How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?
#31
Re: How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?
we've got a Washington Navel orange tree, and a lemon tree, i also grow my own herbs cause it was getting to epxensive buying fresh herbs all the time, ive got Parsley, Coriander,Basil and Rosemary, which are doing really well
the kids have thier own Strawberry and Tomato plants which they love watering and looking after
the kids have thier own Strawberry and Tomato plants which they love watering and looking after
#32
Re: How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?
At the moment we just have lime and lemon trees and a few chillis - I'd like to buy a couple of half wine barrels and grow a few veggies in though, and some herbs.
I caught the end of the ABC gardening programme on Saturday (cant stand that northern bloke so dont tend to watch it) and it showed a Greek guy who had this huge veggie garden - he said that actually it took less water to keep his garden going that it would if he gave it all up and started eating fruit & veg from shops... food for thought
I caught the end of the ABC gardening programme on Saturday (cant stand that northern bloke so dont tend to watch it) and it showed a Greek guy who had this huge veggie garden - he said that actually it took less water to keep his garden going that it would if he gave it all up and started eating fruit & veg from shops... food for thought
#33
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Bangalow
Posts: 45
Re: How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?
Ahhh I LOVE Peter Cundall the northern man....
if you mulch loads with hay, put cardboard down to rot - it helps keep the moisture - permaculture methods mean little or no watering - gotta be good in the climate!
And we all need a rain tank
if you mulch loads with hay, put cardboard down to rot - it helps keep the moisture - permaculture methods mean little or no watering - gotta be good in the climate!
And we all need a rain tank
#34
Re: How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?
We grow basil, mint, rosemary, sage, chives, oregano and thyme (but the thyme is really struggling to get started)
We have a little lemon tree in a pot called Lotsa Lemons that produced at least 5 lemons this first year.
We also grow beans, courgettes, rocket and tomatoes (although the crop in North Queensland boiled on the vine!)
We only use tap water in the watering can on the proper water restriction days and use grey water at other times. The water collected from the shower as it heats up before you get in is also good for veges! We mulch to keep moisture in and water them straight to their roots in the evening to prevent too much evaporation.
We also have our own chickens so we get our own eggs too.
We have a little lemon tree in a pot called Lotsa Lemons that produced at least 5 lemons this first year.
We also grow beans, courgettes, rocket and tomatoes (although the crop in North Queensland boiled on the vine!)
We only use tap water in the watering can on the proper water restriction days and use grey water at other times. The water collected from the shower as it heats up before you get in is also good for veges! We mulch to keep moisture in and water them straight to their roots in the evening to prevent too much evaporation.
We also have our own chickens so we get our own eggs too.
#35
Re: How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?
We grow basil, mint, rosemary, sage, chives, oregano and thyme (but the thyme is really struggling to get started)
We have a little lemon tree in a pot called Lotsa Lemons that produced at least 5 lemons this first year.
We also grow beans, courgettes, rocket and tomatoes (although the crop in North Queensland boiled on the vine!)
We only use tap water in the watering can on the proper water restriction days and use grey water at other times. The water collected from the shower as it heats up before you get in is also good for veges! We mulch to keep moisture in and water them straight to their roots in the evening to prevent too much evaporation.
lovely and you can use chicken poo on the garden, I'm told the veges love it.
We have a little lemon tree in a pot called Lotsa Lemons that produced at least 5 lemons this first year.
We also grow beans, courgettes, rocket and tomatoes (although the crop in North Queensland boiled on the vine!)
We only use tap water in the watering can on the proper water restriction days and use grey water at other times. The water collected from the shower as it heats up before you get in is also good for veges! We mulch to keep moisture in and water them straight to their roots in the evening to prevent too much evaporation.
lovely and you can use chicken poo on the garden, I'm told the veges love it.
#36
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,066
Re: How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?
It is recommended that if you are standing your pots in bottoms that will collect water, that you fill bottoms of these with sand as well to prevent mozzies collecting in the water but still allows the water to remain for plants to suck up.
#37
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,066
Re: How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?
Just found this bit about potatoes
http://www.humeseeds.com/potato.htm
You also can plant potatoes under black plastic. Cut open a piece of the black plastic, and plant a potato piece. The potato tubers will develop as they would in the open ground. However, the tubers that develop close to the surface of the soil are shaded by the black plastic and should not develop the green inedible portions that often are found on other tubers. The black plastic also will aid in controlling weeds.
There's also an interesting bit about growing in tires in there as well.
http://www.suttons.co.uk/GrowingGuides.htm Sutton seeds also have a comprehensive growing guide including veg at the end but would need to be considered with Aussie heat in mind as is written for UK.
http://www.humeseeds.com/potato.htm
You also can plant potatoes under black plastic. Cut open a piece of the black plastic, and plant a potato piece. The potato tubers will develop as they would in the open ground. However, the tubers that develop close to the surface of the soil are shaded by the black plastic and should not develop the green inedible portions that often are found on other tubers. The black plastic also will aid in controlling weeds.
