Has anyone in the cooler areas managed to do any spring planting of veg yet,
and if so, how is it going?

FarmI wrote:
Has anyone in the cooler areas managed to do any spring planting of
veg yet, and if so, how is it going?

I am not sure if I am in a cooler area, probably not. I have four trays of
seeds planted for transplantables and I will put non-transplantables in
ground today. The latter is taking a chance that there will not be a late
frost to knock the shoots off the taters. It is 30 degrees here right now
and I am watering gardens already. There is still quite a lot of moisture
in the subsoil but the top has started to dry out from the hot westerly
winds so a good shower would be handy.

David

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
FarmI wrote:
Has anyone in the cooler areas managed to do any spring planting of
veg yet, and if so, how is it going?

I am not sure if I am in a cooler area, probably not. I have four trays
of seeds planted for transplantables and I will put non-transplantables in
ground today. The latter is taking a chance that there will not be a late
frost to knock the shoots off the taters. It is 30 degrees here right
now and I am watering gardens already. There is still quite a lot of
moisture in the subsoil but the top has started to dry out from the hot
westerly winds so a good shower would be handy.

Bloody heck! 30 degrees! It got to about 12 here today.

And yes, some rain would be very nice. I have a couple of lettuces in but
that is all. The rest are sitting around waiting for some more warmth.

Ah well, ever hopeful for some signs of spring (even though one of the
garden centres already has tomatoes in stock - wonder how many of them will
end up going to God rather than growing to fruition).

In article 4a91f237$0$28355$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-
01.iinet.net.au, ask@itshall said...
Has anyone in the cooler areas managed to do any spring planting of veg yet,
and if so, how is it going?

I've planted mostly kale, spinach, cabbage and leek about six weeks ago
- I also helped them along by protecting them with plastic covers, which
also deals with the huge winds we get (and are getting) here. Weeks of
rain also means no frosts for quite some time and warmer than usual
temps.

At the moment I'm on a big fruit tree and natives planting spree... only
about another 400 trees and shrubs to go

Oh, N.E Tas here, btw.

"Jeßus" wrote in message
01.iinet.net.au, ask@itshall said...
Has anyone in the cooler areas managed to do any spring planting of veg
yet,
and if so, how is it going?

I've planted mostly kale, spinach, cabbage and leek about six weeks ago
- I also helped them along by protecting them with plastic covers, which
also deals with the huge winds we get (and are getting) here. Weeks of
rain also means no frosts for quite some time and warmer than usual
temps.

In that case, I'll get my Kale planting into the ground today.

and those winds have been shocking. I thought they'd take the roof off the
house the other night.

At the moment I'm on a big fruit tree and natives planting spree... only
about another 400 trees and shrubs to go

Slow and steady there - no use busting a woofer valve to get them all into
the ground. Last year Himself planted a long shelter belt with minor
assistance on my part and I can't believe how well they are all doing. We
had a dry summer last year and so we ripped up a lot of irrigation pipes
we'd put on another shelter belt we put in one of the paddock about 10
years ago and gave the new trees some minor irrigation over summer. Even
that minor assitance has them leaping out of their bark.

Oh, N.E Tas here, btw.

Aaah! God's own.

In article 4a95e2e0$0$28386$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-
01.iinet.net.au, ask@itshall said...
"Jeßus" wrote in message
01.iinet.net.au, ask@itshall said...
Has anyone in the cooler areas managed to do any spring planting of veg
yet,
and if so, how is it going?

I've planted mostly kale, spinach, cabbage and leek about six weeks ago
- I also helped them along by protecting them with plastic covers, which
also deals with the huge winds we get (and are getting) here. Weeks of
rain also means no frosts for quite some time and warmer than usual
temps.

In that case, I'll get my Kale planting into the ground today.

I hope it works for you as it did I...

and those winds have been shocking. I thought they'd take the roof off the
house the other night.

At the moment I'm on a big fruit tree and natives planting spree... only
about another 400 trees and shrubs to go

Slow and steady there - no use busting a woofer valve to get them all into
the ground. Last year Himself planted a long shelter belt with minor
assistance on my part and I can't believe how well they are all doing. We
had a dry summer last year and so we ripped up a lot of irrigation pipes
we'd put on another shelter belt we put in one of the paddock about 10
years ago and gave the new trees some minor irrigation over summer. Even
that minor assitance has them leaping out of their bark.

