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Horseradish 17 May, Rachael (Australia - temperate climate): Try Bunnings herb section, I bought a plant just yesterday there, but they only had a few plants--I can speak for other stores other than my local one, but as I said, they only had a few plants. The tag had 'food for life' on it-I'm presuming that's the company that is distributing them at the moment. Because there were only a few plants, it was hard to find- Good luck!
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Horseradish 05 Apr, frances (Australia - temperate climate): found in herb section of Bunnings
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Horseradish 03 Apr, John (Australia - temperate climate): I would try local growers markets, traditional green grocers or organic gardening groups. You will find these on the internet or markets are often listed in local papers.
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Beans - dwarf (also French beans, Bush beans) 01 Apr, Lynne Jones (Australia - temperate climate): Growing Beans - over winter do not cover the soil with leaf matter where you are planning on growing your beans, this will encourage a breeding area for weevils, flea beetle, snails and slugs. Put out Yellow Sticky Traps at end or winter (late August) in the garden bed on a stick or on the fence close by to trap mite, thrip etc. Use potash & blood & bone in the bed prior to planting, check the pH if not done for 12 months. If you have a sandy soil use Dolomite for the magnesium. When plants have begun to flower use a side dressing of liquid manure or blood and bone to increase size of your crop. after 2 months put out fresh Yellow Sticky Traps. Water in the mornings.
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Cabbage 01 Apr, Kathi (Australia - sub-tropical climate): How well do Wombok cabbage (Chinese cabbage) grow in Sub tropical climate? Any special requirement?
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Cabbage 04 Apr, Giovanni (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Chinese cabbage generally likes cooler conditions but can be planted in August and September in sub-tropical climates. Sow the seed directly into the ground and thin or transplant seedlings. Germination is fairly quick .
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Rosella (also Queensland Jam Plant, Roselle) 01 Apr, Donna Purcell (Australia - temperate climate): I have five bushes.Two are growing well and have produced fruit but not enough for jam.Does anyone know if picked fruit stores well in a fridge until there is enough? And does picking fruit encourage more fruit to grow?
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Rosella (also Queensland Jam Plant, Roselle) 13 Apr, Dave (Australia - temperate climate): You can freeze them till you have enough from next picking
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Rosella (also Queensland Jam Plant, Roselle) 03 Apr, Giovanni (Australia - temperate climate): I haven't done it but I have heard of others that have.
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Rhubarb 30 Mar, sue (Australia - temperate climate): hi plant is getting a brown spot on its leaf then it spreads to the stems & dies can you give me some idea what the problem is thanks
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Rhubarb 30 Mar, Jack (Australia - temperate climate): What you describe is a fungal disease. When harvesting rhubarb remove any affected leaves and any outer tired or shabby leaves. This will aid good air circulation. Water your plants at the base in the mornings rather than overhead so the plants will not be damp overnight. Discard affected leaves so as not to spread the fungus in the garden. You could also use a fungicide if necessary but good hygiene is always a good practice. Trust this helps.
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Okra (also Ladyfinger, gumbo) 30 Mar, Akbar Ally (Australia - temperate climate): Is ocra leaves edible? How do you cook same?
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Okra (also Ladyfinger, gumbo) 30 Mar, John (Australia - temperate climate): Okra leaves are edible. the young leaves can be used like spinach, both raw and cooked. The leaves are low in minerals and nutrients but contain good amounts of insoluble fibre which is good for digestion.
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Asparagus 29 Mar, Charlie (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I have 2 asparagus plants, both 2 1/2 yrs old. They look like they will be ready for harvesting this spring. My question is: they are not yellowing or dying back during winter. So do I trim, or leave them. Everything I have read states cutting back when yellowing but they just stay green and keep growing. We have had an extraordinary amount of rain so they are happy and health and a little too tall.
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Asparagus 12 Jun, Wendy (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I used to live near Brisbane and grew asparagus for years - they never died back in winter. I would try to pick the coldest time (July) and would cut all the ferns (a couple of inches from the ground) and then mulch with the ferns and then mushroom compost and then sugar cane mulch. I would then clear away the mulch gradually in the spring - this seemed to stagger the harvest, so I could enjoy asparagus over a longer period of time.
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Asparagus 03 Apr, Mike (Australia - temperate climate): It is March the first month of Autumn - not winter. In Aug 2015 I put 1 year old crowns (size of 50c piece) in.. They grew all the time until I cut them in Aug 2016. approx. 9" diameter. I watered them every couple of days. Spears came out a week later. I only picked for about 3-4 weeks. My plants are now 2 1/2 year old also. I gave my ferns a big trim a few days ago. They were 6' high with new growth about 2-3' longer. I even eat some last week. I will stop watering them from about end of June I think. Give them a chance to die off.
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Asparagus 30 Mar, John (Australia - temperate climate): In cooler climates asparagus normally yellows and dies back in the winter as you say. in the spring if the spears are left they will grow on to form the big ferny tops that we are familiar with. The plant uses these tops along with manure or compost to regenerate the roots in readiness for next springs crop. You could try bending these over so they are bruised and nearly broken off to force the plant into dormancy. If you cut them off the plant may just send up some more spindly spears.
