All recent comments/discussion

Showing 811 - 840 of 13845 comments
Choko/Chayote (also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton) 06 Jan, Lance Hill (USA - Zone 9a climate)
We would love to hear from anyone growing chokos (chayote/mirlitons) on your techniques and experiences. Our website is devoted to all things Mirlitons: www.Mirliton.org, including the world's largest collection of chayote recipes. I also have an article on the history of mirlitons that links the Australian and U.S. varieties.
Brussels sprouts 04 Jan, Grant (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Grew brussel sprouts for the first time in Blenheim. Was impressed with the size of the plants. But, when I took the sprouts off they were full of a white powdery substance. When I shook the plants, white fly came off them. Is there any hope for my sprouts? Some of them are still developing .
Brussels sprouts 07 Jan, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Research an organic spray for white fly. Or a chemical one.
Salsify (also Vegetable oyster) 03 Jan, Kathy (Australia - temperate climate)
I grew white salsify....never again! They say its best to grow for 2yrs for taste,well they went to seed like a giant milkweed head i had to cut them off and bag them before they blew away and contaminated my whole garden and into the surrounding paddock! Wasnt impressed with that or the couple i pulled to taste, i ripped the lot out after the 3rd time trimming the puff seed..in hindsight probably dont take growing advice and wait the extra harvest time..btw? If anyone wants FREE SEEDS i have two bags full of 2021 crop (couldnt bring myself to toss em! ),your welcome to them,will post to you.im out at Tamworth nsw.
Salsify (also Vegetable oyster) 01 Dec, Deniz (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, I would love some seeds I'm happy to pay for postage :)
Okra (also Ladyfinger, gumbo) 30 Dec, Hetal (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Hi, I am in Tauranga, planted okra and it's flowering this time, should I harvest before flowering or after? Waited after flowering but there is small pod which turned yellow. What is your advice?
Okra (also Ladyfinger, gumbo) 04 Feb, John Mauger (Australia - temperate climate)
You would harvest okra pods when they are about 90mm long , after the flower has finished. Getting them going as early as possible in the season is the key to a reasonable harvest in temperate climates.
Cucumber 27 Dec, Wouter (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
How long does a cucumber plant live for before it needs to be taken out of a garden bed?
Cucumber 04 Feb, Jacko (Australia - tropical climate)
A cucumber plant will only live until it becomes dead.(i.e. has finished producing fruit) It doesn't need to be taken out, as it will eventually become compost
Cucumber 31 Dec, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
About 4-5mths or so. Generally the soil will run out of nutrient.
Tomato 27 Dec, Pete (Australia - temperate climate)
I am living near Wyong NSW and have a bit of a problem with my tomatoes. I live in a retirement village which has veggie plots and have acquiried one. Lots of the tomatoes grown wilt from the bottom up, until al the plant is dead except for the tomato fruits. Does anyone know how I can avoid this?. The wilt seems to affect the quantity of tomatoes.
Tomato 27 Aug, Gary Hall (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Try using a small hot house or growing tunnel
Tomato 07 Jan, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)
More information is needed: for example amount of water... soil conditions. The MOST GENERIC, and probably most correct answer is LACK OF NUTRIENTS. Most people plant their plants (tomato) adding lots of compost and/or manure at the time of planting. The plant grows using the nutrients (some are washed away... maybe trees manage to confiscate some nutrients); but as the soil nutrition drops, the plant, still wanting to grow, starts to take nutrition from its lower leaves so it can grow leaves higher up. That is, it is deciding how to best used it's own self to maximize it chances of success; since it can't source the needed nutrition from the soil What you need to do is: ADD manure or compost or anything else you may have to put nutrition back into the soil. I rinse my coffee pot in the garden, I also try to drain things (like the water from soaking dried beans) into the garden. Manure/compost/nutrition (in any form) needs to be added at planting, middle of the season, and close to the end of the season to give that LAST burst of energy to bring the fruit/vegetables into full form. Don't feel like you need to spend a lot of money; get creative; in Canada we can stop by our local coffee shops and pick up the days used grinds for use in our gardens (free); you can add micro nutrients to your garden by filling a pail with water and adding a layer of rocks (rocks are minerals) stir and use this to water your plants. Left over tea bags, left over coffee grinds, stuff that you might rinse down the sink (food juices), blood from meat when you wash it before cooking it ..... anything like that all puts nutrition back in the soil.
Tomato 31 Dec, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
They recommend you only plant tomatoes every 3 yrs in a bed. Helps reduce disease. I have the same problem with lavender, 3 plants going great, two weeks ago one just wilts and dies, ??
Tomato 30 Dec, Jill (USA - Zone 9b climate)
This sounds like root rot. You may be over watering early on.
