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Showing 5431 - 5460 of 13862 comments
Asparagus Pea (also Winged pea) 27 Nov, (Australia - temperate climate)
I bought the winged pea in Bunnings midland today. Already planted using blood and bone as main fertiliser , see what happens now
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Asparagus Pea (also Winged pea) 27 Aug, Rachel McCracken (Australia - temperate climate)
How did you go?
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Rutabaga (also Swedes) 27 Nov, Lorin Maskey (Australia - temperate climate)
I have grown some swedes in Dubbo good tops and no actual swede developed. what would cause that.? the soil was well fertilized with sheep manure.
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Rutabaga (also Swedes) 27 Nov, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Root crops such as swedes, carrots, etc, do not need a lot of nitrogen; which would be present in the manure. Nitrogen in root crops causes excessive top growth at the expense of the roots. After you have freshly manured your soil it is better to start off with a leaf crop such as lettuce, cabbge, etc. Follow this with a fruiting crop such as tomatoes, beans, zucchini, etc. the soil will then be ideal for root crops such as swedes, carrots, parsnip, etc. If that is the problem; all is not lost, look after them and you will get some sort of root and the tops can be used in soup or stir fries. Trust this helps
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Beetroot (also Beets) 26 Nov, helen (Australia - temperate climate)
Beetroot has a whitish colour inside when cut in half but is planted with spinach
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Beetroot (also Beets) 27 Nov, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Beetroot and Silver Beet are botanically the same plant - Beta vulgaris. One has been developed to have edible roots and the other to have edible leaves. Beetroot leaves are also edible. There are a number of reasons your query could have arisen. (1) If you had silver beet and beetroot growing in the garden and saved some seed, they may have cross-pollinated. (2) The seed may have come from the supplier like that. (3) There are many varieties and colours of beetroot; red, orange, yellow, white, and red and white rings. Was it an 'all red' variety that you planted. Let them keep growing, they will still taste the same. Trust this helps.
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Rhubarb 26 Nov, Carol (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hello, I actually live in Sunraysia, I have just bought 2 potted Rhubarb plants and am about to plant them in a planter box. Because we have high temperatures here in the 40's in summer, where would the best area to grow them. ? Your help would be appreciated . Thank you
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Rhubarb 27 Nov, Mary (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Carol, I live in a temperate area but we also experience some really hot days too. My rhubarb was happier on those days if I put a shade cloth on a frame over them on those scorcher days. I use tomato stakes of varying lengths to produce a makeshift frame and use plastic cable ties to attach the shade cloth. Cable ties are a gardeners best friend!
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Rhubarb 27 Nov, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Check out the other comments on rhubarb for more tips.
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Rhubarb 27 Nov, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Hello Carol. A site facing East or one that can be shaded a bit would be best. The morning sun is not usually as intense as later in the day. Roots being 'cooked' by the sun is always a chaallenge for plants growing in containers so it is important to try and keep the roots cool. If the pots are plastic you could wrap them in hessian and keep that damp on a hot. Keep your plants well watered as this will also help. Heat stressed plants may wilt, with watering they will be able to recover normally but you don't want 'stringy' stalks. This all sounds a bit negative but consider it a 'challenge' and you will be successful. Trust this helps.
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Potato 25 Nov, jenny (Australia - temperate climate)
can l plant potatoes late November.
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Potato 27 Nov, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Go for it Jenny! There is still plenty of growing time and you could plant them later still. Potatoes can be harvested as 'New' potatoes a month after flowering so even if winter comes early you will still have that 'Old' potatoes are harvested after the tops die down and will keep for longer.
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 25 Nov, joe bugeja (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, I'm just wondering were can I buy broken cobs in Australia? regards Joe.
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 27 Nov, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Hello Joe, What did you mean by 'broken' cobs? If you mean the cobs after the seed has been removed you could search for - corn/maize seed - bulk on the internet and ask them. They usually have plenty to get rid of.
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Asparagus 25 Nov, Mike (Australia - temperate climate)
Has anybody tried to grow asparagus from seed. I have tried this year. Live around Bundaberg Qld. In total I have planted out approx. 30 little seedlings. Very delicate little things. A bit of heavy rain and they snap off. A little hit up with fertilizer killed a couple. Even over watering has killed a few I feel. I have 8 plants left. Any tips on whether to grow them out of the direct sunlight and rain. Some plants have grown to 10-12" high, some are struggling at 2-3", although sprouted a couple of weeks later than the bigger one. Last year my 1 yr old crowns up grew and grew. Finding it hard to get these seedlings powering along.
