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Showing 5161 - 5190 of 20174 comments

Garlic 09 Sep, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Stick your finger in the soil, down about 3-4 cm
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Carrot 04 Sep, Steve (Australia - temperate climate): How long should you leave the board on? Most of my seeds have germinated but are becoming leggy to search for light. Thanks.
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Carrot 07 Sep, Kelly (Australia - temperate climate): If they have germinated then they will be ready for the board to come off. The board is used simply to keep the heat and moisture in the ground to help them germinate.
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Carrot 05 Sep, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Germinating carrots - don't have too rich a soil - have a nice crumbly fine soil - even sandy loan. Rake it real flat. Dig a little furrow about 5-8 mm deep. Put some carrot seeds in your left hand and pick up a few with your right hand and spread them along the furrow thinly. Gently cover the seeds with some light soil or very fine seed raising mixture and then give a light patting down on the soil. Give the seeds a gentle watering. Build a little frame over them with things like tomato stakes on bricks etc.Then place some 30-50-70% shade cloth on the frame. Give the seeds a light watering morning and afternoon. A few days after germination take the shade cloth off. You can apply the shade cloth idea to germinating a lot of different seeds if the weather is warm to hot. If planting big seeds like corn beans peas - plant the seeds then give a good watering and then don't water for 3-4 days - then a light watering each second day. Too much water they will go rotten..
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Carrot 05 Sep, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Take the board (????) off a few days after germination. A good way to protect further is to use a shade cloth device - about 30-50% shade cloth.
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Sunflower 04 Sep, margret botha (South Africa - Semi-arid climate): can I plant sunflowers in wellington westen cape
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Sunflower 14 Nov, anon (South Africa - Semi-arid climate): Look up your climate zone. Then select your crop to plant, then check the calendar when you can plant. Read the notes about growing it.
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Snow Peas (also Sugar Peas, Mangetout, Chinese Peas) 04 Sep, Louise Barton (Australia - temperate climate): I planted snow pea seedlings a month ago and they’ve hardly grown at all. Only a couple of centimetres although they have all produced little pea pods. They are in a wicking bed in sun for 5-6 hours a day and have been watered regularly.
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Snow Peas (also Sugar Peas, Mangetout, Chinese Peas) 05 Sep, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Things generally don't grow much in July and August - the cold. Things not growing sounds like lack of fertiliser. I'm sub-trop and my snow peas are growing steadily about 300mm high - no flowers and we are having temps 8-13 night and 26-33 days.
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Asparagus 03 Sep, Kirstee (Australia - cool/mountain climate): Is it possible to grow asparagus in pots? I am currently renting so unable to plant in the ground.
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Asparagus 04 Sep, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): You probably would need a pot about 700-900mm diameter and 600mm+ deep - maybe deeper. Mighty heavy to move when full of soil. It take 2-3 yrs before picking a decent amount. The supermarket maybe a better option. =
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Potato 03 Sep, lia (Australia - temperate climate): how much water does potatoes need every week, month or year?
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Potato 04 Sep, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): A good watering 2-3 times a week. Watering would depend on climate zone - how hot or cold the weather is, a cloudy or sunny day, small or large plants. Small plants small watering more often, large plants longer watering less often. Small plants only have short root system - soil dries out. A 4m row of small plants may only require a minute or two whereas large plants may require 3-5 mins.
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Garlic 01 Sep, Meredith (Australia - temperate climate): Hi, I plant garlic every year, but it never goes to seed. Can you please advise on a fertilizing schedule please. I always plant before the first full moon in April. I have trouble getting it to keep all year through after its picked, dried and hung and wonder if this is because it didn't go to seed? Any how would be appreciated.
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Garlic 04 Sep, TempestSkye (Australia - temperate climate): The issue you're experiencing is more likely due to the type of garlic you are growing than anything you're doing. Garlic is generally split into two categories: hard neck and soft neck. Your planting times are perfectly fine for an Australian temperate climate. The old sayings about planting on shortest day and harvesting on the longest actually comes from the northern hemisphere and aren't optimal for most Australian climates. I follow the advice of Penny Woodward, who has literally written the book on garlic in Australia. https://www.pennywoodward.com.au/garlic-plant-it-now/ If you read the link above, it explains that hard neck varieties of garlic don't last as long, whereas soft neck garlic varieties tend to keep better.
