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Showing 9391 - 9420 of 20174 comments
Cucumber 04 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
I don't know of anything that will induce cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, etc to produce female flowers. Male flowers are always produced first but it is very frustrating. Female flowers generally appear as the season becomes consistently warmer. Trust this helps.
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Cucumber 23 Feb, Pete (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
You can encourage pumpkins to put out more female flowers by snipping the growing end off after about 1.5 to 2m of vine. This made side shoots, which tend to make more females.
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Cape Gooseberry (also Golden Berry, Inca Berry ) 30 Jan, Lenny (Australia - temperate climate)
Cucumber beetles mencozeb fixed the problem
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Onion 29 Jan, Anthony (Australia - temperate climate)
I am keen on growing brown onions at home in Sydney..i have been reading up on onions and found that there are long day short day and intermediate day varieties...which verity best suits Sydney this winter and even next summer...Also whats the best variety of onion that best suits Sydney....Im near Parramatta... Also where would the best place to get seeds for this variety of onion... Thankyou....
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Onion 04 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
We are south of Sydney but I think it would be about the same. Check the seed packets or catalogue when purchasing. Feb-Mar - Early White Barletta, Erly Flat White (salad onion) Apr-May - Golden Globe, Hunter River White, Hunter River Brown, Gladalan Brown Apr-Jul - Odourless, Calred (Californian Red), Pearl Pickler May-Jul - White Spanish, Australian Brown, Brown Spanish Jun-Jul - Pukekohe (Creamgold) Jul-Sep - Ailsa Craig, White Spanish, All Year - White Lisbon, Long White Bunching (spring onion) I am indebted to Norman de Vaus for this information. He has a seed company called New Gippsland Seed Farm which you should be able to find on the internet. Trust this helps.
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Onion 04 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
We are further south than Sydney but the following list should be a good guide for you. Also check the packet or seed catalogue for what is right for Sydney when purchasing. Feb-Mar - Early Flat White (salad onion), Early Barletta Apr-May - Golden Globe, Hunter River White, Hunter River Brown, Gladalan Brown Apr-Jul - Odourless, Calred (Californian Red) May-Jul - White Spanish, Australian Brown (Brown Spanish) Jun-Jul - Pukekohe (Creamgold) Jul-Sep - Ailsa Craig, Prizetaker, White Spanish All Year - Long White Bunching - Spring onions (thin like a pencil) These are seed sowing t
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Pumpkin 29 Jan, Dominic (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Where would one get seeds for different variety of pumpkins is Gauteng. And where would one sale his/her produce?
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Pumpkin 04 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
I would suggest you try nurseries and garden centres for seed. I you don't have any luck try 'pumpkin seed' on the internet. Pumpkins are generally very easy to sell to hotels, etc if they are home grown and properly ripe. Many shop pumpkins are not properly ripe. Trust this helps.
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 29 Jan, Sue g puttock (Australia - temperate climate)
When i pick the corn of the plants do more corn keep growing or do i just get rid of the plants when all cobs picked
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 04 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
After a corn/maize plant has produced a cob or cobs it will not produce any more. You can cut the stalks off or pull them out of the ground and use them for mulch or plant climbing peas on them - free stakes! Trust this helps
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Cucumber 29 Jan, Len Olley (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
When my cucumbers are young fruit the get stung in the middle and then start to bend. Those that are not stung grow well. I have tried researching to what is causing this but to no avail. What can I spray?
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Cucumber 05 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Crook Neck, as it is called is mostly caused by uneven pollination which could be attributed to lack of pollinating insects or low humidity. It is a very dissappointing condition and if you cut the cucumber longways you will find the inside of the curve not properly formed. You could try hand pollinating by pickig off some male flowers, removing the petals and rubbing them inside the female flowers. Trust this helps.
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Pumpkin 29 Jan, Gabriella Hont (Australia - temperate climate)
What is the best way to water pumpkin plants? Do you water near the original base or do they grow roots elsewhere?
