, he hadn’t slept for days. But we got through it and his medication was changed. He took it daily and was looking forward to feeling better, but instead he got worse, and worse. Psychotic. Oh the whole world was after him, fbi, bikies, police, you name it, completely disillusioned and certain family weren’t safe. Lots of crisis team calls, police had to remove his girlfriend and then go back with ambos to take him to hospital. He’s still there. The first lot of anti psychotics they gave him didn’t work. He was also given a huge dose of val’ to make him sleep, but was still awake for hours. We can’t visit yet, until he comes back to reality and settles. I told the docs there I want my cuddly giggly teddy bear back. They said his meds at home wouldn’t have worked going on the seriousness of his current state. I keep breaking down and breaking down.

In the middle of all that I’ve ignored an awful sinus infection that ended up sending me to the hospital, needed strong antibiotics and a ct scan; it seems I had an injury to my nose and face when I was a small child, broken nose, cheekbone and top corner of my eye socket, I’ve no memory of it, . I might have face planted something, cried, got up, was fine and got over it. Until later in life it starts affecting you. Common I was told.
I have to have surgery, next week! I’ll concentrate on getting better so I can look after my family.

Happy Potter said:

Well we did the assessment. GS was not well on the day, very teary anxious and emotional, he hadn’t slept for days. But we got through it and his medication was changed. He took it daily and was looking forward to feeling better, but instead he got worse, and worse. Psychotic. Oh the whole world was after him, fbi, bikies, police, you name it, completely disillusioned and certain family weren’t safe. Lots of crisis team calls, police had to remove his girlfriend and then go back with ambos to take him to hospital. He’s still there. The first lot of anti psychotics they gave him didn’t work. He was also given a huge dose of val’ to make him sleep, but was still awake for hours. We can’t visit yet, until he comes back to reality and settles. I told the docs there I want my cuddly giggly teddy bear back. They said his meds at home wouldn’t have worked going on the seriousness of his current state. I keep breaking down and breaking down.

In the middle of all that I’ve ignored an awful sinus infection that ended up sending me to the hospital, needed strong antibiotics and a ct scan; it seems I had an injury to my nose and face when I was a small child, broken nose, cheekbone and top corner of my eye socket, I’ve no memory of it, . I might have face planted something, cried, got up, was fine and got over it. Until later in life it starts affecting you. Common I was told.
I have to have surgery, next week! I’ll concentrate on getting better so I can look after my family.

Oh Happy Potter! (((HUGS)))

We’ll be right :) Keeping busy with grandkids and gardeny stuff and chooks. Getting eggs again now so I’m planning to take some of GS’s favourite foods to him when I can see him. He adores my blueberry muffins and this weekend I’m getting four kilos of bush picked blackberries, so there will be blackberry muffins and pie to take :)

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Well we did the assessment. GS was not well on the day, very teary anxious and emotional, he hadn’t slept for days. But we got through it and his medication was changed. He took it daily and was looking forward to feeling better, but instead he got worse, and worse. Psychotic. Oh the whole world was after him, fbi, bikies, police, you name it, completely disillusioned and certain family weren’t safe. Lots of crisis team calls, police had to remove his girlfriend and then go back with ambos to take him to hospital. He’s still there. The first lot of anti psychotics they gave him didn’t work. He was also given a huge dose of val’ to make him sleep, but was still awake for hours. We can’t visit yet, until he comes back to reality and settles. I told the docs there I want my cuddly giggly teddy bear back. They said his meds at home wouldn’t have worked going on the seriousness of his current state. I keep breaking down and breaking down.

In the middle of all that I’ve ignored an awful sinus infection that ended up sending me to the hospital, needed strong antibiotics and a ct scan; it seems I had an injury to my nose and face when I was a small child, broken nose, cheekbone and top corner of my eye socket, I’ve no memory of it, . I might have face planted something, cried, got up, was fine and got over it. Until later in life it starts affecting you. Common I was told.
I have to have surgery, next week! I’ll concentrate on getting better so I can look after my family.

Oh Happy Potter! (((HUGS)))

Warm comfortinmg hugs. Many of us carry wounds until we get old enough to notice them but the sinus thing is a really nasty one.