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Showing 7741 - 7770 of 20162 comments

Rhubarb 26 Feb, Carol Nevius Jones (USA - Zone 9b climate): Rhubarb goes dormant in winter and regrow in Spring. Yellowing after a frost is normal.
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Rhubarb 28 Nov, Lindsay (USA - Zone 9b climate): Carol, have you grown it in 9b? Everything I’m finding says it’s not going to work.
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Rhubarb 07 Dec, Paula (USA - Zone 10a climate): Lindsay, my parents grew it in either 9b or 10a under the shade of a citrus tree. It never got as spectacular as those grown in cooler climates but they did get some fresh stalks for about 5 years.
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Peas 28 Nov, Cath (New Zealand - temperate climate): Can you grow peas from fresh bought pods?
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Onion 27 Nov, John (Australia - temperate climate): Hello and thanks for your time I would like to grow red onions i live in the wrstarn suburbs of Adelaide when do I plant seed thank you .
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Onion 01 Dec, Mike (Australia - temperate climate): Read what it says above - it tells you.
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Silverbeet (also Swiss Chard or Mangold) 27 Nov, Don (Australia - temperate climate): I have young silver beet in a raised outdoor bed, leaves are approx the size of the top of a cup and they are all going to seed. What is the best way to handle?
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Silverbeet (also Swiss Chard or Mangold) 29 Nov, Tanya (Australia - temperate climate): I don't think there is anything you can do to stop them going to seed. These thou I find just usually self sow (so just let them go) and more will come up. (I have silverbeet all year round in that bed and I don't replant them)
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Silverbeet (also Swiss Chard or Mangold) 27 Nov, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): How fertile is the soil. A plant once it has used the fertiliser in the soil will go to seed to reproduce itself. I haven't grown silver beet for 20 odd years although a fellow has some growing in the Men's Shed gardens I look after. He has just started to pick them the last week. These were planted after a crop of lettuce and once the SB were established from very small seedlings I gave them a little hit up with fertiliser. I use a little Tupperware cup of fertiliser (7cm across and 4cm deep) into 9 liters of water - leave for a few hours and give a good stir. I used that 9 L to water 7 SB, 12 climbing beans, 4 Ceylon spinach and 6 rock melon plants. YOU could pick the seed head off and give them a fertilizing - but I think it might be too late.
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Silverbeet (also Swiss Chard or Mangold) 25 May, Jane (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Thanks for this Mike. Great helpful reply. I planted spinach a few weeks back from seedlings. Doesn't look like the silverbeet I grew up with but they're slowly doing well (touch wood).
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Watermelon 26 Nov, Jilly (New Zealand - temperate climate): I would.like to know why lately a lot of supermarket watermelons are rubbery and soft in texture?? ..ugly to eat..not lovely and crisp
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Marrow 25 Nov, Anna (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Sadly, I didn't get any answers or help, however, I located old marrow seed and they are germinating. Pumpkins are mostly ready and big old squash are now half grown. Subtropical weather is not very kind to many fruits and vegies at this time of the year so I am finding but I am also discovering what does really well!
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Marrow 02 Jul, Jane (Australia - sub-tropical climate): HI ann, Glad you found some marrow. I searched for years and finally, bi go! I planted some marrow seeds a couple if weeks and 3 have germinated.Exciting. Can't wait to plant them out and hope I get to share and eat them not least save their seeds. Yr so right, subtropical weather is a challenge. Here's to many better and more prosperous times in tbe garden How have your marrrow fared??
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Marrow 27 Nov, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Anna - The posts just on this page go back to 31 Dec 2014 and no posting by you, asking questions. I take it you are asking about marrow, squash and pumpkins. For these you need to know if you have frosts or not. For pumpkin I would grow into the winter (they mature slower and keep longer after picking). Probably all of these you could grow (plant seeds say March/April) into the winter or plant seeds August or when you feel frosts have finished and grow in spring. Yes the weather conditions you experience have a big impact on what you can plant. I live in Bundy and you maybe Sydney. You may have lots of frosts or none at all. Very high temps or lower than normal. Big down pours of rain or none at all. In Oct we had double the record - 245 mm (since 1946) of rainfall - 550 mms this year. Although I have a near full garden at the moment - I usually would have all my plants harvested by now - far too hot usually in summer - plants suffer so much in the middle of the day. I usually grow veggies from March to Oct - then rest the ground and add mulch etc during the summer. The ground needs a rest and so do I.
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Broccoli 24 Nov, Julie Baglin (Australia - tropical climate): Hi, I live in Maitland. My broccoli plant has heaps of large, healthy leaves, but no broccoli yet. Is this normal?
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Broccoli 27 Nov, Phil Andrews (Australia - temperate climate): Hi Julie are you in Maitland South Australia or Maitland New South Wales either way it doesn't really matter how old are the Broccoli plants? As long as they are healthy the heads will come eventually.
