in recapping the events of the garden this year, november the 12th is the outstanding date. as i slept that night a huge war took place. in the morning there were spider webs and discarded ant wings everywhere. there was also a drowned skink and big centipede in the pool. i summise that the ants took to the wing on that first hot night of the year and spiders, in their hundreds, set up webs because they had been forewarned by ant activity.
whatever the real reason the pests have never been as effective at destroying my garden since that night. so the climbing beans that were destroyed prior to nov 12th are now replanted and growing well.
a few purple king and my bush beans survived the spring pest onslaught and are now supplying the kitchen.

same story with the pumpkin – only one in seven survived prior to nov 12th – all have survived since.
advanced spring self sown pumpkin – post nov12 butternuts

progress report – brandywine toms, rosita eggplant, yellow capsicums and the certified spuds.

Your vegies are doing well Pepe, especially after Nov 12 – must have been a dramatic night! I’m all behind with my vegies, only just transplanted Toms out, but they’re showing good growth in a short time. I plan to get my main bed sorted out as soon as I get back, this weekend.

the whole of the vege garden is planted out and the chooks have cleaned up my other walled garden. so i could use a third fenced area. but that will take months to build so i’m creeping some areas from the dead lawn and underwatered decorative garden.

pepe said:

progress report – brandywine toms, rosita eggplant, yellow capsicums and the certified spuds.

All a credit to you, Pepe!

Dinetta said:

pepe said:

progress report – brandywine toms, rosita eggplant, yellow capsicums and the certified spuds.

All a credit to you, Pepe!

thank dinetta
i’m now plotting to plant the dead lawn area – non-hybrid corn, carrots, basil and the self sown watermelon. the water melon should grow as a living mulch.
the old lawn is intended to be planted as native ground cover but we can’t plant until the drought breaks.
this area is very close to the house and the outdoor living area and can be watered. currently it has 4 citrus trees but requires constant weeding. soil is poor but drainage and sunshine are good.

It is very dry here too.. I spent ages getting the grasshoppers out of she who must be obeyd’s car today after driving her to the doctor and back.. out in the bush .. that’s a fair way as many of you will know.

at last temperate zone food production is starting to outstrip the topics. which is the reason we should all cheer each others rain when it comes.

spinach, oregano, thyme, white onion and pink spuds, carrots and beans.

pepe said:

at last temperate zone food production is starting to outstrip the topics. which is the reason we should all cheer each others rain when it comes.

spinach, oregano, thyme, white onion and pink spuds, carrots and beans.

Wow. What a great harvest…wish mine were all that well advanced…at least my spuds are. We have been having a lovely bounty of king edward, kipfler, spunta, desiree (and that’s just the few we’ve pulled from the plants). Still plenty there for when the plants die down. Everything else though is way behind yours.

Wow. What a great harvest…wish mine were all that well advanced…at least my spuds are. We have been having a lovely bounty of king edward, kipfler, spunta, desiree (and that’s just the few we’ve pulled from the plants). Still plenty there for when the plants die down. Everything else though is way behind yours.
———-
your list of spuds is impressive – just desiree and coliban here. i must find some kennebecs – my favs.

pepe said:

Wow. What a great harvest…wish mine were all that well advanced…at least my spuds are. We have been having a lovely bounty of king edward, kipfler, spunta, desiree (and that’s just the few we’ve pulled from the plants). Still plenty there for when the plants die down. Everything else though is way behind yours.
———-
your list of spuds is impressive – just desiree and coliban here. i must find some kennebecs – my favs.

We have some ruby lou coming on as well, not sure how they’ll go though. Haven’t seen kennebecs for years. They need a cooler climate than we have I think. Although if I planted them late they would probably go ok around here. Not this year though, even if I could get some…running out of ready beds! Might have to set up a no-dig one!

Looks FAB TAB Pepe….I just polished off our first Black Russian tomato on some salads biscuits for our lunch:D

running out of ready beds! Might have to set up a no-dig one!
——
same here anne – thus i’m beginning to invade this patch of dead lawn.
its no-dig because i can’t sink the fork into the clayrock ! LOL.

Lucky1 said:

Looks FAB TAB Pepe….I just polished off our first Black Russian tomato on some salads biscuits for our lunch:D

great – while i like winter veges – there is something more exciting about the summer veges.

pepe said:

running out of ready beds! Might have to set up a no-dig one!
——
same here anne – thus i’m beginning to invade this patch of dead lawn.
its no-dig because i can’t sink the fork into the clayrock ! LOL.

Space certainly isn’t an issue for me….see the google earth photo of my place in the Dwarf bean mosaic virus thread. Whether I get any more spuds in before Christmas is a moot point. My daughter is due to have a baby any day now so I could be off to Sydney at a moments notice. My clay soil is like rock too. Ah the joys of gardening!

pepe said:

its no-dig because i can’t sink the fork into the clayrock ! LOL.

