What veggies are you harvesting and sowing?

[bergs]

Hi All,

I just thought to ask what veges everyone is harvesting or sowing now.

This is the time of the year you can enjoy all of your hard work and reap the rewards from early Spring tasks, depending on your area.

The harvests from my garden are climbing beans, carrots, beetroot, spring onions, lettuce (Oak leaf etc. pick as it grows and doesn't take up as much room, self seeds everywhere and on hand most of the time), tomatoes are about to ripen, pumpkins nearly ready to store for drying, capsicum, chilies, rhubarb and  zucchinis are all doing well.

I don't do too bad considering I haven't got a lot of room and there are large trees all around.

I'm in Geelong and the Spring/Summer season is a great time to spend in the garden, so I make the best out of the weather.

The Spring and Summer crops hang on until early Autumn so I don't get much into the beds until late March.

I generally grow broad beans in Autumn followed by beefing up the soil in the beds for next Spring.

Not much grows in Winter as  the yard doesn't get enough sun.

Let us know what you harvest and plant at this time of the where ever you are?

Cheers bergs

[bergs]

Hi @Jason, I've been a bit slack of late. We've doing a few babysitting duties for our kids as well as a few small trips and on top of that my sister and brother in law have been staying with us for about 6 weeks, so I haven't had much time to play on the computer.

My vegie garden is pretty slow at the moment.

I've had to resow patches twice because when the seed germinates within the next two days or so they are all eaten and have completely disappeared.

It's very annoying!

It's not slugs or snails as I have bait down for them and the patch has a frame with netting over it to keep the birds and other pests away.

I think it is a combination of slaters, earwigs and the biggest culprit the soldier beetles (Didymas Versicolour) they come from the overgrow backyard next door and have no common enemy.

I spray them with soapy water (which suffocates them) and squash them when I can.

I think they are going make me have a nervous breakdown.

On the upside though, in the patch on the other side of the yard I am having a better run with my seeds and seedlings with tomatoes, climbing beans, zucchini, garlic, thai chilli, cucumbers and chard.

They have all taken off in the last weeks due to the rain and the warmer weather.

Happy gardening

Cheers bergs 

[bergs]

Hi all,
I have sown my third lot of climbing beans, so hopefully this time, they might grow without being eaten off as they germinate.

The best things in the garden at the moment are the self sown tomatoes and pumpkins. They're at the stage where I'll be looking for an area to transplant them.

I haven't got much to show at this time, so the next few weeks should be good with the weather warming up.

Cheers and enjoy the coming festive season.

[Grub80]

Hi Berg, my veggies are thriving, me too are waiting for the next few weeks for the warmer weather. I’ve recently planted climbing beans, and my first bash at bortelli beans. I’ve had no luck with peas this year. I resorted to seedlings and ended pulling them all out. So back to the seeds which have just germinated so will have fingers crossed. Looking forward to harvesting a great crop of tomatoes which are just starting to ripen. Nothing like home Grown tomatoes.l

[bergs]

Hi @Grub80,

That's a great set up you have.there.

I'm envious of all the light you get in your garden, I have a lot of bigger trees which block a lot of sunlight and the roots get invasive. The trees are over 40yrs old.

I like your covered area, great to give the plants a bit of respite from the hot arvo sun. 

The lay out of your garden looks like it would be easy to look after.

Everything is looking wonderfully healthy, what ever your doing keep it up as it's working well.

Ripe tomatoes before Xmas, "WOW" that's great !

Over here in Vic we're always trying to get ripe tomatoes for Xmas.

It's a bit of a contest.

Our weather patterns seem to be getting later in the year these days so I think you have to cheat a bit and start them of in the hot house, especially if you are sowing seed.

Cheers and keep up the good work

bergs               

[RosieW]

With the mercury hitting 38 today, there’s nothing like getting out early and giving everything a good water. Of course it’s tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes now and this year a little corn. We have raspberries growing in an old black bath with strawberries and blueberries to keep them company (and a daily harvest to go on top of the porridge) - the bees love them too. In fact this is love to hear about which plants attract which insects? and good companion ideas - for example, I plant silver beet near the roses.The ladybirds love the silver beet (but leave plenty for us) then the eat the aphids - my roses have never looked better. My friends will be getting insect houses this Christmas. Any thoughts?

[bergs]

Hi All,

Well the Summer crops have nearly finished and it's time to sow our Winter crops. 

I had a very slow start to my Spring sowing, but as the season progressed I haven't done too bad.

So far I have picked over 14 kgs of tomatoes consisting of Grosse Lisse and Sweetbite with a few Beefsteak thrown in.

If the remainder do colour up it will be good or otherwise it's green tomato pickles.

I estimate there 's probably about maybe 4 kgs or more still on the plants.

We've made 2 batches (13 jars) of Tomato Relish (Yum) and we've got another lot of tomatoes waiting to ripen up enough for another batch.

The beans have finished after yielding just on 2.5 kgs, 15 cucumbers, nearly 2 kgs of assorted chillies with plenty still to come, carrots and beetroot flourishing with capsicums starting to turn red.

Plenty of Rainbow Chard (Silver beet), Rhubarb and half a box of spuds that grew from ones that went to seed earlier in the year.

Parsley, chives and garlic chives are now growing strongly.

Plenty for more relishEarlier harvest

Nice lot for the two of usDilly beans, pickled cucumber, pickled Manzano chilli, tomato relish