tomatoes
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Post by tomatoes on Feb 8, 2020 19:26:41 GMT 10
View Attachment Pontiac potatoes performed well again this year - these are tubers from a single plant. About 10 years of systematic experimentation with this and about a dozen other varieties has convinced me that this is the variety with the best combination of yield, reliability and eating qualities for my location and soil type. It also stores pretty well. View AttachmentMy favorite summer green to grow. Asian water spinach. Got it growing in an old recycling crate with a 5cm thick layer of folded shadecloth in the bottom for drainage and 3/4 filled with drift soil enriched with composted chicken manure. Gets a liquid feed of urea, Ammonium sulfate and magnesium sulfate once a week to keep it nice and lush and green. All that green in the picture is just 16 days of growth. I cut it off about 10cm high and its back to 40cm in 2 weeks. Watering is easy - I just put a layer of water 3-4cm deep every second day. Being a water plant this will also grow in fully flooded soil. Birds love it - hence the netting to keep it covered. Thanks for the detailed description. I’m interested in growing the Asian water spinach, but I have some questions: 1) are seeds easily available? Online or will Bunnings have them? 2) by “recycling crate” do you mean a solid walls and bottom black tub? 3) what is drift soil? 4) how do you use it in cooking? What is the flavour like? 5) how long does it grow for? How many times can you cut them back for regrowing? When is the best time to start the plant? Sun? Shade? |
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Post by spinifex on Feb 9, 2020 8:13:07 GMT 10
I got the seeds from bunnings. At the end of summer I will let a few stems from a few different plants go to seed and keep my own.
Solid black tub with a single 2cm drainage hole drilled into the bottom side wall at one end.
In rural areas if you take a look at old paddock fences you might notice the ground has a slight up-sloping to it closer to the wire. Might be just 20cm or so over a couple of metres - quite subtle. That bit of raised material is deposits of wind eroded topsoil (often from a long time ago) that has really excellent potting soil properties. Holds water and nutrients like a sponge but still drains ok without setting hard. Not to be confused with drift sand which is no good at all. Access to old drift soil is easy here as it is found almost everywhere along roadsides. I don't like commercial potting mixes because they tend to be a mix of sand and sawdust with a bit of compost and they lose fertility and become physically hostile over the course of a year or two.
I use it in asian soups and stir-frys. The bigger leaves substitute for lettuce in a sandwich. Mild taste that substitutes for baby english spinach or a migionette lettuce. I prefer it to either. Remove leaves from stems and cook the stems for a few minutes until the soften. The leaf cooks instantly as it is very soft. Stir it through a dish just before serving.
I think I planted mine in early september. 6 seeds. 4 germinated. developed very slow until November at which point they really took off. They are actually a vine in same family as morning glory. I've cut them back several times already - and unlike some greens that get bitter notes when you repeatedly cut them ... water spinach does not. Mine get afternoon shade and are well protected from wind. They love heat but hate wind. Also they grow back so fast after cutting that its important to put a small amount of soluble fert in the water at least once a week when irrigating. Otherwise they leaves come back a bit spindly and yellowed for lack of nutrient. Little bits often is better than a big dose of fert at once as this ups the risk of leaf scorch (I made that error after my first harvest). No pests have attacked it yet except sparrows and the odd brown snail.
