DO YA WANNA TALK GARDENING?

[porgey]

Try watering your seeds in with a solution of Epsom Salts. The mix I use is dissolve 1 teaspoon of ES in a cup of warmish water then add to a litre of room temperature water. Prepare your seeds as normal but water them in using the ES tea. I have great germination results using this really simple & inexpensive method. ES are also good in the bath with some bubble bath and a bottle of champas.

[Bobbee]

Thanks porgy, I have passed that info on to Mr Bobbs. When the two of us know something there is a better chance of at least one of us remembering it. 🙂

Merry Christmas everyone.

[Bobbee]

I’ve been out in the garden this morning repairing some of the damage done by the strong winds we had a couple of nights ago. And with a dry warm week coming up I’ve been catching up on some watering as well. 🙂

Rather a lot of watering actually as so much veg is now fruiting. Thank heavens we don’t have to water the boysenberries or the blackberries, I’d never get a break. 😉

I’m going to have to start drying zucchini as we already can’t eat the amount we are picking, so hopefully this coming year I will have a go at our own instant cup o soups and some of the zucs will go towards that. The rest will be used in soups and stews. Wonder how dried zucchini would go in stir frys!!!! 🙂

I found some husk covered fruits on my tomatillos this morning, what fun, as this is the first time I have grown them I am busting to find out what they are like. :tup:

Of course they are only small at the moment. 🙂

:hug:

[Bel]

Hey Bobbee. Sounds like things are motoring along in your garden. I grew tomatillos last year for the first time. Don’t make the mistake of waiting for them to get ‘big’ as it doesn’t happen (at least, it didn’t happen for me!). Mine got to about golf-ball size and I wasted most of them cos I didn’t really know what to do with them or when to pick them. They stay very small, green and firm – the splitting husk is the only clue that they’re ready. I’ve got a few that have come up this year on their own so I’ll try to use them better this year.

Things are just starting to pick up here too. I got a lovely sturdy French hoe for Christmas :tup: Planning to put it to good use today in the lovely weather. Picking oodles of white nectarines from the tree in our front yard and giving heaps away. Must deyhydrate some today and make some jam/chutney and the like. Might even preserve a few in Fowlers jars. Zukes just starting to be ready for picking. Picked my first tomato last night too. Then found a bag on my front doorstep from my Dad – full of zukes, tomatoes and cucumber! Will share with my neighbour. My biggest goal for next year is going to be to get the convolvulus weed under control. Will require significant poison, unfortunately as it’s really starting to take over the garden.

[Bobbee]

Yep the busy time of year is literally hotting up Bel. Got a goodly pressie yesterday from a neighbour of a heap of peacherines so they will make chutney and dried fruit. The santa rosa plums are being picked most days so here comes jam and maybe plum sauce.

🙂

Did the first proper picking of the bush burgundy beans. We always manage to eat the first few lots of beans and then we struggle. Into the dryer with them this year. :whistle:

Are your tomatillos the purple ones or the other kind Bel? My info is that you know when they are ripe by the husk splitting, so whatever the size I will expect ripe tomatilloes then. :shrug: I’d better google some recipes as I have no real idea what to do with them. :laugh:

The pumpkins I hand pollinated have grown into obvious pumpkins so I had better keep it up. We were disappointed with the number of pumpkins we grew last year which is why I am helping them along. :tup:

:hug:

[froot_loopz]

I have a question, is this what corn should look like?

[Bobbee]

I’m not the best one to help you froot_loopz because it’s been a while since I grew corn. Mine so far has not reached the stage yours has with the flowery seedy part at the top. I can’t see the cobs on yours, are they there?

If they are then as best as I can remember it is a good idea to gently shake the corn so that the seedy bits float down and pollinate the cobs. That is the idea of planting them in blocks which you have done. :tup:

But to answer your question, if you have cobs on each stalk of corn and now have the flowers, then I reckon that is what corn looks like. 🙂

Someone more accomplished at growing corn hopefully will come along and help you out.

Maybe the cobs come later because those flowery bits don’t look fully open yet. :shrug:

:hug:

[Bobbee]

We tried out some new (for us anyhoo :laugh: ) cucumbers. They are a mini white and were the first to fruit this season and have oodles of young ones coming. I’ve already picked a dozen and they are lovely to eat, sweet and juicy. So if they keep on producing over the season they will definately be another ‘regular’ for us. :tup:

We are also picking long green ones which I think are market more. :tup:

Picked celery, silver beet, the cucumbers, beans, peacherines plus a handfull of strawberries and boysonberries just to eat as I watered stuff this morning. Oh and have been picking beetroot as usual. We always have some beetroot on the go, it is so versatile, can eat the leaves cooked or juiced, and the beets can be pickled, eaten as a hot veg or raw as a salad veg or made into chutney. :tup:

Have carrots at a pickable size but am leaving them to grow on a bit as I still have carrots in the crisper.

I read on another thread about drying celery leaves, what a great idea, I am gunna do that and add the crushed celery to my dried soup mix stuff. 🙂

:hug:

[Bel]

Yum Bobbee. Sounds like you’ve got a lot growing in your garden atm. Are you gonna save seed from the little pale cucumbers? Wouldn’t mind trying some if that’s the case. You’ve reminded me that i need to plant some more carrots and beetroot – the ones I planted earlier have been covered by overhanging foliage cos I planted them too close to stuff that was going to seed.

