All recent comments/discussion

Showing 3811 - 3840 of 13822 comments
Mint (also Garden mint) 27 Jan, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Can i grow a mint plant in a pot in my shadehouse?
Mint (also Garden mint) 30 Jan, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
If you read the notes here it does say in doors and out doors.
Pumpkin 27 Jan, Cat (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have a pumpkin vine just pop up in my compost heap (just a hole in the ground i dig the compost into away from the house & pets). It's starting to grow pretty prolific, no flowers yet though. I have no real idea of the variety as I've used probably (at least) 3 different varieties of pumpkin and all of the seeds have been mixed in the compost heap. a) can i transplant it to a garden bed in full sun? b) does the one vine/plant grow flowers of both genders or do i need two plants? How do you know what's going to grow? This is the first time I've ever heard you needed or that there were genders to the flowers. My grandpa grew pumpkins when I was a kid & never said. TIA, Cat
Pumpkin 02 Feb, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
If you read the last 20-30 posts here about pumpkin, we talk about hand pollination. Each female flower is only open one day and quite often shut by lunch - so check each morning. If it has grown quite a bit I would not transplant it.
Pumpkin 01 Feb, Katie (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Cat, Yes you can transplant your pumpkin plant! There will be no way to tell what kind of pumpkin you have until your fruit are growing and it may actually end up being a hybrid mixed variety. It should still be good to eat though! Pumpkins produce both male and female flowers. If you do not have many bees or wish to be guaranteed pumpkins it doesn't hurt to hand pollinate particularly if you only have the one plant. Plenty of info online about how to do that but it is easy with pumpkins. Just google
Pumpkin 31 Jan, Brenda (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Cat, If you are happy to leave it where it is, and let it get big there, - then leave it there. Pumpkins don't like their roots being disturbed so moving it elsewhere may upset or kill it. Any move will delay it's growth for a bit anyway (transplant shock). If it is happy growing there than it is likely to stay happy and if it needs more sun will likely grow towards sunny areas. Pumpkins are hungry feeders and a compost heap is a great place for one to be planted due to all the nutrients available from the compost. With a pumpkin you will usually get both gender of flower on the same plant.They are pollinated by bees taking pollen from their male to female flowers. (you can replicate this yourself - google hand pollinating or see if you can find a you tube video of it. Pumpkins have such large flowers they are great to practice this technique on) Usually you will see a bunch of male flowers first for a few days. These are just a flower on a long skinny stalk. After a bit the female flowers will come along. Shorter stalk and with a mini fruit below the flower. If they pollinate the fruit will grow larger and the flower will drop off the end. If they don't get pollinated the fruit will shrivel as the flower dies, and both will just fall off the plant. Good luck.
Tomato 27 Jan, Greg (Australia - temperate climate)
Blossom end rot; is it potassium or calcium deficiency. I have applied two doses to the soil and watered in but my Apollo tomatoes look to be developing it. Thank you for any help.
Tomato 30 Jan, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
It is Magnesium deficiency. A suggestion is to put two teaspoons in the bottom of the hole when you transplant. Mix it into the soil. Or apply some around the base of the plant (two feet diameter) and water it in.
Tomato 30 Jan, Mike (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Apply epsom salts
Parsnip 24 Jan, Doug (Australia - tropical climate)
Live in Cairns, love parsnips, but none available in supernarkets in Jan. What if I grow them here then put in freezer for a few days after harvest? Will they grow sny time of year in tropics? Thsnks
Parsnip 28 Jan, Naomi (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Doug, I'm just up the hill from you and we do get some August frost, some years, so not tropical, but not sub-tropical either, ughh! I've had some luck and many failures with parsnips. Planting in cool weather as recommended has not worked for me because the plants are maturing in the heat before monsoon and going to seed instead of plumping roots. This year I am planting in February to try take advantage of maturing in the cooler months. If you give them a go I'd recommend protecting the plot from the lovely monsoon rains while seeds are germinating to avoid rot.
Parsnip 30 Jan, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
As you say try planting late summer for them to mature in the cooler winter months. Any cool weather plant needs to be grown like this..
Parsnip 26 Jan, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
By this guide it says you won't grow parsnips anytime of the year in the tropics. In sub-tropics June to Sept. Some things just don't grow in the tropics and somethings just don't grow a certain time of the year. In the tropics you would be trying to grow things in the cooler winter months.
