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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 05 Feb, John (Australia - temperate climate): Sounds very much like possums or rodents as the 'budding' cob would be very sweet and nutritious. Controlling them is a challenge. There are bark chips of the Quassia tree which should be available online. They can be soaked then boiled to make a very bitter tasting concoction that you spray on. This also works for wallabies on garden shrubs. The bitterness shouldn't affect the cobs as they are inside the husks. Trust this helps.
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Shallots (also Eschalots) 23 Jan, Lindsay (Australia - temperate climate): I grew shallots in pots for the first time this year and am puzzled since in some pots they produced bulbs and yet in other pots none of the plants produced a bulb by the time they had died off. Any ideas please? Annoying because the few that I got were fabulous. Nothing like bought ones. Thanks.
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Shallots (also Eschalots) 04 Apr, Mike (Australia - temperate climate): If putting in pots make sure to have good rich loose soil. The only time I have poor shallots is when they grow in the shade (winter sun comes across the end of the row). The best shallots I grow, are from now into the winter. I read below how people leave the plant to nearly die before picking. I pick mine before the plant goes to seed. I eat shallots nearly every day when I have them producing in the garden. In scrabble eggs, in tossed salads, in soups, on a sandwich with tomato meat cheese, or even just whole on the plate with other salads.
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Shallots (also Eschalots) 03 Apr, Mike (Australia - temperate climate): I grow shallots every year from Feb/March until Oct - Bundaberg. I keep some of the bulbs for the following year. This has gone on for 35 years. In the winter they take a long time to bulb, Where as in the hotter months the run to bulb very quickly. Shallots like sun all day. If grown in the shade they grow very weak and may not bulb up. Plenty of sun water and fert. The bought ones are generally spring onions.
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Shallots (also Eschalots) 09 Apr, Lindsay (Australia - temperate climate): Thanks very much for your comments Mike. I'll make sure to give them plenty of sun and warmer weather. I'm in the SW of WA, so I'll wait for warmer weather before trying again. Cheers.
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Shallots (also Eschalots) 16 Apr, Mike (Australia - temperate climate): Depending on how many bulbs you have - I would suggest you plant a few now - say 6-10. If they come up and start growing well then plant some more. I usually plant 2 rows with about 12-15 in each row every 4-6 weeks. This year I'm planting 1 row each 2-3 weeks. I'm just starting to eating some I planted about 7-8 weeks ago - they are a little thin - probably due to the excessive rain we had last month - leached the fert out of the soil. A planting guide says to plant from Feb to August.
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Shallots (also Eschalots) 16 Apr, Mike (Australia - temperate climate): I would try now - your temperatures are similar to ours - you have cooler day temps. Just remember to have in sun all day. They like warm days not hot days like you can have in summer.
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Shallots (also Eschalots) 17 Apr, Lindsay (Australia - temperate climate): Thanks again Mike. You've convinced me! I'll try now, even though this autumn has been really cool and mostly overcast to date. Cheers.
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Cauliflower 23 Jan, (Australia - temperate climate): I plant all caterpillar eating veggies ie kale, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, in the one large bed and net it while they are still seedlings. No white butterflies can get to them.
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Cauliflower 20 Mar, Mike (Australia - temperate climate): Over the last few years I have the problem of sparrows eating off all my new seedlings planted out in early Autumn. Planted out Honi Tsai Tai, rocket, snow peas, lettuce, beetroot, green and red cabbage the other week. I have a shade cloth over to reduce the heat this time of the year but it couldn't cover all the plants. The birds went to town eating them. I went on the internet and found anti bird netting. 10x 5m $25. about 15mm mesh. This will not only keep the birds out but also cabbage moths etc. Maybe even bean fly (might double the mesh over. I also found Chinese Hong Kong people who sell it very cheap 3x 6 or 10m for less than $3. 2-3 weeks postage. I will be able to grow broccoli again now and also start earlier and finish later with my veggie growing. All you need is some PVC pipe, some pieces of wood / metal pipe about 20" long, the netting and some stakes or something to lay on the netting on the ground to stop birds etc getting in.
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Cauliflower 27 Jun, Mike (Australia - temperate climate): Further to my comments above. The cheap Chinese netting was useless. The $25 (10m x 5m) netting not the best either. I have found this on the internet - 10m x 6.5m White Cross Weave Hail Net / Bird Netting $80. It is rows of knitted cotton with a V shape running between the rows. Expensive but it will keep just about everything out. Birds, moths and probably flies and bees. The framework for the netting above was a lot of work to move to do any work in the garden. I have constructed 2 frames with 20mm conduit pipe - 2m x 2m x1m high. Had to buy the 3 way elbows on the internet to join it all together. A place that sells hot house/shade house stuff. They are a little flimsy but with two people are very easy to move around. I intend to also put some 50% shade cloth over them early and late in the year to extend my growing seasons. Hope this helps other people considering this.
