Farm1 wrote:
What are you planting in the veggie garden at this point in time?

Potatoes, spring onions, lettuce, capsicum, chinese cabbage.

self sown; borage, capsicum/chillies(?), spinach (oodles)

In article ,
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote:

I put in a whole tray of beetroot seed this morning - dunno if they'll
be any good as the seed was rather old. I soaked then overnight so
we'll soon see.

I find them pretty forgiving -- hope you get plenty.


Will have to wait a bit longer for the eggplant seedlings.

What sort are you planting - the big purple ones or the smaller ones?

Mixed Heirlooms from Diggers. Be interesting to see if the orange one comes
up.

I've only ever been good with Scarlet Runners (and who can fail with
them?) but beans aren't a big item in this house as only one of us
will eat them.

cough *I* have failed with Scarlet Runners; Sydney is too humid for them, I
suspect.

I use this guide:
http://www.global-garden.com.au/plnttemp.htm

Interesting but it doesn't allow for variations for climate conditons.
For eg, there is no way I could plant pumpkins of any vairety now and
expect a crop before frosts.

It's a bit out for me too. I've worked out I would have to plant Brussels
Sprouts in December in order to get a crop, which means nursing them through a
Sydney summer... no point, which is a pity, because a fresh Brussels Sprout is
a thing of beauty and a joy forever :-)

GG have other planting guides -- would you perhaps be in the Cool zone, like
Ant? (Forgotten where you are, if I ever knew.)

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

"Chookie" wrote in message
In article
,
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote:

I put in a whole tray of beetroot seed this morning - dunno if
they'll
be any good as the seed was rather old. I soaked then overnight
so
we'll soon see.

I find them pretty forgiving -- hope you get plenty.

There would be well over a hundred seeds in this seed tray, so if I
only get 10%, I think I'll have more than enough. If the lot come up,
I'll be looking for volunteers!

Will have to wait a bit longer for the eggplant seedlings.

What sort are you planting - the big purple ones or the smaller
ones?

Mixed Heirlooms from Diggers. Be interesting to see if the orange
one comes
up.

Can you report back on how these go please? I think we all should do
more of that here on a regular basis as sometimes it's really hard to
know which producers sell good seed and which regions they do well in.

I've only ever been good with Scarlet Runners (and who can fail
with
them?) but beans aren't a big item in this house as only one of us
will eat them.

cough *I* have failed with Scarlet Runners; Sydney is too humid
for them, I
suspect.

You could be right in that. I know that they do well in most inland
gardens and the coast is more humid.

I use this guide:
http://www.global-garden.com.au/plnttemp.htm

Interesting but it doesn't allow for variations for climate
conditons.
For eg, there is no way I could plant pumpkins of any vairety now
and
expect a crop before frosts.

It's a bit out for me too. I've worked out I would have to plant
Brussels
Sprouts in December in order to get a crop, which means nursing them
through a
Sydney summer... no point, which is a pity, because a fresh Brussels
Sprout is
a thing of beauty and a joy forever :-)

Not many people think that - I do too but it's the same with poor old
parsnips which most people hate. Fresh parsnip is devine (salivate,
salivate).

GG have other planting guides -- would you perhaps be in the Cool
zone, like
Ant? (Forgotten where you are, if I ever knew.)

Not too far from Ant - within several bull's roar of the ACT.
Speaking of Ant, where has he been of late, I wonder.

"Terryc" wrote in message

om.au...
Farm1 wrote:
What are you planting in the veggie garden at this point in time?

Potatoes, spring onions, lettuce, capsicum, chinese cabbage.

self sown; borage, capsicum/chillies(?), spinach (oodles)

:-)) I actually really like all the volunteer plants that come up -
they so often do much better than the carefully planted ones.

In article ,
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote:

Mixed Heirlooms from Diggers. Be interesting to see if the orange
one comes
up.

Can you report back on how these go please? I think we all should do
more of that here on a regular basis as sometimes it's really hard to
know which producers sell good seed and which regions they do well in.

Sure. I find that because Diggers are Victorian, they think in terms of
Mediterranean climate patterns. My heat and cool zone numbers per Diggers
theoretically allow me to plant peonies, for example -- but no, they don't
cope with our humid summers. Sometimes I find the packet planting guide a bit
out, but I generally find their seeds reliable.