AnneS said:

My clay soil is like rock too. Ah the joys of gardening!

if it came to choose between clay and sand, I think I would take clay. At least it holds water and nutrients instead of allowing them to leach away. And adding organic matter to clay seems to provide more long term results than sand, from what I have read of people’s experiences.

bluegreen said:

pepe said:

its no-dig because i can’t sink the fork into the clayrock ! LOL.

AnneS said:

My clay soil is like rock too. Ah the joys of gardening!

if it came to choose between clay and sand, I think I would take clay. At least it holds water and nutrients instead of allowing them to leach away. And adding organic matter to clay seems to provide more long term results than sand, from what I have read of people’s experiences.

Too true. The beds that we have built up over the years are teeming with worms so they mustn’t be too bad

AnneS said:

bluegreen said:

pepe said:

its no-dig because i can’t sink the fork into the clayrock ! LOL.

AnneS said:

My clay soil is like rock too. Ah the joys of gardening!

if it came to choose between clay and sand, I think I would take clay. At least it holds water and nutrients instead of allowing them to leach away. And adding organic matter to clay seems to provide more long term results than sand, from what I have read of people’s experiences.

Too true. The beds that we have built up over the years are teeming with worms so they mustn’t be too bad

yes i agree – friends down the road have pure sand and its harder going than clay.

pepe said:

AnneS said:

bluegreen said:

pepe said:

its no-dig because i can’t sink the fork into the clayrock ! LOL.

AnneS said:

My clay soil is like rock too. Ah the joys of gardening!

if it came to choose between clay and sand, I think I would take clay. At least it holds water and nutrients instead of allowing them to leach away. And adding organic matter to clay seems to provide more long term results than sand, from what I have read of people’s experiences.

Too true. The beds that we have built up over the years are teeming with worms so they mustn’t be too bad

yes i agree – friends down the road have pure sand and its harder going than clay.

big depressed sigh on behalf of all Perth gardeners

:D

Actually I believe up in the hills they get clay.. never seen it though :D

its my birthday tomorrow so i’m giving myself a new garden.
the old lawn area right next to the main outdoor living has been bare dirt for a year now and despite zero water has grown three crops of weeds already.

i have some of last years ‘jolly roger’ non hybrid corn left. i saved 5 cobs but just the one cob has enough seed to plant 4 rows 3 metres long. i’m covering all the seed in soaked coir seed raising mix because the clay is unsuitable as seed covering.

pepe said:

its my birthday tomorrow so i’m giving myself a new garden.
the old lawn area right next to the main outdoor living has been bare dirt for a year now and despite zero water has grown three crops of weeds already.

Morning Pepe,
Excellent, hope it’s a happy birthday for you…..a bit early but I doubt I’ll get a chance to look in tmorrow.
Mine is the following Saturday and Mr M is taking me shopping for bits I need for my new patch.
Posts, star pickets 2 gates and hopefully some form of retaining bricks.
I’m so excited. He chopped 2 trees that had to go last weekend :) Only been waiting 6 years for that to happen.

Muschee said:

pepe said:

its my birthday tomorrow so i’m giving myself a new garden.
the old lawn area right next to the main outdoor living has been bare dirt for a year now and despite zero water has grown three crops of weeds already.

Morning Pepe,
Excellent, hope it’s a happy birthday for you…..a bit early but I doubt I’ll get a chance to look in tmorrow.
Mine is the following Saturday and Mr M is taking me shopping for bits I need for my new patch.
Posts, star pickets 2 gates and hopefully some form of retaining bricks.
I’m so excited. He chopped 2 trees that had to go last weekend :) Only been waiting 6 years for that to happen.

Morning Muschee, pepe, .my birthday is also the following Sat. I will probably be helping to sell Christmas trees for Girl Guides on my birthday…unless my daughter’s baby arrives a few days early.

Happy birthday for tomorrow pepe. I probably won’t be around here either. Going to my daughter’s while her husband is on night shift..just in case!…and probably won’t be able to check out the forum for a few days

the birthday garden has been planted with corn, bush beans, echinacea, zuch, herbs (parsley, oregano, thyme and basil) and watermelon.
the watermelon are self sown seedlings from the compost bin. they are doing remarkably well since they were bare rooted because the seed were much deeper in the soil than you normally expect.

yellow iris looking good

planting carrots – fork over – mak furroughs and cover seed with coir seed raising mix.
water well and cover with shadecloth off cuts.

pepe said:

yellow iris looking good

Looks more like a Day Lily to me Pepe.

Bubba Louie said:

pepe said:

yellow iris looking good

Looks more like a Day Lily to me Pepe.

whateveryousay – day lilly – nice but LOL.

