I've found that any prunings of Billington that I've just pushed into the ground have grown - the tree I have here is the third since friends gave me the first cuttings about 12 years ago. A friend has another plum tree - we've not been able to identify it - I'm planting prunings from it this winter and hopefully will have that growing here too - it's ripe from late February through March, so will extend our plum season deliciously!
springtime,
Apr 23, 3:17pm
Hi Juliewn- can you tell me how you started your plum tree cuttings - straight into the ground, or into a pot and any special treatment!Looking to try growing this plum tree for my own,the one on this rental property had delicious dark rich red plums so would love mine own.
jules.,
Apr 23, 9:22pm
thanks, i will have a look. might go to the library and see what i can find there too.
man this drought bussiness is HARD work! Im so over it! I spend my days catching all the washing machine water i can in buckets, trapsing it down to the garden and all the exta I put in my big blue barrell (I think it holds 240ish litres). But I have worked out, from 1 standard wash and rinse cycle (5.5kg washer) I get 260ish litres. Thats a lot of wasted water that just goes down the drain!
Oh please make it rain! Its been 6 months since we have had RAIN, we have had maybe 1 doz showers in that time, but not enough to make a slight crack in the drought. oh i lie, think we had 1 day of good solid rain a while back. Its been so long, think weve nearly forgotten what it looks like!
jules.,
Apr 23, 9:39pm
oh, maybe someones listening.a showers just come over (all be it light and of no effect, but still a shower), hoping now for bigger and better things!
juliewn,
Apr 24, 12:15am
Hi Everyone. hope all is well for you all. :-)
Hi Jules. :-)
Thank goodness for the rain. I hope you get lots of gentle showers to nurture the earth back to being able to have more steady rain, so it doesn't just run off. We've had nothing like the usual amount of summer / autumn rains here, there are deep cracks in the lawn in places - doesn't seem like a NZ climate at all to see them, and I'd guess that's just the slightest thing in comparison to what you're experiencing.
What washing powder/liquid are you using in your washing machine! I'd like to set up a system so that the machine pumps out through a hose through the exterior wall into a tank outside, to use the water on the garden. The washing powder/liquids I've seen say ok to use on the garden, though not on veges. Is there one that can be used on veges! Thanks for your help.
I've just planted more silverbeet, kohl rabi, cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuces and peas in my garden. trying to get the equation's right to be able to continually plant and harvest vegetables. it's a learning curve! Have some plants finishing cropping soon and will add more carrots, beetroot, etc. I'd like to grow enough carrots to be able to use 5 or 6 every day to make fresh juice.
I'm still harvesting lots of beans, have two lots more in flower and small beans appearing. had them through till late May last year so hoping for that again. One lot of climbing beans has lovely long beans - with a heavy crop at the moment. yum!
I've just put little 'tents' over my eggplant and capsicum bushes - not much happening on them - however I saw a thread here recently where people were leaving their plants in their gardens, sheltering them from frosts, and then they were sprouting away when the weather was warm enough in spring, and as they were already established, they were fruiting earlier and better. am giving that a try.
Just saw your post is number 1401 - that's a lot of sharing we've all done about our gardens. I've certainly learnt a lot from everyone who's posted in the threads, so it's thanks from me.
jen92,
Apr 24, 6:27am
Oh Julie - I would be forever in your debt ! I'd love to buy some cuttings from you for sure.Have you grown apple trees and if so, what type do you recommend!I've been outside all of today planting and feeding and general clean up.I could spend all day out there.
jules.,
Apr 24, 8:04pm
hi julie, i just use regular washing powder, my nan has done it for years with no ill effects, so figured i can do it too. i also want to put the waste water pipe thru the wall, i am currently trying to get a water tank, but have also thought about an old bath tub. either way its GOT to be easier than filling the buckets and taking them outside to the barrell or the garden. i would ideally like a tank with a tap to attach a hose to.
i am determined to keep my garden from dying with the lack of rain. the spuds dont look good at all, i cant work out if its lack of water or something else. there are small holes in some of the leaves and some have what looks like frost damage, but we havnt had any frosts here yet. but they are definately not as big and bushy as would normally be at the same 'age' as other spud crops ive grown in the past. they were seed potatos from palmers garden centre.
stevee6,
Apr 24, 9:23pm
We've just got some old 200lt plastic tanks from a friend and will hook them up to the downpipes.
juliewn,
Apr 24, 9:26pm
ps.
My potatoes are exactly the same as yours - small growth, look like a frost has hit them, tiny tiny potatoes, holes in the leaves, which are yellowish in colour.
We dug some to use last month when my Son was home. well we tried to dig them as they were so small and would normally have been perfect for harvesting. Even the Urenika Maori potatoes were tiny too and didn't have many potatoes on, when they're normally bountiful.
