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Lettuce 09 Oct, anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I have found it best to raise seedlings and plant lettuces and similar salad crops on the East side of house below the eaves. They get early morning sun until about 11am and then they are in shade or indirect sun. Everything thrives. I just recently put green shadecloth around raised garden be for the same reason as last year everything dried out too easily and required daily soaking. in the present drought I think I might be ok with these two precautions for spring-summer crops.
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Asparagus 28 Sep, Maryanne house (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I have just noticed that I have spears on my asparagus. They have been in the ground for 2 years. My query is to do with the ferns that are still there from last year. The ferns did not die down and I read somewhere to leave the ferns and that they would die of their own accord.But they did not so I guess this was incorrect. So... do I now cut off all the ferns as the spears are now appearing or do I reduce the number of ferns? In future do I cut off all the ferns when the spears stop appearing or at a specific time frame? ( say Jan Feb? ). Thanks in advance for your assistance.
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Asparagus 30 Sep, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Are they two years old from seed or crowns?I believe the ferns die in the colder weather but not in sub-tropics /tropics. I'm sub tropic and they have not died in the last 3 years. I even stopped watering in early May this year and we have had a very dry time since then. I would cut the old ones out. Pick some of the new spears and eat. Depending on how many spears you are getting probably stop picking in about 4 weeks and let grow for next year. You have to let the crown grow in the first 2-3 years. In future from about Nov or so let the spears go to ferns-even while you are picking leave a couple go to ferns. Leave the ferns there until mid August-the ferns are growing the crown and storing nutrient in the crown for spears next year. Then cut them off and put 50-75mm of compost or aged manure on them and start watering them. And by compost I mean fully broken down organic matter or manure. Not mulch.
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Asparagus 09 Dec, jenny mullins (Australia - temperate climate): I was told never to trim the ferny bits as they harness strength for the crown & help develop bigger & better spears for the following season. Is this incorrect. I bought crowns from K-Mart over 15 years ago. Had them in a small pot. They grew, they 'died', they grew again & died again. I decided to transplant them into a large garbage bin, about 75cm deep. They grew & produced lovely tasting, about 3/4 cm thick spears, over the last two years. I've fed very randomly (haven't been well for long while) sometimes Dynamic Lifter, sometimes Seasol, sometimes Complete Fertilizer. I don't think I've even fed them once a year!!! I'm trying to show them some loving respect now, & so shocked at how they tolerated gross neglect & still gave me precious, delicious spears to just pick & eat...never made it to the kitchen!!
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Okra (also Ladyfinger, gumbo) 26 Sep, Charulata Shah (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I live on the Goldcoast,QLD. I planted some okra seeds about 3 weeks ago. Still no signs of germination. How long does it take to germinate?
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Okra (also Ladyfinger, gumbo) 02 Oct, Joey (Australia - temperate climate): It's best to soak the seeds overnight first before sowing into seed trays. Last year I sowed the seeds straight into the garden bed and they were all gone. This year I did a bit of research and found
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Okra (also Ladyfinger, gumbo) 30 Sep, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Have a dig around and see if you can find any seeds or seedlings starting to shoot. You may have over watered them and they have gone rotten.
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Artichokes (Globe) 26 Sep, Janelle O'Shannessy (Australia - tropical climate): Can you please advise if there is any type of artichoke that will grow in the tropics at all...Thank you
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Artichokes (Globe) 26 Sep, Jacob Hoekstra (Australia - temperate climate): Hi there, we are in the Geelong Victoria area and have been growing Jerusalem Artichokes for years. They just about grow anywhere as far as I know, but once you plant them they are hard to get rid of. They look like ginger and I only harvest them when I feel like it or my wife wants to make delicious Jerusalem Artichoke soup, or use the slices on pizza. The stems/plants grow very tall and you know when ready when the stems die down. Dig through the soil and you'll find a good crop.
