Aussie 2007 Season

[Grub]

Just finished planting out five beds, that's 41 tomatoes and stakes... one more bed to go later next week, then about 16 pots. Then transplanting eggies and peppers... I have that feeling I've dug myself a very deep hole this year... not the same amount time with Summer around.

[cosmicgardener]

Good work - that should keep you off the streets. I've planted the buckets for 45 varieties in the new raised beds. The Community Gardeners just had a visit and took all my spares. Like marauding hordes they were, but at least they are going to a good home. What goes around comes around - they sell their excess produce at the Farmer's Market to raise funds for the Alzheimer's ward at the local home. Getting ready to plant up the Capsicums, Chillies and Eggplants now I've got some space. Bloody Bathurst - I'm sick of the noise. I married a Petrol Head..........

Spatz - there is still time while there is still rain to come......

[tessa]

cosmic...what do you mean by your community gardeners?
i had a community garden plot when in lived overseas...but they are virtually *unheard of* here in perth.
are there community gardens in tas? like allotments?
the garden i had cost $80 for the year...it was 4X5 metres of reticed black soil, was roto-tilled every spring...and the only obligation was that we were never allowed to let food waste. we were required to bring any excess to the battered women's shelter.

i would do anything for a setup like that here! i have about 30 extra tomato seedlings that could use the space!

[cosmicgardener]

I think the set up here was funded under a state grant and the local council donated the land which I think is a few acres in the middle of town. Wynyard is a small town with a lot of retired people who reside in units with minimal garden space. Many of them are from farms and surrounding areas and have always grown their own produce. I'm not sure of the way it's managed, but apparently they have a manager who gets students from the local TAFE come and do hard digging and heavy work. Members of the community can have patches of land to grow their own produce but they seem to all pitch in on a communal basis. I think there is some sort of cooperative thing going on with the horticulture dept at TAFE, who supply some plants, and the whole garden seems to operate under organic principles. I can find out more when I see Pam and John later this week. The members mostly seem to be either single parents or elders with a few disabled people too but apparently it is open to anyone who lives here regardless of circumstances. I think they are developing a website. I'll give you more information on the Garden Delights forum if you like, as it's a more general question. I like that they recycle money and plants.

[Spatzbear]

Cosmic, can you put pictures of your buckets in the raised beds on your blog or here? I find it hard to imagine what it would look like.

Plant seedling, put bucket with bottom cut out around the plant? Is that it?

[cosmicgardener]

I'll put pics on the blog tomorrow - have to take some and it's dark outside despite daylight saving

Basically, we've done raised beds with compost and straw and calf pen poo, because the soil is so uncertain where there had been 12 year old Macrocarpas. This is already blogged with pics.

The beds are 10" high/deep. I then took buckets, cut the bottom out, rammed them into the bed by about 2" so they didn't blow away and got a bit of the compost mix in the bottom. then filled up with a mixture similar to my normal potting mix minus the coir.( 1/2 and 1/2 compost and potting mix a bit of Potash, Epsom Salts, Blood and Bone) This gives another 12 inches or so of growing medium, a total of around 19 - 20"
I figure that's about enough to feed the roots well enough before they have to go into the sad soil. Tomorrow I'll jam a stake in each one ready to plant out on the 18th. They are spaced around a metre (3ft) apart in staggered rows, closer than I would plant if going direct into the soil. I did a few like this last year as an experiment. Results? You can water them without wasting water on the surrounding space, add a bit of fertiliser direct, underplant with other stuff if you feel like it and keep it weeded if needed. It also stops a lot of soil splash when it rains so keeps the bottom foliage clean and Atilla the Snail doesn't like climbing smooth and shiny buckets. Will get the camera out and blog it later in the afternoon. Bucket bottoms make good labels. Got to find a use for the handles.

[Mantis]

Bottomless pots, been doing it this way for 20 odd years

[cottonpicker]

cosmic & mantis..... GREAT idea!!!! You've got a convert in Pennsylvania, USA!!! Can't wait for 2008 season!!!!
Intend to use your system.

LarryD

[cosmicgardener]

You can take credit for that Mantis, it made sense when I saw you doing that and I've done it now for 3 years with various plants. This is the first year the tomatoes get exclusive bucket plantings. Cottonpicker - I'm working on it now between showers and will post some pictures later in the day. In Australia we have to be very conscious of conserving water and this system should cut my water consumption in half.

[mcsee]

One of my tomatoes with its watering tube, which will save on water wastage and get the water where it's needed - the root zone. The flexible slotted aggie pipe is 450mm long and buried beneath the plant after it's planted, using a modified "kiddy" shovel.

[Mantis]

Have you done this before Mcsee or is this the first time trying it. Looks like a fine idea

[mcsee]

Mantis - It's my first try with tomatoes, but I think it will work fine with water being limited. Two days a week they'll get town water other days when needed they'll get tank water.

Really easy to put in - I did it after the plants went in.

[cosmicgardener]

McSee - good idea. I'll be interested to see how it works out. My only concern would be that a strong dose of water might end up undermining the soil.

Spatz and Mantis, the bucket garden is planted and there's more info on the blog. Life's Good

[Spatzbear]

Great job, Cosmic! Your garden looks really good.
Thanks for the pictorial.

[Mantis]

They look good Cosmic. They work really well and only the self watering tubs have bettered them here. Might make a couple more of them this weekend for some later tomatoes.