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Showing 4831 - 4860 of 13861 comments
Jerusalem Artichokes (also Sunchoke) 23 Apr, Jonno (Australia - temperate climate)
There could be a number of reasons including; a dry spell, cooler weather, planted late in the season, etc. but if your plants are healthy I don't think you need worry.
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Pumpkin 20 Apr, Bronwynne Livingston (Australia - temperate climate)
Moved into a new house early Feb. Noticed pumpkin growing. Watered well and started flowering. Hand pollinated my first female in mid March and 4 weeks on have a delightfully larger-than-brick sized butternut growing. Have just last week pollinated a second vine which appears to have taken well too. Is this due to unseasonably warm weather this autumn? Or good rainfall?
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Pumpkin 21 Apr, Giovanni (Australia - temperate climate)
The unseasonably warm weather would certainly have helped keep the pumpkins growing but with the cooler nights of Autumn and Winter approaching you may not get them ripened in time. If you don't, just treat them like zucchinis or make pumpkin soup with them. Disappointing but you will get something out of them. For best results pumpkins need to be planted in late October to get a good long season in temperate areas.
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Beetroot (also Beets) 20 Apr, Beverly (Australia - temperate climate)
When is the best time in Melbourne to transplant beetroot seedlings (which were bought recently from a nursery)? Can the plants be transplanted in autumn?
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Beetroot (also Beets) 21 Apr, Ken (Australia - temperate climate)
You can plant beetroot seedlings now. try seeds next time as they are easy to sow and grow well without transplanting disturbance.
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Rutabaga (also Swedes) 20 Apr, Allan (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
The swede is bitter when it is cooked. I thought it is lacking something in the soil. What am I doing wrong.
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Rutabaga (also Swedes) 21 Apr, Jonno (Australia - temperate climate)
Swedes originated as a cross between a cabbage and a turnip. Like their half sisters; Brussels Sprouts they can be bitter. A lot of gardeners say that they are sweeter after they have had a few frosts on them. growing them with even watering and no set backs would also help. Maybe some other reader will be able to help.
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Rutabaga (also Swedes) 03 May, Paul (Australia - temperate climate)
I still eat them after a lifetime of growing and eating them . In fact my grandfather grew them commercially in the 1950s and 60s. I usually eat them mashed with potato, sometimes on their own. However I am a Masterchef-type mash person, with oodles of butter ! That often hides a little bit of bitterness . You might find your soil was too well manure or fertilized and you had heaps of green top at the expense of a well-developed root . Very cold winters also produce better swedes . Heavy frosts .
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 20 Apr, Vicki (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi I live west of Inverell NSW and have been growing Sweet potatoes for a few years now in wicking beds and have been getting a good harvest each year why is it that temperate areas for this veggie are not recommended to be grown here. You are right when you say the vines will travel one of mine was going up a palm tree. I find your sight very informative thank you.
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 21 Apr, Jo (Australia - temperate climate)
They are often not recommended for temperate areas because of shorter seasons. If you strike them from cuttings and get them growing early you should be able to harvest a good crop. I Know of them growing in Toowoomba (cold winters) and they were bordering on being weeds. They are also grown by many people in southern Victoria.
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Tomato 19 Apr, Jim (Australia - temperate climate)
Some self-seeded cherry tomatoes came up at end of summer in a small bed on south side of fence. It's obviously not ideal location and most of the fruit are still green. Is it worth moving it to a sunny spot or just rip it out since it's autumn now?
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Tomato 27 May, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Just let them keep growing and see what happens.
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Tomato 21 Apr, Jack (Australia - temperate climate)
Plants are not likely to transplant this late in the season. I suggest you make some Green Tomato Pickles with them and start early next season.
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Strawberry Plants 19 Apr, Heidi (Australia - temperate climate)
I see from this article that I have done everything incorrectly! As strawberry plants were available at the nursery during the summer, I purchased a punnet and put them in. They all produced heaps of runners, a few flowers and a strawberry or two, which the bugs promptly demolished. I'd like to keep persevering, but need the space in my raised bed for other veg. Is it ok therefore to transplant the strawberry plants into pits for the winter, or are they unlikely to survive? Thanks for any help you can provide.
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Strawberry Plants 05 Sep, (Australia - temperate climate)
you should cut your runners on your new plant to encourage your strawberries to grow on the main plant, if you cut all the runners off it should produce heaps of fruit, once they start to grow then you can encourage runners
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Strawberry Plants 20 Apr, shane (Australia - temperate climate)
I grow Borage and Passionfruit among my strawberries with great success. Both are useful in the kitchen and 'companion plant' with my strawberries, saving me time and work in the garden too. The Borage prefers a shadier spot than the others, and suffers a little in summer, but copes ell enough.
