Thank-you juliewn. I think I'll "thin" the fruit so i get a small feed and maybe a jar of jam.Apricot jam mmmmmmm my favourite
stevee6,
Aug 27, 8:33pm
Planted my tomato seeds this morning - nice and warm for them in the new shed and they've got a blanket of newspaper until they germinate. Meantime the colour is showing on the buds of my dwarf peach - it's going to be PINK! The first two asparagus tips showing too - I moved these roots from their old bed into a raised one only three weeks ago so it'll be interesting to see how they do. And the rhubarb is unfurling in its new spot too. I looooooooove my new raised beds - everything is so much easier to get to and the weeding is under control for the first time in my life!
drewboy,
Aug 27, 10:13pm
hi everyone. its a cracker of a day here today.my veggies are happily waving in the wind.the ones under cover are doing so well.I am going to try doing seeds for the first time, fingercrossed all goes well.My biggest problem is there is about 10 different tomato plants I want to grow LOL.all the differnt coloured ones and the ones recommended for pasta sauses and then the good eating ones.ghez, whats a girl to do LOL
stevee6,
Aug 27, 10:43pm
LOL Drewboy - I splashed out and bought about eight different varieties of heritage tomato seeds. I'll sell the excess at the local market though - should make a wee profit to spend on more plants!
whiskey13,
Aug 28, 2:54am
You should be safe if nothing popped up yet just have some frost cloth handy
whiskey13,
Aug 28, 3:10am
Thats great stevee I'm loving this warm weather we've been having. Everthing is starting to "come alive", it's great
drewboy,
Aug 28, 4:36am
We don't have any local markets in my area :(
jules.,
Aug 28, 4:37am
thanks, just wanted to know just in case, will be at least another week before they pop thru :)
juliewn,
Aug 28, 5:32am
Hi Drewboy. I just checked where you are. in Rotorua there's a market at Kuirau Park - we were there Saturday morning before last and I think it's a weekly market. there were stalls selling fruits, vegetables and plants. there are also markets at Ngongataha - I think monthly, where stalls are able to be held too. and there may well be Farmer's Markets somewhere in the city too, as they're increasing in many places now.
lythande1,
Aug 28, 3:16pm
The citrus won't.
drewboy,
Aug 28, 4:50pm
really!! Im actually out of rotorua in reporoa and rung the information centre months ago and they said they don't have anything like it.typical!.thanks for that
stevee6,
Aug 28, 6:28pm
Whiskey - it's amazing! I honestly think this spring is early though - my tulips are ready to flower and this usually doesn't happen until late September! But the plus is I've been able to start all sorts of seeds and as long as I keep an eye on the forecasts and protect them if it turns cold, we should do great this year.I love spring - easily my favourite season.
jules.,
Aug 28, 8:42pm
my daughter (7) and i have just come in from planting our seeds into the eggs trays. we planted cucumbers, capsicums, 3 types of tomatos, 2 types of corn & 3 types of lettuce. we have them on trays and have put them on the table by the warmest window in the house. they did really well there last year so we are hoping for the same results this time. its started raining now so when i get time to get out in the garden i will sow a row of carrots, raddish and chives aswell.
simplesean,
Aug 29, 1:22am
Has anyone got their email yet! my inbox is empty. :(
simplesean,
Aug 29, 1:37am
of course. as soon as i posted that, i got it
jules.,
Aug 29, 4:55am
am i behind the times! ahaha, have been reading all the wonderfull info from everyone. i have just signed up to receive the weekly email, sounds great. my kids and i have started by planting the large pots and planter troughs, we plan (if the weather lets us) to re do the smaller raised garden over the weekend and make a start on 'building' a new larger raised garden also. cant wait to get it going and eat all our yummy rewards! thanks again for all the great info and will keep an eye out for more :)
simplesean,
Aug 29, 8:39pm
Its a great day here today. warm & sunny i've been out and got a ute load of organic poultry compost and have been shovelling that all around the vege gardens. I wanted to go back and get more but the place was shut :(- It was pretty cheap, $10 a scoop, I got 2 scoops which went really far. It's all dark and crumbly and heats up well in the sun, so hopefully it makes things grow quicker.
whiskey13,
Aug 29, 10:53pm
I've got a choice of 3 places where i get freebie compost.Parents, in-laws, and friends, they all have some form of compost and/manure and all it costs me is a basket full of goodies at harvesting time.
jules.,
Aug 30, 4:03am
. i have a rabbit who keeps us going with his 'goodies'. i put the droppings in a bucket and let it fill with rain water and water it around the garden before watering with water, works a treat, the plants love it! also, all our food waste goes into the compost heap and we top with grass clippings. so all in all, our compost is cost free also :)
juliewn,
Aug 30, 4:48am
Hi Everyone. isn't it lovely to see the garden come to life, new growth is everywhere. including with what I think is a cherry tree that's growing from a seed that's ended up somehow in my garden. wish me luck! I must follow your examples and get some seeds sown to plant out when the weather is warmer. I've been learning about glasshouse growing - and thinking of trying that. Can I draw on your wisdom. seeds can be sown inside now, ready for later planting - could they also be sown in a glasshouse (without heating) now too. and if not now, when would the best time be to sow seeds in a glasshouse. I'm wondering about growing in soil (in the ground)inside the glasshouse, or of using pots there. Thanks for help.
juliewn,
Aug 30, 4:50am
I found a lovely book recently, in which is included "How pollen is carried from flower to flower' - it's something I've been thankful of bees and birds and other insects doing, and haven't really thought about just how it happens. The book is "Plants and Animals of New Zealand, by W. R. B. Oliver - September 1948.
juliewn,
Aug 30, 4:51am
How pollen is carried from flower to flower: "In order that the ovule, which is found in the ovary of the flower, may develop into a seed, it's egg or female cell must fuse with a male cell brought to it in a grain of pollen. The pollen is deposited on the sticky stigma of the flower and sends down a tube to one of the ovules in the ovary. One of the male cells in the pollen tube fuses with the egg cell which is then said to be fertilised and the ovule will now grow into a seed.
juliewn,
Aug 30, 4:51am
There are two methods by which pollen is carried from flower to flower. First, pollen may be blown by the wind. Plants which use this way of having their pollen carried usually produce large quantities of dry pollen. Pine trees and grasses are examples of such plants.
juliewn,
Aug 30, 4:52am
Secondly, pollen may be carried by animals. Insects visit flowers for food. Inside many flowers there is found a sweet sugary juice called nectar, and it is this that the insects seek. When sucking up the nectar from the flowers, some pollen is sure to stick to the insects body and so will be carried to another flower, where it may touch the sticky surface of the pistil. Bees carry large quantities of pollen on their legs. Some of this may be transferred from one flower to another as the bees move about seeking nectar. Pollen may be carried from flower to flower by birds. When a bird such as the Tui or Bellbird is sipping nectar, pollen often sticks to their feathers on the forehead and afterwards comes off when other flowers are visited. The flowers of the Flax, Kowhai, Rata and Fuchsia are visited by nectar feeding birds.
juliewn,
Aug 30, 4:52am
Thank goodness for those. birds, and bees.
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.