Posts Tagged ‘fruit’

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.

Maggot Wars: Return of the Worm

Cat and Pest Control, Gardening, Worm Farm/Vermiculture | Posted by Dean
Jan 09 2008

I have checked the worm farm today and was greeted by a magnificent site. Worms wonderful worms everywhere. The little buggers have bred prolifically and have a large food reserve to chomp through.

Worms Wonderful Worms

There was still the unmistakable aroma of maggots. However, on inspection I removed the milk soaked bread. The bread stunk to high heaven, and although I saw no visible signs of maggots I am sure they were present. I came to this conclusion after stirring through the compost with a stick. I located less than 12 maggots in the system. I also exposed many more worms.

So although I am not 100% certain that there are no maggots in the system I am willing to claim victory. My worms have excelled and are now munching through the mountain of food. In 2 – 3 months I should have a nice supply of usable material for planting of fruits, vegetables or flowers. Now I just need to work out how best to get them to Wollongong when we move.

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.

Snow Peas on the Way

Gardening, Herb, Fruit and Vegetables | Posted by Dean
Jan 02 2008

I am happy to report that the snow peas are now doing very well indeed. After carefully training them over the last few weeks to climb the tower I made from three stakes and a roll of cable ties the peas are growing of their own accord. Three of the plants are even in flower, so I am hopeful of a small harvest soon. I love snow peas and add them to most dishes I cook.

Whilst speaking of cooking, it is looking increasingly likely that the vegetables required for my stir fry or laksa likely will be sourced from my own cultivation efforts. I have spinach going well, pak choy going ok (it could be better and soon will be), the snow peas, the chiili (including the firebrand Ebony Fire), and of course the Yolo Wonder capsicum. At a push I could even use runner beans and roly poly carrots. It will be a proud day indeed when I do cook a stir fry with my own grown vegetables.