Good to hear. I'm still learning the climate here - last summer was
quite dry - quite a lot drier than I was expecting, meaning I'll
probably need to drip irrigate the fruit trees.

All the locals say the weather is changing.
Then again, thats what you hear everywhere else as well.

Oh, N.E Tas here, btw.

Aaah! God's own.

I like to think so, which is why I bought this property last year

The frosts can be (and are) brutal here - bad news for the garden (well,
some of it at least), but I do love going out at daybreak during a good
frost - everything is crisp and still.

Where are you located again?

"Jeßus" wrote in message
Slow and steady there - no use busting a woofer valve to get them all into
the ground. Last year Himself planted a long shelter belt with minor
assistance on my part and I can't believe how well they are all doing. We
had a dry summer last year and so we ripped up a lot of irrigation pipes
we'd put on another shelter belt we put in one of the paddock about 10
years ago and gave the new trees some minor irrigation over summer. Even
that minor assitance has them leaping out of their bark.

Good to hear. I'm still learning the climate here - last summer was
quite dry - quite a lot drier than I was expecting, meaning I'll
probably need to drip irrigate the fruit trees.
_______________________________________
An elderly friend, aged 75, bought a bare 5 acre block with just a house and
shed on it 5 years ago. It's not good land at all, the soil being pale,
stony and not attractive at all. He's spent the last 5 years planting and
now I simply cannot believe the growth he's managed to achieve.

He is very good about watering and uses a big trailer with those 3 of those
200 litre ex chemical tanks in the metal cages to water with. He trundles
off to the river, pumps the tansk full and then goes back and gives each
tree about 20 litres of water at a go.

The old bugger really is quite inspiring.
__________________________________
All the locals say the weather is changing.
Then again, thats what you hear everywhere else as well.
___________________________________________
but you can't knock the local knowledge. I've lived in this region since
1968 and the summer storms we used to get are well and truly a thing off the
past.

We also used to get afternoon breezes in summer here which would drop the
temps here by 10 degrees C within a half hour space of time. They were as
regualr as clockwork and you knew it was around 4.00pm when the wind from
the west stopped and 10 minutes later it started blowing from the east. Not
any more. We got a toal of 2 breezes all through summer last year whereas
years ago you'd comment if you got 2 days when the breeze didn't come, now
we comment if we do get it.

Oh, N.E Tas here, btw.

Aaah! God's own.

I like to think so, which is why I bought this property last year
__________________________________________
We love Tassie but it's too far from rels and granchildren in reality. But
we still to with the idea.

Husband witters on and on about the C515 (out from Longford) and how he'd
like to live on it. We were driving along it and he'd said to me that he'd
love to be driving his Riley along it. Not 2 minutes later a Riley of the
exact same model as his came towards us from the other direction. Could
have knocked us down with a feather.
_______________________________________

The frosts can be (and are) brutal here - bad news for the garden (well,
some of it at least), but I do love going out at daybreak during a good
frost - everything is crisp and still.

Where are you located again?
________________________________
NSW south east at about 800 M - cold and frosty in winter, hot and dry in
summer.

"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote in message
...
Has anyone in the cooler areas managed to do any spring planting of veg
yet, and if so, how is it going?

i've just been away for a while *, but before i went i put in some spinach,
radishes, & something else i can't quite recall (tee hee, i'll recognise it
again when it's bigger though) & they all came up though they are still wee,
plus some snow peas & broad beans, which most assuredly haven't come up yet.
(i'm not sure why the b. beans & peas are not up!!)

was going to do some lettuce, carrots & so forth fairly soon, as well as
some potatoes. it seems to me my potatoes take so long to come up that i
don't really need to worry about frost - it'll be 5 or 6 weeks at least,
until they show themselves!! (everything is so sodding SLOW at my house!)

i also put the usual brassicas (to which i am sadly addicted) in punnets a
few weeks ago & they're fine, just waiting for some more warmth before they
really get a go on i think, so i can plant them out when they're bigger & i
get to it. hurrah!

what i am NOT going to do this year: plant summer stuff out early. i think
everyone just gets so excited & can't wait but i've realised it's simply not
worth the trouble of doing beans or toms or basil or whatnot when the soil
is just too cold. since i am not the type who can be arsed with covers & all
that, i'll just wait & amuse myself with house repairs, & maybe get some
ornamental cuttings going, as i love doing that but did none last year.