Parsnip 11 Jul, Jane (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Replying to very old post, I know. I'm bordering a tropical, sub-tropical zone so it's really not possible to be guidedby one growing zone or the other. I tried that over and again and it doesn't work. However, this year, I am considering guidelines for both zones and then deciding what to do. I use both zone guidelines and/or neither and all but one plant that was doing well bowled after I over-fertilised using liquid fertiliser. This is the first year in moons that my vegies are growing well (thus far!). Why? I'm not sure, but I prepared the soil, I mulch, I water regularly and I fertilse. I also take more note of what plants go with or donot go with what plants. I also loosen the soil occasionally. Hope this helps.
Potato 23 Jan, yabbay hahn , epping nsw, (Australia - temperate climate)
in my little plot, soil is clay, hard as rock,,SEP2017 turnd it over 10cm, coverd it with lawn cuttings, from old compost, waterd it daily 1 week, turned soil over again,coverd patch ,,1 inch of cuttings,, layd old potatoes on the surface, coverd them with a few inches of grass cuttings, a quick water in morning, and at sunset, just enough to wet the grass cuttings,.. each week, or when ever I mow lawn, the cuttings go on the patch, .the foliage is large, beautiful flowers, have been picking since dec,, its a personal choice, I love them just bigger than a golf ball, , wait for a hot dry day,, let them lay in sun all day, bring them in before night,
Potato 23 Jan, Clark (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I have had potatoes in the garden for a few years now. They just seem to be growing wild in the garden. Actually they are running amok. I was just thinking of turning the crop over and starting again with manure and mulch. Should I actually dig all the crop up and replant in an organized fashion or is it OK to just plant and harvest and enjoy nearly all year round.
Potato 26 Jan, Mike (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Only you can decide that. Potatoes grow then the plant dies - why don't you dig the potatoes up then - that is the normal practice..
Endive 22 Jan, Steve Williams (Australia - tropical climate)
I used to live in Sydney and greww Endive very easily, now i live in Cairns and cannot for the life of me get any up and running ? Nor can i buy it from anywhere , even Bunnings , Any info please ? ? Thanks Steve.
Endive 23 Jan, Mike (Australia - tropical climate)
It says plant April to July in the tropics. Try Eden seeds on the internet for the seeds of Endives.
Capsicum (also Bell peppers, Sweet peppers) 22 Jan, zeta (Australia - temperate climate)
just learned about male and female capsicum my question is do I need both seeds or will they grow from either?
Capsicum (also Bell peppers, Sweet peppers) 31 Jan, Brenda (Australia - temperate climate)
Capsicum are like cucumber, pumpkin etc. You plant any old seed of the variety you want and the plant comes up. It will then grow flowers. some flowers are male, and some are female (the female ones have a teeny tiny miniature fruit under them). Little creatures, often bees but some other pollinators too, will flit between the flowers and spread the pollen around fertilising any female (fruiting) flowers that are growing on the plant. Successful pollination, and you should get some capsicums pretty easily depending on when you plant them and where you live. Capsicum like hot weather and long growing season. Often treated an annual down south and a perennial up north. Good luck
Capsicum (also Bell peppers, Sweet peppers) 26 Jan, Mike (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Just buy some seeds or take some from a capsicum and plant them.
Asparagus 21 Jan, Graham (Australia - temperate climate)
I have just raised asparagus (Fat Bastard) from seed . I have two plants per 4 inch pot planted in November 2017 & seedlings 4-6inches high. Should I plant these out to permanent garden beds now or continue to raise them in pots till next season? Locality is Berwick Victoria.. Graham
Asparagus 23 Jan, Mike (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I live near Bundaberg Qld and it was a real struggle to grow from seed last year. Temp was 2-3 degree above normal. I had 6 survive out of about 30 in the garden so I would suggest you keep growing them in pots. Maybe put into bigger pots and push them along a bit with fert and water.
Potato 21 Jan, Lorna Findlay (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I would like to grow potatoes in bags and i dont know if its too late in Bombala nsw? Its late january
Potato 22 Jan, Mike (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
By this website you are a little late. Give it a go and see what happens.
Rhubarb 21 Jan, Leanne (Australia - temperate climate)
I have a rhubarb plant,it has been in a pot for approximately 12 months. The stalks start to turn a pinkish color but then they die. The weather here is quite hot in summer. What do i need to do for it
Rhubarb 22 Jan, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Try putting it where it gets part shade during the day and keep the water up to it. Good draining soil.
Rosella (also Queensland Jam Plant, Roselle) 21 Jan, Andrew (Australia - temperate climate)
If hey get too wet they can die suddenly. I've just had a couple die off quickly.
Yam/Oca (also Oka) 19 Jan, Rachel Rushton (Australia - temperate climate)
I ordered & received some Yams this week & wondered when is the best time to plant them. We are on the Gold Coast. Many thanks Rachel Rushton
Showing 3811 - 3840 of 13822 comments
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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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