ridds

By the way, has anyone had any experience with square foot gardening techniques?

Jacqui

I've got tomatoes growing by the bucketful - so we're eating a lot of salads and pasta dishes at the moment. I planted out roma, cherry, the large beef ones and ordinary tomatoes and they're all growing well. I've got basil, oregano and mint growing out of control - cooked a pasta dish yesterday and added shop-bought basil from the pantry doh I've grown lettuce, cucumbers, capsicums and melons for the first time this year and they're all doing well. The rhubarb's going potty as usual, so we have stacks of it in the freezer to turn into crumble yum Have picked hundreds of nectarines, seedless grapes, strawberries and it won't be long before the figs are ready. Planted some apple and pear trees this year, also passionfruit and kiwis, so will have to wait for those to produce. The orange and mandarin trees we planted three years ago have got fruit growing at last. The old grapefruit tree produces well as do the lemons. One thing I would like to plant is a gooseberry bush, but have never seen one for sale. Also would like a Bramleys apple tree, but they're not allowed in WA

And my hubby reckons I kill every plant I look at, huh He built the fence for me and put up the greenhouse (just a cheap plastic thing) but I've done all the planting, weeding and harvesting. I don't use any pesticides, just sprinkle slug pellets and surround the fruit and vegies with a border of marigolds as these are a natural insect repellant. I haven't bought any compost or special soils, just use the stuff that comes out of the chook house! The plants are watered daily, with a once-weekly feed of Miracle Gro.

I didn't have much success two years ago when I planted some vegies to grow through winter, because we had a severe frost which wiped everything out. I think this year I'll leave the vegie patch to rest over winter but try putting some plants in the greenhouse to get them started and then bring them out once the danger of frost is over, something I didn't think I'd see here in Oz.

I'm trying to get my husband to eat more salads and more healthy food options, he does like his pie & chips, bacon & eggs etc. He's got cancer, so I'm keen to get as much antioxidant-rich food in him as I can, so it's good that the tomatoes are growing well. Here's a picture of yesterdays basket of healthy, homegrown produce.

steandleigh

We were inspired last year by a neighbours veggie garden and so we built our own. I grew:

Basil
Oregano
Rosemary
Curly parsley
Beetroot
Sweetcorn
Green beans
Tomatoes
Broccoli & cauliflower (neither of which flowered but grew to 4 foot tall)
Strawberries (flowered but no fruit)
Zucchini
Pumpkin (which overtook the whole veggie garden)
Rockmelons
Cos lettuce
Red chillis
Carrots
Eggplants (of which we got around 35 - way too many!)

We also planted lemon, lime and orange trees - only the lemon has fruited so far. Our banana tree started life as a 2foot tall sucker and is now 8 foot tall, 'nanas in about 6 months time hopefully. It has started it's own suckers, so we can keep a crop going.

Today we dug over last years efforts and have replanted, with swede, cauli, broccoli, tomatoes, beans, corn, carrots, and beetroot.

All grown without pesticides or any other nasties!

Forgot to add, I turn over the veggie beds quarterly with organic lifter (pelleted fertiliser) and the beds are watered morning and night via irrigation system.

Sally Simpson

What a great basket of produce! Well done!

quoll

The DH has a super vegie garden out the back - he grows all sorts of things and we have chooks as well. Only thing is, with the drought, we do also have a very large rain water tank because he cant water the garden with the water restrictions.

Buzzy--Bee

Are those of you in Perth (or anywhere else) growing in soil that is predominantly sand?

Our new block is entirely sandy soil and I'm used to growing on clay. Will veggies grow OK on sand? (Agapanthus seem to thrive!)

Buzzy

BadgeIsBack

I probably sound really thick here but we will grow in a raised bed made from compost, newspaper, blood and bone, lucerne - easier to establish so we're not too concerned about the local soil itself - which is not that great as it happens.

BadgeIsBack

No. My feet are sort of standard-shaped and so are most people I have asked.

BadgeIsBack

That's great Jacqui- apart from the cancer - and very inspiring. Marigold tips great.

We're kicking ours off belatedly quite soon - as soon as I can get the hardwood sleepers, and we might even put some seedling under plastic to protect from frosts- keep a bed solely for these. We might put in 4 beds and rotate the food types through them. I've noted the sun at the summer solstice - and will check it in 6 months. The reality is that the perfect spot on our block does not suit us.

