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Showing 9301 - 9330 of 20174 comments

Horseradish 18 Feb, (Australia - temperate climate): Bridget Kitley Herbs in Stellenbosch list it in their range. They may post a bare rooted plant wrapped in damp newspaper and plastic. Contact them on 07 9407 2209 or email: [email protected] . Trust this helps.
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Asparagus 17 Feb, Dil (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Where can I purchase a Ming fern plant in Melbourne
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Asparagus 18 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate): Ming Fern (asparagus) seed is listed on ebay. It is fairly easy to grow from seed. If you search for it on the internet you will find nurseries that have it in Melbourne. It is listed as an environmental weed in NSW and can't be purchased in that state. Trust this helps
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Jerusalem Artichokes (also Sunchoke) 17 Feb, Deborah Wells (USA - Zone 7a climate): I've been growing these for some years now and am a huge fan. Absolutely LOVE them. So do my chickens, turkeys, horses, sheep, cattle and dogs. All except dogs will eat tops and tubers. Dogs only eat the tubers. Cats don't much care for any part of them tho. Cooking tips: I like them best roasted. Cut into 1" x 1" (2cm x 2cm) or so, put on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive or coconut oil, salt, pepper maybe a little basil or rosemary. Roast at 350F (180C) for 25 - 40 min. They come out about the same consistency as roasted garlic - almost like a paste. Use on a nice cracker with a small slice of cream cheese. Side with a glass of a nice, oaky Chardonnay, a good movie and a sexy friend. I'm done. Night, night. Growing tips: don't do anything to them except give them water and some good manure. If you want to get fancy, cut off the flowers and put them in a vase in the kitchen. (Stripping the flowers puts more energy into the tuber production.) Ungrowing tips: If you want to get rid of them, mow them off once a week and don't water. Turn out pigs or chickens. They will dig up every living morsel and consume it. CAUTION! Do NOT use a rototiller on them. It cuts the tubers into microslices and only encourages them to propagate. Enjoy your sunchokes. They are a gift from the gods.
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Potato 17 Feb, David Reade (New Zealand - temperate climate): If I planted seed potatoes now (Feb 17) is there any chance I'd get a crop before winter sets in?
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Potato 18 Feb, John Mauger (Australia - temperate climate): Potatoes need about 3 months to harvest from planting for 'new' potatoes. That is about a month after flowering. If you can get 3 months before frosts give it a go or plant them in a frost-protected area. New potatoes are delicious but won't store like Old potatoes which are harvested after the tops die off. Trust this helps.
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 16 Feb, (Australia - temperate climate): Hi There! I was wondering how I can get rid of the little black ants that are eating and nesting in my sweet corn. And something is eating away my capsicum........... Thank you
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 16 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate): Ants can be a problem in the garden. You don't say in your note how many plants you have but if it is only a few you could smear a band of petroleum jelly around each stalk to trap them. Ants are also deterred by pepper. Buy some cheap pepper and sprinkle it liberally around the plants. this works well to stop ants stealing carrot seed, which they love. Regarding the ones that are nesting I don't have any suggestions. Maybe a small amount of kitchen washing up liquid mixed with water and sprayed onto the affected plants will suffocate them. Regarding chewing pests on your capsicums. Yates 'Natures Way' is a very saafe spray to use for caterpillars. I don't use synthetic sprays or chemicals in my garden. Trust this helps.
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 17 Feb, LESLEY STRUDWICK (Australia - arid climate): Thank you............ will give your suggestions a go.. :)
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Horseradish 16 Feb, Kim (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate): Lifestyle, Johannesburg (011792 5616) has a few Horseradish plants at the moment - I just bought 2
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Horseradish 16 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate): I love horseradish with beef. The plaants can spread rapidly in good conditions so unless you want that plant them in a very large tub on top of the ground or sunken to just below the rim. Good water supply, and plenty of old manure will yield you tender flavousome roots. Mulching thickly will conserve water. TAll the best!
