Will the Rain Bring Winter?

Scarecrow's Log: 26:04:2009:

Temperatures this week:
Lowest Min 6.2C
Highest Max 25C
Lowest Max 11.7C
Rain 26mm
Frosts are on the 7 day forecast!

What's happening in the garden?

It's raining!
Lots of growth!

The Greens Picking Corner on Bed 1
has put on amazing growth with the rain.

The Broad Beans are up and the Broccoli's growing well!

Worried that all this green growth would mean no roots on the Turnips in Bed 2, I took a sneaky peak and it looks like they are growing well. I'll start picking these at about tennis ball size so they are about half size already.

The Drumhead Cabbages are forming firm heads on Bed 3

See the latest update for the Garlic Trial Here

Propagation:

Took about 26 runners off the Strawberry Tank Bed and popped them into loose potting-on mixture in a Styrofoam box. Looks like new strawberry bed for next year. I have a couple of old tanks earmarked for this.

Dug up volunteer Warrigal Greens Tetragonia tetragonoides that were popping up in the Herb Spiral...I shall be keeping a look out for all sorts of volunteer seedlings now this rain has come!

The seed and cutting trials I'm monitoring for my course are all going well...some of those cuttings are showing roots already!

New in the Garden This week:
Nothing new this week except for the RAIN!!!


Weekly Harvest Tally:
Doesn't include Greens fed to the chooks on a daily basis or herbs picked for use in the kitchen for cooking or tea making.
Carrots Atomic Red***60g
Celery Kintsai (Soup Celery)***65g
Jerusalem Artichokes***1218g (that was one plant)
Shallots Red***435g
Silverbeet***65g
Tomato Ida Gold***150g
Apples Golden Delicious***2230g
Strawberry Guava***40g yummy!

Plus a yummy mix of greens for soups/stirfries/salads...Kale, Lettuce, Watercress, Lebanese Watercress, Chives, Parsley, Soup Celery, Beetroot, Turnip and Swede Greens.

Plus 8 Eggs from the girls.

Rain! Maybe...

Scarecrow's Log: 19:04:2009:

Society Garlic in flower

Temperatures this week:
Lowest Min 1.3C
Highest Max 28C
Lowest Max 19.5C
No Recorded Rainfall
(but they reckon we've got some on it's way this week!!!)

What's happening in the garden?

The first sproutings of Garlic were noticed early in the week and each planting now has at least one clove growing. Follow the Updates Here

I've updated the growth in the Main Veg Garden Wicking beds here

I've cleared the two Wicking Beds in the Dog Pen Garden and topped them up with with mushroom compost, soaked coir, sheep manure and a mixture of Fecondo, blood and bone and dolomite. A thin top layer of sandy loam and a good mulch layer of organic sugar cane mulch will go on top ready for rain this week!!!
The chances have actually increased to 90% chance of 10-20mm and more!

Propagation:
Cuttings:
Thornless Blackberries
Loganberry
Boysenberry
Strawberry Guava
Jostaberry
Put into the hothouse and regularly misted.
More Pink Violet cuttings taken

Potting up and Planting out:
Potted on
Pink Violet
Gazanias
Chrysanthemum seedlings

New in the Garden This week:
We bought some bags of lovely old Sheep Manure at the markets this week!
Doc's new little storage shed is up...including it's concrete base!

Not so welcome is the appearance of these little guys on the back Grape vines. Only 6 that were quickly dispatched (squashed). They are Vine Moth caterpillars Phalaenoides glycinae and do little damage at this time of the year when the leaves are about to fall. However, I don't want to let them breed up too much as they can cause serious damage in early Spring when the new shoots are just appearing.


Weekly Harvest Tally:
Doesn't include Greens fed to the chooks on a daily basis or herbs picked for use in the kitchen for cooking or tea making.

Carrot Atomic Red***255g
Jerusalem Artichokes***90g
Potato Pontiac***3360g
Tomato Italian Heirloom***280g
Tomato Tigerella***200g
Apple Red Fuji***500g
Apple Golden Delicious***250g
Pears William***1631g
Strawberry***20g

Plus a yummy mix of greens for soups/stirfries/salads...Kale, Lettuce, Watercress, Lebanese Watercress, Chives, Parsley, Soup Celery, Beetroot, Turnip and Swede Greens.

Plus 7 Eggs from the girls.

Podcasts

I've been downloading a few podcasts lately...they are handy for loading on to my little mp3 player and listening to in the evenings. I've tried listening out in the garden but I miss the sounds of the birds too much. You can listen on line or download the files to hear later on your computer.

A regular last year was Emma Cooper's Alternative Kitchen Garden she's been really busy this year but all the old 'shows' are on her site to download or listen to. Emma loves growing unusual food crops and I love hearing the latest antics of her two chooks Hen Solo and Princess Layer.