Tomato 28 Dec, Mary (Australia - temperate climate)
You probably need to shade it from the harsh sun. Give it a dose of Epsom salt and see what happens. It's not too late to get some new plants but this time put an umbrella to protect it from the harsh sun.
Garlic 25 Dec, marco (Australia - tropical climate)
hi i live on the gold coast queensland .one of my old garlic i planted october sometime that never taken off , sprouted . it sprouted two weeks ago .so i thought i would try to put a small crop in and bingo !! ,garlic is growing . so i planted a whole clove today .we have more rain and humidity so this might be the time . i will let u know how it turns out !
Garlic 14 Feb, Amanda (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi, I've failed many seasons with garlic! However, after a lot of research, I have a solution to growing sub tropic garlic. The key is growing the right variety, that can handle our heat. Glen Large garlic is the winner! Plant in April. Harvest in October. I've had a bumper crop with this variety.
Garlic 18 Feb, Gary Hall (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Please where can I get these Glen Large Garlic Bulbs I am in Wauchope NSW. Thanking you in Advance.
Garlic 21 Feb, Erika (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I agree Glen Large are the best variety for the subtropics. I'm just north of Brisbane and get amazing harvest if I plant and harvest at the right time. I bought Mine from Green Harvest. They include all the detail on how to grow. (https://greenharvest.com.au/)
Garlic 09 Apr, Gary Hall (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Thankyou Erica
Garlic 28 Dec, Mary (Australia - temperate climate)
It's too hot for them to grow in summer. Try growing garlic in Autumn and harvest around Oct-November
Choko/Chayote (also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton) 20 Dec, Asor (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Where to buy choko
Choko/Chayote (also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton) 21 Dec, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Buy one from a shop and let it sprout then plant it.
Salsify (also Vegetable oyster) 20 Dec, Peter Sguazzato (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi all Peter here from Narre Warren Vic, I’m looking at planting White Salsify, I have never planted them nor tried them, should I plant them in a deep tub so I know where they are and what time of the year should I plant them here in Narre Warren, I look forward to your comments, happy Gardening, Peter Sguazzato
Salsify (also Vegetable oyster) 21 Dec, (Australia - temperate climate)
In the orange tab near the top of the page go to Vegetables and Herbs find Salsify and it will tell you. Make sure your climate zone is temperate.
Beans - dwarf (also French beans, Bush beans) 20 Dec, Cheryl (Australia - temperate climate)
When you say "Avoid planting close to....", what minimum distance should be kept from these plants? A few metres or something else?
Beans - dwarf (also French beans, Bush beans) 31 Dec, FaithCeleste Archer (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)
When and if you plant your beans too closely together (or if you plant in the shade) - they will REACH for the light, becoming very leggy. Planting too close together stops the light from hitting the sides of the plant (plants in the middle are effectively in the shade with exception to the top portion), only the top portion of the plant gets sunlight and therefore the plant reaches that way.... "up". You could, if you were planting only one row provided the row ran N/S plant closely together because 2 sides get full sun (if rows run W/E the plants in the same row tend to shade each other -- plant large plants on the North side of rows that run N/S; this is Northern Hemisphere). That's why spacing is usually given as, between plants (within a row that runs N/S) and then the distance between rows (running W/E). Of course if you are planting on a steep slope, than run your rows parallel to the slope as a general rule of thumb This is the above ground portion of plant spacing. There is also the below ground portion of plant spacing: roots, water and nutrition. If you were to just look at the root (and ignore for a moment the above ground portion): tap rooted plants can be planted closer together than fibrous root plants, because the tap root goes DOWN, and fibrous spreads out and down. Companion planting takes root and sunlight requirements into account: for example: you can plant carrots AROUND a tomato plant ; because carrots don't need much light (and the tomato does), and carrots being a tap root don't interfere with the fibrous roots of the tomato plant, which just go around the carrot. Mind you when you pull the carrot you do disrupt the tomato a little; but not so much that I would be concerned. You can get more vegetables in a smaller space when you learn which plants can work as "understory" plants to others. When it comes to plant nutrition; spacing ensure there is enough soil to source the appropriate vitamins and minerals a plant requires. When planting tightly; or using companion planting you need to take into account that you are planting tighter than the recommended spacing and therefore increase the nutrition (manure/compost) in areas where tight planting is happening.
Beans - dwarf (also French beans, Bush beans) 28 Dec, Mary (Australia - temperate climate)
Don't overthink it just plant away. You can space them out but no harm if they grow closer together.
Beans - dwarf (also French beans, Bush beans) 21 Dec, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Different garden beds or a few meters should be good enough.
Showing 811 - 840 of 13845 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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