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Strawberry Plants 20 Apr, Giovanni (Australia - temperate climate)
gardenersface all sorts of chaallenges and should never write themselves off. The upside of your experience is that you have a lot of runners that you can plant. The runners will grow even if they currently don't have roots. Lift all of the plants and trim the roots. Remove most of the leaves by shearing them off withh secateurs or a stout pair of scissors. make a nbarrow trench and pack them in it side by side. Give them a good water to settle them in and they can stay there until late winter when they will start to sprout. When you have planted them in their permanent home you could make a frame over them with sticks oir prunings and drape old net curtain ver it. This will cost you nothing or only a few dollars from an 'op shop, and will stop birds and butterflies getting to them. If it is grubs, etc. getting to them spray them with Natures Way Caterpiller spray. This is totally saafe and non-toxic. All the best for next season.
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Onion 18 Apr, gayle (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi...I have planted brown onion seeds in seed trays a week ago..they are sprouting...I was wondering when do I plant them in the vegetable garden. Also can I plant seed potatoes now (April) in Victoria. Thanks.
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Onion 19 Apr, Giovanni (Australia - temperate climate)
Onion seedlings are susceptible to danping off so make sure they are in a well aired place. They can be transplanted as soon as they are large enough (2 or 3 leaves). The smaller they are the more attention they will need in the ground so wait a while, they will be easier to transplant and with less transplanting shock.
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Cape Gooseberry (also Golden Berry, Inca Berry ) 17 Apr, Diane (Australia - temperate climate)
I gave my father 3 Cape Gooseberry seedlings for his 90th birthday on 13th April. He lives and works on a farm in the Hunter Valley, NSW growing oranges commercially. In the Winter they get frosts and the summer it is very hot. When would be the best time to plant the seedlings and where? In the meantime does he keep them protected for the winter and where? How much water do they need? 50 years ago he had a Cape Gooseberry bush growing next to the house and it had fruit on it for many years. He can't remember how to look after it and neither can I as I was too young, but I do remember how nice they were to eat and mum made beautiful jam from them. Thank you for any advice.
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Pumpkin 17 Apr, Valerie (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, I have a raised bed which had beetroot and tomatoes last season. Noticed a strange plant and decided to let it grow (from curiosity) but it turned out to be pumpkin and has taken over the raised bed despite constant "culling". It has produced quite a few flowers but they just close and fall off. The foliage is very healthy and the flowers numerous (being in a composted bed). My question is - if the season is over by December is it worth letting the plant(s) continue to grow and produce flowers if there is no chance of forming fruit? I have seen only a few bees and tried self-pollinating but nothing seems to be moving. Would appreciate your comments on this.
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Pumpkin 19 Apr, Ken (Australia - temperate climate)
Pumpkins will not be likely to ripen in temperate areas now as Autumn is setting in. It is better to get an early start in the season, around October to ensure a good crop. Any small pumpkins on your vines could be harvested and treated like zucchinis. Sadly our bee population is declining rapidly. Providing host plants around your garden will help. These include any of the 'daisy' type flowers, a lot of herbs and lavender.
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Carrot 17 Apr, Julie (Australia - temperate climate)
carrots not that great. what is my soil lacking? Rgds Julie
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Carrot 19 Apr, Jack (Australia - temperate climate)
To grow good sized carrots you need soil that is friable and worked down to 20 or 25 cm. If you have enriched your soil with manure it is better to grow at least a leaf crop before sowing carrots. If your soil is shallow or very hard try some of the small round varieties like 'French Breakfast' or 'Paris Market'. You could also plant baby carrots aand hrvest them when they are small. Trust this helps.
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Strawberry Plants 16 Apr, Tana (Australia - temperate climate)
What is the timing to grow from seeds?
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Strawberry Plants 17 Apr, Jack (Australia - temperate climate)
Strawberry seed can be sown indoors in the winter months for transplanting outside in late Spring. Chill the seeds for 2 or 3 weeks indoor first and cover the seed with 2 or 3 times their depth with mix. Seeds will take about a month to germinate in soil that is about 20 degrees.
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Beetroot (also Beets) 16 Apr, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I read people's comments about manures being rich in N. Manures only have about 1-4% N. You would have to apply a lot of manure to have a high % N. Rather expensive if buying the manure. I apply a fert with about 15% N. The secret is how much to apply. My beetroot plants are quite leafy and produce good sized beets - from 1" to 5". Maybe people need to look more at the right time of the year to plant. There is a good planting guide on this web site. When people say they had a failure with a crop they should state what time of the year they planted.
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Tomato 15 Apr, gill (Australia - temperate climate)
Where can I purchase reisetomate seeds please? Will they grow in Canberra?
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Tomato 15 Apr, John (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Tomato 'Reisetomate' should grow in Canberra. Get your seeds started indoors ready for planting out in late october and you should be able to grow a good crop of this unusual tomato.
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Tomato 15 Apr, Jack (Australia - temperate climate)
'Reistomate' seed is available from Diggers Seeds on the Mornington Peninsula South-east of melbourne
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Showing 4831 - 4860 of 13861 comments
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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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