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Broccoli 27 Nov, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Probably too much Nitrogen in the soil. Also they are better grown into winter not summer.
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Gourd (also summer squash) 24 Nov, L A Feely (New Zealand - temperate climate): As i make unusual instruments , I would like to make something from a gourd if I could grow some in the nelson /Tasman area. Will they grow here? If so how do i process one after maturity so the shell stays hard. Thank you.
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Gourd (also summer squash) 06 Nov, Te Ruwai (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate): I saw this article online which you may find helpful www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/garden/110093347/how-to-grow-and-decorate-bottle-gourds
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Garlic 23 Nov, Manju Campbell (New Zealand - temperate climate): I planted garlic in may and it was so healthy up October and now it get a rust will you please let me know when is the harvesting season .or what shall I do
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Pumpkin 23 Nov, terry (Australia - sub-tropical climate): hi im in nth NSW just near kyogle and lismore my pumpkin plants refuse to form pumkins there seems to be no bees anywhere and its getting to be a major worry Queensland blue pumkins are the best tasting for use in sweet pumpkin pies ill try to hand pollonatye today also is it likely i will have the same problems if i buy seedlings these ones were seed i saved out of a pumkin from last year thanks for your time Terry
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Pumpkin 23 Nov, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Just found this - commercial production. For efficient pollination and fruit set, there must be: both male and female flowers and bees to move pollen from male to female flowers. A number of factors can influence pollination, Cold and overcast days limit pollination activity of bees. Hot dry conditions desiccate pollen making it unviable. Rapid growth promotes earlier flowering. However, high temperatures, long days and high rates of nitrogen can result in: vigorous vegetative growth and few flowers and a higher proportion of male to female flowers. It is important to check the sex of the flowers. A ratio of 1 female to 7 male flowers is usually considered adequate. Flowers open early in the day and for one day only, and they close by mid afternoon. These periods are shorter under high temperatures. Flowers are most receptive to pollination in the morning when bee activity is usually the highest. Bees are necessary for pollination and must be active in the crop. Flowers require at least 12 bee visits for good pollination. If bees are not plentiful, introduce at least two hives per ha after female flowers appear and male flowers start producing pollen. Spread hives around the field outside the crop, preferably so that bees have to fly over the crop to get to another food source. Destroy flowering weeds around the crop.
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Pumpkin 23 Nov, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I was given a Jap pumpkin and I grew a Qld blue earlier this year. The Jap was by far the better for flavor. When I was growing the Qld blue it rained (heavy) several times and the female flowers were very wet inside and just rotted. If no bees plant some flowers (research flowers for bees) around your yard. I'm doing this as I have very few bees I think. Also it is best to grow pumpkin into winter I have read. It wouldn't make any difference if using seeds or seedlings. I have two Jap pumpkin growing now - will be interesting to see if they produce.
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Ginger 23 Nov, Tony (Australia - tropical climate): Can you plant ginger all year round in the tropics? I plan to plant ginger in stages for a continual harvest.
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Ginger 02 Jan, Hamsa (Australia - cool/mountain climate): The ginger does nothing during spring for us, it only starts sprouting in December, so no harm trying
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Ginger 23 Nov, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): It does say here don't plant in Dec to Feb - you can only try it. Google and read up about growing ginger.
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Beans - climbing (also Pole beans, Runner beans, Scarlet Runners) 23 Nov, Faye (Australia - temperate climate): Thank you, Mike, for replying to my query. We don't know anymore than they are called 'runner beans' in the supermarkets and fruit & veg shops in the UK. We will be there again next year and I will endeavour to find out more. Regards Faye
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Beans - climbing (also Pole beans, Runner beans, Scarlet Runners) 11 Jan, Janet stevens (Australia - temperate climate): I am gardening in west Australia south of Perth, planted runner beans, as I do in uk, scarlet emperor, came up climbed the poles produced plenty of flowers(more than in the uk) and I have just picked the two beans produced after regularly watering and the tending them lovingly. I think the problem is the flowers were never pollinated, never seen a bee here, and with the excessive wind here the flowers just blew off! What do you think?
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Beans - climbing (also Pole beans, Runner beans, Scarlet Runners) 23 Nov, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Ask the supermarket or F&V shop owners what variety they are and then check the seed selling companies. Or take a photo of them and compare to beans on the net.
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Beans - climbing (also Pole beans, Runner beans, Scarlet Runners) 23 Nov, Mike (Australia - cool/mountain climate): This is the heading at the top of this page. "Growing Beans - climbing, also Pole beans, Runner beans, Scarlet Runners". Most vegetables have several names - different countries call them different names. You would not be able to import them - quarantine rules. Go to the web sites I suggested and pick a variety or two and try growing them.
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