The Survival Podcast has some thought provoking topics at times. The Garden tag has some episodes with helpful tips for growing your own food, collecting rainwater and generally storing food.
Jack's Tag-line is "Helping You Live The Life You Want, If Times Get Tough, Or Even If They Don't"



Global Public Media have a collection of podcasts and videos relating to Post Carbon issues including a selection from Peak Moment TV found here that are available as audio downloads.
The site has transcripts of several of their shows here


Us Aussies can't overlook a local...Dig It Down Under is a monthly podcast by Riley Jordan in Victoria. While it's mostly general gardening she is developing a thriving vegetable garden.
This link is the archive of the past 9 shows. Riley does have a warning on the page though that the files can be up to 50mb so be warned!

For a fun listen why not try the very English Wiggly Wigglers Podcast live from the Wiggly Sofa. Yes very English in content but they do explore some great wildlife issues...and they love their worms!
Check them out here Their show's archive goes way back to 2005!

Staying in the UK why not check out Radio Scotland's...Scotland's Gardens...way out of my climate zone but interesting discussions on Berries and Apples and all sorts of garden topics.
If you enjoy that one it might pay to subscribe to it as they don't seem to have an archive of their shows.


Still overseas but this time in Canada one show I've been listening to for some time now is Deconstructing Dinner.
They have a long list of quite serious topics they've covered and all the shows are archived. Everything from Backyard Chickens to GMOs are covered in this weekly show.


For folks in SA The ABC Radio's Saturday Morning Talkback Gardening Show with Jon Lamb and Ashley Walsh is often interesting. The final hour each Saturday is recorded and is available to download. Subscribe on this link

While we're at the Adelaide ABC, the Tuesday Drive Show include a weekly spot on Beginner Veg Gardening this year with Sophie Thomson. You can download audio files from the blog here. Grant Cameron often has special guests speaking about Veg Gardening on Tuesday afternoons.


On this link you'll find an interesting collection of files to download from The 4th Annual Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Conference, held in Melbourne, Victoria, March 20 - 25, 2007.
Such speakers as Jackie French, Michel & Jude Fanton, Jerry Coleby-Williams, Dr. Vandana Shiva and David Holmgren are there, with many others, for some very interesting listening.
**Update 9/09: This podcast is no longer available!

I'm sure you'll find something on that list worth listening to...have fun!

Zombie Chickens???

I've recently been presented with an award.
What can I say...except thank you Phelan from A Homesteading Neophyte.

Mmm I'm not normally 'into' this sort of thing but I can't risk this happening...

"Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens
by choosing unwiselyor not choosing at all..."
Eeek!

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all..."

OK so I'll choose 5 great blogs that I think will appreciate the humour (I hope!)
Hope Farm Journal
My Veggie Garden
Cosmic Garden
Down on the Allotment
Judy’s Square Foot Garden Blog

Gee do I have to stop at 5?
I could go on with this one.
So sorry if I've missed your blog this time!

Ripe Fruit and Taking Cuttings.

Scarecrow's Log: 12:04:2009:

Just ripening Strawberry Guava

Temperatures this week:
Lowest Min 3.5C
Lowest Max 18.1C
Highest Max 27C
No Recorded Rainfall

What's happening in the garden?

Ripening fruit! Golden Delicious and Red Fuji Apples.

Lots of Pumpkins - Queensland Blue and Butterbone...

...even a couple of Bottle Gourds.

Last of the Nasturtiums are blooming.

I've cleaned out the small hot house
and put that new shelf unit inside to keep it warmer.
Night temps are dropping fast and frosts are just around the corner.
I've taken a lot of cuttings and need to keep them warm.

Propagation:
Seeds etc:

Broad Beans - Peruvian Emerald from SSN planted in Bed 1 Main Veg Garden.
Second and Third plantings in the Garlic trial...see update here

Potting up and Planting out:
Potted on cuttings of Sage and White Daisies.
Potted on seedlings;
Kangaroo Apple Solanum aviculare
Kale - Squire and Moreton's Mixed.

Cuttings/Division:
Put a few runners from the Alpine Strawberries Fragaria vesca into pots.
Dug up some Oregano and potted it up.

This week's activity for my course was to take cuttings from 10 different plants:
Euryops pectinatus - Yellow Daisy
Helichrysum italicum - Curry Bush
Artemisia pontica - Roman Wormwood
Correa alba - White Correa
Tanacetum parthenium - Feverfew
Cistus ladanifer - White Rock Rose
Salvia officinalis - Sage
Convolvulus cneorum - Silverbush
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Pink' - Pink Rosemary
Coleonema pulchrum 'Aurea' - Golden Diosma

New in the Garden This week:
Strawberry Guava Psidium littorale var. longipes are ripe! The first time they have fruited!
The first tastes are delicious!