anyway, where i was, the elevated area of north eastern nsw, it's just
awful. some of it is probably the end-of-winter effect, everything just
looking yellow & nasty before spring hits in all its glory, but considering
the floods they had only recently it seems awfully dry to me, & it was quite
hot too (i was glad i packed my thongs). maybe someone from up there has an
opinion on this? the other thing that gets me about that area is the farmers
are still as keen as mustard on burning off the sugar cane (and everything
else they can set light to, it seems to me), & i just DON'T GET IT. it has
occurred to me in the past that when people live somewhere naturally
incredibly fertile, they develop abusive farming practices & don't want to
stop even once it starts hurting them, whereas round here it can be fairly
hard going at the best of times, so farmers are always willing to try more
progressive practices.

enough of my opinions. happy spring, everyone! :-)
kylie
* while i was away, the peach trees have blossomed, which was a lovely
present for me upon my return. they are so beautiful! i was really enjoying
all the wattles during the southern parts of the trip, too. lovely!

In article 4a977965$0$28353$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-
01.iinet.net.au, ask@itshall said...
:"Jeßus" wrote in message
: Slow and steady there - no use busting a woofer valve to get them all into
: the ground. Last year Himself planted a long shelter belt with minor
: assistance on my part and I can't believe how well they are all doing. We
: had a dry summer last year and so we ripped up a lot of irrigation pipes
: we'd put on another shelter belt we put in one of the paddock about 10
: years ago and gave the new trees some minor irrigation over summer. Even
: that minor assitance has them leaping out of their bark.
:
:Good to hear. I'm still learning the climate here - last summer was
:quite dry - quite a lot drier than I was expecting, meaning I'll
robably need to drip irrigate the fruit trees.
:_______________________________________
:An elderly friend, aged 75, bought a bare 5 acre block with just a house and
:shed on it 5 years ago. It's not good land at all, the soil being pale,
:stony and not attractive at all. He's spent the last 5 years planting and
:now I simply cannot believe the growth he's managed to achieve.
:
:He is very good about watering and uses a big trailer with those 3 of those
:200 litre ex chemical tanks in the metal cages to water with. He trundles
ff to the river, pumps the tansk full and then goes back and gives each
:tree about 20 litres of water at a go.
:
:The old bugger really is quite inspiring.

Its always surprising what you can achieve. Aboutt 25 years ago I lived
ona pretty barren block south of Darwin. The well would run dry after
about 10 minutes of pumping with a pretty small pump, so water was
scarce. Despite that, I had close to a quarter acre of veggies. Took a
lot to get there, the main thing was to cut down on evaporation by wind.
:__________________________________
:All the locals say the weather is changing.
:Then again, thats what you hear everywhere else as well.
:___________________________________________
:but you can't knock the local knowledge. I've lived in this region since
:1968 and the summer storms we used to get are well and truly a thing off the
ast.
:
:We also used to get afternoon breezes in summer here which would drop the
:temps here by 10 degrees C within a half hour space of time. They were as
:regualr as clockwork and you knew it was around 4.00pm when the wind from
:the west stopped and 10 minutes later it started blowing from the east. Not
:any more. We got a toal of 2 breezes all through summer last year whereas
:years ago you'd comment if you got 2 days when the breeze didn't come, now
:we comment if we do get it.
:
: Oh, N.E Tas here, btw.
:
: Aaah! God's own.
:
:I like to think so, which is why I bought this property last year
:__________________________________________
:We love Tassie but it's too far from rels and granchildren in reality. But
:we still to with the idea.
:
:Husband witters on and on about the C515 (out from Longford) and how he'd
:like to live on it. We were driving along it and he'd said to me that he'd
:love to be driving his Riley along it. Not 2 minutes later a Riley of the
:exact same model as his came towards us from the other direction. Could
:have knocked us down with a feather.



That's a nice area. Then again, there's lots of nice areas in Tassie.
There are only two areas I know I wouldn't like to live, and they are
Launceston and Hobart - purely because it's high density/suburban, which
I don't think I could handle for too long.
____________________________________
:
:The frosts can be (and are) brutal here - bad news for the garden (well,
:some of it at least), but I do love going out at daybreak during a good
:frost - everything is crisp and still.
:
:Where are you located again?
:________________________________
:NSW south east at about 800 M - cold and frosty in winter, hot and dry in
:summer.

Sounds a little like here, although if last summer is anything to go by,
is relatively mild. We did have a 43C one day, but wasn't so bad due to
the lack of humidity.