Aussie 2007 season

[Spatzbear]

Thought I'd start a new topic for Aussie veggie growers. Of course, our NH cousins are invited to join in, too.

I have just sown my cucumbers and gherkins. I was shocked to find that I had about 10 varieties of those. This is ridiculous!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to West Indian Gherkins, just because they are totally groovy. Cucumber "Homemade Pickles", as they are a great size for fresh eating and pickling.

What are you growing?

[mcsee]

I have some Japanese Climbing Cucumber seed, but not sure when to sow. Thinking maybe Cup Day - any clues?

[Spatzbear]

I sowed my cucumbers yesterday. This will ensure that they are a good size by the end of October when I will plant them out.

When is it safe to plant them at your place, mcsee?

[cosmicgardener]

The Windies did really well last year and they are as cute as can be. Last year apart from them, I had abysmal results, seriously thinking they are a waste of space in my garden. Shame - I love cucumbers. Now I have to decide which squash/pumpkins to grow. I have access to MissyMoo's 5 acres and a huge calf pen full of stabling too. Trouble is the rug rats might attack me.

[mcsee]

Originally Posted by Spatzbear

When is it safe to plant them at your place, mcsee?

With the seasonal changes, it's a bit debatable, but I guess after mid October would be on the money.

Thanks.

[tessa]

i'm growing cukes too. 'market more' because it said it was mildew resistant...and armenian...because they are totally cool looking.
i normally don't care much for cukes...but right off the vine, there is nothing that compares. i could eat them all the live long day.

i'm just sticking with things that work this year...so besides the tomatoes...for me it's:
eggies
cukes
zucchini
silverbeet
every kind of pumpkin i get my hands on (so far: hubbards, jackolanterns, spaghetti squash and butternuts)
and i think i'll try sweet potatoes this summer.
oh.
and the infernal corn project continues...until i *win* this thing!

[Spatzbear]

Yes, the West Indian Gherkins were the only ones that survived the really cold nights last spring/summer. Great performers.

Am sowing pumpkins today. I'm getting worried about my seed addiction. Who on earth does need that many pumpkin varieties! What's wrong with me!?

[cosmicgardener]

We have successfully removed four macrocarpa pines and tossed the caber with the logs at the tip, and now have a great new area for the pumpkins, room to spare for a new Poppy's Cubby (Shed) and space for chook run. Whoopee! Allergy free now. Not bad for two old codgers two days work. You can have a squizz if you want on my blog at http://cosmicgardening.blogspot.com I'm chuffed to bits - gardening has saved our sanity and our health. It's five years to the day that my prognosis was 5 months. That's fighting talk!

[Full Moon]

Fantastic job Cosmic. Pumpkins are going to be quite happy in there. The gin & tonic must have been pretty good, well deserved anyway!

Five years....keep showing'em girl!

[cosmicgardener]

Groaning and Moaning quite a bit this morning - aches where there should even be muscles. Even my elbow hurts. The two GT were good ones though. I think I'll plan today and plant another day.........no more heavy projects this year.

[tessa]

Originally Posted by cosmicgardener

It's five years to the day that my prognosis was 5 months. That's fighting talk!

more proof why we should never let anyone tell us what or who we are....or what we're capable of.

[Spatzbear]

Cosmic, I hope you celebrated this day with a "Let's celebrate life!" party! Keep it up. We need you around for a long time to come.

There's a nasty wind blowing out there. Work is boooooring. So I decided to surround myself with seeds again. The desk looks lovely. Full of seeds. So. What shall I sow next?

More pumpkins, maybe another watermelon, more chillies, some herbs.
Queen Anne's Lace seeds are here, too. So, this is a wild carrot? Would it cross-pollinate with any carrot that I let go to seed?

[cosmicgardener]

I celebrate EVERY day. Nothing fazes me now. Used to be a Type A personality, now I'm somewhere around the Type T.

We had a north easterly all day - that makes me a bit snarky in the temper department but then it turned westerly and has been raining ever since. My 86 year old customer came and collected his tomatoes and kept me standing in the garden 'tip pruning' my peach tree and tutting about how it should have been done already.....reminded me of my dad who never felt the wind either.......

Did you say you need more pumpkins - I've got lots of watermelons because they did nothing last year and I won't even think about them this year or ever again.

Queen Anne's Lace makes a good companion plant as hoverflies love it and they also love aphis. So put it near your broccoli .......you want a cross bred carrot - methinks you have too much time on your hands...hmmmmmmmmm.

Hairy Bikers tonight...
cosmic

[Spatzbear]

That's the ticket! Every day is precious.

No, no, no cross breeding. Goodness! I want PURE seeds when I let a particular carrot variety go to seed.

Yes, far too much time on my hands, as everybody around me knows to their chagrin.

The Hairy Bikers rock!

Originally Posted by cosmicgardener

I celebrate EVERY day. Nothing fazes me now.

*heavy snippety snip*

Queen Anne's Lace makes a good companion plant as hoverflies love it and they also love aphis. So put it near your broccoli .......you want a cross bred carrot - methinks you have too much time on your hands...hmmmmmmmmm.

Hairy Bikers tonight...
cosmic

[Grub]

Good thread and even gooder news about you, Dear Cosi.

Been checking both your blogs and keep it up. I'll be checking back to see how it goes this year.

I have apple cukes in, germinated one Armenian that's since died (very very old seed) and froom the well-used-by Diggers packs have got Crookneck Squash x 1 and Trombone Zuke x 3 growing.

Bought more seeds, just regular ones, coz Mrs Grub wanted some melons... there's a joke in there somewhere but I wont. Don't know where to put these but got:

Butternut Pumpkin
Candy Red Watermelon
Planter's Jumbo Rockmelon
Blue Lake climbing beans (they can go up)
Purple Kind climbing beans (they can go up)
Sweet Corn Terrific F1... sounds shocking and, as if to prove as much, just saw on the label... Caution: Treated with Thiram... just what the baby ordered. Not.

Growing: still heaps of silverbeet; piles of mescalun and rocket; a lot of salad endive king sprouting and will need to do a transplant; big pot of sprouted ararat basil from Andrey; pot of purple basil from my saved seeds; pot of sweet basil from my saved seeds; sweet basil more advanced; coriander, etc,etc.

Interestingly, or perhaps not, I spent a lot of time feeding and improved the soil for my mando, lime and lemon and they are in the best bloom ever.

Overwintered: heaps of eggies, hot and sweet peppers, and more of both in seed-riasing trays.

Looks like I have more than ever! And, as Spatz will attest, little space. Time to get clever.