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Cucumber 29 Mar, Grace Douglas (Australia - temperate climate): Had such wonderful success with cucumbers in the summer of Jan - March. Will cucumbers grow in any other months in Endeavour Hills, Melbourne, Victoria? Question 2. I do not use any chemicals so have you a good idea of how to keep those moths away from Kale? If I put bird mesh over, the moths poke their noses tongues through.
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Cucumber 30 Mar, Jonno (Australia - temperate climate): To control cabbage moths and butterflies you could use Yates 'Natures Way' this is a safe organic spray and is harmless to everything except caterpillars. I have also heard of mixing bicarb soda and flour 50/50 and using as a dust. I haven't tried it but others say it works. It wouldn't cost you much to give it a try.
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Cucumber 30 Mar, Jack (Australia - temperate climate): Cucumbers like frost free conditions so can be planted after the last frost. Try planting them in September in egg carton cells or toilet paper cylinders and keep them inside on a sunny windowsill. They can then be planted out in late October when the soil has warmed up. Most summer crops can be planted in late October in southern Victoria. You often hear people say 'after the grand final' or around Melbourne Cup as this is about when the soil normally reaches 17 degrees.
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Tomato 29 Mar, carolyn gladwin (Australia - temperate climate): I belong to a community garden locally, and we seem to disagree on how to raise tomatoes! The tomatoes have mostly not done at all well. They are in raised beds but are watered thoroughly every night. Some of us feel they've failed because of too much water. They are watered low down but drenched! Most of the tomatoes are not formed properly, or never formed at all, they are mishapen, and motley. in other words barely usable. The leaves have browned and shrivelled. They just haven't looked healthy. They haven't been mulched because of the slater problem but have mostly mushroom compost dug in. Can you resolve this issue for us please?
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Tomato 03 Apr, Mike (Australia - temperate climate): You are over watering by far too much. Depends on the soil and stage of the plants growth. Small plant do not need as much water as older plants. Say 4 plants - small plants would only need a few seconds a day and older plants 30-60 seconds. The soil should be moist not wet wet. Soil wet for a long time goes sour. A good idea is to break the top of the soil after a good down pour of rain etc. Soil needs aeration. If you mulch the soil then water each 2nd or 3rd day.
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Tomato 30 Mar, Ken (Australia - temperate climate): We often have issues like this in life. Tactful diplomacy is required. Tomatoes need 'consistent' water. this means that if they are continuously wet, rather than damp, they will not do well. l If they are 'wet then dry' they will suffer from Blossom End Rot due to irregular nutrient uptake and if they are too dry they will be slow to develop and often flower while quite small so that the plant can finish its life cycle before it dies. Brown and shrivelled leaves along with blotchy fruit suggests they plants are affected by soil born viruses. Soggy, wet soil will exacerbate this. Moist good draining soil is ideal for optimum growth and yield. Crop rotation and planting virus resistant varieties is also a MUST to control or reduce the effect of soil borne diseases. Slaters are normally only 'decomposers' and would generally only attack plants that are very stressed. Mushroom compost is already 'spent' and while can build up the soil it also increases the salinity. Trust this helps.
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Tomato 29 Mar, Dorothy Spinks (Australia - temperate climate): I have grown tomatoes this year and there is no problem. Have you tried growing cherry tomatoes, they seem to the hardiest variety. My friend who lives near Gloucester NSW cannot grow tomatoes where she is. I hope this is of some help.
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Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) 29 Mar, Dianne James (Australia - cool/mountain climate): I live near goulburn nsw and was wondering if i could grow rockmelon if so when thank you
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Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) 15 Oct, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Probably after the last chance of frosts. Start seeds 3-4 weeks before the last frost.
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Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) 30 Mar, John (Australia - temperate climate): Rock melons like it hot so should do well in Goulburn. Start the plants early in Toilet paper cylinders ready for planting after the last frost. Plant the cylinder and all as the cylinder will rot. Seeds are generally readily available or look online at companies like - Green Harvest, Eden Seeds, Diggers, New Gippsland Seeds, etc. There are a number of shorter season varieties listed if you are worried. All the best.
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Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) 10 Apr, Lizzy (Australia - cool/mountain climate): I am growing the diggers rockmelon world variety in Queanbeyan on a northern bank The ones that came out were honeydew. They are small but very tasty. D'agen rockmelon also grow. Get them going early in a glasshouse or inside.
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Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) 07 Oct, Monique (Australia - cool/mountain climate): Hi Lizzy, do you mind me asking where your melons came from? I'm in Queanbeyan myself and have just moved to a place with garden space so my daughter would love to grow some yummy things, but it's too late to start melon from seeds and I can't find rockmelon seedlings!
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Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) 15 Oct, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate): My wife had a rock melon 2 weeks ago and I just threw the seeds and core under a small mango tree I'm growing and they germinated straight away. Although rockies are planted early in September here (seedlings) I'm going to give it a go. I might plant some corn near them, to give them some shade.
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