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Artichokes (Globe) 04 Jun, Irene (Australia - temperate climate): Hi Jacob, we are in Bendigo and want to plant some Jerusalem Artichokes but can't seem to find out when is the best time to plant them and how long do they take to grow? Looking forward to your reply, Irene
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Artichokes (Globe) 26 Sep, Anon (Australia - tropical climate): Ring up some seed selling company like Diggers Club and ask them. It does say plant in mid autumn into winter.
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Mint (also Garden mint) 25 Sep, Peter Devenny (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Hey all, I have a problem with a white/grey mould appearing on my mint and sage leaves, the leaves are dieing off and i don't know what to do about it , can anyone help please Happy gardening
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Mint (also Garden mint) 26 Sep, Anon (Australia - cool/mountain climate): Google the internet, you might find a natural spray. If you can't fix it, throw the soil and plant in the rubbish. Give the pot a good sterilisation and start again.
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Beetroot (also Beets) 25 Sep, christine trujillo (Australia - cool/mountain climate): i bought beetroot from Bunnings. i planted the seedlings 10 weeks ago and now i am ready to pick them, BUT the beetroot are a pale watery colour so i cooked one to see what would happen. It was tastelss and not a red colour at all. i had plenty of compost and good rich soil. great huge leaves, This is sometyhing i have never seen before and i have grown beetroot many times before, and they were lovely, red and tasty
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Beetroot (also Beets) 26 Sep, Anon (Australia - cool/mountain climate): I had a problem a few years ago. Pale pink colour after I cooked them. I now grow from seeds Detroit & Bulls blood. Don't have too rich a soil, will produce a lot of leaves as you say. They may have been a mix up of beetroot variety. I bought celery seedlings from Bunnings for 5 years, when grown they were Italian parsley I think.
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Beetroot (also Beets) 10 Oct, anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I have a great crop of beetroot growing. About 150 plants in different gardens. I planted bulls blood. I just picked 20 great looking 75-100mm size beets. Cooked them for 1.5 hrs and whamo they are this pinkie colour. Same as I described above. I don't know if it is the variety or whether I over cooked them. Will cook for less time next time. Or I won't grow that variety again.
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Beetroot (also Beets) 25 Nov, Another gardener (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I am going back to the Detroit variety.
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Watermelon 23 Sep, jamie clodial (Australia - tropical climate): what are the harvesting conditions to grow watermelon
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Watermelon 30 Sep, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Are you growing them or harvesting them?
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Ginger 22 Sep, Palo Mphethi (South Africa - Semi-arid climate): How do i get ginger seed?
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Ginger 12 Nov, Anon (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate): You plant a knob of it. (One with a shoot helps)
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Garlic 22 Sep, Kathy (USA - Zone 6a climate): We don't have to buy garlic from China... please....try to grow some or double check with your store as to the origin of their garlic and if from China, then talk to store manager and store headquarters.. Thanks...
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Taro (also Dasheen, cocoyam) 22 Sep, Silala Vea (Australia - tropical climate): Can I plant taro here in Austral Sydney?
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Taro (also Dasheen, cocoyam) 23 Sep, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Plant Oct-Nov it says here.
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Tomato 22 Sep, Ray Ponting (Australia - arid climate): I’m in Kalgoorlie WA and sun is the problem I have a garden bed north south with a corrugated iron fence on the west side. Should I use shade cloth
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Tomato 23 Sep, Anon (Australia - arid climate): Probably 30 or 50% shade cloth.
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Tomato 25 Sep, (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I did post here move the garden away from the west fence. It will cut down the hours of sunlight required to grow most things.
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Tomatillo 22 Sep, June (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate): I am interested in either tomatillo plants or seeds. I am on the eastern side of Jhb.
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Tomatillo 14 Nov, anon (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate): Try internet seed selling companies.
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Radish 22 Sep, Gerty (USA - Zone 7b climate): My radishes came out too small or not developed a full bulb/root at all. I used a peat based potting soil and compost + vermiculite also amended with fish/kelp emulsion. I am growing them in 6 inch deep flats with proper drainage holes. The variety is Cherry Belles, Rover, French Breakfast. Planted them in late summer for fall.
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