Donna's Garden - 30/10/09

[Donna]

It has been awhile since I got out into the garden and I only have one bed planted and growing at the moment. In saying that it is *very* planted and has heaps in it because it was the only bed ready when the seedlings came up! There is red okra starting to flower, angled luffa (last two seeds so hopefully get some this time!), rockmelon with two babies, stars & moon watermelon, black carrots, corn with cobs starting to show silk and snake beans starting to flower and a couple of kohl rabi that was the last of the bunch.

There is also a mystery plant, I guess the flowers will help but maybe someone will recognise it anyway - I am pretty sure it is either a weed or else marigold is the only thing that has been in that bed for ages as it was the nematode bed...

Unfortunately the other five beds are sadly neglected and before the rain were as dry as a bone and no matter how long you watered them with the cane mulch on top it didn't go into the soil. I have bought some mushroom compost and lucerne hay to replenish them and so far have done two beds that I plan to sow seeds into this afternoon. The other beds will hopefully be done in the next couple of weeks then all I need to do is maintain them and practice successive planting.

The paw paw is *still* green and there are heaps at various sizes, we are no longer checking it daily - that dubious honour has gone to the pepino which has two big fruits and masses of flowers. We have had two tamarillo and there is heaps at various stages on the trees. No flowers on the bananas yet but three have pups now and they are getting really big! Two of the citrus and dwarf peach also have baby fruit.

I think I have given up on big tomatoes, little green caterpillars got to all the black russians but there is a self seeded cherry tomato behind the baby paw paw producing masses of fruit despite sprawling all over the ground and totally neglected!

So we will have a glut from the one garden then a famine until the others catch up - one day I will have a regular supply of food *I hope*...

[Donna]

I am still going to plant the peanuts, my peanut blog (know I blogged so much for a reason - my memory is shocking!) says that I harvested in June and it took about six months from when the seeds were planted (although the packet says four months) which means they must have been planted in December - so now should be fine... There are two self sown in my garden from last year and I will be planting some more soon - just not quite sure where yet!

http://brisbanelocalfood.ning.com/profiles/blogs/peanut-experiment

[Florence]

It was certainly a busy growing month for all those plants in the garden was it? Was especially happy with the rain which filled up my tank :)

Since I have not planted the peanut seeds yet.. is it too late to plant them as they need such a long time to grow?

[Scarlett Patrick]

you know i'm still getting beefheart tomatoes from the same plant i had in months ago! i have to bag them all, but i've got used to it and it's worth it.
when the silk if falling off is a little bit late for me - i like them best when they first go dark brown (after the brown stage), but before they go black-ish. at fall off stage would be good for making tortillas etc I reckon
your garden is looking good - isn't it great to see the trees getting bigger :)

[Elaine de Saxe]

When to harvest corn? It's either too early or too late! Vanessa your Mum has the right idea. The pollination thing is in the lap of the winds - wind pollinated like all the grasses. That's why the advice is to plant corn in a block rather than a row. What I see is lots of pollen on the leaves below but usually the cobs are quite well pollinated - must produce a huckuva lot of pollen! As well, you can grab a piece of the top section and wipe the pollen off onto the silks if you want some insurance. Do it first thing in the morning.

Tip for enjoying cooked corn: put the whole cob - outer wrappings, silk, the lot - into the microwave. Cook on high for 2 to 4 minutes. Wait a bit because the cob is now very hot, then peel the lot off including all the silks. Eat in the usual way. Scrumptious! Mind you, raw is even better!

Cherry tomatoes ... I reckon I don't like them either but I have to admit, they really do grow well in hot weather where the full-sized ones don't even flower over 30 deg C. But home-grown organic vine-ripened cherry tomatoes should be very tasty when compared with the shop-bought ones.

Black Russians - tried twice with bought seedlings and seeds, none of the plants did well. Wherever they grow well, it's not Brisbane.

[Vanessa]

Just as well I didn't have anything planned for where the peanuts are over summer!

The seed packet I had for corn said when they turn brown but I found that was a bit early for a lot of them. Mum told me to wait until when you tug on the silks they come off. Seemed to work ok for me last time if I remember correctly. They weren't very well pollinated though.

[Donna]

The peanuts take forever to mature, it was autumn before we harvested last year...

Cherry tomatoes do have more seeds, will have to keep an eye out for a variety that has more flesh as at least I can grow these ones! I find they are good for salads, and also for pasta/ stir fry as they 'pop' when you bite into them - yum!

I never know when to harvest the corn and it almost popcorn (dried out), I must find the reference that said a certain number of days after the silks show as mine have only just started in the last two days.

[Vanessa]

Hi Donna, your garden is looking good! Great to see all the trees growing up. We also have the random self-sown cherry tomato vine up the back. Unfortunately Viv "doesn't like" cherry tomatoes. In other words there are too many seeds and they're not as big as "real" tomatoes. Well the caterpillars got to my one big tomato plant so there's none left of mine either. Our corn is starting to silk as well so hopefully we will get some corn - haven't had much success in the past. I have found the same with the sugar cane mulch - water running off. Now that it is much thinner after breaking down some water gets through. One of the peanuts I got from you has sprouted and is growing well. How long do they take to mature?