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Showing 5821 - 5850 of 20106 comments

Asparagus 23 Jan, Ricardo Torres (USA - Zone 9b climate): I planted asparagus three mths ago. My zone is between 9 & 10. The weather has been pretty windy and cold. I water well so cold won't dry the plant. But when will i see asparagus start growing?
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Silverbeet (also Swiss Chard or Mangold) 23 Jan, Michael (Australia - temperate climate): Hi All, Just wondering, i have had silverbeet growing in a raised garden bed for about 5 months, but it doesn't seem to grow taller than 5 inches and a few small leaves at a time. Hardly enough to eat. It gets sun most of the day, watered daily and seasol every few weeks. Any advice on how to make it grow better would be great. Thanks Michael
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Silverbeet (also Swiss Chard or Mangold) 24 Jan, Mike (Australia - temperate climate): Seasol has virtually no NPK in it. Sounds like your soil is very poor. My tip - reap it out. Start preparing your garden bed for planting in March. Put compost manure even grass clippings in the soil now. Water it and turn it over each week. If it doesn't rain keep watering it 1-2 times a week. When you have good crumble soil you can plant. Or go and buy some fertiliser. I would plant March to about June. Grow it in the winter.
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Pumpkin 22 Jan, Sal (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): I have 3 healthy pumpkins growing on the vine but the new baby ones are going yellow and dying. What causes this?
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Pumpkin 22 Jan, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate): They are going yellow and dying because they have not been pollinated. Try using a soft small paint brush, or something similar, to transfer some pollen from a 'male' flower (one without a tiny pumpkin behind it) to a 'female' flower - one with a tiny pumkin behind it.
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Pumpkin 23 Jan, Sal (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): Thanks for that, I assumed that if a pumpkin formed it must have been pollinated.
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Pumpkin 28 Feb, Mike (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): The female flowers are only open for 1 day and usually closed by lunch. Have to be on the ball to pollinate them.
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Pumpkin 22 Jan, Mike (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): Or break off a male flower and peel back the flower part, then rub the female flower with the male part. Make sure the male has pollen on it by testing with your finger. Even do this with 2-3 male flowers.
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Ginger 21 Jan, Carl (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate): Hi Rudolph The Ginger root may have been imported and that means the roots have been irradiated to kill off soil pathogens. Although edible the root will not grow ever. If you do buy root from a shop - try Woolies, they mark it when locally produced. Alternative is to look for a root with clear signs that it is starting to grow nodes (greenish horn like on the sides of the rhizome). If you cannot get any this way, go to Livingseeds and buy good quality when they do stock them - availability based on the season.
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Pumpkin 19 Jan, jamie (Australia - sub-tropical climate): hi guys i havetried growing butternut and have had white mildew distroy everything any tips on preventing this in such a humid climate? thanks
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Pumpkin 21 Jan, Mike Logan (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Grow in a different area next time.
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Pumpkin 21 Jan, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Google it - organic or in-organic.
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Pumpkin 23 Jan, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Organic or inorganic spray that is.
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Choko/Chayote (also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton) 19 Jan, Gordon (Australia - tropical climate): Can you grow chokos in cairns
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Choko/Chayote (also Chayote squash, christophene, chouchou, mirliton) 22 Jan, Mike Logan (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Go to the choko page and find out.
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Beans - climbing (also Pole beans, Runner beans, Scarlet Runners) 18 Jan, Alison (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): I have grown mangere pole beans regularly for the past few years but this year's don't taste nice at all - a very strong soapy flavour. I haven't tried cooking any yet - we've just tried them raw. Has anyone had a similar experience? Thank you.
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Celery 16 Jan, Tonimarie Heron (New Zealand - temperate climate): Hi. I would be really grateful if yo had any advice on to grow celery all year round. It sells all year in the super market, so I'm assuming it is possible? Many thanks, Toni.
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Celery 18 Mar, perry (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): I have had success growing celery in the shade this summer north of Auckland. I think I planted in November where the plants needed to grow tall to reach the light.
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Celery 22 Jan, Mike (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): Supermarkets buy from different climates etc.
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Celery 21 Jan, Mike (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): No you can't.
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Capsicum (also Bell peppers, Sweet peppers) 16 Jan, Shirley (New Zealand - temperate climate): I have two very healthy looking plants but they only have one large capsicum on each plant even though there were more flowers...should I have picked the fruit when small to encourage more to grow? They were planted in fresh tub mix.
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Capsicum (also Bell peppers, Sweet peppers) 17 Jan, Mike Logan (New Zealand - temperate climate): Look up website biobees about pollination of capsicums. No don't pick fruit off.
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Shallots (also Eschalots) 15 Jan, Yvonne (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate): Where can I get shallot seeds and what does it cost.
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Zucchini (also Courgette/Marrow, Summer squash) 15 Jan, Julie Sutherland (New Zealand - temperate climate): We planted a yellow courgette and it is producing courgettes however they are white and not yellow - every other year we have had no problems....why might this be happening?
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Zucchini (also Courgette/Marrow, Summer squash) 18 Jan, Julie Sutherland (New Zealand - temperate climate): We planted an actual plant from the nursery... never ever had an issue before nd the people at the nursery assured me they do not have white courgettes....we were wondering if it was a climate thing or maybe a soil issue of deficiency...
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Zucchini (also Courgette/Marrow, Summer squash) 25 Jan, Mike (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): If it is a hybrid it might be a throw back to a parent.
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Zucchini (also Courgette/Marrow, Summer squash) 16 Jan, Mike Logan (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): Are they from the same packet as last year? Could be a mix up of seeds in the packet. I ordered boy choy last year and received Chinese cabbage.
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Pumpkin 15 Jan, Noel (Australia - temperate climate): This year my pumpkins are quite robust, a good yield due to creating a beehive I reckon. But its very hot here in NE Victoria, the plants are struggling, despite 2 daily waterings and although the stems haven't dried off my instincts tell me to pick them before they get affected as well. Am I right or wrong?
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Pumpkin 16 Jan, Graham Bower (Australia - temperate climate): If the stems haven't dried off fruit will be immature and tasteless. They will not keep .Leave on the ground. Risk of rotting is slight and worth the risk. If you are unduly concerned you could always lift the fruit off the ground onto a piece of wood or similar. I rarely lift mine until May / June. Graham (berwick Vic)
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Pumpkin 16 Jan, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Go by the guide here of 15-20 weeks. But a good indication is the stem holding the pumpkin to the vine is woody and hard. Pick one of the oldest ones and try it - judge from that when to pick the rest.
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Showing 5821 - 5850 of 20106 comments

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