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 16 Feb, Ingrid (Australia - tropical climate): Hi, I'm a single mum on a serous budget and only a small space in the courtyard. Am I able to grow sweetcorn in pots? Am I better off planting them in the garden? What size pots do I need ? I like gardening. I sometimes wonder if it's just cheaper to buy a $ 1 cob and be done with it! Thank you for the emails. I find them very helpful. Ingrid
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 16 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate): Sweet corn will grow in large pots or tubs. It likes plenty of water and a good food supply (manure, compost, etc). 20 litre buckets may be obtained free from bakeries or fast food outlets. Drill some drainage holes in the bottom. Large planter tubs may also be availble from landscapers who plant advanced trees. With ample food and water you could try 2 or 3 plants per tub. To increase yield from that space plant 2 or 3 climbing bean seeds as well. they will climb up the corn stalks adding another vegetable to your harvest. It maybe too late to plant sweet corn this season but you could try salad greens (lettuce, bok choi, etc), carrots or beetroot. Not too much manure for the carrots or they will have forked roots. There is a huge variety of food that can be grown in small spaces and tests have shown that you can feed a family of 4 in the area of a double carport (6m x 6m). Keep going its great to grow your own healthy food. Trust this helps.
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 17 Feb, Ingrid (Australia - tropical climate): Thank you for that very helpful feedback! Ingrid
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Radish 15 Feb, Millicent (Australia - temperate climate): Mine were red and green
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Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) 14 Feb, Neville Tonkin (Australia - temperate climate): Where can I obtain large numbers of chilli and pepper seedlings ?
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Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) 15 Jul, mick (Australia - temperate climate): Why would you waste money when you can buy some chilies let them dry off for maybe a week and then put into water for a day. After that rub through a sieve to separate seeds, let them dry in a shady spot and a couple of weeks later plant out in a seed tray with a sandy mix. When 5 cm high plant in the garden in a sunny spot and mulch well. Start the process in mid winter and I'm sure you'll get a heap of chilies late summer. Be warned though the plants die in prolonged cold conditions from my experience so choose an appropriate spot which gets sun all year around if possible as the plants will produce like mad in the second year if you can nurse them through the winter. Good luck.
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Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) 15 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate): Around Melbourne and in some regional areas of Victoria there are commercial seedling growers who grow seedlings in trays of about 200 per tray. These growers will often sell trays of seedlings from the nursery as a cash sale. Look up 'seedling nurseries' on the internet or send me an email and I will help you. Trust this helps.
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Horseradish 14 Feb, Catherine Thomson (Australia - temperate climate): Do you have a good recipe for Horseradish sauce (pretty hot). I have it growing very successfully in a large deep (about 3 ft or 1 metre tall) pot next to the parsley and mint. I would like to make a sauce or cream which is spicy and with good keeping qualities. Many thanks for your interesting page.
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Horseradish 27 Feb, Vali (Australia - temperate climate): Hi Catherine, I use to mix the horseradish with beetroot and use it as a salad next to grilled steak or sausages. It is delicious! Ingredients: 3-4 small beetroots 1 small horseradish root Salt Splash of vinegar (optional – don’t use if using horseradish from a jar as it normally already contains vinegar) Mustard seeds (optional) Cumin seeds (optional) Method: 1. Rinse any mud off the beetroots and put them in a saucepan (metal is best; it might stain enamel) and cover them with water. 2. Bring the water to the boil and leave to boil for 30-40 minutes. 3. Drain the now very purple boiled water from the pan and refill with cold water and allow the beetroots to cool enough to be handled. 4. Clean off the skin (you should now be able to rub it off with your fingers, but use the flat of a knife to scrap it off if you like) and trim off any roots or stem stubs. (You can bake the beetroot and it will be more tasty and healthy) 5. Cut up the beetroots – you can grate it, julienne it, cube it, slice it...whatever you prefer. 6. In a separate bowl finely grate the horseradish. Be a bit careful here if you’ve never grated horseradish before as it’s tremendously powerful – I recommend you don’t hold your head over the bowl whilst grating it! 7. Teaspoon by teaspoon, add the horseradish to the beetroot and taste until you reach a combination you like. Don’t just throw it all in at once because if it’s too strong it’s hard to correct. Horseradish from the jar normally isn’t as powerful as fresh horseradish so you might need a few extra teaspoons. If you have any horseradish left over, put it in a small jar with some salt and vinegar and keep it for a dressing next time you prepare some beef or lamb. 8. Check the seasoning and add some salt and a splash of vinegar if you feel it needs it. 9. You can, at this point, add some mustard seeds (about a heaped teaspoon) or a sprinkle of cumin if you like these flavours. Mustard seeds aren’t so strong but be a little careful with the cumin as it can overpower. 10. Serve! Enjoy!
