The FastDay Forum

[Betsysgr8]

Wendy Darling, I'll pull up a chair and join you (on my gardening breaks) Drink? Lovely day to sit in Wildmissus' garden.

My soil is adobe (clay) took many many bags of soil amend with gympsum and several seasons of roto-tilling and it's still a work in progress. Tomatoes and corn grow pretty good, still a bit difficult to get straight carrots though, lol. Radishes are very good for beginners with time from growth to harvest very short.

[wildmissus]

You are all welcome.......I'll provide the wine, I'll need some more chairs though. If I get a chance tomorrow I'll take a pic of the finished thing. One condition is that you need to bring some of your clay with you and I'll trade it for some of my sand.

I am a very keen gardener, so count me in too! OH grows veg I do the flower garden.

hehe it looks very relaxing under Wildmissus' fabulous pergola

Now girls. Number 1 rule. compost compost compost. the home made variety if have the room. the bought stuff is too expensive took me 10 years to work it all out about how to get it balance. My quails help cause of their manure but you can use sheep, or poultry or cow and add some blood and bone and lime for sweetness throw i a layer or two of cheap potting mix from the garden store for balance plus it seems to "extend the compost"

It will smell sweet and be really black and make everything grow.

Sounds yummy Juliana Thanks for the tips, this is something I need to do

[janeg]

It breaks my heart to throw all my kitchen waste in the bin.
I composted for years but can't do it here in an apartment in the sandpit. Looked at composting units and they are so epensive here.
Anyone want my waste? I have tried to give it away, but no takers here . Funny lot...

I am a gardener and I haven't been to this thread before. It's already 6 pages long and I can't read it all now. Just to say today I picked snow peas, broccoli and artichokes from the garden. OH and I spent an hour munching up fruit tree prunings to turn them into mulch. We have a big block on a slope and we grow nearly all our own fruit and vegies. We have an Aerobin compost bin, but it isn't behaving itself. It's meant to make hot compost. We need to empty it out and repack it, making sure we get the ratios right and add enough manure. I also grow flowers but the less said about that the better at the moment as there has been so much rain and no days spent weeding. It's Spring here.

I am a gardener and I haven't been to this thread before. It's already 6 pages long and I can't read it all now. Just to say today I picked snow peas, broccoli and artichokes from the garden. OH and I spent an hour munching up fruit tree prunings to turn them into mulch. We have a big block on a slope and we grow nearly all our own fruit and vegies. We have an Aerobin compost bin, but it isn't behaving itself. It's meant to make hot compost. We need to empty it out and repack it, making sure we get the ratios right and add enough manure. I also grow flowers but the less said about that the better at the moment as there has been so much rain and no days spent weeding. It's Spring here.

Wow Sallyo you grow nearly all your fruit and vege.. thats impressive indeedy!

and your lucky to have rain . i think it rained just once in 2 months in Sydney. the local park has just brown grass.

I am looking at the weather reports and wondering when to start the Autumn plant moving. I want to dig up one shrub and a very large overgrown perennial and move it to the other side of my fence (a bit of guerrilla gardening) to fill a gap in the hedge on the other side. I may also dig up my honeysuckle thats not doing too well and put it on the other side as well. Its not quite waste ground as its mowed and the hedge pruned regularly by the Housing Association (landlord), so I don't think they will mind a sneaky addition especially if it flowers. The next door neighbors want some perennials so I will give some split off clumps to get them started too. But when to start as some plants are still in full flower?

Bit of tumbleweed blowing around here. Wildmissus how is your pergola coming along? Waiting for the invite to the opening party.... I have a glut of courgettes and they are still coming. Ideas for what to do with them from anyone? Do they freeze?

[Betsysgr8]

Bit of tumbleweed blowing around here. Wildmissus how is your pergola coming along? Waiting for the invite to the opening party.... I have a glut of courgettes and they are still coming. Ideas for what to do with them from anyone? Do they freeze?

I shredded my zucchini last year, looked at a bunch of recipes and seemed that 4 cups was usually required, so divided the shreds in portions and used a Food saver vaccum sealer, sealed them up and put in the freezer. Easy to use and can toss in soups, stir-frys and baking.

Clever lady to think about the portions. Thank you : will do this.

@janeg have you thought about trench composting? You dig a trench about a spade deep and throw the compostable scraps into the bottom of the trench (add a bucket of water if you think it needs it). Then turn the soil back into the trench. You start at one end and depending on the length of the trench and the amount of scraps, you should be able to start planting on top of the trench by the time you reach the end. The plants then have a bountiful supply of nutrients, down at the roots, where it needs to be.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/t ... sting.html

I spent yesterday digging up pototoes, only two and a half more rows to go... when weather allows!

Today is the day for getting the tomato bed ready. I have grown seedlings from seed, Heritage varieties, trying for ones which are bred for cooler climates: Amish paste, Kotlas, Break o'day(a 1930s Australian variety,) Black Krim, San Manzano and this year I tried Legend, which is from Oregon.

Last year I grew heaps of plants and they didn't do so well. This year I plan to grow fewer plants, give them more room and look after them better. I am thinking of ordering a ute load of compost to top up the bed.

Then I will hammer in some tall stakes and install irrigation drip hoses.

When that is done, I'll get the baby tomatoes in, and put cut down wine flagons over them to protect them from any cold weather.