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Showing 5371 - 5400 of 13862 comments
Rhubarb 20 Dec, John (Australia - temperate climate)
It is really better to grow rhubarb in the ground as you don't want the roots to 'cook'. If the tub is large and not exposed to direct heat it should grow OK. When potting up any vegetable in tubs it is a good idea to line the bottom of the tub with nespaper, old jeans or other cotton clothing. Baby nappies with the elastic, etc trimmed off are also ideal as the crystals will hold a lot of water as a reservoir for your plants. Rhubarb likes a lot of manure so a generous amount of pelletised organic fertiliser, cow manure or blood and bone is beneficial. Mulch the plants with lawn clippings or something similar as this will help retain moisture. trust this helps.
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Rocket (also Arugula/Rucola) 14 Dec, Ann Leckning (Australia - temperate climate)
How do you stop rocket from flowering and if it does do you remove the flower heads to prolong the plant ? I'm a complete novice so any information will be greatly appreciated. Thank you Regards Ann.
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Rocket (also Arugula/Rucola) 20 Dec, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Rocket is an annual and will naturally go to seed in one season. you can delay this for a while by removing the flower stalks. The best thing to do is let some flower and go to seed. The resultant seedlings that emerge will be prolific and delectable. this is one vegetable that happily regrows. Trust this helps.
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Rhubarb 14 Dec, Rod Rix (Australia - temperate climate)
When is the rhubarb ripe for harvesting--- Is it when the whole stalk is red OR only partially red?
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Rhubarb 20 Dec, Nola (Australia - temperate climate)
There are both red and green stemmed rhubarb plants. The green stems will always be green and taste just as good. My red rhubarb stems are red from the beginning so harvesting is just a matter of pulling the stem off when I want to use it. Sometimes the stems are thin, but during mid to late spring are usually thicker. The plants are gross feeders so keep the compost up to them and water well in summer. I chop the leaves from the stems and leave them around the base of the plant.
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NZ Spinach (also Warrigal greens) 13 Dec, Lisa Williams (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I soaked my seeds in water with a little liquid aloe vera fertiliser and got 100% germination too.
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Garlic 12 Dec, Chris (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi, I was wanting to grow garlic on the Atherton Tablelands, some 800m above sea level, in the tropics. We have a subtropical to temperate climate. Which garlic would be best suited to our conditions? Thanks
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Rhubarb 12 Dec, Margaret (Australia - temperate climate)
We have a very old healthy rhubarb plant in a pot. Very prolific but for the last year it has only thin stalks. The stalks used to be much thicker. Can I do anything to make the stalks thicker? Still delicious thoug.
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Rhubarb 13 Dec, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Rhubarb likes plenty of manure/compost as well as water. Dig out some of the soil with a trowel and add blood & bone, pelletised manure, etc. this should help to give it a push along. Plants growing in pots are entirely dependant on what we provide for them so adding some extra nutrients will help. Make this one of your winter jobs when the plants are more or less dormant and you can divide the plants, if needed, at the same time. Rhubarb is a very productive plant and if you sweeten it to taste with stevia (a natural non calorie sweetener) after it is cooked you get all the flavour minus the calories. Trust this helps.
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Choko/Chayote (also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton) 11 Dec, Paul (Australia - temperate climate)
Why are the leaves on my choko vine turning yellow? I water every day & give it flourish once a week. Hope you can help, Thanks Paul.
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Choko/Chayote (also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton) 14 Dec, Bret Hemberg (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Paul, Given that choko have little problem with diseases there could be 2 reasons for the yellow leaves. The first is that the soil pH is wrong for it. If the plant has a pH soil outside the range of 6.0 to 6.8, it will not be able to take up the nutrients present in the soil. Which brings me to the second reason; chokos like sandy loamy soil, so while they need good water, it has to be in a medium where the soil doesn't get soggy otherwise it can kill your plant. Your plant may wilt during the day from the heat (through transpiration) but that is not necessarily a bad thing and doesn't mean they are dry, and they will pick up again in the evening. To see if there is a problem with this you can check the soil up to 12 inches from the base of plant. Hope that helps Bret
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Choko/Chayote (also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton) 29 Dec, Paul (Australia - temperate climate)
Thanks Bret, i think it's my soil, i will have to add some nutrients. Thanks again for your help. Cheers Paul.
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Choko/Chayote (also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton) 22 May, Leila (USA - Zone 8b climate)
Hi, I have chayote in a raise bed garden and i used miracle grow garden soil, they are looking pretty healthy last month, but for the past 2 weeks i noticed that their leaves are turning yellow and does not look as healthy as last month anymore. what seem to be the problem?
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Strawberry Plants 10 Dec, Lindy (Australia - temperate climate)
I've had a good crop of strawberries over winter but December seems too hot. Can I do something to store the plants during hot summer in north Qld?