Weekly Harvest Tally:
Doesn't include Greens fed to the chooks on a daily basis or herbs picked for use in the kitchen for cooking or tea making.

Tomato Ida Gold***233g
Tomato Italian Heirloom***80g
Tomato Tigerella***257g
Pear William***386g
Apples Golden Delicious***512g
Apples Granny Smith***327g
Apples Red Fuji***250g

Plus a yummy mix of greens for stirfries/salads...Kale, Lettuce, Beetroot Leaves, Watercress, Lebanese Watercress, Chives, Parsley, Gotu Kola.

Plus 7 Eggs from the girls.

Pineapple Mint

Gecko left a comment the other day and asked for more info on Pineapple Mint. As it is a new plant for me too I decided to look up more details about it...I became somewhat confused...but here is some info on it and the other mints I grow.
The botanical names that I have used for these plants are the ones that came with the plants when I purchased them and may differ from plant names in your region.

Green Loopers Love Mint!

Pineapple Mint

The label on the plant I bought only had Mentha sp on it. A quick Google search seems to suggest it should be Mentha suaveolens variegata which would indicate some variegation...this one is not variegated (BUT this is the name on the tag of my variegated Applemint!). Another site had it listed as Mentha rotundifolia 'Variegata'. Confusion!

Anyway it is said to closely resemble Applemint but the smell of this Pineapplemint is much sweeter.
I don't always 'get' the smells of plants/herbs but this one does have a very pineapply smell about it.
It will be interesting to taste it later as it is supposed to be great added to salads and said to make the best Mint Sauce for serving with lamb...

If it is as hardy as other mints it should survive here OK but I do prefer to keep my mints in containers. Not, as with many folks, to keep them under control but merely to keep them alive during our super hot, harsh summers and freezing cold winters.

I find all the mints to be magnets for Looper Caterpillars though and I am forever picking these strange creatures off the plants before they eat them to defoliation!

I like to collect herbs and add this plant to the Mint collection I have:

Egyptian Mint Mentha x villosa said to be the most heat tolerant mint...is a strong grower here.
Curled Leaf Mint Mentha spicata var. crispa similar to the common one but with unusual leaf form.
Common Mint Mentha viridis great for general culinary 'Mint' use.
Peppermint Mentha × piperita yummy for tea making.

Variegated Applemint Mentha suaveolens Variegated a less hardy (here) form of the plain. This is often the variety referred to as Pineapplemint but I have two different plants here and this one smells just like apples.
Applemint Mentha suaveolens sweet tasting useful for salads especially fruit salads.
Pineapplemint - the new one for me...used like applemint.
Basil Mint Mentha basilicum is said to be a 'winter Basil substitute' but I don't quite see the connection in flavour!

Pennyroyal Menta pulegium low growing mint good for insect control.
Eau de Cologne Mint Mentha x piperita f. citrata - perfumed variety not used so much for cooking but good for potpouri etc.
Ginger Mint Mentha arvensis syn. M. gentilis - a great looking mint that goes well with chicken.
Lavender Mint Mentha spicata is very similar to the Eau de Cologne mint (I can't differentiate between them)

Moroccan Mint Mentha spicata looks like common mint but is supposed to have subtle extra flavours that I haven't noticed yet! This mint is the biggest magnet for Loopers yet!

I need to replace my Chocolate Mint Mentha piperita var. because Luckydog thought the pot it was growing in would make a great hiding place for her favourite bone last week!

Some useful links about Mints:
Honeysuckle Cottage - Cool Mints
The Herb Guide

Off With The Shade!

Scarecrow's Log: 05:04:09:

Temperatures this week:

Lowest Min 5.9C
Highest Max 33.6C
Lowest Max 20.7C
No Recorded Rainfall

What's happening in the Garden?
With daytime temperatures still over 30C I hadn't been able to remove the shadecovers...but this weekend we have some cooler weather so the Main Veg Garden shade has been removed.
The Apples are ripening... Yum!
I had a visit from a local high school student who is a keen vegetable grower! He was impressed with the variety of food plants we grow.


Propagation:
Seeds etc:
I've planted a selection of seeds after collecting them for my course. It will be interesting to note any difference in germination rates as I had to use two different seed raising media. I chose my homemade one and a commercial brand.
The first in a Garlic trial I'm conducting...
A few bulbs of Red Shallots into the Kitchen Garden Pathside Edge Bed.