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tomatoes
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Post by tomatoes on Feb 9, 2020 8:21:09 GMT 10
I got the seeds from bunnings. At the end of summer I will let a few stems from a few different plants go to seed and keep my own. Solid black tub with a single 2cm drainage hole drilled into the bottom side wall at one end. In rural areas if you take a look at old paddock fences you might notice the ground has a slight up-sloping to it closer to the wire. Might be just 20cm or so over a couple of metres - quite subtle. That bit of raised material is deposits of wind eroded topsoil (often from a long time ago) that has really excellent potting soil properties. Holds water and nutrients like a sponge but still drains ok without setting hard. Not to be confused with drift sand which is no good at all. Access to old drift soil is easy here as it is found almost everywhere along roadsides. I don't like commercial potting mixes because they tend to be a mix of sand and sawdust with a bit of compost and they lose fertility and become physically hostile over the course of a year or two. I use it in asian soups and stir-frys. The bigger leaves substitute for lettuce in a sandwich. Mild taste that substitutes for baby english spinach or a migionette lettuce. I prefer it to either. Remove leaves from stems and cook the stems for a few minutes until the soften. The leaf cooks instantly as it is very soft. Stir it through a dish just before serving. I think I planted mine in early september. 6 seeds. 4 germinated. developed very slow until November at which point they really took off. They are actually a vine in same family as morning glory. I've cut them back several times already - and unlike some greens that get bitter notes when you repeatedly cut them ... water spinach does not. Mine get afternoon shade and are well protected from wind. They love heat but hate wind. Also they grow back so fast after cutting that its important to put a small amount of soluble fert in the water at least once a week when irrigating. Otherwise they leaves come back a bit spindly and yellowed for lack of nutrient. Little bits often is better than a big dose of fert at once as this ups the risk of leaf scorch (I made that error after my first harvest). No pests have attacked it yet except sparrows and the odd brown snail. Thank you. That’s very helpful. What would you use for potting mix if you couldn’t get drift soil? |
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Post by spinifex on Feb 9, 2020 8:47:16 GMT 10
Hmmm ... I'd rather go on a long-ish drive into the country and collect the drift as it really is worth it ... however:
Buy the finest grain sand you can find (perhaps pool filter sand?) then get a bag of pure bentonite cat litter from the supermarket. seive dry bentonite onto dry sand and mix thoroughly. Probably looking at a 1cm thick layer of bentonite on top of a 30-40 cm deep layer of sand in a tub. Too much bentonite and the sand can hard-set after being watered. Then add a good 5cm thick layer of composted manure or home made compost and mix that through as well. After that, water it all down with a fairly high rate liquid fertiliser + trace elements. Those nutrients will load up onto the added bentonite and make a slow release fertiliser. If you skip this step the bentonite will actually steal nutrients out of the compost leaving the plants a bit short.
Perhaps try a few different small, measured ratios of sand and kitty litter to find a mix that doesn't glug up when watered and set hard when dry before doing any bigger batches.
I just had a look at the kitty litter at woolworths and their 'own brand' stuff in the dark green bags is 100% Bentonite clay.
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Post by herbgarden on Feb 9, 2020 13:00:00 GMT 10
In rural areas if you take a look at old paddock fences you might notice the ground has a slight up-sloping to it closer to the wire. Might be just 20cm or so over a couple of metres - quite subtle. That bit of raised material is deposits of wind eroded topsoil (often from a long time ago) that has really excellent potting soil properties. Holds water and nutrients like a sponge but still drains ok without setting hard. Not to be confused with drift sand which is no good at all. Access to old drift soil is easy here as it is found almost everywhere along roadsides. I don't like commercial potting mixes because they tend to be a mix of sand and sawdust with a bit of compost and they lose fertility and become physically hostile over the course of a year or two. I use it in asian soups and stir-frys. The bigger leaves substitute for lettuce in a sandwich. Mild taste that substitutes for baby english spinach or a migionette lettuce. I prefer it to either. Remove leaves from stems and cook the stems for a few minutes until the soften. The leaf cooks instantly as it is very soft. Stir it through a dish just before serving. My brain didn't separate those two sentences and I was like "wait, he uses the topsoil in stir fries?" Can't even blame lack of caffeine.
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tomatoes
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Post by tomatoes on Feb 9, 2020 14:57:33 GMT 10
.....I don't like commercial potting mixes because they tend to be a mix of sand and sawdust with a bit of compost and they lose fertility and become physically hostile over the course of a year or two. I use it in asian soups and stir-frys. ..... My brain didn't separate those two sentences and I was like "wait, he uses the topsoil in stir fries?" Can't even blame lack of caffeine.
