Growing local

June 2015 Blog Posts (10)

Alternative spuds for Brisbane

Just arriving back from a visit to Melbourne visiting family I was amazed at the many many different type of heirloom potatoes that one could buy down there in their equally impressive markets.One paticular type that took my eye was the purple congo and I would like to know if anyone has grown it amongst the many others available.Has anyone tried growing something different with good yields.taste etc .Being the great white hunter/grower that I am, I would like to know of anyone elses…

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Added by DARREN JAMES on June 24, 2015 at 21:24 — 7 Comments

Notes about mounds.

As I mentioned I'm garden intense at the moment and since my bush turkey fiend seems now to be boycotting the beds she roamed and brutalized so often, I thought I'd risk a plant out. I wanted to plant out some seed spuds -- Nicola -- so I built a series of mounds as is…

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Added by Dave Riley on June 24, 2015 at 0:30 — 9 Comments

Water chestnuts floury?

I have just harvested the first tub of water chestnuts. I waited a couple of weeks after the foliage had all died back. Never having had them fresh before, I'm not sure if they are right/good. They are decent size and crisp but after peeling they seem kind of floury/starchy, not translucentish. Raw, they are powdery and don't taste that sweet crisp like the canned ones. I haven't tried cooking them yet... Wondering if I've left them too long and they are 'overdone' or if they lose that floury… Continue

Added by Wendy Clark on June 19, 2015 at 17:30 — 11 Comments

A kitchen garden for a cook who gardens

Since I've recently been negotiating a period of intense gardening indulgence which has qualitatively improved my engagement with da dirt, I want to rule off on the intensity with some peripheral…

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Added by Dave Riley on June 19, 2015 at 4:00 — 1 Comment

Weed Tea - Turning weeds into friends

If you've followed the saga of my weed problem, and how I'm trying to turn the weed (I'll call it Trans for short,(we are on close terms)) to my advantage. You will know that I had to rely on others, much to my embarrassment, it should be acknowledged, to identify what it is that has been causing me such angst.

I found that drowning the bugger in a sealed drum for over…

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Added by Roger Clark on June 16, 2015 at 17:51 — 28 Comments

The "now" winter garden

Hi everyone, how's the gardening going? I've been busy - as usual - but I've still managed to find a couple of hours to get out in the garden and get stuff done. I have seen a lot of gardening shows/magazines touting that you can have a productive garden with only "1 hour per week"!! I don't know about you, but that 1 hour wouldn't even cover the time I spend watering let alone any maintenance chores. I suppose it could happen, if I didn't mind weeds and could let chaos reign, but I do…

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Added by Susan on June 13, 2015 at 21:00 — 11 Comments

POTATO GROWING

25.04.15 POTATO GROWING WITH LYLE AT SANDGATE COMMUNITY GARDEN

Big thank you to Lyle (Betts) from the SCG for providing a potato growing workshop for our members, though we did have a couple of ring in's from BOGI in the form of Ed and Louise. Always good when other groups can join us.

What an excellent, no nonsense approach Lyle has to growing spuds.

Below…

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Added by Lissa on June 11, 2015 at 5:30 — 33 Comments

The Garden in June: many surprizes

Click on image to enlarge view

My garden appeared dull and stressed. Not much rain. Above average 'Autumn' temps. What's a plant to do?…

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Added by Dave Riley on June 10, 2015 at 11:30 — 14 Comments

Ginger Turmeric and Maranta Harvest : Moment of Truth

Planted 5 each of Ginger and Turmeric rhizomes in November 2014. Harvested today 8th June 2015. Received a Maranta plant from Janet and harvested it too. All three plants were grown in wicking pots under 50 percent shadecloth. The Ginger and Turmeric shared a 200L bin with a seedling Davidson Plum (courtesy of Rob Collings). The Maranta lived in a separate pot with a self-seeded stinging nettle companion.…

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Added by Elaine de Saxe on June 8, 2015 at 18:57 — 16 Comments

Wicking Reservoir-Pipe Experiment

I'm expanding my front veggie garden at the moment, and decided to add some form of water savings to a section of the expansion in case I have another dry spring and summer like last year.

This is based on (and is) an open wicking bed (within the area of the garden around where its being laid). Rather than the water being in an open trough, its will be in pipe,…

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Added by Rob Collings on June 7, 2015 at 21:00 — 3 Comments