I've ended up leaving them all in the ground, without even trying to dig the rest up at all, so they'll start to grow again when they're ready.
juliewn,
Apr 24, 9:28pm
Hi Stevee :-)
How are your gardens growing. and the new ones you set up where the shed was, guess you're harvesting lots from there now.
stevee6,
Apr 24, 9:39pm
Bump for more vege growers.
whiskey13,
Apr 25, 12:12am
Bumping.To think no one has posting in here this year except me!
springtime,
Apr 25, 4:43am
Well someone has to keep the thread alive.I did wonder why the questions over Lyndia's expected arrival as have seen photos of her with her wee boy who isn't quite a baby now and then realised this thread was quite old.Not to worry -gardening threads shouldn't be allowed to die out !
jen92,
Apr 26, 1:31am
Bumping up for Julie.
jules.,
Apr 26, 3:18am
julie those tanks look great, its what i have had in mind also. hoping to get one thats slightly larger, so will keep looking.
jules.,
Apr 26, 4:23am
oooooooooooooooooooooooeeeeeee- eeeeeeee! i just won a water tank, WITH A TAP and its only up the road from me! oh i CANT wait to get it and put it to work! (now we just need some rain to fill it, bahahahahaaaa)
juliewn,
Apr 26, 6:23am
How cool! :-). can you fill it with the washing machine water - maybe with a filter between the tank and hose, so any lint from the machine gets trapped before going into the hose.
If it's one of the square tanks in a frame, it would be easy to grow a passionfruit vine or berries up to cover it and give a crop, as the framework supporting the tank would do nicely for a vine to climb up. multi-taskers we women are! hehehe
jules.,
Apr 26, 11:27pm
what a great idea. its not a square one, but could easily rig a frame or netting over, i really want to grow some chokos!
WE HAVE HAD RAIN ALL DAY!
its forcast for the rest of the night and tomorrow, easing thursday, so hopefully it will help the farmers up here and the people on tank water supply.
the paper came today, it said its been 7 months now since we have had any substantial rain! thats a LONG time.
juliewn,
Apr 27, 2:33am
That's awesome you're having rain there. I hope it continues. Seven months. wow, that's a long time.
It's been raining here since last night too - I went out in the drizzle just before dark - thankful for the outside lights I had fitted when building the house, and planted two pear trees, a grapefruit, orange and lemonade trees, and a persimmon tree. the rain is watering them in beautifully for me. Got soaked, pleased with having them planted though.
It's so nice to hear the rain on the roof too. we've had our kitten since the end of October - the first heavy-ish rain was this morning, she was frightened by the loud sound on the roof - hasn't heard it like that till now, something for her to get used to.
Re the choko's, have you grown one before! If not, you'll probably find that one planted will be plenty - they produce bountifully, and the plants are very strong and will continue growing - they're affected by frosts, however come away easily in spring.
If you don't have access to choko's, there's a stall just up the street from me here where they're sold each year - I could pick one up to send to you. let me know if this would help. They're also sold at the Farmer's Market here.
jules.,
Apr 27, 5:16am
i planted another crop of spuds 2 weeks ago, and the blimmen things have not come up, they did this last time too. when i went looking they had turned to mush in the ground. not too impressed. the seedlings are doing really well with all this rain though.
jules.,
Apr 27, 5:17am
what a great time to get the trees in the ground, you must have quite an orchard by now :)
I havnt grown chokos before, but my nan always had them and we have them growing over the water tanks at the family bach. But the bach is 2 1/2 hours further up north so we dont get there often. Thanks for the offer, I will keep it in mind. I will try to get to our farmers market on the weekend to see if I can find any there. The grower (if any) may have some handy tips too.
I have seen a trader on TM selling 2 seed chokos that are apparently sprouting at the moment. If I got them now I would have to keep them in doors over the winter so as not to kill them with frost like you mentioned. I was told the chooks love them and I like them too.
Im sure I can see the veges growing with the rain today, its eased now, but 1 day of rain, WOW, what a difference its made! Maybe the cracks in the lawn will start to close too.
stevee6,
Apr 27, 5:17pm
Jules - have you tried planting them on sand! That would give them better drainage perhaps.
stevee6,
Apr 27, 11:57pm
And yet another bump - useful thread this!
jules.,
Apr 28, 12:13am
i have had a few crops now, i just think the spuds i was using are past it.
juliewn,
Apr 28, 8:15am
Hi - sorry for not replying earlier as we've been away farewelling my Son on his return to Canada. we planned new gardens while he was home, and he bought me a plant on the day he left. it's his favourite plant he said - a "Plectranthus Mona Lavender" - "Dark green fuzzy foliage is a rich purple when turned over. Lower spikes are covered with dark lavender florette's. Excellent accent plant, patio and mixed container plant." It's gorgeous. and the thing is, I'm gonna have to start a new garden to fit it in! lol.
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