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Onion 10 Dec, John (Australia - temperate climate)
I would like to grow some red onions I can not find seeds but I brought some bulbs from the local green grocer now do I plant the bulb in the garden or do I keep them in the cupboard or fridge till they spout I live in Tasmania
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Onion 10 Dec, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Onions are biennial; that is, they grow and die down the first year then sprout again and flower in the second year. I would plant the bulbs as they will grow and flower this season giving you an abundance of seed. There is a seed company called The Lost Seed in Tasmania and there was another called Phoenix Seeds, if you googled them I am fairly sure one of them would have red onion seed. Trust this helps.
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Parsley (also curly leaf parsley or flat leaf (Italian) parsley) 10 Dec, Maria (Australia - temperate climate)
why is my Italian flat leaf parsley plant not from seeds looking pale green and red around leaf edges and can I put season.
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Rhubarb 09 Dec, Kay (Australia - temperate climate)
Our rhubarb plants are now quite large but the stems are still green. Are they to picked when red?
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Rhubarb 10 Dec, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Most, if not all, rhubarb plants available in nurseries, etc. are grown from seed. Seedlings can be very variable fro all green through partially red to all red. If the plant is growing well the stems should taste the same, but will be less appealing. Try adding Cochineal (a natural red food colouring) when it is cooking. Use small amounts until you get an appealing colour. If you use Stevia, which is a natural sweetening substance, in lieu of sugar you will get all of the flavour minus the calories. Stevia is readily available in the sugar/sweetener section of most supermarkets. To ensure red rhubarb you would need to get a root division off someone who has red stemmed plants. Trust this helps.
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Parsley (also curly leaf parsley or flat leaf (Italian) parsley) 09 Dec, Maria (Australia - temperate climate)
Why is my Italian flat leaf parsley looking pale green and red around leaf edges its planted in a big pot and can I put seasol.
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 09 Dec, Raychelle (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi, My corn only got to about 1 meter tall.. Any suggestions on why?
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 10 Dec, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Did the plants have normal sized cobs? Some varieties of corn are shorter growing. Short stalks can also indicate stress such as lack of water or nutrients, corn needs plenty of both. Sometimes store bought seedlings that may have been stressed in their punnets will do this. Trust this helps.
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 11 Dec, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I live in the temperate zone (Bundaberg Qld area) I grow corn from March through to Oct- Nov. The corn grown through autumn and winter grows the highest (cool time of year) but the corn in the spring doesn't grow as high -- two reasons I feel. 1. it is getting hotter and goes to seed quicker and 2. the soil isn't as fertile. I dig all my plant residue and lawn clippings into the soil Oct - Jan --- so when I start planting in March I have very good friable fertile soil. Plenty of fertilizer and water should produce a good crop.
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Ginger 08 Dec, (Australia - temperate climate)
I planted tumeric rhizomes about 6 weeks ago and still no sign of them developing. I wonder if anyone has advice about them. Many thanks.
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Ginger 09 Dec, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Ginger/turmeric can take a while to sprout particularly in cooler weather which we have had a lot of in southern Australia this year. Last year I had almost given up on mine before it sprouted. It was s also susceptible to rot in cold damp soil. Carefully scrape some soil away and feel the rhizome to see if it is still firm or has rotted. The rhizomes need warm, moist, well drained soil as they are really a semi tropical/tropical plant. Maybe you could grow it in a large tub in a sunny spot. Trust this helps.
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 07 Dec, ben peter rooney (Australia - temperate climate)
when to plant them in december
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 09 Dec, John (Australia - temperate climate)
It ìs very late to consider planting sweet corn. If you are in a warmer area you may still produce usable cobs. You could give it a go and if there is not enough season left you could make baby cobs for stir fries and use the stalks for a crop of climbing peas or mulch. If you live in an area that the winter comes later you might still make it. Trust this helps.
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Sunflower 06 Dec, Narelle (Australia - temperate climate)
I've been trying to get some seeds to germinate, without success. Do you have any advice, please? Perhaps I just need to be more patient, though - had them in a heated propagator for a couple of weeks and now have them out in the sun in a warm box. The temperature I'm keeping them at would definitely be between 10 and 30 degrees C.
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Sunflower 07 Dec, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Sunflower seed sown directly into the ground should germinate very easily at this time of the year without any heat. Is your seed old? Try again, sowing directly into the ground in a sunny spot. Keep the soil moist but not wet and the seedlings should emerge within 7-10 days. Trust this helps.
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Snow Peas (also Sugar Peas, Mangetout, Chinese Peas) 06 Dec, Tom (Australia - temperate climate)
I planted Snow Peas early November, and I'm not getting much growth and are slightly yellow at base of stem. I'm getting flowers and fruit but not many. What can i do to get them to grow better, taller?
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Showing 5371 - 5400 of 13862 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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