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Tomato 08 Jun, (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I haven't grown tomatoes much - usually fairly cheap where I live. I have grown cherry tomatoes the last few years at the end of the growing season (Mar- Oct) and just let them spread all over the garden. Have had pretty good crops. This year I have staked them. I have planted Roma and Cherry next to each other. Done this twice. A row with 3 Cherry and 1 Roma. I know the Cherry tomatoes are Cherry because I just use them when they germinate from one that had fallen on the ground. The Roma I purchased seeds - can't be totally sure they are Roma. On a couple of the Cherry plants they start out big spread out leaves and then turn to very tight bunched leaves. You would think they are turning into Roma. IS there some deficiency in the soil to do this. And the Roma are just producing a lot of growth and little fruit. The fruit on 1 Roma is like a Cherry - very small. The weather here has turned cold for here, Night temps have fallen from low 20's to low teens in the space of 4-5 weeks. Last night was about 8. Anybody have any clues to what is happening to my tomatoes. Help!!!
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Tomato 11 Jun, Darren (Australia - temperate climate): Try some potash on your tomatoes. This will encourage them to fruit. And cut down any other fertilizer you might be using. As Sean has said, there could be too much nitrogen.
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Tomato 19 Jun, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I have usually dug in some mulch and let it rot, put a bit of lime on and some fert N- 15.3 - P-4 - K 11.7. I know this is high N and will be using one with about 12 N 3.5 P and 14 K in the future (recommended by fert company that supplies to a lot of commercial growers of veggies around here). From the above I generally have very strong looking plants - I will say I realise I should cut back on the N and will be in the future. I have just started to make some compost the last few months. On a replanting now, I'm putting on about 3 x 20 liter buckets of compost/mulch per sq meter and adding lime and some fert. Will see how that goes - still probably too much N. I'm also adding some trace elements and Epsom salts to my soil. It should be good soil lol
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Tomato 09 Jun, Sean (Australia - temperate climate): Cherry tomatoes do tend to have smaller, more deeply cut leaves and Roma has larger flatter leaves. This is not a rule though as they are both derived from the same wild species. If you have a lot of large, leafy growth it could indicate an excess of nitrogen which will stimulate leaf growth at the expense of fruit. trust this helps.
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Tomato 11 Jun, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Thanks. My plants are a bit the opposite. Cherry big and leafy and roma tight and small leaves. I planted some cherry tomatoes in late Jan in a section of the garden (against a fence that runs E-W) that has sun in Jan-Feb and starts to be shaded in March April etc. The soil was quite good and the plants grew well. When they were 5' high I trimmed the top - this just made them sucker big time. I kept trimming the top off. This is what is happening now with my first plants - just a lot of spindly growth - the romas. My second lot of tomatoes 3 cherry and a roma in a row - a couple (cherry) are growing quite strong (that are a bit shaded by some nearby corn). A bit funny this year - in some ways the more I try to do things better is causing problems. Have done a lot of reading and will try a few things different next year.
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Luffa (also Loofah, plant sponge) 08 Jun, Sage wiltshire (Australia - temperate climate): I have been give some seeds that I will plant this year but just wondering what soil type is best? I'm from the north region of Victoria and it is hard dry clay during summer. What soil should I plant in?
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Luffa (also Loofah, plant sponge) 09 Jun, Giovanni (Australia - temperate climate): Luffa needs the same soil requirements as pumpkins, zucchinis, etc. Work as much compost or old manure into the soil over the winter even adding a frame or an old tyre where you want to plant them to allow for more soil, compost or manure. make sure they get consistent watering at the roots and you should do well.
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Garlic 07 Jun, Tony Baker (Australia - temperate climate): I planted my elephant garlic on the 21st April, a bit late this year and it is i going great never have a problem with it. I usually plant it on the shortest day of the year and pull it out on the longest day of the year. Good Luck
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 06 Jun, Jennie (Australia - temperate climate): I was interested to see that you have Kumara listed as not recommended for temperate zones. Mine come up like weeds on the south coast of WA and are prolific producers.
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Pumpkin 05 Jun, Lynda Hagar (Australia - sub-tropical climate): My pumpkins started to form late January. I preserved with them watering Ocassionally when needed. They are now a reasonable size now after all these months and the leaves are starting to die off. When the leaves are gone I will harvest the four pumpkins and allow the stalks to dry off before use. They are in a very sunny spot so have had sun all Autumn. I grew Jap pumpkins. I think some people call them Kent pumpkins. Anyway personally I would leave them alone until the leaves die off as long as they are getting plenty of sunshine. Good luck.