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Pumpkin 04 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
The best way to water pumpkins is at the roots as overhead watering will encourage mildew development. And, yes they do send down roots from the running stems so if you can trickle water them it will definitely help. Trust this helps.
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Pumpkin 29 Jan, elizabeth starrett (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
December I noticed in my garden an unusual plant growing from kitchen compost . Now at the end of January it has spread over the lawn, someone said it was a pumpkin, I can identify many fruit forming, like a glob shape with yellow flower,, and long stems with yellow flowers the fruit is a light green color.How can I know at this stage, it a pumpkin, and not a weed. thanks
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Pumpkin 04 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
It is fairly likely to be a pumpkin from discarded kitchen scraps. It could also be a melon, cucumber or sqush if youu have eaten them. The flowers with the long stems are the male flowers which will pollinate the flowers with the round 'glob' on them. Compost grown pumpkins usuall thrive so it sounds like a bonus! Trust this helps.
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Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) 29 Jan, Kiara Brown (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi I'm growing rockmelon and they are about 8cm big. Something has been eating them do you know what it could be?how do I fix and it is also eating my cucumber?
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Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) 04 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
I forgot to dd that unfortuately the fruit that has been attacked will probably shrivel and die depending on the extent of the damage. Trust this helps.
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Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) 04 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
If it is a chewing pest (Caterpillar) use Yates Natures Way insecticide. I don't like to recommend brands but this product is organic and is harmless to anything but caterpillars. It is actually a bacteria that stops the caterpillar from eating. The caterpillar can be eaten by a bird with no effect. Trust this helps.
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Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) 05 Feb, Mark Davies (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Just had a heap of caterpillars in my cucumbers. I made a mix of garlic, chilli and a teaspoon of detergent. Sprayed for a couple of days. No caterpillars
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Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) 25 Feb, Steve Cambridge (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Mark, Did you just mix up any quantities of each or is there a specific recipe? Cheers, Steve
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Cape Gooseberry (also Golden Berry, Inca Berry ) 28 Jan, Lenny (Australia - temperate climate)
Striped beetles on plant making a mess
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Rocket (also Arugula/Rucola) 28 Jan, Louise Caro (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
The rocket planted at the beginning of January has flowered and doesn't have many leaves. None has yet been picked as it doesn't look ready. Is the time of year wrong? Or should I wait for the flowering to be over.It is in the same place in the bed as the lettuce that is thriving. Any answers - a learning gardener - very welcome. Thanks
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Rocket (also Arugula/Rucola) 04 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
If it is flowering it will not produce more leaves. Let it go to seed and you will have hundreds of new seeds. Save some in a paper bag or envelope with the name and date on it and then let the rest drop to the ground where they will self sow. You will have an abundance of microgreens which you can snip off with scissors and you can let some grow on to harvest the leaves. Trust this helps.
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Eggplant (also Aubergine) 28 Jan, Meredith (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I am growing 'classic' eggplant. The fruit are growing bigger, but look ripe. How big should I let them get before picking? Is there any sign that they are ripe?
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Eggplant (also Aubergine) 05 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
If they are the purple variety and are fully coloured you could harvest them. Try one and if the flesh is cream they are ripe. Trust this helps.
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Jerusalem Artichokes (also Sunchoke) 28 Jan, julianne simon (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
When should i see the flowers bloom. My sunchokes are growing very tall, look amazingly healthy, but no flowers yet on January 28.
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Jerusalem Artichokes (also Sunchoke) 04 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Generally tubers do't form on plants like sunchokes and potatoes until after flowering. As with potatoes there will be some forming but they will be immature and not keep. Trust this helps.
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Rhubarb 27 Jan, John Ludbrook (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My rhubarb is growing well and the stalks are at least two fingers thick but don't seem to going red and the leaves are huge, when is the best time to harvest. John
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Rhubarb 04 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Some rhubarb plants do not produce stems that are very red but if they are well fed and watered the stems will still be the same. Put a drop or so of cochineal (a natural red colouring) in the pot as you are cooking it to impprove the colour if you prefer.
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Showing 9391 - 9420 of 20174 comments
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