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Showing 7291 - 7320 of 20162 comments

Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) 27 Feb, Phil (Australia - temperate climate): I'm not sure the best section to post regarding bitter melon, so have ended up here. Can someone possibly explain what would cause a bitter melon to get a horseshoe shape, in fact one is almost full circle. Stress?
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Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) 01 Mar, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): You may be right - water or nutrient stress. Cucumbers can do this sometimes.
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Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) 04 Mar, Phil (Australia - temperate climate): For a while I thought it was poor pollination but I've been noticing the tiny bitter melon behind the opening female flower is already horseshoe shaped on many occasions, and only on plants in one part of the garden near grapevines while further away they are unaffected. They all get the same water and fertiliser treatment. Perhaps the grapes are stealing a lot of the nutrients. I'll take a chance and increase the fertiliser routine for those two closest to the vines and see what results. I have seen some badly shaped cucumbers and that has generally been caused by poor pollination.
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Jerusalem Artichokes (also Sunchoke) 26 Feb, Mike (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate): I am looking for Jerusalem artichokes bulbs for planting. In the Elgin Valley. Somerset nearby. Please email - thanks, mike
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 25 Feb, Chloe (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): I have two furiously shooting kumara that have been growing in the pantry (!) Whilst I was overseas. I'm located in a very sunny spot in Auckland, is there any point in attempting to grow them now? (End Feb)
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 27 Feb, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Give it a go.
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 08 Mar, Mary (Australia - temperate climate): Pop it in the ground, that way you will have slips for next Spring. However, if you get cold winters over there, pop it in a pot, so you can move it to the garage or shed during the cold days and nights.
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Mint (also Garden mint) 25 Feb, Cynthia (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Something is feasting on mint in my garden and I am left with lots of holes. What may this be and what is an organic remedy. Until recently I have complained that it is growing like a weed.
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Mint (also Garden mint) 26 Feb, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Maybe an organic spray of soap, garlic and chilli. Look up Gardening Australia website (last weekends program has a story on it) or other websites to see.
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Garlic 24 Feb, Leonie (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Have just discovered your website, wow, it's fantastic!
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 24 Feb, Val Clark (Australia - temperate climate): When is the best time to plant out the new growth from a tubar. I have a sweet potato that has sprung heaps of shoots. I'd like to put them into pots. Will they grow over winter in I keep them warm or am I wasting my time?
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 08 Mar, Mary (Australia - temperate climate): I am in Adelaide -Temperate, and I leave mine in the ground over winter.
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 26 Feb, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Put them in the ground if you have a garden. Cover with some shade until they start to establish themselves. Sweet spuds are grown all year round in Bundaberg - 30-35 degrees in summer.
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Pumpkin 23 Feb, Trudi (New Zealand - temperate climate): I have lots of pumpkin flowers but only one pumpkin has formed. A friend mentioned male and female flowers. Can/should I remove flowers that aren't going to produce fruit?
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Pumpkin 26 Feb, Mike (New Zealand - temperate climate): If you go to the Australian - sub-tropical zone - there is quite a bit about this with pumpkin. Pumpkin produce male flowers first then they have female flowers, The female flower is only open for one day (until about mid day). No bees no pumpkin. So hand pollination is required. Take about two male flowers and rub the female flowers with it. Look up the internet on how to do it. This applies to zucchini, cues and melons also I believe.
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Peas 23 Feb, Frank save (Australia - temperate climate): hi I like to point out that temperate does not cover Sydney near airport, it should be called warm temperate, it makes a big difference, quoting suburbs also gives people an idea what will grow where,thank you
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Peas 02 Apr, matt (Australia - temperate climate): You're kidding right Frank? Near Sydney airport is neither sub-tropical, nor cool/mountain. Temperate covers a lot of the Sydney basin just fine, and the rest comes down to your aspect and nuances of where you live.
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Peas 26 Feb, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I have one website saying sub-tropical is all the way down to Sydney and another saying it stops just over the northern NSW border. Websites are only a guide.
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Peas 18 Aug, Jane (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Mike, yes. I was lead to believe that subtropical was from midway between Mackay and Rockhampton and extended into Nrthn NSW. However, as you say, 'Websites are only a guide', which is why I planted some things out of season (according to packets). For example, some people said eggplant won't grow here. It does.
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Broccoli 23 Feb, Marjorie (Australia - temperate climate): Hi, one of my broccoli plants have a head already and we had cut the head off. Should I remove the plant now? thanks!
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Broccoli 26 Feb, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): You can let it develop small side shoots. Depends when you want to replant that area with new seeds/plants.
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Potato 22 Feb, Muzi (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate): Can i plant potatoes twice a year?
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Asparagus 22 Feb, Theunis (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate): Where can i get plant material
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Asparagus 27 Feb, Sheena (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate): https://livingseeds.co.za/vegetable-seeds/asparagus
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Rocket (also Arugula/Rucola) 22 Feb, Bruce (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate): I'm new to growing rocket, my question is - once you have harvested rocket, can you let it re-grow and harvest again, if so how many times can you harvest of the one plant or once you have harvested, must you replant
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Rocket (also Arugula/Rucola) 30 Sep, Lindsay (USA - Zone 8b climate): In Vancouver. Just pick 1/2 or 1/3 of the leaves and it will continue to regenerate. I've been doing that for months now. I pinch the flowers to prevent bolting but will probably let a few go so it can self seed for next year.
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Onion 22 Feb, Trevor Smith (New Zealand - temperate climate): If I was to sow seeds in February and plant out in say May would frosts have any adverse effect on them?
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Onion 22 May, Mark Taylor (New Zealand - temperate climate): Onions are hardy plants and so frost tolerant, they will survive the winter. My understanding is If you plant them in Autumn you can harvest them in spring as spring onions but you won't get bulbs. They need to be planted in the spring for them to develop into onion bulbs. This is because bulb formation only starts after the summer equinox when the days start to shorten.
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Onion 26 Feb, Mike (New Zealand - temperate climate): If you sow now you would transplant in 6-8 weeks. I think onions can handle some frost. Check on the net about this.
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Strawberries (from seeds) 21 Feb, Masego (South Africa - Semi-arid climate): Hi, I live in Kimberley, Northern Cape. Is it a good time to buy strawberry plants or should rather wait for August?
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