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NZ Spinach (also Warrigal greens) 23 Jan, (Australia - sub-tropical climate): where can I buy these or plant in perth w.a
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NZ Spinach (also Warrigal greens) 07 Feb, Florina (Australia - temperate climate): Bunnings in Balcatta sells these.
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NZ Spinach (also Warrigal greens) 26 Jan, John (Australia - temperate climate): I suggest you contact a local gardening group or permaculture group. It is generally easy to get, strikes easily and grows easily. In Perth it would probably prefer morning sun and shade for the rest of the day or just a generally semi-shaded position
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Rosella (also Queensland Jam Plant, Roselle) 22 Jan, Lana (Australia - temperate climate): Hello I am hoping to find someone to make Rosella jam. That I can sell along with my own jams in WA. I get asked for it constantly. Would need to have a registered kitchen. Thanks Lana
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Rhubarb 22 Jan, Rebecca (Australia - temperate climate): I have just cooked a massive batch of stewed rhubarb I harvested today from a mostly green variety. It tastes awful, I used lemonade as per my grandmothers recipes and topped up with caster sugar, but it tastes 'green' and bitter, not like the nice usual tangy flavour. Does anyone have any tips? It's quite enedible, thanks.
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Rhubarb 11 Dec, Val (Australia - tropical climate): Wash, cut into cubes put in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Just bring to the boiling stage and drain off the excess water. Add sugar to taste PLUSS a mashed banana or some cooked apple. I find that The banana or apple takes the sharpness away. Good luck.
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Rhubarb 23 Jan, barb (USA - Zone 6b climate): it is my understanding tvat the green parts of rhubarb are poisinous and should never be consumed i cook the pink parts of stalks and cook with sugar, or cook with strawberries and sugar and it is quite tasty
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Rhubarb 23 Jan, Cheryl Bromfield (Australia - temperate climate): Spread some ash around the base of your rhubarb and will turn red.
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Peas 21 Jan, zelalem (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate): Please I need to know the supply erstwhile of Pea Seeds in South Africa esp in North west.
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Peas 26 Jan, Wilma (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate): Buy your seeds online from Livingseeds.co.za I bought some seedlings in December and tehy delivered within 48 hours.
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Cabbage 21 Jan, Peter (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Hello Does anyone know where I can get pontoise cabbage seeds or seedlings? Thank you
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Cape Gooseberry (also Golden Berry, Inca Berry ) 21 Jan, Max Collier (Australia - tropical climate): I am wondering why i haven't got a reply about my Cape gooseberry plant yet, i still don't have fruit coming on?, Max.
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Cape Gooseberry (also Golden Berry, Inca Berry ) 13 Apr, Quyen (Australia - tropical climate): Im not expert but i think you must help the pollinating process by using ear cotton stick to touch from flower to another ones. I often do it for some kind of vegetable in my garden. It worked! (or soft artist's brush - Liz)
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Cape Gooseberry (also Golden Berry, Inca Berry ) 07 Apr, Steve (Australia - temperate climate): How did your Cape Gooseberry go? Did it flower? Did it fruit? I just read your post and saw no reply so thought I'd ask. I hope it ended up fruiting for you.
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Pumpkin 21 Jan, Joanne (Australia - temperate climate): My pumpkins are just forming "tenis ball size" with only 30days or less until it gets cold. I have planted late, November late but it's not made much difference to zucchini & cucumber but I'm hoping for mature pumpkins in 80days. Has anyone else had mature pumpkins by then?
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Pumpkin 26 Jan, John (Australia - temperate climate): Depending where you live you would normally get warm weather into Mid-March. If the pumpkins aren't ripe by then make pumpkin soup and freeze the excess or grate them into zucchini recipe quantities and freeze them in stead of zucchini. Sorry I can't help more.
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Potato 20 Jan, (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Thank you Sandra re my question as to whether seed potatoes can still be planted in January where I live in the Dandenong Ranges Melbourne. I will give it a go then if you have successfully planted for three years. Happy Gardening. Heather.
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Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) 20 Jan, Ron Leggett (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): I am trying manual pollination. Not a lot of success. Do I need to pinch out the leaders to promote more lateral growth and more flowers?
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Okra (also Ladyfinger, gumbo) 20 Jan, lucy (Australia - temperate climate): I have been trying to grow an Okra plant many times &I'm very devastated when it's time of flowering, it seems, ants attract the flower ,ended up no produce at the end...what is the best advise u can share & give???& what organic fertilizer best2 okra...thanks
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