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Growing your own veg

Growing your own veg

Old Sep 30th 2006, 10:31 am
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Default Growing your own veg

Any gardeners out there?? we're going to be moving to cairns next year and thought if lettuce and bananas are so expensive then we'll grow are own stuff, is this practical or will all my effort get gobbled by a big fruit bat or something, are slugs a problem?
interested to hear any gardening experience good and bad
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Old Sep 30th 2006, 10:44 am
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Default Re: Growing your own veg

Originally Posted by wannabauzzienurse
Any gardeners out there?? we're going to be moving to cairns next year and thought if lettuce and bananas are so expensive then we'll grow are own stuff, is this practical or will all my effort get gobbled by a big fruit bat or something, are slugs a problem?
interested to hear any gardening experience good and bad
Lions are more of a problem in Cairns.
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Old Sep 30th 2006, 2:24 pm
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Default Re: Growing your own veg

Originally Posted by Bordy
Lions are more of a problem in Cairns.
Thanks for those words of wisdom

Nobody got green fingers over there then
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Old Sep 30th 2006, 3:00 pm
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Default Re: Growing your own veg

Originally Posted by wannabauzzienurse
Thanks for those words of wisdom

Nobody got green fingers over there then

I have green fingers here but have never had over there.
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Old Oct 1st 2006, 12:03 am
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Default Re: Growing your own veg

We've been eating home-grown lettuce, cabbage, cauliflowers, snow-peas, carrots, mint and rhubarb. Everything else was either damaged by the frost we had a few weeks back or is still growing. Yes we have problems with snails and weeds. And the amount of effort I put in I do wonder if it wouldn't be cheaper to buy from the farm shop. Our lemon, grapefruit and orange trees do really well here - all that sunshine. The stone fruit, figs and grapes are all under netting though (to keep the birds away) and everything is blossoming nicely. The chooks will be let into the orchard after all the fruit has been picked to eat up the rotten fruit and hopefully prevent any fruit fly problem. Next job is to plant some apple trees - they won't allow Bramleys into WA though which is a shame. Also we're thinking of trying mangoes and bananas.
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Old Oct 1st 2006, 1:46 am
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Default Re: Growing your own veg

Originally Posted by wannabauzzienurse
Any gardeners out there?? we're going to be moving to cairns next year and thought if lettuce and bananas are so expensive then we'll grow are own stuff, is this practical or will all my effort get gobbled by a big fruit bat or something, are slugs a problem?
interested to hear any gardening experience good and bad
I have tons of paw paws growing - but we don't like them! The fruit bats and possoms eat them though.
Mangoes grow very well too but the fruit bats get to them before they ripen. Passion fruit too.
Numerous berries growing - been told they are edible but I dont know what theya re! look like sausage shaped blackberries.
Growing chillies and capsicums too plus the usual herbs but they grow so quick, they are bushes.

Sweet potatoes and butternut squash grow like crazy.

Never seen a slug in the garden. Reckon the lizards, toads and snakes keep them at bay!

Personally, I would like to grow avacados. Does anyone know how to do this? I mean, do they just grow from the stones?

Andrew
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Old Oct 1st 2006, 1:49 am
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Default Re: Growing your own veg

Originally Posted by andrew63
I have tons of paw paws growing - but we don't like them! The fruit bats and possoms eat them though.
Mangoes grow very well too but the fruit bats get to them before they ripen. Passion fruit too.
Numerous berries growing - been told they are edible but I dont know what theya re! look like sausage shaped blackberries.
Growing chillies and capsicums too plus the usual herbs but they grow so quick, they are bushes.

Sweet potatoes and butternut squash grow like crazy.

Never seen a slug in the garden. Reckon the lizards, toads and snakes keep them at bay!

Personally, I would like to grow avacados. Does anyone know how to do this? I mean, do they just grow from the stones?

Andrew
I think Avos are really easy to grow from stones. You just clean them up, score them and then soak them for a bit and hey presto little avo treees. It's cold where we live in winter and we've done about 10 like that.
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Old Oct 1st 2006, 2:04 am
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Default Re: Growing your own veg

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Old Oct 1st 2006, 2:06 am
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Default Re: Growing your own veg

Insects are a major problem as far as I'm concerned down here in Vic. Planted about 20 Sunflowers and only got 9 left due to being eaten by invisible critters. Can't put snail pellets down very easily as the dog could get poisoned. I dont trust that safe pet stuff, anyone got an experience of it ?

