Archive for the ‘Herb, Fruit and Vegetables’ Category

All I Needed Was Garden Stakes

Gardening, Herb, Fruit and Vegetables | Posted by Dean
Jan 10 2008

Yesterday I needed some garden stakes to assist my now bushing beefsteak tomato. It has stopped rocketing skyward and is now going sideways. One of the longer branches was as such in need of staking. So rather than trapes to the the big kids toy shop we opted for Mitre 10. It is about 5 minutes away and has a reasonable selection of gardening implements and supplies.

Upon walking in we had an armful of supplies but not the garden stakes. Included in the supplies were a new set of excellent garden gloves. These have leather fingers and palms with a stretchy blue rear. They are really comfortable and are great. Definately good replacements for my recently deceased Jamie Durie gloves.

So we headed out to the nursery where the stakes are kept. Of course I had to take a quick look the plants. Almost immediately I spotted a Cherry tomato literally laced with fruit. Some was even ripe and ready to harvest. After confirming the price was good it was in the trolley.

This of course dictated a suitable pot. So off to the pots I went and located some nice round tuscan style pots. We already have a number of these in the garden, so I decided to go with one of those.

I then remembered that I wanted a larger pot for my stunted exiting cherry tomato. My theory is that the healthy but dwarf tomato bush is severely by its small tub. So quickly there were two pots and drip trays, the gloves, the tomato bush, some other supplies, but still no garden stakes.

I then finally grabbed them and a bag of Yates premium professional potting mix and headed to the checkout. Over $100 later I headed home with my less than $4 grden stakes and a whole lot more. Gardening can be expensive.

So after repotting the tomatoes I freed the fairy lights and the Red Coral Lettuce from their constrained environments. The Red Coral Lettuce severely neededits own spot due to the Green Coral Lettuce growing so well and crowding it out of the wheeled planter. It was growing upwards and was jokingly known as the Christmas tree lettuce due to its shape. It now has a nice large pot to grow in, I will be trimming the Christmas tree shape out of it tomorrow afternoon.

I am now looking forward to a better harvest.

A Tale of Woe

Gardening, Herb, Fruit and Vegetables | Posted by Dean
Jan 08 2008

As I have written numerous times I like the taste of zucchini. In fact on Saturday I cooked a rather safe beef stir fry that had an entire home grown Lebanese zucchini sliced up and quartered. However, this article is a tale of woe, not a celebration of my culinary successes. After another attempt to grow Blackjack zucchini I have lost another four seedlings.

The Blackjack zucchini seedlings showed positive early signs and went into a growth phase. I thought finally I have some success and could look forward to some long, slender standard zucchini. However, all have subsequently perished. I simply do not understand what it is that I am doing wrong with these plants. They are getting the exact care and growing conditions that the Lebanese zucchini receives, and that plant is absolutely flourishing in the conditions. In fact it is currently full of flower.

I am now shelving the Blackjack zucchini dream for a while. I will concentrate my zucchini growing efforts on the Lebanese variety that is giving bearing great success. Perhaps I will give the Blackjack variety another crack once we have moved to Wollongong. A move that will be happening soon as we are all ready for a change of scenery due to no small part the cats next door. Another dedicated post coming on that soon.

Location, Location, Location

Gardening, Herb, Fruit and Vegetables | Posted by Dean
Jan 07 2008

As with real estate success in the garden often has a lot to do with location. In my garden I have noticed that some plants are thriving, yet sister plants in a different location are struggling to continue. So I have relocated several plants in the last few days. The reason is to encourage increased growth and to ensure the plants are all getting a fair share of the conditions.

On the chilli front I moved the producing mystery chilli forward slightly to an even more sun drenched location. I have also turned about 90 degress to hopefully encourage the jalapeno into action. I have also moved the ebony fire with these chilli’s. So now all my chilli plants are together and overseen by the Mexican Guitar Playing Burrow Rider looking from above.

I also clustered the grape tomatoes with the beefsteak and grosse lisse tomatoes. This just looks better to my mind, and has not changed the conditions the plant was already experiencing very much indeed.

My sisters lavendar has been moved to a more sunny position to encourage further growth. It is right next to our flowering dwarf lavendar that is thriving. Given that both lavendars require the same conditions it should really thrive in the new location.

Finally, I managed to repot our pink rosemary. The plant was seriously constrained in a little pot and was becoming root bound. It is now in a converted stainless steel cooking pot that was simply sitting near the barbecue for the past six to twelve months. I have now put it to a good productive use. In its new surrounds the pink rosemary should thrive.

Will keep you all posted.

Easy To Grow Herbs

Gardening, Herb, Fruit and Vegetables | Posted by Dean
Jan 04 2008

Today I have decided to write about some of the easiest to grow plants in our garden. They are Chives, Ku Chai (Garlic Chives), and Sweet Basil. The two forms of chives are great chopped up finely in a salad.

Regular chives are a prolific plant that grows easily. Chives are great chopped un in a salad giving it a hint of onion, without over powering a salad like an onion can. They are growing in a full sun position within a half barrel pot. Chives grow long and tall with a tubular construction, they look much like a spring onion. I have split the original plant into both extremes of the planter to encourage growth. It has worked as you can not even see where we have actively harvested the chives. They are a very easy plant to grow, and anyone that likes chives should grow their own.

Chives

Ku Chai on the other hand is more delicate in texture and flavour. It though grows in the same way. Our Ku Chai is doing exceptionally well on the front porch. The plant receives a large period of full sun daily and are growing very well. They also taste great in a salad. The flavour of Ku Chai is a little more sweeter than regular chives. The other major difference is that the plant grows in a thinner and flatter manner aswell.

Ku Chai

Sweet basil is another easy to grow herb. Ours is growing in one of the same half barrels as the Ku Chai and Chives. The plants are growing prolifically and healthily. Sweet basil can be used for seasoning meat or combined with Tomatoes to form a pesto. It is an aromatic herb, that is also rumoured to assist in keeping flies away, although an awful lot of basil is required to be a truly effective deterrent.

Sweet Basil

These are great complimentary herbs that are easy to grow. It is definately a good move to begin growing your own. A small pot and a few dollars worth of a good quality potting mix is all you need for great herbs.

Lonesome Chilli

Gardening, Herb, Fruit and Vegetables | Posted by Dean
Jan 04 2008

On Tuesday evening I got in the mood and took quite a few happy snaps of the developing garden. I have already released a few, and more are coming. Scheduled over the next few days. For this post I have chosen Lonesome Chilli.

Lonesome Chilli

This chilli is growing on the mysterious chilli plant. It is getting really curly and I expect it will be full of heat and flavour. It is not a complete loner on the plant with several other small ones also developing. The lonsome chilli is being protected by a Mexican Guitar Playing Burrow Rider as pictured below.

Mexican Guitar Playing Burrow Rider

More photos to come over the coming days.