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Showing 9331 - 9360 of 20215 comments
Onion 20 Feb, michael kearns (Australia - temperate climate)
Which type of onion is better. brown or yellow
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Onion 20 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
They are both good depending on what your intended use is. Brown onions are often smaller and more pungent but Creamgold (Pukekoe), the creamy yellow one is larger with a smoother flavour. I suppose you could say Creamgold is the ideal BBQ onion as it onlly needs light frying. It is entirely a matter of personal preference. Trust this helps.
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 19 Feb, Pauline (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Mark Southcombe About the ants. While I have a lot of ants they are not a problem now that I am using a Bokashi system of compost. In fact no bugs are attacking my vegetables. I am growing corn for the first time and so far so good. I will keep an eye on all the things mentioned in this post.
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Beetroot (also Beets) 18 Feb, Sam (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi just wondering if anyone has ever let their beetroot go to seed & might know whether it's worth trying to pickle them..?? or do they go woody, etc... Just seems a waste to do nothing with them...?
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Beetroot (also Beets) 19 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Beetroot, like carrots, is a biennial, that means it grows one season and flowers and seeds the next. Root vegetables do go woody in their second season but there is no reason that you couldn't cut it up small or grate it and make pickles. You could also blend it to make beetroot dip. If there are a lot of beetroot and you like the dip idea just freeze it in recipe quantities. Don't forget to save some seed to use or share.
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Squash (also Crookneck, Pattypan, Summer squash) 18 Feb, anthony bass (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Hi Guys, I don’t know if this is the right forum for this, but, can some explain to me why a gem squash plant I have has produced so many flowers and yet not one has grown into a squash. I have seen the small squashes grow to about 1cm and then the little stalk starts to dry out and the squash falls off. I have it growing as a vine to keep it off my courtyard floor, is this part of or the problem,
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Squash (also Crookneck, Pattypan, Summer squash) 18 Feb, kathy (Australia - temperate climate)
you need to pollinate them by hand
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Squash (also Crookneck, Pattypan, Summer squash) 18 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Your problem suggests the female (fruiting) flowers have not been pollinated. This could be due to a lack of bees or other pollinating insects. The alternative is to hand pollinate by removing a male flower and its petals and brushing it over the female flower. This can also be done with a small, soft paint brush. Having it growing as a vine wouldn't make a difference, in fact it be beneficial to the plant as it would aid air circulation and reduce the chance of mildew forming. Trust this helps.
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Horseradish 17 Feb, geoff (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
where can i buy, i'm not far from durban
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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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Showing 9331 - 9360 of 20215 comments
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