What I'm curious about is what is the most cost effective vegetable to grow. I've a feeling it could be Potatoes, then lettuce. Right now, Ive got a few tomato plants, capsicums, of all colours, and some chillies.

How much are Bangalow palms up in Q'land to buy, I checked them out down the nursery here, and for a 2 metre plant, 250 bucks

I need them to shield out flats next door. I've got most of the garden sheilded by plants, Including bananas, but have a small corner down the back end of my garden.
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Old Oct 1st 2006, 2:15 am
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Default Re: Growing your own veg

Originally Posted by ozzieeagle
Insects are a major problem as far as I'm concerned down here in Vic. Planted about 20 Sunflowers and only got 9 left due to being eaten by invisible critters. Can't put snail pellets down very easily as the dog could get poisoned. I dont trust that safe pet stuff, anyone got an experience of it ?
Believe it or not, you can actually kill snails by making a trap out of a soft drink bottle filled with beer !! Snails are attracted to the yeast etc and they either drown a very happy death or the alcohol kills them. Have a look here for info about it

http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/200...ch_alternative
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Old Oct 1st 2006, 2:30 am
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Default Re: Growing your own veg

Originally Posted by christinabell
Believe it or not, you can actually kill snails by making a trap out of a soft drink bottle filled with beer !! Snails are attracted to the yeast etc and they either drown a very happy death or the alcohol kills them. Have a look here for info about it

http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/200...ch_alternative

I had been using beer just in Margarine containers though, Which evaporated quickly.... either that or the Dog got those as well.

Nope that Method is far better... Thanks for that.


I'm still wondering what the most cost effective vegie to grow is though.

Would be interesting if someone knows the answer. It could be lettuce I reckon.
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Old Oct 1st 2006, 2:35 am
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Default Re: Growing your own veg

Originally Posted by ozzieeagle
Insects are a major problem as far as I'm concerned down here in Vic. Planted about 20 Sunflowers and only got 9 left due to being eaten by invisible critters. Can't put snail pellets down very easily as the dog could get poisoned. I dont trust that safe pet stuff, anyone got an experience of it ?

What I'm curious about is what is the most cost effective vegetable to grow. I've a feeling it could be Potatoes, then lettuce. Right now, Ive got a few tomato plants, capsicums, of all colours, and some chillies.

How much are Bangalow palms up in Q'land to buy, I checked them out down the nursery here, and for a 2 metre plant, 250 bucks

I need them to shield out flats next door. I've got most of the garden sheilded by plants, Including bananas, but have a small corner down the back end of my garden.
All sounds amazing. Have you been gardening for years? Never done any before but we've got this lovely block with plenty of space and I'm inspired by all you've grown but no idea where to start.
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Old Oct 1st 2006, 3:02 am
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Default Re: Growing your own veg

We have just planted dwaf beans, stawberries , cucumber, toms , orange tree , and will sort out some more soon , also put in lots of flowery stuff
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Old Oct 1st 2006, 3:08 am
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Default Re: Growing your own veg

Originally Posted by mumomonty
I think Avos are really easy to grow from stones. You just clean them up, score them and then soak them for a bit and hey presto little avo treees. It's cold where we live in winter and we've done about 10 like that.

Ha! Have you seen how long it takes an avocado tree to get to maturity? Also, take note of its size... You'll want to think carefully if you want to grow avocados.

We're currently growing brocolli, spinach, savoy cabbage, lettuce, snow peas, and cucumbers up here, no problems apart from aphids on the spinach, but you have to expect some failures. Growing everything in massive pots... Easy.
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Old Oct 1st 2006, 3:11 am
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Default Re: Growing your own veg

Originally Posted by flip
All sounds amazing. Have you been gardening for years? Never done any before but we've got this lovely block with plenty of space and I'm inspired by all you've grown but no idea where to start.

Not really into it a great deal. I tend to have years where I put some effort in then years where I relax a bit. My Bananas are incredibly successful, especially for Melbourne. Things like Sweet Corn, pumpkin, watermelon, Tomato, beans, more or less look after themselves. The trick is a decent water supply. I use all of my Washing machine water on out back garden, simply by putting a large outlet hose/black pipe on the outlet, and moving the Pipe around the garden, where needed. I'm working on using the outlet from the shower and bath now, however that is so low to the ground, that I may have to use a submersible pump in some kind of low lying water catchment/container. Other Ideas for water, are large 240 litre rubbish bins attached to one another on downpipes around the house etc.... Although I've got to work out how to disguise them, as they are not the best looking items. Cheap though... 44 bucks each.
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