Thanks for that, garden area was sprayed out today, now the only thing is it takes about 2 weeks for the grass to die.Waiting, waiting, waiting.We have sprayed out a area about 2 meters by 5 meters.hoping I can keep this weeded and looking nice and if the gardening bug really hits I can make it bigger.
ry5,
Feb 18, 10:43am
Just wondering if anyone has tips on how to support corn stalks once they get to a reasonable height.TIA
soc_butterfly,
Feb 19, 1:09am
desp, every plant is different as far as the seeds go.wait til the seeds look dry and brittle, then collect them.
some have pods which contain the seeds, others have hairy bits with the seeds on the ends (eg dandelions).Have a fiddle with them and see what ends up in your hands.
tomatoes, I have simply cut the ones I like open and spooned out the seeds then rinsed in a sieve and dried them out on handee towels on the windowsill.I grew some this year from handee towels, so if you find some you like at the supermarket for eating, just do this to save them for next year and you can grow your own!
usually where there are flowers, there will be seeds.just give the plant long enough to form them and dry them out then pull the heads apart and see what you find.
piece of advice, store in paper bags or envelopes with what they are written on it, or you'll forget like I do what the heck they were (ozzy)
xx
julmar,
Feb 19, 7:17am
hi again, like soc I am a bit of a supermarket seed hunter lol. Sometimes things wont grow the same as what you have saved as many plants are hybridised, but often they will.most of my seed collecting is a little random lol, there are always jars, bowls etc all over the window sills with random stalky seed head bits in them! When mine are dry I seperate them out and store usually in little snaplock bags. If the seeds are really really fine and hard to seperate i usually wait till they are well dried, gently rub between my hands and sprinkle the whole lot, seed heads (flowers) etc over seed raising mix, after all the flower heads are then free mulch lol.
steptoesnr,
Feb 27, 8:31pm
Falcon etc If you sprayed with roundup aka glyphosate then you can dig now--the deed is done! Cheers
missmuppett,
Feb 27, 9:02pm
JULMAR I am confused, why would we do seeds for lettuces/tomatoes etc now!When it's coming into autumn/winter soon!
missmuppett,
Feb 27, 9:03pm
Desperate, my little gardens are cranking!Some of my cos lettuces are ready already, and it's only been three weeks! :)My caps are bigger, have the beginnings of scallopini courgette thingys, and the chilli's are cranking too :)Very pleased.I bought some "Aquatonic" or something from Kings, and I am feeding them one a week or two. :)
ry5,
Feb 28, 3:45am
You're right desphw - nice neat rows for now.Keeping the blimmin neighbourhood cats off is a mission tho!Lettuces are going great, planning to plant some beetroot once they are out.
missmuppett,
Feb 28, 5:06am
I dunno really desperate, it's like a food for plants. it comes in a big blue bottle from Kings. they said it was the business for making things grow. just off out to water my precious' now! :D
leftydave,
Feb 28, 9:34pm
Great stuff isn't it!this year we have been feeding our SB every two weeks with home made seaweed liquid fert.and man is it growing well! Thriving.
ps. you do know that you can blanch and then freeze SB,.
leftydave,
Feb 28, 9:36pm
looking good! :>
a question: how well is your thinking on crop rotation!also, have you thought about growing peas and beans!
leftydave,
Feb 28, 9:38pm
i say: don't waste money buying stuff like that! make you own.
leftydave,
Feb 28, 9:40pm
parsley!it take yonks to go to seed. it takes ages for the seed to set. we currently have 6 lots going to seed, 'our' seed bank will not be short of that sort of seed!
soc_butterfly,
Feb 28, 9:55pm
mmmm spinach/silverbeet feta filo pockets.
leftydave,
Mar 1, 4:17am
I'll get back to you on that subject.need to look up a couple of books we have here on freezing.
we have guessed;"to kill off bad things".
I thought it might have been to do with the heat of the boiling water changes the cell structure of the idea, this making for more success at freezing.
akalea,
Mar 1, 8:02am
desprtehouswife wrote:
- i have a question. Why do things have to be blanched before going into the freezer! I see that they do, but I just dont get why.
Years ago I was told you balnch food before freezing so you keep in the goodness eg vitamins etc.I have not had much success at freezing cauli without blanching first
love.a.bargain,
Mar 1, 7:34pm
I don't know desperate but I have wondered the same thing.I did an experiment with some courgettes by just slicing them and freezing in a bag and they came out fine (the same as they are in frozen stir-fry mixes).I plan on experimenting with green beans also, I will let you know how I get on.
leah14,
Mar 2, 12:41am
hello, this looks like a great thread, can i ask a couple of composting questions! i've got a rotting, soggy pile of mainly stinky vegetables pretending to be compost that has completely filled up my black compost bin. i need to get serious about this as its not composting and i need the roomin the bin as well as the compost for my garden.my questions: 1/ how do you keep rats out of your bin! ours gets attacked so we have put mesh on the bottom which means i have to tip over the bin and scrape the contents out to liberate them. which i never do. 2/how do you aerate the stuff in a simple black compost bin! you can hardly stir the compost when it gets full can you! or do you just stir the top! 3/ do you need another bin! it seems to me that as you've always got fresh stuff going on top you're never going to have a fully composted pile. 4/ is there any way i can use the rotting vege material in my current bin when i get the new, proper composting system (with dry matter etc) going! 5/ are the earthmaker compost bins big enough for a family of six! THANKS!
lythande1,
Mar 2, 3:15am
Don't use a bin at all. Make a pile, that way you can get at it and stir or whatever. You won't get rats if you don't put meat or dairy in it. And mow everything. It breaks down faster for one thing and you don't have all those problems you describe.
leah14,
Mar 2, 4:41am
thanks lythande. do you mean, put the mower over our vege and fruit scraps!
sumstyle,
Mar 2, 7:18am
Yes she does mean use the lawn mower cos it will cut up everything finely, and the cuts and bruises of the foliage help it break down faster.If your bin is so wet you might want to put in layers of drier material such as pea straw or twigs and leaves.Thetwigs help create air pockets and allow drainage.
sumstyle,
Mar 2, 7:25am
As for your questions 3, 4 and 5 I can only imagine what your black bin is like.I have seen one black version that had a slot at the bottom for the lower layer to be shoveled out!the other style had shelves inside the bin which meant that all the scraps weren't sitting on each other until the shelves were pulled out!Either way, your bin is too wet - see the solution in post 302.
I have home made compost bins made out of old pallets, so I turn my compost (you said stir!) by tossing the greener layer over into a second area that has a few branches on the ground to aid drainage and aeration.I add layers of pea straw before putting on lawn clippings because they can get really mucky and wet when they start decomposing and if they are in too thick a layer.
ry5,
Mar 4, 3:52am
Good idea.I bought a roll of chicken wire (about $17 from memory) Hubby cut it into lengths on his guillotine and I got 7 cloches out of it, but now the plants are too high for them.Yes I do plan on growing organically.Since I took that pic everything seems to have doubled in size!We got a trailer load of "vege mix" from out local garden centre - It's loaded with all the goodies for growing, you don't need to add any fert for the first year.
ry5,
Mar 4, 3:54am
We all hate beans, so they are a no go.Peas take up so much room - it's only a little garden 4m x 2m.Maybe if this is a success I can add to it next season.
ttaotua1,
Mar 4, 8:55pm
Good timing. i am wanting to do a raised bed vege garden and my neighbour has told me not to put a weed mat under it so do i put a weed mat or not!
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