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Asparagus 25 Nov, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Years ago I worked at a wholesale nursey where we propagated asparagus crowns for sale. The soil was sandy and we did not have any irrigation, only the rain. Our germination rate was very high. Maybe the seedlings are rotting if the soil is too wet. We sowed the seed in the Spring and sold the crowns the following winter. We did not thin or transplant the seedlings. Retry sowing with slightly raised soil to ensure good drainage. Trust this helps. John
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Asparagus 23 Dec, Mike (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Thanks John - Better to explain my position. I had planted out crowns last year (in a raised boxed garden bed) and had some berries fall on the crown and on the soil next to the crown. Also on the soil outside the box. This year in Sept the berries germinated. I transplanted the very small seedlings to the garden bed next to the boxed bed. This a red soil - can become very wet when we receive 2-3-6 inches of rain in a day. Also it is exposed to the sun, rain and wind. From the experience this year I know now I should have put them in pots and protected them a lot more. A few weeks ago I transplanted the smaller ones into pots and placed near a tree for some shade and protection. Today I transplanted them back to the garden and constructed a shade cloth cover for them to protect them from the sun. I have done this as we are going away for 7 days and my daughter will forget to water them and they will probably all die.
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Pumpkin 24 Nov, Jenny (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, our house is on rock so we have very little garden. I have been trying to grow buttercup in large pots with varying degrees of success. I was wondering why sometimes the fruit or females are yellow as soon as they start to form.
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Pumpkin 25 Nov, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Hello Jenny, The most likely cause is they haven't been pollinated. When a female flower opens pick a male flower and carefully remove the petals then put the male part of the flower onto the centre of the female flower and turn it slightly to transfer pollen (male sex cells) onto the female flower. Insects would normally do this but a shortage of bees will affect pollination rates. Pumpkins are hungry and thirsty plants so ensure watering is consistent and that they are well fed. Trust this helps. John
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Pumpkin 27 Nov, Jenny (Australia - temperate climate)
Thanks John I am aware of the pollination process. What I want to know is why the females are yellow as soon as they form ie really tiny buds, they are yellow as soon as they show on the vine.
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Pumpkin 02 Dec, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Sorry, I haven't got a conclusive answer for you. I have done some research and found that female flowers often don't set early in the season and also that they can be stressed by heat or dryness and not set. Sorry I can't help you more
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Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) 23 Nov, gordon bates (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
how long will fruit begin to grow after flowering
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Rhubarb 21 Nov, Norma Meikle (Australia - temperate climate)
I recently planted a rhubarb root which I purchased from a well known nursery. It has done extremely well, with enormous leaves and green stalks. The leaves however are lying down on the ground - should they be standing up (or can I help them stand up) and also, when do the stalks turn red. Thank you.
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Rhubarb 21 Nov, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Rhubarb like plenty of water but if the leaves are enourmous this may not be the problem. Most rhubarb sold at nurseries, etc. is grown from seed and can be very variable in stalk colour from all green to deep red. If you want red stalks you could sow yourself and discard the green ones when they have grown or, alternatively get a division off a friend that is a good colour. I don't think the stalk colour affects the taste but it certainly looks unappealing when cooked. You could add Cochineal (a natural red food colour made from Cochineal beetles) to boost the colour. if you cook the rhubarb without sugar and add Stevia powder until it taste right for you you will have beautiful rhubarb to eat minus the calories/kilojoules.
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Cucumber 20 Nov, Margaret Morris (Australia - temperate climate)
Where do I buy apple cucumber seedlings in the southern suburbs of Melbourne please?
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Cucumber 18 Dec, james allan (Australia - temperate climate)
grow from seed quite easily , transplant and support on trellis , have found west facing wall too hot ...
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Cucumber 21 Nov, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Apple cucumbers will germinate very quickly at this time of the year and will take off easily. Cucurbits resent root disturbance as well. A packet of seeds would be half the price and would give you 2 or 3 times as many plants. You could save some of the seeds for next year. trust this helps.
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Asparagus 20 Nov, Susan britton (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, My friend planted old corms in my patch 3 years ago. The asparagus grows up very thick in the stem. She wants me to get a corm out when they all die back so she can grow this old variety. Can you advise me if that's ok and how to do it if it is. Thanks Sue
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Asparagus 21 Nov, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Apsparagus roots are called 'crowns'. Wait until the Winter and carefully separate a crown with a garden fork. if the crown is large you could cut a piece off or split it in half with a knife or spade. you must ensure that the separated piece has a few buds and roots attached as well. Don't try and harvest any spears on your 'new' crown until the second year.
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Tomato 20 Nov, Wayne (Australia - temperate climate)
I have two different varieties of tomato growing and both are very bitter. What could be causing this? I have grown several crops over the years & this is the first time this has happened
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Showing 5431 - 5460 of 13862 comments
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