Potting up and Planting out:
Potted on some of my new herbs! See below for list.
Cabbages 'Purple Flowered Choy' and 'Red Choi' were planted in the Dog Pen Garden Bed under the curtains.
Some Silverbeet seedlings were planted near them.
Potted on a punnet of Sorrel Seedlings into individual celled punnets.
Into Wicking Bed 1 in the Main Vegetable Garden;
Planted out Broccoli Green Goliath seedlings when the weather cooled.
Celery Kintsai (Soup Celery)
Lettuces and Beetroot for a small greens picking bed in one corner.
All the new plantings were watered in with a very diluted Rainwater/Seasol mixture.

Top: Planting into Wicking Bed 1
Bottom left: Cabbage seedlings
Bottom right: Sorrel seedlings ready for potting on.

Cuttings/Division:
Made a cutting from a piece of broken stem on the Muntries plant I bought.
Divided up the Pennyroyal and Brahmi.

The new Herbs are divided and potted on.

Purchase:
11 new herbs/bushfoods (I now have access to a friend's Cottage Herbs shop list! Thank you!)
Brahmi - Bacopa monnieri info link
Pennyroyal - Mentha pulegium
Pineapple mint
Scented Pelagoniums - Orange and Lemon Supreme 'Marble Grey'
Thyme - Russian Thymus nitidus and Golden Thymus serphyllum 'Aureum'
Midyim Berry Austromyrtus dulcis info link
Muntries Kunzea pomifera info link
Native Hibiscus Hibiscus heterophyllus info link
Wild Basil Ocimum americanum info link

New in the Garden This week:
Apart from all the new herbs etc.
Doc's been buying me presents again! This time we saw a garden cart on special so he got one for me...he even put it together with minimal complaint! Thank you Doc!

Weekly Harvest Tally:
Doesn't include Greens fed to the chooks or herbs picked for use in the kitchen for cooking or tea making.
Tomato Italian Heirloom***98g
Tomato Tigerella***404g
Apple Red Fuji***700g
Black Sultana Grapes***100g
Pears William***460g
Zucchini Black***606g

Plus a yummy mix of greens for stirfries/salads...Beetroot leaves, Kale, Lettuce, Watercress, Lebanese Watercress, Chives, Parsley, Gotu Kola.

Plus 12 Eggs from the girls.

A Bit of Garlic Fun!

It's Garlic planting time Downunder so I'm going to try an experiment this week...

According to Cosmic Gardener's April Moon Guide (here)

"5th - Plant leafy crops, garlic and onions. Foliar feed."

so I planted one lot of cloves today (5 April).

Deb from Nirvana Farm in the Adelaide Hills says in this article from the ABC in Adelaide that April 8th is the best day to plant garlic.

Just to make it interesting the Thomas Zimmer Moon Planting Chart I also like to keep an eye on says that the 11/12 April (are we having fun yet??) is good for root crops which it has Garlic listed as part of.

So I'm going to plant some Garlic on each of these days.

This is going to be fun...and is only meant to be a fun experiment!!


For The Record: I'll update this regularly!
April 5 2009
Under supervision of The Black Ninja:
Divided 3 of the best bulbs of Garlic from last years crop.
Broke off the biggest cloves and mixed them all together.
Divided cloves into 3 piles, 13 in each!
Two lots were bagged for later planting and labeled.

One lot planted in the South end of the Kitchen Garden Pathside Edge Bed.


April 8 2009
Second planting of 13 cloves on the Northern end of the Kitchen Garden Pathside Edge Bed.
This area has similar soil conditions to the other end and won't receive a lot more sunshine.


April 11 2009
The last 13 cloves were planted in the keyhole bed in the Dog pen beds...similar soil and growing conditions as the other two plantings.

Update April 11 2009
All three plantings are being watered via in-line dripper hose and are well mulched. I am keeping an eye on the moisture content of the soil and watering accordingly.

The day temperatures have ranged between 18C and 26C.
Night temps between 9C and 3.5C.
No rainfall recorded.

Update April 15
The Cosmic planted cloves are up and growing...11 out of 13 so far!
The day temperatures have ranged between 21.3C and 28C.
Night temps between 12.1C and 5.2C.
No rainfall recorded.

Update April 20
1 clove in each of the other plantings is up so far!
The day temperatures have ranged between 19.5C and 24.1C.
Night temps between 9C and 1.3C.
No rainfall recorded.



For the full run down on Growing Garlic check out Stewart's My Veggie Garden blog posts:-
Garlic Part 1
and
Garlic Part 2
and to complete the trilogy
Garlic Part 3


Thanks! That will save me writing all that info!

Doc's Flowers

When we arranged for the group visits last month Doc decided that the front yard needed some brightening up. So we bought some seedling Petunias and Portulacas and planted up the tyres.
These flowers really love the heat and Doc has been diligently watering them with bucketed water.

There was only one slight problem...when the Garden Group started their tour in the front garden they took one look over the fence and saw...the Cob Oven! They all started asking questions about it and didn't even notice the flowers until later.