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Horseradish 17 Feb, lowan nyols (Australia - arid climate): use a microplane and grate the horserash into creme fraiche with a little lemon zest . perfection
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Horseradish 16 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate): I have only made a smooth, semi creamy sauce so can't help you with a recipes. Try Googling 'horseradish sauce recipes', you will find plenty. Trust this helps.
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Cauliflower 13 Feb, Trevor (Australia - temperate climate): I have just started cauliflower inside. The seedlings have popped up and I have the seedlings next to a bright window. They look like they are stretching/elongated but afraid to put them outside as it is too hot. Will they be ok until I put them out in 4 - 6 weeks? Or maybe find a shady spot outside? I have them growing in toilet rolls. Thanks
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Cauliflower 14 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate): The legginess and leaning towards the light is a common feature of indoor grown seedlings. If you could find a light,airy spot outside that would be better. If you only have open places make a frame over them with some leafy branches or timber and an old net curtain. Keep the water up to them and they will 'harden off' as they grow. If they are still leggy when you are ready to plant them just plant them a bit deeper. Trust this helps.
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Cauliflower 27 Jun, Mike (Australia - temperate climate): I had this problem early this year. I replanted the seedlings so that they weren't so long out of the soil. Then I put my seedlings out in the open late arvo and brought them back in 8-9 am. A bit of work doing this and if you forget they could dried out with the midday sun. Or as suggested make a frame up and put some shade cloth over them. Some places have 50 -- 70 -- 90% shade cloth - put it over the top. A bit of time, effort and a few $$ will make it easier in the future. Or some people grow the plants indoors and use a light bulb over the top of them at night. Just a few inches above the seedlings.
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 13 Feb, Matam (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate): What is the best sweet corn maize seed to plant? I want the one that can produce bigger corns.
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 13 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate): I am in Australia and don't know the varieties you have available in South Africa. I would google search 'sweet corn seed' on your computer. There are three mail order seed companies that I am aware of in your country. They will have a range of sweet corn seed available and each will have details regarding colour, size and sweetness to choose from. I trust someone from your area will respond to your query with some suggestions. Trust this helps.
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Cauliflower 12 Feb, Des (Australia - temperate climate): G'day Mark, you could try a two metre fence, horses love green veg. For "Caterpillars", use Yates Nature's Way. It is organic and it stops the larvae eating. It takes longer to work but you will find almost instant results. Being organic there is no harm in using it almost up to harvest.
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Tomato 12 Feb, Joe (Australia - temperate climate): I planted a crop 6 plants of Roma in virgin beds this year and did quite well, how ever in years gone by have had poor results in beds previously cropped with tomatoes, why is this so?
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Tomato 13 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate): The tomatoes would have done well because of your 'virgin' beds. Vegetables have varying nutrient requirements, with leaf crops able to take lots of nitrogen from recently manured soil. If you follow a leaf crop with a fruit crop, such as tomatoes, beans or pumpkins (or plants from within that family), then complete the cycle with a root crop such as carrots you will end up with a fairly good balance. After the root crop add more manure or compost and start the cycle again. The only extra thing I will say is - don't plant tomatoes, capsicums, potatoes or egg plant in the same spot next year as this will encourage soil borne diseases that they are susceptible to. Trust this helps.
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