Veggie Garden Beginners Thread

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pynn, Jan 30, 1:07pm
hey guys, ive started a thread about this with no hits (still early days though) but I thought I would ask in here.
My new season potatoes have a lot of small warts over them. well more scaley stuff than warts Some worse than others, and some not at all. Really gross - any ideas! and suggestions about what to do to remedy it for next year would be appreciated!

skye7, Jan 30, 1:24pm
SOUTHLAND UPDATE

Tomatoes heaps of green fruit. Broccoli fantastic have frozen lots. Beetroot fantastic again heaps frozen. Peas and Beans perfect. Pumpkins very cute on their vine. Tons of lettuce, spring onion, cabbage, cauliflower, silverbeet, spinach, and strawberries. Leeks looking great, red onions looking promising.

Corn moved to Tunnel House and doing ok although not sure if the outcome will be successful.

Potatoes amazing (Maori pots have an amazing flavour)

Capsicums and Zucuniprogressing well.

Carrots, Celery and cucumber almost ready for harvest. And the cutesiest Brussel Sprouts which I understand will be ready for harvest around the first frost (helps sweeten them I think)

Herb garden is fantastic - I have discovered new flavours which is great. My garlic even worked!

Have learnt heaps along the way and loving the fresh hand picked veges.

How exciting your on your way South

skye7, Jan 30, 3:25pm
Celery isoutside and cucumber is in the tunnel house.

Yes Maori pots are the purple ones, I think some very wise gardeners will correct my naming of these but I brought them on TM and they were called Maori Potatoes so have gone with that.

Corn is around six foot at the mo with some cobs forming - to be honest not anticipating much of a crop and not really thinking of growing it again.

I am sure if you get yourself a greenhouse and/or glass house you will be amazed what you can grow down here. I recall you are heading to Dunedin is this still the plan!

The space is fantastic and is what I enjoy about living down here. We have just got two puppies which is keeping me very busy but loving having heaps of space, fresh air and amazing people it is truly a great place to live.

soc_butterfly, Jan 30, 3:44pm
sounds like scab

stevee6, Jan 30, 3:51pm
Wow, glad this is still going - crazy summer so everything is so late, especially tomatoes. On the good side, four fine days in a row!

soc_butterfly, Jan 30, 3:55pm
iknowright!hope it cools a bit for the concert tonight.for those about to rock, please salute me \m/ \m/

rozsina, Jan 30, 4:05pm
Crazy summer alright! I just harvested my first 2 roma tomatoes yesterday and my 3rd beefsteak tomato.Heaps of green tomatoes on both plants so hoping for a good crop ahead.Had plenty of cherry toms but no full size ones until now. I'm in West Ak. Good gardening weather at the mo!

skye7, Jan 30, 9:45pm
Not buying any veges. Buying fruit/eggs/meat so planing to plant some fruit trees although realise the crop will be a few years away. And we are considering getting some chickens for eggs.

dabountyhunter, Jan 30, 11:54pm
Hello,
I'm just wondering if anyone here has much luck with upside down tomatoes!
Seeing as they are a vine it made sense to me, I have tried only two plants this year, but the ones in the ground seem to be doing much better so far.

love.a.bargain, Jan 31, 2:43am
Fertiliser:Poo is the best!We have a paddock next door that cows are in every 6 - 8 weeks.I collect their poo in a bucket, a couple of heaps in each bucket then fill it with water.Dig holes throughout the garden (where nothing is planted obviously) and pour in.Easy.Smelly . but easy.

lindy-loo1, Jan 31, 8:48pm
I'm moving next week, somewhere Rural with space for veggie patch and chooks, I am new to this, and would like to know what I should plant in veggie patch first!
Thanks

lindy-loo1, Jan 31, 9:58pm
desprtehouswife wrote:
Yay! I am doing same thing and cant wait! I think everything from here on in is winter crops so cauli's, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, parsnips etc. Where abouts are you moving to ! Eg,hot or cold climate![/quote
I'm just moving within Gisborne, from town to rural, cant wait. Yeah I had tyres lined up for potato's and rhubarb!

candlecompany, Feb 1, 4:03pm
Roma tomatoes are an Italian tomato that have an oval shape, not much pulp so good for making paste, drying, salsas or sauces. Can also eat sliced but like I say not much pulp and also have a milder flavour. Part of the kings seeds range. I didn't sow them this season though.The plant I have appeared in the middle of my ornamental garden, the result of a seed germinating in my compost - so yes easy to grow, same conditions as other tomatoes. I didn't have the heart to pull it out as it was looking a lot healthier than the plants I had sown from seed.Isn't that always the way!

soc_butterfly, Feb 1, 4:06pm
I suppose it's possible considering they're not made for planting in.however why not just line it with polythene, the way we have to for treated timber.voila :)

rozsina, Feb 1, 4:17pm
Yes I've seen it suggested to just line the tyres with polythene too, I'd do that if I was using tyres. Animal manure - yes I'd like to start collecting it too but had the same health concerns. Do you think if it's put in a compost bin (or similar setup) first that the heat it generates would break down the bugs and then make it safe to use on the garden! I've recently purchased horse manure and put into my compost bin to speed things up. My lawnmower man always mulched so never got the clippings but now I've got a lawnmower so will have the clippings from now on. Yay! Can't wait for the grass to grow now!

crested, Feb 1, 7:19pm
HI RE THE MAGGOTS, . when you are making compost you have to make sure there is no meatin your veggie scraps when you put them into a Bin.sounds like there must have been something in your Bin for that to happen.Where di your compost come from and was it contaminated, you have to be careful.We have 2 Bins for our own compostingeven lashed out and bought the Drop Down system it costs about $160.00 for Mietre 10, but its worth it and we also have one of those square ones from the Warehouse they're about $45.00after trial and error with many otherempty bins, these have worked the best.But definitely no meat scraps een tiny little piecescan bring outnthe maggots. know from experience.Good luck.Everybody should have a veggie garden, think how much you save.and get out in the fresh air.

steptoesnr, Feb 2, 6:25pm
The chances of you getting some sort of bug from the manure from pasture eating animals are probably less likely than you winning lotto without buying tickets.

soc_butterfly, Feb 2, 9:44pm
http://www.garden-nz.co.nz/latest-news/edible-gardens/edible-flowers-2.html

all I could find, not sure about the climber unless jasmine flowers are edible.they my favs!

soc_butterfly, Feb 3, 3:38am
A great list desp.

I liked a tip I read about pea straw too, run over it with the mower to break it down a bit before spreading.Makes it easier to spread.In windy Wellington you also need to water it quickly before the wind blows it all over the yard!

rozsina, Feb 4, 6:46am
It's stevia.I've got some growing at the moment. I've yet to use it in cooking though so not sure how effective it is. There's an article in the Dec NZ gardener mag.

love.a.bargain, Feb 4, 1:10pm
I did see some on TM a few weeks ago but apart from that maybe rurally in your local area by enquiring at a local store in a rural area.

bev00, Feb 15, 5:21am
A wealth of information - must be a keeper

bev00, Feb 16, 4:52am
lotsa info - worth recycling

falconhell2002, Feb 16, 9:36pm
Sweet, sooo not to sound to dumb but what is a brassica!Is this cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli!

julmar, Feb 18, 3:23am
just popping in. guessing it has been covered, but I am a seed saving freak. Just wanted to add it is now time to save your tomato, lettuce, cucumber etc seeds. My washing line has had handy towels with well spaced seeds stuck to them blowing in the breeze these past few days. Nothing easier than laying them onto seed trays filled with potting mix and then a layer on top next season. Love knowing that as much as can be has ben planted from saved seed.good luck