Bubba Louie said:

pepe said:

yellow iris looking good

Looks more like a Day Lily to me Pepe.

Was just thinking the same thing BL. They look like the yellow flowers that I was told were day lilies by the old local lady who gave them to me about 3 years ago. Mine have multiplied to roughly double what I started with.

AnneS said:

Bubba Louie said:

pepe said:

yellow iris looking good

Looks more like a Day Lily to me Pepe.

Was just thinking the same thing BL. They look like the yellow flowers that I was told were day lilies by the old local lady who gave them to me about 3 years ago. Mine have multiplied to roughly double what I started with.

oh alright – from now on i’ll just call them flowers LOL.

kale seed – 9 months since i planted this plant.
the seed pods are so brittle that as you pick them they break open and each one spills 6 seed (approx) on the soil. i have manaaged to harvest enough for next winter.

sounds like you may well get some ferals as well pepe :)

yes – i quite like self sown seedlings as a backup. i should be able to harvest lettuce, chard and celery seed in the next week or so.
another way of perpetuating your own seed is to pull the dead plants up and then shred them and throw the lot on the compost. some seed (notably toms and pumpkin) will survive the heat of the heap.
morning BG – glad to hear you are mending.

btw – in the middle of the kale photo was this bug – i would like a name – its currently called – ‘a kinda crusader beetle’

pepe said:

btw – in the middle of the kale photo was this bug – i would like a name – its currently called – ‘a kinda crusader beetle’

That is what I would call a Stink Bug, I don’t know the real name though :)

this beetle/ bug is similar but the wing colour and pattern have changed.

shield bugs – good old scribbly IDed it quick smart.
so now all i have to do is remember – shield bug, shiel…..repeats

possibly its a stink bug – tho’ that’s a bit common for my garden LOL.
so you were right bon.
altho’ had you said – family pentatomidae, sub family podopinae – i would have been more impressed.

pepe said:

possibly its a stink bug – tho’ that’s a bit common for my garden LOL.
so you were right bon.
altho’ had you said – family pentatomidae, sub family podopinae – i would have been more impressed.

hehe :)

When I was a youngster I got squirted in the eye by a stink bug, and I have never forgiven them. I won’t go near any bug that looks even approximately that shape and size anymore!

I often see them in my mandarin tree – are they a good bug, a bad bug or in the middle?

I often see them in my mandarin tree – are they a good bug, a bad bug or in the middle?
———
not good if they’re ‘bronze orange bugs’. they sap suck on citrus and can be trouble.

pepe said:

I often see them in my mandarin tree – are they a good bug, a bad bug or in the middle?
———
not good if they’re ‘bronze orange bugs’. they sap suck on citrus and can be trouble.

Thanks pepe, I’ll pay more attention next time I see one, and see if I can ID it.

my daughters garden got a make over today.
beans staked and all these beautiful purple kings picked.
wireweed cleaned up – big job that one – but she’s realised what a weed it is.
toms and lots of other planted
pigeon pooed and seaweeded everything and mulched, and weeded hoed and fertilised.
looks good.
she’s making this byzantine jewllery for sale.

The jewellery is pretty Pepe, hope your daughter gets a lot of sales :)

What a clever daughter you’ve got Pepe. Jewellery is lovely.

orchid40 said:

The jewellery is pretty Pepe, hope your daughter gets a lot of sales :)

she’s sold a lot – and now she’s totally preoccupied in making these beautiful bracelets out of gold, silver and black wire.

my third pressed metal bath has been sunk to its right level.
i will settle it in with sand – slope all the land towards it and slate the top.
it will take the pool backflush water.
the carrots i planted 6/12/08 are all up and in the raked bed beyond that i planted chickpeas today.

i’ve chopped down a 3 y.o. yucca gloriosa for my drainage channel to the new pond – the bonfire is growing.

pepe is this for over flow?

Between yourself and Lucky, Pepe, my extended vegetable garden gets closer every day…

I have consulted with Sonny Joe re placement: I had to argue for a corner to remain as my “wattle corner” (natives only – shrubs and trees with a couple of bird baths for the local avians) and we have decided on a bed that’s been in the making since I tried my haybale garden there…

Sonny would like to fool around with the compost so I am considering how to make a couple of small bays for him…

veg gardener said:

pepe is this for over flow?

its to recycle the water from the pool filter – when it is backflushed.
our other two ponds are overcrowded with birds, frogs etc. …. and its a free giveaway.
it will help drainage also.