Not many people think that - I do too but it's the same with poor old
parsnips which most people hate. Fresh parsnip is devine (salivate,
salivate).

I have them coming up by themselves now! Yum!

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

"Chookie" wrote in message
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote:

Mixed Heirlooms from Diggers. Be interesting to see if the
orange
one comes
up.

Can you report back on how these go please? I think we all should
do
more of that here on a regular basis as sometimes it's really hard
to
know which producers sell good seed and which regions they do well
in.

Sure. I find that because Diggers are Victorian, they think in
terms of
Mediterranean climate patterns. My heat and cool zone numbers per
Diggers
theoretically allow me to plant peonies, for example -- but no, they
don't
cope with our humid summers.

It could perhaps be more to do with Sydney's lack of cold winters even
if they do succumb in the heat of summer???? Britain can be
incredibly humid (25 degrees there is worse than 40 here in inland NSW
because of the disgusting humidity) and they do well there.

I can grow brilliant paeony plants but I can't get the *******s to
flower and believe me, I've tried everything. Plant shallow, plant
deep, lots of manure, less manure, winter watering, little watering
(same for summer) lots of lime, no lime. I am so frustrated with
these sodding things.

I've seen stunnign ones half an hours drive from here, looking
neglected as did the rest of the garden and I've seen stunning oens
down at Nimmitabel but I just can't do it. Grrrrrrrr.

Sometimes I find the packet planting guide a bit
out, but I generally find their seeds reliable.

The only thing I object to about Diggers is the need to be a
subscriber/member. I love Heronswood but can't imagine living in such
a fishbowl environment and I've always found anythign I get from them
to be good quality too..

Not many people think that - I do too but it's the same with poor
old
parsnips which most people hate. Fresh parsnip is devine
(salivate,
salivate).

I have them coming up by themselves now! Yum!

Envy, envy!

Farm1 wrote:
"Chookie" wrote in message

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote:


Mixed Heirlooms from Diggers. Be interesting to see if the

orange

one comes

up.

Can you report back on how these go please? I think we all should

do

more of that here on a regular basis as sometimes it's really hard

to

know which producers sell good seed and which regions they do well

in.

Sure. I find that because Diggers are Victorian, they think in

terms of

Mediterranean climate patterns. My heat and cool zone numbers per

Diggers

theoretically allow me to plant peonies, for example -- but no, they

don't

cope with our humid summers.


It could perhaps be more to do with Sydney's lack of cold winters even
if they do succumb in the heat of summer???? Britain can be
incredibly humid (25 degrees there is worse than 40 here in inland NSW
because of the disgusting humidity) and they do well there.

I can grow brilliant paeony plants but I can't get the *******s to
flower and believe me, I've tried everything. Plant shallow, plant
deep, lots of manure, less manure, winter watering, little watering
(same for summer) lots of lime, no lime. I am so frustrated with
these sodding things.

I've seen stunnign ones half an hours drive from here, looking
neglected as did the rest of the garden and I've seen stunning oens
down at Nimmitabel but I just can't do it. Grrrrrrrr.

Sometimes I find the packet planting guide a bit

out, but I generally find their seeds reliable.


The only thing I object to about Diggers is the need to be a
subscriber/member. I love Heronswood but can't imagine living in such
a fishbowl environment and I've always found anythign I get from them
to be good quality too..

Not many people think that - I do too but it's the same with poor

old

parsnips which most people hate. Fresh parsnip is devine

(salivate,

salivate).

I have them coming up by themselves now! Yum!


Envy, envy!


Sometimes its just the local soils. Make sure they have plenty of trace
elements and the soils not too acid or alkaline. (Buy it at you local
nursery.)If you havent got a YATES gardening guide, get one. I liked the
very old ones (cause I'm very old? nearly 60)
And if it needs to be mollycoddled, work out where it came from, and
conditions, and other relative things. (play private eye) You'll be
amazed at what you find out over time.
And if it dies, it dies. Serves it right for being fussy. You've just
found another place for another plant which will do as you say....