Buzzy we'll keep a diary of what we do. We have DVDs and a great book you can borrow.

This url is good - the site is great, though the planting guide is specific to Ballarat, VIC but gives you an idea. I will compare the guide to Annette McFairlane's cooler climate guide for Melbourne.

http://users.ncable.net.au/~urbanfoo...TING_GUIDE.htm

Jacqui

Yep, our soil is predominantly sand. When I put plants in the ground, I build a little circular wall of sand up around them at the bottom, then cover the area with a thick layer of mulch, we were advised to do this by a garden expert at a property planning workshop (well worth going on, held regularly throughout Perth and Peel/Mandurah region). This way the water doesn't just trickle away along the sand, it's directed downwards into the roots (think about building a moat around a sandcastle like you did as a kid!). One big advantage of the sand, it makes the weeds easy to pull up and makes digging generally a doddle.

SunshineGirl

It's not exactly a veggie question but does anyone know if it's possible to dig up and replant a (kaffir) lime tree? It's about 120cm high and has been in situ for about 10 months. I just want move it to another part of the garden.

jackass

Jesus Christ!!!!! when you said you were in bunnings, i thought you were buying a packet of seeds mate!!!!

esperanza

We've got lots of tomatoes off our plants - have five big pots, with eight plants in them, a mix of cherry/cocktail/roma/'patio prize' and they seem to be growing & ripening at different rates, which is perfect.
Also have basil, mint, oregano, parsley, coriander, chilli plants all growing at a rate of knots, can't use them up fast enough! Have been making pesto, which is lovely - and so much cheaper than buying it. Coriander is a stringy looking thing though, inherited it off a neighbour and it's in flower - should I chop it right back or will that kill it off?
Also have an olive tree, with one olive on it! (but it's only little) and a lemon tree that's grown lots of new leaves but no fruit; and a kaffir lime that's grown about six new leaves but has lots of fruits on it. Any tips as to what I can do with the fruits? Did try putting one sliced up in a drink, wasn't that tasty. Have heard that they are good in 'eastern' cuisine?
Have a passionfruit too, it's doing well but don't expect any fruit this year - what time of year do they usually flower? It's only small as well, just got it recently. There's a little fig tree too, which has as many fruit as it does leaves, which is lovely as I wasn't expecting anything of it!

NB all of the above are in big pots, as our current house isn't permanent. Seem to be doing very well though on the whole! Looking forward so much to the day that I have a longterm garden that I can plant up.

Jacqui

For anyone living in Perth/Mandurah/Waroona region, I would recommend you attend one of the Green Skills workshops, being held all year round on a variety of topics, with guest speakers. We have been to a few (one was aimed at people living on bigger properties and included an aerial photo of our 5 acres) and came away with heaps of ideas and leaflets - and it's a good way of finding out what type of soil you have in your area (you can take a sample along for testing), which plants grow best, weed control, snakes and other creatures, waterwise tips, and generally a good chance for you to ask questions and meet other people.

Here are some examples of workshops from last year:

Property Planning Course
A hands-on 1-day property design and planning workshop. Develop an effective plan for your property.

‘Revegetating your property’ Field Days
FREE half-day field walks at local properties. Learn how to carry out the right ground preparation, control weeds, and choose the appropriate trees and shrubs for your property.

Heavenly Hectares Mini Expo
A FREE half-day introduction to smarter management of your house, garden and property.

Snake and Reptile Awareness Workshop
By developing a greater understanding about the animals that live in our unique Australian bush, we can enjoy them without the feeling that it's them or us. We do not need to harm anything; there is a better way for all of us. Handling of the reptiles is not compulsory, but the experience will help with nervous reactions that can prevent someone from enjoying everyday activities such as bushwalking, camping and gardening.

Send me a PM if you want a contact email for the lady who organises these, and she will put you on the mailing list for upcoming events.

Ozzidoc

Yes, it can be moved. The issue is at what time of the year, and how quickly.
Sorry - I don't really know that! I have just spent a fair bit of time googling. It seems that these limes are VERY sensitive to the cold, and just a hint of a frost will kill them. So, many people have them in pots, and replant them from pot to pot over the years. At the beginning of autumn.


(With some plants/trees, you need to dig up one half one year and then fill the soil back in, and then move it the next year, or even repeat with the other side and then move it in the third year.)


http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/citrus/