I have consulted with Sonny Joe re placement: I had to argue for a corner to remain as my “wattle corner” (natives only – shrubs and trees with a couple of bird baths for the local avians) and we have decided on a bed that’s been in the making since I tried my haybale garden there…
———
the native corner is a good idea Dinetta – every garden should have one.
it sure does take time to set up a garden – i’ve been working here for 3 years.

pepe said:

veg gardener said:

pepe is this for over flow?

its to recycle the water from the pool filter – when it is backflushed.
our other two ponds are overcrowded with birds, frogs etc. …. and its a free giveaway.
it will help drainage also.

yeah we just have the water recycling in the pool and all the over flow goes via a stormwater pipe into the grass which sokes it up.

thanks to intermittent rain and sun the corn and beans i planted on 6th december have grown on their own. also carrots and beet planted on the same day are up and doing well

They look healthy Pepe :)

Happy Potter said:

They look healthy Pepe :)

as ridiculous as it sounds they lack a bit of sun. its been a coldish, wettish december. we’ve got a blanket of light drizzle as i type.

these sulpur crested cockies nest on my neighbour’s tree every night

i’ve been picking spuds and doing calculations.
i’ve picked 5kg of spuds from about 2 metres of rows. that’s about one fifteenth of 30 metres of row length that i planted using 5kg of non certified chats. … and the plants haven’t finished growing yet.

so i’m harvesting about 100 kgs of spuds from 5kg planted. a return of 20:1.
the market value of 100kgs of fresh spud is $200 – $300. the chats cost <$2.

pepe said:

so i’m harvesting about 100 kgs of spuds from 5kg planted. a return of 20:1.
the market value of 100kgs of fresh spud is $200 – $300. the chats cost <$2.

most satisfactory :)

bluegreen said:

pepe said:

so i’m harvesting about 100 kgs of spuds from 5kg planted. a return of 20:1.
the market value of 100kgs of fresh spud is $200 – $300. the chats cost <$2.

most satisfactory :)

i’ve just had an early lunch of these waxy potatoes. scrubbed cleaned, boiled slowly with their skins on for 15 minutes, and then eaten with butter and salt. superb peasant food!
i’m looking for other, easy, waxy spud recipes now.

Excellent spud return, Pepe!

pepe said:

i’ve been picking spuds and doing calculations.
i’ve picked 5kg of spuds from about 2 metres of rows. that’s about one fifteenth of 30 metres of row length that i planted using 5kg of non certified chats. … and the plants haven’t finished growing yet.

so i’m harvesting about 100 kgs of spuds from 5kg planted. a return of 20:1.
the market value of 100kgs of fresh spud is $200 – $300. the chats cost <$2.

I like those figures Pepe. Good on you.

orchid40 said:

Excellent spud return, Pepe!

thanks orchid
those figures are iffy and in the case of the chats the 10 fold increase is due to each chat producing at least one spud 10 times its size. 5 kilos in a 2 metre row is not normally very good.

I like those figures Pepe. Good on you.
—————
the old adage that a 10:1 return is the maximum was smashed by Pete C’s 50:1 returns. this is the first time i’ve measured really – i just took for granted that a good crop was 10:1.
the certified ones are still growing and flowering so i’ll harvest them all at once and get a proper return on 2,5kgs planted.

a couple of shaved poodles.
aphrodite on the left always looks like she’s persecuted – and she probably is because that’s her mother ‘pepper’ on the right.

pepe said:

a couple of shaved poodles.
aphrodite on the left always looks like she’s persecuted – and she probably is because that’s her mother ‘pepper’ on the right.

or maybe she’s never gotten over being called aphrodite…

bluegreen said:

pepe said:

a couple of shaved poodles.
aphrodite on the left always looks like she’s persecuted – and she probably is because that’s her mother ‘pepper’ on the right.

or maybe she’s never gotten over being called aphrodite…

she’s a very graceful mover – and just between you and me – she only understands ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ – so i doubt she understands the significance of ‘dite’ (pron. die-tee) when we call her.

They’re lovely dogs Pepe :)

three of my toms.
looking at the last one (far right) – has that got the wilt?
how i hate tom plants – i didn’t water them last week after the rain – and they dried out – got blossum end rot – the some yellowing of leaves.

here’s some flowers.
the purple buddleja is amazing because it has had no water other than rain.
both the gaura and buddleja attract buterflies and bees.

here’s some the produce from the september garden.
we are picking endless beans, carrots and spuds with corn, cueys, toms, capsicums, lettuce, zuchs, cabbage and onions starting to flow.

the december garden is less than a month old but the basil is being picked already

the red beans from a s/mart plastic bag (stored in the pantry for a year or more) are growing.
so are the chick peas which look like a little ferny plant.

Gee Pepe, your garden’s looking great, what a bounty!

white onions have grown very well this year – 550gms for two.
baby corn just picked and boiled – heaven for corn lovers
- and a few toms ripened on the sill

Looks FAB TAB Pepe.

Thanks so much for planting out your seedlings for me…..your kindness meant so much.