I did that first too! |
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Post by spinifex on Feb 16, 2020 11:24:12 GMT 10
     1. Garden ready for Autumn planting which will happen next weekend. The lazerlite structure is to keep my delicious Taiwanese eggplants going through to next spring. They've not grown as much as they should have this summer ... still only about 30cm tall. I've given them some tech-grade MAP and a week later a complete trace element mix so waiting to see if they respond. 2. A most excellent crop of French beans. I kept a lot of seed from these to sow an autumn crop next week and also next years crops. Will have to get into bottling them as the harvest is huge but short lived. I think climbing beans which have a long drawn out harvest period are better. 3. The experimental crop of Spring sown peas protected with heavy shade cloth lean-to did well. Plenty of pods. 4. The greenhouse is about due for the end of summer clean out. Lemon grass on the right, lemon verbena on the left, a Quinoa plant (self sown) in front of the roof prop, Rose scented geranium (a great desert flavouring) behind the roof prop. Also some basil and thai eggplants hidden in there somewhere on the left. 5. Hidden by the lemon grass in the previous pic were 6 bullhorn capsicum plants. This was first harvest. They have been pickled in Vacola jars. Have had another harvest the same size as this since. Looks like one more harvest left on the plants still and I have let them ripen right through to red colour. |
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Post by milspec on Feb 16, 2020 19:04:31 GMT 10
1. Garden ready for Autumn planting which will happen next weekend. The lazerlite structure is to keep my delicious Taiwanese eggplants going through to next spring. They've not grown as much as they should have this summer ... still only about 30cm tall. I've given them some tech-grade MAP and a week later a complete trace element mix so waiting to see if they respond. 2. A most excellent crop of French beans. I kept a lot of seed from these to sow an autumn crop next week and also next years crops. Will have to get into bottling them as the harvest is huge but short lived. I think climbing beans which have a long drawn out harvest period are better. 3. The experimental crop of Spring sown peas protected with heavy shade cloth lean-to did well. Plenty of pods. 4. The greenhouse is about due for the end of summer clean out. Lemon grass on the right, lemon verbena on the left, a Quinoa plant (self sown) in front of the roof prop, Rose scented geranium (a great desert flavouring) behind the roof prop. Also some basil and thai eggplants hidden in there somewhere on the left. 5. Hidden by the lemon grass in the previous pic were 6 bullhorn capsicum plants. This was first harvest. They have been pickled in Vacola jars. Have had another harvest the same size as this since. Looks like one more harvest left on the plants still and I have let them ripen right through to red colour. I took a cue from you and cleared out our veggie garden this weekend too. What are you planting for autumn? |
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Post by spinifex on Feb 17, 2020 19:29:43 GMT 10
I put in a double row of french beans this afternoon. With the warm soil they should grow rapidly be ready for harvest late April/early May.
This weekend I'll do a row of snow peas (first pick should be April and they should go until late september) and 4 rows of greenfeast peas which I hope to harvest in may/june.
I'll double sow at least 1 bed of peas with red globe radishes.
I'll put out some Daikon as well. Mostly for seed. I think I ate too many last year ...
Come late March I'll probably put in some brocolli for the first time in 5 years. But that depends on the density of cabbage butterfly and Plutella. It aint worth my time fighting them in bad years and summer rains we just had will stoke up the summer weeds that support those pests across huge areas. My hope is that it was so dry for so long before the rains that the pests will take a good while to build their numbers.
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Post by spinifex on Apr 13, 2020 9:35:53 GMT 10
     1. The time of year for collecting some raw ecklonia kelp. Direct off the beach, partly dried, full of sand and salt. 2. After a rinsing process in fresh water it rehydrates and bulks up again. Multiple buckets of fresh water required. 3. surface application to a bed of pontiac potatoes - worms will come up from below and consume it with gusto. 4. Things have advanced since february. right front is green beans, taiwanese eggplants between lazerlite sheets, 6 rows of greenfeast peas in background, 1 row of snowpeas to the right in background (double sown with daikon which are now 30cm high and starting to fill out the roots. On extreme right, nearly hidden, is a row of carrots which I think I planted last october/november - now harvesting. 5. A bit of stuff from the garden. The purple aggplants are the Taiwanese variety - very nice eating. |
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Post by spinifex on May 13, 2020 16:55:31 GMT 10
It's taken a long time but I think I have mastered the art of growing peas at my current home block. A month on and I'm looking at the earliest and highest yielding pea crop in 15 years. First three rows are about stomach high and 60cm wide of solid pea vine loaded with heaps of pods. The back row is 6ft tall with another 2ft of 'flop over' of the tops where they ran out of trellis. (click to enlarge)  |
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dirtdiva
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Post by dirtdiva on Jul 5, 2020 12:21:38 GMT 10
Pic 1 is the style of shade lean-to I use on my lettuce rows in summer to keep them soft and plump and free of sunburn. Pic 2 is my pineapple - they grow surprisingly well at the Port lincoln/Adelaide latitude. It's growing in a 100l pot made from cutting a blue 200l drum in half. I can't get pines to grow direct in the ground here despite several attempts. They have to be in pots in a spot that gets sun all day long. Pic 3 is my potato patch - the laserlite sheets help build heat and cut wind so the canopy development is more vigorous. That makes for more and bigger tubers at the end. Pic 4 is my liquid kelp fertiliser/conditioner setup. This stuff is rocket fuel for gardens. Pic 5 shows the horizontal tomato trellis I use. Tomatos are a sprawling plant - not a climber. Why fight nature? This way the canopy stays a foot off the ground, plenty of air underneath to minimise disease and plenty of leaf cover for the fruit so they don't get burned in the hot weather. As you can see by bottles I used to do 5 plants on the 3 metre trellis but have since dropped to 3. Hopefully some of these approaches might be useful for others. If I can promote a single peice of gardening advice it's this: build yourself a greenhouse! Mine cost about $200 in laserlite and timber, is still going strong after 10 years and paid for itself in the value of fresh herbs in its first year. Wow! Beautiful. Did you find an increase in production growing tomatoes horizontally as opposed to vertically? |
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Post by spinifex on Jul 5, 2020 15:39:21 GMT 10
Thanks DD.
