It also helps if you have a rainwater collection system. Grey water or rinse water is also a great source, council regulation dependent. Veges and herbs can be very thirsty in hot weather. Tropical fruit trees also require a generous supply. Select carefully to suit your location.
Is your house green? If not you are wasting your time buying an extra light.
Anyway tomatoes will all quit now that daylight saving is over, they need the extra daylight.
Dear Syncretic,
TBNThanks.
Iām one of these rare things, a management scientist, with a General Systems approach, and a record of effective change in the way Australian people experience health care and paying for it. You?
Is my house coloured green? No it isnāt but it does have a very large - wide and deep - layer of green 91% shade cloth across the Northern side. House runs effectively East-West to +/- 5 degrees.
It was capable of being made EEfficient in 1981 and it now it very much is.
My baby round, and small long Italian-style tomatoes continue to ripen, at a sufficiently rapid rate for me to be confident I wonāt be making green-tomato sauces.
The 5 plants are ~ 4 metres to the Northern side of an E-West house, +/- 5 degrees,
Do you live anywhere near where I live? Do you know where I live?
Read the thread?!
We we are having a quite sunny and warm Autumn.
I confidently expect that all the little .75"-2" and small Italian-type bell tomatoes will finish ripening quite soon.
I have been gardening on this block since 1981.
PYHI, eh?
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Yes. I spent some time in Nappy Valley. Winters can be harsh, spring is late, summer hot, autumn early. The dryness helps to keep away insect pests but contributes to cold soil except in summer. Whether autumn is sunny or not doesnāt matter the nights are cold and that is what will tell your tomatoes their time is up. I agree a good cultivar of vine ripened tomato is a very fine fruit.
Iāll assume the Nappy Valley comment is a put-down. :-!
Autumn is early here? Not this year, Summerās just kept on and on.
The climate is changing towards warmer, but with bigger swings.
To be still cropping cherry, plum and bell tomatoes in April is unusual IME, and Iāve been growing food here since 1981.
Our garden soils are in raised beds, thickly mulched and are not cold, yet. The soil is active - deliberately.
I donāt know about now but that was what it was called when I was there. Have you not heard it before? A few minutes walk from the built up area and you were in a sheep paddock. I dare say it has changed.
I didnāt say autumn was early this year. Every year is different, I was talking about the climate, not the weather, in comparison to coastal areas and non-elevated inland areas. The growing season in Canberra is short compared to many places in Oz.
I wouldnāt bother with them. I grew them for three seasons and I was singularly unimpressed by the yield and taste of the peas. I made dahl as suggested but it was no better than the one I make with lentils. The plants are a nitrogen fixer but they are so hard to dig out as their roots are quite invasive. Mine grew to about 3 metres. We also grew them at my local community garden but no-one ws impressed with them.
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Iāve still got most of the packet, no success with them growing here so far. Maybe Iāll give them one more try before feeding them to the chooks.
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Try germinating in small pots first if you havenāt tried that yet, it may be the answer to the issue.
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Thatās the only way weāve tried!
No point trying at the moment though, as mice would devour them
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Where do you buy Mizuna seed?
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Mizuna is available from any good vege seed seller. Online there are businesses like 4 Season Seeds, Eden Seeds, The Seed Collection as well as others. They are also available from Australian eBay sellers (if buying on eBay, make sure they are Australian sellers otherwise the seed may be confiscated at the border by customs).
Sometimes it is possible to get seedlings, but I suggest seed over seedlings as it is cheaper and plant development is better.
If you know anyone growing it, you can get seed from them, as mizuna is a prolific seeder. Once you have some seed, let 1-2 plants go to seed each season and you will have them for ever.
While they are easy to grow, mizuna is a heavy feeder and suffers from the same common pests and diseases in other brassicas.
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All good information @phb
For those who have never heard of mizuna it is also called Japanese mustard greens. A Japanese guest explained that it is said MIZ-n-uh not mi-ZOON-uh. Used raw in salads or lightly blanched in stir-fry etc, do not overcook as they will quickly turn to strips of green sludge. They have a somewhat peppery flavour. Its form is short clumps of thin stems with a serrated leaf on top growing from the centre.
They fit into small spaces or as a garden border, anywhere that gets full or part sun, not fussy about soil but will do better in good soil, do not allow to dry out completely. In my experience germination rates are excellent and the seed keeps well but YMMV. They transplant well, I prefer to sow in a tray and transplant when a few leaves have grown.
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Thanks phb,
The online source is great. I have looked in a number of places unsuccessfully.
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I have been having awful results with seed growing. They seem to germinate then die. Iāve tried sowing direct into various pots, also germinating in damp paper towels( they work well)
I used ALDI Premium Potting Compost.
I read somewhere that there had been a issue with a major commercial supplier of compost, that had been contaminated. But, retailers donāt necessarily know their compost may be from that batch.
Rhubarb:
I am a fan of growing products that are expensive, eg, Rhubarb. Have grown 3 plants from seedlings, into reasonable sized plants in large pots. Now want to locate them in a permanent garden spot. Need advice, eg, in Perth the summer sun can be daunting, does that matter, if they love it a north facing fence, if they hate it a south facing one?? Also, there is plenty of Cap Rock about, ie, Limestone.
Each plant type has different germinating and growth recommendations. What plants are you trying to grow? Veges, flowers, native trees?
Rhubarb!
The local garden centres can be a great resource.
Eg https://guildfordgardencentre.com.au/tip/growing-rhubarb/
It looks like a raised garden bed and plenty of well rotted added organic matter might be the go with the cap stone?
Hopefully there are some community members from over your way who can add local experience.
Note:
When seeds first germinate they are using the energy stored in the seed. Itās why many are happy to germinate on damp paper towel or in cotton wool, or most common a seed raising mix. There after they need a suitable growing medium. It varies with plant type. Many Vegetables, eg beans, corn etc can be sown directly into suitable soil at the right depth and orientation. Natives on the other hand can require effort to trick into germinating, prior to potting (tubes or pots).
Try using peat seed raising pods such as these
https://www.bunnings.com.au/mr-fothergill-s-jiffy-36mm-peat-pellet-12-pack_p2961322
This is not a recommendation for a particular brand it is just to show the variety of product I am suggesting.
Donāt overwater as this can rot a seedling before it emerges far from the seed, try a water every 2 or 3 days when the āsoilā starts to feel dry, most of the pods are good at retaining moisture because of peat and/or coir content.
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This could be the problem. Potting mixes arenāt usually designed as a seed raising mix and often can be acidic (from carbonic acids through composting process) or not adequately composted causing severe nitrogen deficiency. Both along with other characteristics increases the mortality of seedlings soon after germination.
A light sandy loam topsoil, or that in oneās vege patch is usually sufficient media for seedling growing.
If you want an excellent text on potting mixes, growing media, see this other post:
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Evidently, the classification of tomatoes as a vegetableswas done to avoid tax. Nothing changes!