There's also an interesting bit about growing in tires in there as well.
http://www.suttons.co.uk/GrowingGuides.htm Sutton seeds also have a comprehensive growing guide including veg at the end but would need to be considered with Aussie heat in mind as is written for UK.
#38
Wanderer
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: Australia, Scotland, NZ, China, Spain, Scotland again wha hae!
Posts: 493
Re: How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?
Yeah! I usually (unintentionally) kill all plants (moved here 2 1/2 months ago and death toll stands at 6. About the same amount still living
but I've managed to grow tomatoes! At least I hope they are!! I bought a wee but of green plants at Coles and as I've got no yard, only a balcony, I dropped them in a massive bucket (that the lady at Mitre 10 told me I needed) and they've gone crazy! Two little potential tomatoes getting bigger every day!
I even went away for a week and didn't water them and they're still alive!
I found lots of basic info on the internet - especially on the ABC Gardening show page.
I love the concept of growing things, I'm just terrible in practice. It's been great for my daughter though (18mths), she is just old enough to stand there with the hose on the plants while I nip away and do other stuff, hahaha!
Mushrooms are a great idea. Never occurred to me.
And I'm living in the desert, so especially stoked to have managed at least 2 tiny fruits of my labour!!
but I've managed to grow tomatoes! At least I hope they are!! I bought a wee but of green plants at Coles and as I've got no yard, only a balcony, I dropped them in a massive bucket (that the lady at Mitre 10 told me I needed) and they've gone crazy! Two little potential tomatoes getting bigger every day!
I even went away for a week and didn't water them and they're still alive!
I found lots of basic info on the internet - especially on the ABC Gardening show page.
I love the concept of growing things, I'm just terrible in practice. It's been great for my daughter though (18mths), she is just old enough to stand there with the hose on the plants while I nip away and do other stuff, hahaha!
Mushrooms are a great idea. Never occurred to me.
And I'm living in the desert, so especially stoked to have managed at least 2 tiny fruits of my labour!!
#39
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,066
Re: How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?
Yeah! I usually (unintentionally) kill all plants (moved here 2 1/2 months ago and death toll stands at 6. About the same amount still living
but I've managed to grow tomatoes! At least I hope they are!! I bought a wee but of green plants at Coles and as I've got no yard, only a balcony, I dropped them in a massive bucket (that the lady at Mitre 10 told me I needed) and they've gone crazy! Two little potential tomatoes getting bigger every day!
I even went away for a week and didn't water them and they're still alive!
I found lots of basic info on the internet - especially on the ABC Gardening show page.
I love the concept of growing things, I'm just terrible in practice. It's been great for my daughter though (18mths), she is just old enough to stand there with the hose on the plants while I nip away and do other stuff, hahaha!
Mushrooms are a great idea. Never occurred to me.
And I'm living in the desert, so especially stoked to have managed at least 2 tiny fruits of my labour!!
but I've managed to grow tomatoes! At least I hope they are!! I bought a wee but of green plants at Coles and as I've got no yard, only a balcony, I dropped them in a massive bucket (that the lady at Mitre 10 told me I needed) and they've gone crazy! Two little potential tomatoes getting bigger every day!
I even went away for a week and didn't water them and they're still alive!
I found lots of basic info on the internet - especially on the ABC Gardening show page.
I love the concept of growing things, I'm just terrible in practice. It's been great for my daughter though (18mths), she is just old enough to stand there with the hose on the plants while I nip away and do other stuff, hahaha!
Mushrooms are a great idea. Never occurred to me.
And I'm living in the desert, so especially stoked to have managed at least 2 tiny fruits of my labour!!
#40
Bitter and twisted
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Upmarket
Posts: 17,503
Re: How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?
Soapy (not detergent) water such as bath or shower water will not harm plants and are, in fact, used to control a number of pests.
G
G
#41
Re: How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?
Well it pored down here this afternoon - no plant watering worries for me tonight
#42
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,066
Re: How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?
#43
Re: How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?
With the drought and rumours of higher prices to come was wondering how many people grow their own and what's grown best in the heat.
We had a lot of grapefruits last year but too early to say as yet this year. Trying to grow oranges but don't think it's going to be a big sucsess. Mangoes the bats or possums got so none to try. Have some passion fruit in progress if they survive
Thinking of trying lettuce and tomatoes as Cresta57 managed to grow tomatoes without trying from seeds he threw over side of house. Strangely enough considering Australians are obsessed with Beetroot never seen any growing anywhere just fields of pineapples.
What else is quick & easy to grow that you would want to eat?
We had a lot of grapefruits last year but too early to say as yet this year. Trying to grow oranges but don't think it's going to be a big sucsess. Mangoes the bats or possums got so none to try. Have some passion fruit in progress if they survive
Thinking of trying lettuce and tomatoes as Cresta57 managed to grow tomatoes without trying from seeds he threw over side of house. Strangely enough considering Australians are obsessed with Beetroot never seen any growing anywhere just fields of pineapples.
What else is quick & easy to grow that you would want to eat?
#44
Bitter and twisted
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Upmarket
Posts: 17,503
Re: How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?
#45
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,066
Re: How many grow there own fruit/veg/salad stuff/herbs & what's grown best?