Yes. I get more 'marketable' fruit growing them horizontal because I can protect them from sunburn and wind better. Main thing I find is that it just takes away so much of the work out of growing them. No pruning, no tying etc.
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dirtdiva
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Post by dirtdiva on Jul 5, 2020 16:09:52 GMT 10
Thanks DD. Yes. I get more 'marketable' fruit growing them horizontal because I can protect them from sunburn and wind better. Main thing I find is that it just takes away so much of the work out of growing them. No pruning, no tying etc. I have got to try this! I have learned something today |
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dirtdiva
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Post by dirtdiva on Jul 7, 2020 21:40:06 GMT 10
Thanks DD. Yes. I get more 'marketable' fruit growing them horizontal because I can protect them from sunburn and wind better. Main thing I find is that it just takes away so much of the work out of growing them. No pruning, no tying etc. Determinate or indeterminate plants? |
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Post by spinifex on Jul 8, 2020 17:11:19 GMT 10
Indeterminate. I just snake the vines up and back along the wire as much as possible. In a good year we harvest good fruit from late december to may.
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Post by spinifex on Feb 28, 2021 16:08:11 GMT 10
Its been a while since I've tested any new concepts to see how they go at my location. I even gave my usual summer garden a miss this year. My Asian Water Spinach is in its second year of harvest, having regenerated after winter. I lost one of the five plants growing in the tub but the remaining 4 still generate enough greens to be able to harvest a bunch like this once a week. Was a weird season for stone fruit. Everything ripened early and dropped off the tree much, much faster than usual. The Apricot harvest was mostly turned into sun-dried fruit leather. I planted a Taiwanese eggplant in a 20L bucket on 2nd January ... but its been so cold this summer it has hardly grown. I will see if it can survive the winter and produce fruit next spring/summer. This is my latest project - a 1 square metre by 0.5 metre deep tub of my finest drift soil. Today I planted it with coriander, radish and daikon. Intersted to see how it performs. There is an identical tub next to it that contains a raspberry bramble ... and that is growing like jacks magic beanstalk. Not producing much fruit for its size though ... so will have to research why that is the case. I suspect the soil is too rich in nitrogen.     |
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dirtdiva
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Post by dirtdiva on Mar 1, 2021 2:25:24 GMT 10
Does Asian Water Spinach taste like regular annual spinach? Unfamiliar with this plant.
I keep hearing your reference to drift soil. Can you explain drift soil please.
The fruit leather looks great.
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Post by spinifex on Mar 1, 2021 19:29:46 GMT 10
Water spinach is superior to english spinach, silver beet and various other greens.
The best way to describe drift soil would be to say its like dry river silt. Not sandy, not clayey and loaded with nutrient from dry powdered manure.
Its basically deposits of wind eroded soil.
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tomatoes
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Post by tomatoes on Mar 7, 2021 20:05:50 GMT 10
Water spinach is superior to english spinach, silver beet and various other greens... How do you grow it? Did some googling re water spinach. Everything I came across said it was good. Found a gardening Australia bit on growing it - in a tub of water. www.abc.net.au/gardening/factsheets/growing-kangkong/9432670 |
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