All recent comments/discussion

Choko (also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton) 04 Feb, Marcus Chin (Australia - temperate climate)

Planted chokos from fruits from veges shops. Healthy growth but no fruit set over the last 3 seasons. Fertilizer (complete formulation for fruit and veg) at early shoots and pre-flowering. Planted in full sun position. Can someone please help, thanks.

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Cardoon 03 Feb, christopher petersen (Australia - temperate climate)

where can i purchase some cardoon seed

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Pumpkin 02 Feb, paul (Australia - temperate climate)

just wondering i bent my stem to my pumpkin and cracked it is there any remedies first time grower thanks

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Amaranth (also Love-lies-bleeding) 02 Feb, Santie Adendorff (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)

What is the difference between marogo and spinach? What is the scientific name for marogo?

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Amaranth (also Love-lies-bleeding) 03 Feb, (Australia - arid climate)

It is Amaranthus

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Garlic 02 Feb, Prue (Australia - temperate climate)

This year I let a couple of garlic go to seed and flower, so now I have thousands of tiny garlic cloves/seeds, should I plant them in the ground now as that is when they would of naturally fallen or wait till April? I'm in Melbourne if that helps answer my question

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Onion 01 Feb, greg (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)

Can u pls provide me informations on onion cultivation in my area

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Cucumber 01 Feb, chris (Australia - temperate climate)

I have been trying to grow la diva cucumbers ,the vine is going great and getting lots of flowers but only very small cucumbers before they wilt and die ,i have not seen any bees around , maybe they are not getting polinated .HELP

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Rocket (also Arugula/Rucola) 31 Jan, Michael (Australia - temperate climate)

I have planted rocket and my leaves are going red. The red seems to get more pronounced once picked. What could be causing this?

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Rocket (also Arugula/Rucola) 01 Feb, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Mine are doing the same. I haven't dared taste them yet. Some are growing normally but lots have turned red. I would guess some sort of stress has affected them.

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Rocket (also Arugula/Rucola) 04 Feb, Ali (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

My rocket is red as well and is growing really slowly. I havent been able to pick any yet and I planted it end of november any ideas?

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Garlic 31 Jan, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

I have planted garlic bulbs last year and nothing happened. Thought it all died off, but in the last week or so.... it's been soooo hot here and I now have garlic growing in my pots. Must be from last year's bulbs that didnt work. Not sure why they are sprouting at this time of year, especially in this heat when I thought they were a winter vege. Any comments would be good.

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Cape Gooseberry (also Golden Berry, Chinese Lanterns) 31 Jan, margaret (Australia - arid climate)

I have two cape gooseberry bushes the problem i am having that some of the branches are half green and the other end of the branch is brittle dry like hollow from inside it looks as if the plant is dying. It is not starving from water or fertilizer so what could be the reason. Both these plants are near the hedge. Thanks margaret

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Beetroot (also Beets) 30 Jan, Julie (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Why should you not plant beetroot and carrot together thanks

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Celery 30 Jan, PK (Australia - temperate climate)

Gidday, I just moved 2 S'th Adelaide & have a V-small B-yd. I,ve had 2 raise my 5 x 10 plot by a foot or 2. But the 40+ day's r hell, so i,ve covered the area with white mesh & it has improved the celery that was not looking healthy at all. Most thing i have noticed is the water factor, twice a day is ex 4 them, a good watering is OK i have found. so i hope 2 eat them real soon in my slow cooking stew's lol.

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Pumpkin 30 Jan, kevin rainbow (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Can anyone tell me a natural way to tread white mildue on the leaves of my pumpkin vines

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Tomato 30 Jan, stella (Australia - temperate climate)

i amm growing gross lisse variety of tomatoes they are pretty huge on the vines but none of them are ripening as of yet ..what should i do theplants are a fairly average size with los of leaves and flowers and unripe fruits..