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Garlic 17 Sep, Meredith (Australia - temperate climate): Thank you for the tips
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Garlic 05 Sep, (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Thanks for the tip on shortest / longest day stuff. How do you distinguish between a soft and hard neck? I looked up a website and all they had was a white bulb and a light purple bulb.
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Garlic 03 Sep, anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I have read plant around the shortest daylight hours day - 21st June - harvest around 21st Dec. I would think garlic would not require a lot of fertilising. You are trying to produce bulbs not a huge green top - so don't go overboard on the N. Start with a good fertile soil and maybe a top up after 3 mths - light on the N. A general veg fert would do at planting. Or compost or manures etc. Do some internet research about growing it.
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Garlic 02 Sep, anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I would suggest you google
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Dill 30 Aug, Ag (New Zealand - temperate climate): Try fresh chopped dill on young boiled potatoes with lots of butter and freshly cracked pepper!
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Rhubarb 30 Aug, Katharin (New Zealand - temperate climate): Harvesting notes say do not harvest rhubarb until a year old ! So what does that mean ? ie if I buy plants from garden centre I’m guessing already a year old ??? Maybe . Or does it mean once a crown is planted in my garden leave for first year . I have planted crowns given to me but didn’t do well so have moved ... now looking better , I have a variety of plants from garden centres , markets etc . I’m confused as too what year I can start harvesting. Some of it this season we hope ... how will we know . ?
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Rhubarb 03 Sep, anon (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): I have not seen rhubarb growing for 50+ years but I would guess it depends on the size of the crown and how fat/big and healthy the stalks/crown looks. I bought asparagus crowns - about 50mm diameter - how old probably 6-9 mths. I grew some from seed and at 12 mths they were 150mm dia. Judge by how good the plant looks.
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Luffa (also Loofah, plant sponge) 29 Aug, NANCY SMELTZER (USA - Zone 6a climate): I HAVE SEVERAL LOOFAH PLANTS, QUITE VINY AND HEALTHY BUT NO BLOOMS. IT’S NOW LATE AUGUST. WHAT HAVE I DONE WRONG? OR IS THERE SOMETHING I CAN DO? THANKS FOR ANY HELP.
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Luffa (also Loofah, plant sponge) 08 Feb, Kari (USA - Zone 6a climate): Sometimes if plants are leafy but have no blossoms or fruit it is because the plant is putting it's energy into creating more leaves. If you prune it, it may focus it's energy on producing blossoms instead.
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Luffa (also Loofah, plant sponge) 17 Sep, Terri (USA - Zone 8a climate): Loofa need a long time to mature. 5 months or more. I planted mine late this year. Late May. They were full vines without flowers until late July. Now they are full of flowers and loofa. I am not sure how late you planted them but they may just not be mature. Another thing may be too much nitrogen in the soil.switch to phosphorus based to get the plants focused on flowering.
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Cabbage 29 Aug, Glenn (Australia - temperate climate): What PH level is best suited for cabbages do they like a bit of wood ash. Thank you.
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Cabbage 30 Aug, anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Google it.
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Cabbage 29 Aug, Stephan (Australia - tropical climate): I would like to find if there are variety of red/purple cabbage suited for tropical climates. I currently plant green cabbage and they firm nice heads. If there red/purple cabbage suited or can be planted in tropics
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Cabbage 29 Aug, anon (Australia - tropical climate): Most plants can be sown in the tropics, you just have a narrow time to plant - so the crop grows in the cooler time of the year. Try Boondie Seeds they have some red varieties.
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Garlic 28 Aug, Jules Sturm (New Zealand - temperate climate): Here's a tip ,to get your garlic sprouting prior to planting ( using cloves) separate the cloves ,place on a plate & put in the fridge ..the temperature drop & darkness shocks them into sprouting ...you will get both root& shoot growth so plant when roots about 5-10mm long ...
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