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 05 Jun, Leonie Haynes (Australia - temperate climate): Just a silly thought of mine, is it possible to grow a tuber in a pot inside the house. Our wood fire is going 24/7, somewhere between 18 to 24 degrees. Whats ppls thoughts. Thanks Leonie xx
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 06 Jun, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Most if not all plants need some sunlight. Photosynthesis is the chemical process used in plants to convert energy in the form of sunlight into chemical energy in the form of sugars or other carbohydrates. The general process involves the combination of carbon dioxide, water and light energy to produce oxygen and carbohydrates. In plants and algae, this process occurs in an organelle called the chloroplast. Some types of bacteria perform photosynthesis in a slightly different process which does not produce oxygen.
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 08 Jun, Leonie Haynes (Australia - temperate climate): Thankyou Mike for that informative information. I might try to start them in the house a month or 2 earlier, like a hot house then place them out. We dont have the long summer that they require, never know it might just work. God bless Mike.
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 21 Jun, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): They grow them all year round in Bundaberg - even during winter. Temps 4-15, av about 10-11 in winter at night. Low 20's in the day.
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Horseradish 05 Jun, George Robson (Australia - temperate climate): I have a couple of plantlings if you want one let me mnow
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Horseradish 24 Jun, Sonya (Australia - temperate climate): Interested. Postcode nsw 2502 Thankyou
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Horseradish 20 Jun, Linda Morse (Australia - arid climate): George I would love some plantings if you have some to spare. Please let me know cost of postage to pcode 4519
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Potato 04 Jun, Carole (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I live in Brisbane and want to to grow potatoes in pots. When you say mound up do you mean to full cover the shoots each time or to just under the leaves
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Potato 05 Jun, Giovanni (Australia - temperate climate): Just leave the growing tip exposed. Potatoes form off the main stem of the plant, not the roots. Mounding up provides space for the tubers to develop and reduces the chances of attack by potato moth.
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Cape Gooseberry (also Golden Berry, Inca Berry ) 03 Jun, dogs1 (Australia - sub-tropical climate): My gooseberry bushes are growing thick and with vigour The green envelopes some with no fruit or with small specks or green undeveloped fruit inside.What am i doing wrong.Ample water. could there be too much Raised garden bed.disapointment !
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Cape Gooseberry (also Golden Berry, Inca Berry ) 09 Jun, Ken (Australia - temperate climate): Undeveloped fruit is normally an indication of lack of pollination which is an increasing problem. Perhaps include as many flowering 'daisy' type plants to encourage bees and other pollinating insects.
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Onion 02 Jun, (Australia - temperate climate): Hello, what does it mean when the onion doesn't form a proper onion bulb but the stem becomes thick. This happened to me last year after having a good crop the year before. Cheers
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Onion 13 Sep, Karin (Australia - temperate climate): I am having the same problem and I notice no-one has replied to the first person's question. The plant tops are thick and healthy, but there seems to be no onion bulb forming in the soil. Why is this and what can I do about it?
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Onion 13 Sep, kelvan (Australia - temperate climate): Old Italian method is to bend over the stalks to ground level
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Lettuce 02 Jun, Les (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I bought a lettuce called Cherokee from the Farmers' Market that was almost black. It had a good taste but I can't find anywhere that sells the seeds and the seller has not been back to the market since. Has anyone heard of this lettuce or knows where to buy the seeds?
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Lettuce 05 Jun, John (Australia - temperate climate): I searched for 'Cherokee lettuce seed' and came up with seed available on eBay. it is very dark red and the seed was available from Hong Kong I think. They do send to Australia and quoted around 3 weeks for delivery. Once you get it and grow some let a good specimen go to seed. Then you will have more to sow, share or sell.
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Lettuce 04 Jun, Sue (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate): The darkest lettuce I know of is Lolla Rossa Darkness, it is actually a very deep red, loose leaf variety. The Seed Vault (www.theseedvault.co.za) has a picture of it as the main picture under lettuce. The only other one that it could possibly be is Red Oakleaf which is also quite dark. In my experience the better the soil the darker the colour presents on the lettuce (or deeper / brighter if it is a green lettuce).
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Florence Fennel (also Finocchio) 02 Jun, Carol Grey (Australia - cool/mountain climate): I have just dug out an enormous fennel in North Tasmania , Have little ones growing.
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Yacon (also Sunroot) 01 Jun, Tania (Australia - temperate climate): Penny, where in perth, we would love some? We live in Narrogin however we do visit often.
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Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) 30 May, Allen (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I've planted a row of chillo's all bar one are small bushes producing limited fruit but my healthyist plant is a good size but just keeps flowering with no fruit at all. Any ideas what's wrong.
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