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Post by shayneh2006 on Sept 27, 2014 19:20:30 GMT 10
I had some soil and Pine chip delivered today, in order to fill my recently purchased Aldi garden beds.
Shortly after, I had to head off to the hardware to pick up some irrigation fittings, and was supprised to see Masters had veg punnets (6 seedlings to each) for like, $1.80 or there abouts....
And that's when I spotted in amongst the range, Grosse Lisse tomatoe....... I have Tomatoe seeds sowing at home atm, but, I couldn't leave these there... I had to have em, as its a very fine tasting tom variety.
I also planted some Californian Wonder Capsicum
The day went smoothly, with my little helper getting her hands soiled as well
Ive got a few Chokos going in another garden, and will be planting Leb cues and Zuchinni.
Shayne
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Post by hoddo on Sept 27, 2014 19:26:57 GMT 10
nothing better than growing your own vegies with a little helper
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Post by smokey on Sept 27, 2014 19:52:16 GMT 10
Sure is, My two young blokes are getting pimples now and couldn't give a stuff Watch the pine bark Shayne, It buggers up the soil NPK. Something to do with drawing nitrogen and Bad PH levels (like nothing grows under a pine tree) Look into it please.
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Post by chrisg on Sept 27, 2014 20:47:50 GMT 10
Nice looking layout Shayne, great kid you have there Mick is kind of right, gardening is not something I would claim much expertise on at all but I did pick things up from my dad, who was the kind of guy who walked past stuff and it blossomed He used to look after the gardens at Lindsay Park Stud and kept getting best garden in the Barossa awards for them, my garden would be lucky to make a rescue segment for Don Burke Pine is very, very bad for soil acidity, he used to use it for areas where he didn't want anything to grow, weeds included. I should have thought of that with this garden and not put down mulch, I have one heck of a crop of weeds at the moment The good news is it leaches out in a year or two and turns to, well mulch I suppose but if fresh it stifles growth big time. Agree with Mick, check it out, don't want those great plants getting strangled Cheers
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Post by noelstevo on Sept 27, 2014 21:14:13 GMT 10
Guy's you are correct, it has something in it that stops things from growing. Palms are another one as well, even when mulched the acid in them can stop plants from growing until the acid leaches out, and if you dont clean your chainsaw after cutting palms they will get osmosis.
Noel
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Post by chrisg on Sept 27, 2014 21:31:20 GMT 10
I don't own a chainsaw but I've seen it do that to a handsaw. I guess there is a reason it is in dishwash detergent :0 Cheers
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Post by smokey on Sept 27, 2014 21:46:15 GMT 10
The right stuff to use is a bale of legume or straw or hay. It rots down and encourages worms that give castings. Worms = happy plants and a great crops
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Post by chrisg on Sept 27, 2014 22:30:24 GMT 10
Mate of mine has a little side line in worm farming, THAT stuff is just unreal, pity he's in SA, don't think that would go cross border too well Cheers
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Post by shayneh2006 on Sept 28, 2014 8:31:06 GMT 10
Chees guys.
Yeh, i was aware that Pine Bark wasnt too good for Nitrogen levels in the soil, but chip (heartwood), i thought was ok. Seems not...
I have done some research on it, and its not as ugly as it sounds, as long as the gardener allowances for the temporary Nitrogen draw back that it creates
Apparently, treating the soil first with Blood meal first looks after the problem, and thats what i did.
On this Organic gardener website, they even mention Pine needles as a good selection, and that beliefs that it makes your soil more Acid is infact a myth.....
Sorry, i tried to copy and past the Hyperlink to this site but, try doing that on this PITA Android Tablet............ssssssssssssss.
Shayne
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Post by shayneh2006 on Oct 27, 2014 17:48:06 GMT 10
All the garden is coming along nicely, until, getting home this afternoon, witnessing a violent wind storm in Sydney, distant emergency sirens heard in all directions and my garden , saw a battering.
Tomatoes are up about a foot and a half, and weren't tied off to their stake (was going to do this on the weekend) and well, they suffered .
I have never moved so fast, trying to minimize further damage
And, below is a pic after the cleanup.
Note the new crisp red ties.
Shayne
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Post by smokey on Oct 27, 2014 17:55:44 GMT 10
Buggar, Nasty storm about to hit here too. Clouds are as green as jade,,,,, hail
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Post by shayneh2006 on Oct 27, 2014 18:02:30 GMT 10
Buggar, Nasty storm about to hit here too. Clouds are as green as jade,,,,, hail Yeh, we had hail here late last week.
The weather has been crazy.....
Actually, when we were flying home from Nam, stop over at Kualla Lumpar, the mnissus was on facebook, and here friend was saying that Sydney airport was shut down due to extreame weather conditions.
When we arrived home, yeh, the Tomatoes had seen some punishment (Tomatoes hate strong winds), with torn leaves all over.
Shayne
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Post by smokey on Oct 27, 2014 18:10:54 GMT 10
So do my bananas, Not so much the fruit but storms shred the leaves that we use for wrapping and steaming. We have had three days of heavy wind and they are all shredded to hell
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Post by chrisg on Oct 27, 2014 18:37:14 GMT 10
I wish I knew what the hell the micro climate that is my garden was going to do next. We had a hail storm in Perth about a week ago but it went clear around us, three streets over people had dents in their cars. Four times in the past three weeks I've been ready to begin summer watering and it's decided to rain - I really don't mind watering, productive garden is small and no retic but each time it rained the night I was about to unleash the hose Maybe this week, which should work well, put new tyres on the car the olds are about to get filled with mulch to water in and begin seeding Cheers
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Post by shayneh2006 on Jan 2, 2015 19:49:37 GMT 10
Well all, its pay day!!!! and the fruits of labour are steaming in.
Right now, I have so many Tomatoes, I am looking further afield as to how I can use em up. Sauce has got me interested.
Varieties I have grown have been-
Grosse Lisse Alans Early Red Mighty Red Bragger Tickeled Pink Apollo Mortgage Lifter (yet to taste test) Beef Steak Unknown variety that seeds were saved from. Black Russian Black Krim.
All have been rated out of ten when taste tested and despite my beliefs that the Grosse Lisse is one of the best tasing,,,,, "NO", the two Russian varieties stand head and shoulders over the top, scoring 9.5/10. We are all amazed at how tasty they are.
Next season, its all Russian here.
Its going to be a sad day when the season is over, and we are forced back to buying tastless supermarket Tomatoes.
My biggest Black Russian so far
And beside a cut Grosse Lisse.
And day by day, they keep coming......................................
Shayne
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