I just planted some more seeds for a late planting – Amish Paste tomatoes, Grosse Lisse tomatoes, Beefsteak tomatoes, Marketmore cucumbers, Suyu cucumbers, Pennsylvanian Crookneck pumpkins, Dills Atlantic Giant pumpkins, basil, Moon & Stars watermelons and Klondyke watermelons. The trick will be keeping them moist in the heat wave we’ve got happening this week. I’ve added some water retention crystals to to the mix and put some shade cloth over the top.

Our nectarine tree is still heavy with fruit despite the fact I reckon I’ve picked over 50kg so far which we’ve eaten, dried and given away. wish I could remember what type they are – they’re a white free stone and they’re amazing. Then, last night I spied one of my white donut peaches which looked almost ready – I picked it to sample and although it was still a bit firm, it was quite sweet. Looks like we’ll be over-run with stone fruit in a couple of weeks. At least the fruit is gradually ripening which is handy.

[froot_loopz]

you guys all so sound so productive :tup:

I dont eat stone fruit, but yesterday I ate a white nectarine, it wasnt bad, just dont like the skin.

I so wish, I had more growing. Ive just planted more corn, ( added water crystals to this lot) and more bean seeds.

backs killing me today, so nothings happening here

I love beetroots roasted

Celery leaves dont last here, mr wabbit loves them 😆

[Bobbee]

Yum Bobbee. Sounds like you’ve got a lot growing in your garden atm. Are you gonna save seed from the little pale cucumbers? Wouldn’t mind trying some if that’s the case. You’ve reminded me that i need to plant some more carrots and beetroot – the ones I planted earlier have been covered by overhanging foliage cos I planted them too close to stuff that was going to seed.

quote]

Yep I will be saving seed Bel and am happy to keep some for you so long as I don’t botch the job. 🙂

[Bobbee]

froot_loopz post=351865 wrote: you guys all so sound so productive :tup:

I dont eat stone fruit, but yesterday I ate a white nectarine, it wasnt bad, just dont like the skin.

I so wish, I had more growing. Ive just planted more corn, ( added water crystals to this lot) and more bean seeds.

backs killing me today, so nothings happening here

I love beetroots roasted

Celery leaves dont last here, mr wabbit loves them 😆

Hey froot_loopz :wave: I can relate to back problems etc. I find that when I can get around okay in the garden the trick is to mulch, mulch and then mulch some more. It keeps things warm or cool depending on the season, helps keep moisture in and makes weeding so much easier. Sometimes knocks weeding on the head completely.

:clap:

I am very lucky that Mr Bobbs is a gardener too, and will step in and help out if I need it. Mind you he is wary of touching ‘my’ areas of the gardens without supervision because we have very different ideas on where and what to plant. 🙂

But it’s hard to go wrong when it comes to watering and mulching. He manages to find mulch all over the 2 acres that we have and is happy to barrow it where ever I need it most. No wonder I love that guy. :kiss:

We pick our celery from the outside so that we have a continual supply. I also really try hard to get lots of perrennial vegs growing or stuff that self seeds/sows. Anything to make the gardening easier. 🙂

[Bobbee]

I’ve had a fun couple of days in both the garden and the kitchen. With the hot weather I need to spend a couple of hours watering the garden, I’m not prepared to lose all the hard work I’ve put in. It takes a while because I water with a watering can and trudge back and forth from tank to veg. I’d like to know how much ground I cover, should get one of those pedometer thingies. I look on the watering expeditions as part of my fitness campaign. 🙂

It also gives me time to check out what’s happening in the garden and around the paddock etc. I can keep an eye on bugs and things and check if the ‘goodie’ ‘baddie’ organic gardening stuff is working. It really does seem to be more and more effective each year which is great, and lots less hassle and work for me.

Mr Bobbs is trialling using white vinegar on oxalis. Fingers crossed!!!!! We realise it will probably take 3 or 4 shots at it and this will doubtless be over a few years, but if it works it will be great.

:hug:

[Bobbee]

In the kitchen things are rocking along nicely. 🙂

My first attempt at drying peacharines is a success, and boy oh boy do they taste great, yummo. And they are a very heavy fruiter as well. Next will be peach chutney and peach and rosemary jam, with me using peacherines instead of peaches you understand. 🙂

I made plum chutney today, a new recipe with just plums, sugar, vinegar, salt, currants, garlic, onions and mustard seeds. Mr Bobbs has given it the :tup: after having hot chutney on his cheese roll today, so that’s good. 🙂

I’ve also made my first batch of comfrey ointment, so simple to do and it’s taken me a year or two to have a go. :blush:

Made new batch of talcum powder and also deodorant, thanks so much to calliecat for the idea of using a sifter for the carb soda and cornflour mix. It makes life so much simpler. Good old als for having friendly folk to share ideas. :clap:

Also finally got around to adding essential oils to the coconut oil I use as a face and body moisturiser. I’ve been ‘gunna’ do that for years and years. I just added rosehip oil and rose otto but I have been told that frankincense is good for mature skin so I must look up my books and check that out. I always like to verify information like that for myself, a good habit I reckon. 😉

:hug:

[lostinthefog]

All the heat loving plants are powering away after our long warm spell….fortunately have unlimited water so have dragged the ‘big momma’ sprinkler out of mothballs and had it going from dawn to dusk on both the vegetable and ornamental gardens..will be picking the first of the green beans in a week or so, lots of infant tomatoes so here’s hoping for a good crop like last year, hard to believe but now planting seeds of brassicas with a view to winter!

[Author]

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