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Tomato 30 Jan, Reg Parker (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi Stella, Your fruit will ripen, however I strongly suggest that you rid your plants of ALL LEAVES except the for the top (3), you will notice that you have a flowering stem, then a leaf stem then a flowering, get rid of all non flowering stems, you will do yourself and your vines a great favour....leaves only pull the nutrients away from the fruit, block sunlight & air circulation , create disease and attract pests. Also use a liquid fertilizer 2-3 times a week, you will have sweeter, juicier fruit and more than you can possibly even give away. DON'T BE AFRAID TO STRIP THOSE LEAVES> Reg

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Basil 29 Jan, Kate (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

My Basil isnt growing at all this year

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Pumpkin 29 Jan, Trish (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I am growing a jap pumpkin . I have four good size pumpkins on but now all the female flowers are not opening they turn yellow and drop off. We have had alot of rain for the past 2 weeks The vine is growing well and I have plenty of male flowers have grown pumpkins for years have not had this problem before cna some one help

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Pumpkin 04 Feb, pramsec (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi Trish, If all four of your pumpkins are on the same vine then you may be overloading the root system of the plant. I have found that two fruit on each vine gives good results. You could try adding more fertiliser in a circle around but away from the stem of the vine. Hope this helps,

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Coriander (also Cilantro , chinese parsley) 29 Jan, rex (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

I find, if you can get the seed to germinate in april/may it will supply your needs throuout amild wintre, down to -4degC.

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Luffa (also Loofah, plant sponge) 28 Jan, Stu (Australia - temperate climate)

Eden seeds have luffa seeds. I got about 100% germination rate, and now have too many vines. Can buy the seeds online

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Mint (also Garden mint) 28 Jan, z. watts (Australia - arid climate)

I spray with pyrethrum once a week. It's from a plant and non toxic to mammals.

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Okra (also Ladyfinger, gumbo) 28 Jan, Raelene (Australia - temperate climate)

I got okra seeds from an Asian grocery store - pretty common in Adelaide. Planted seeds trays in Oct, only 3 survived out of 50 seeds planted, stayed about 3 inches for 1 month (Adelaide had cool start to summer this year). My mum ("certified" green thumb) came visiting in Dec, she put out maybe 20 seeds direct into garden bed, almost all seeds came up with many 3 inches tall in 1 week. (She also stuck 10 corn seeds from the chook feed into another bed, all came up in 1 week). So my tip, find someone with a green thumb (if you aren't that yourself) and invite them over for a meal at specific planting times and hand them the packets of seeds!

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Cucumber 28 Jan, jill (Australia - temperate climate)

white spots on leaves making leaves dry & brittle

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Mint (also Garden mint) 27 Jan, Angela (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi. I have a type of white bug/flies on my mint. Does any one know how to get rid of them naturally without spraying chemicals on them? Thanks!

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Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) 26 Jan, Jenny Dutton (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

We are growing rockmelons for the first time and ave quite a few on the vinewhich are not yet ripe (haven't browned off at the stem yet) but they are getting to a good size. One appeared to ripen first on the end then rotted. Any ideas on the problem?

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Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) 29 Jan, Kate (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Hi! I have been growing rockmelons this year and I had 2 grow in Dec-Jan, and now at the end of Jan , I now have another 5-6 growing. Not sure why they didnt grow earlier on, but they are now growing, but I have had to manual pollinate as I havent had any bees this year flying around my flowers, so manually pollinating, but the problem for my plant is that I have mostly male flowers & hardly any female flowers and I have 5 plants. Very strange why I have sooo many male flowers. I was hoping to have a bumper crop this year of Rockies. Hope at the end of this year, it becomes a better crop for us! Do your rockies grow Round? I have round rockies, not oval as in like the store brought ones.

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Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) 28 Jan, (Australia - arid climate)

I had that happen with watermelon also. Plus I am growing Rockmelon for the first time. But so hard heaps of vine but only 1 fruit. So I am watching it and caring for it with so much love.

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