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Food Growing Q&A

Ask and Answer food growing questions here.

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Latest Activity: May 10

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Discussion Forum

Disease on my pea plant? 1 Reply

I put down some pea straw as mulcha couple of months ago and had nice little pea sprouts popping up from the seeds in it. Also, i planted some telephone pea plants.Both have since started getting…Continue

Tags: problem, pea, disease

Started by Kat Erpillar. Last reply by David Earle May 7.

about broad beans 3 Replies

I sowed broad beans this March (As I ususally do).  They usually grow slowly during winter for me and I get an early crop in spring.  This year they are already flowering!! So ... I do not know…Continue

Started by Luisa Beltran Castillon. Last reply by Luisa Beltran Castillon May 5.

How many months does kumara need to stay in the ground before harvest? 11 Replies

I planted kumara slips in November 2011and I've just been out to dig up a few to see if they are ready and they are still very small.  Every so often, I've been pulling the vines back so they don't…Continue

Started by Jane Maarie. Last reply by Jane Maarie May 4.

chilli plants 9 Replies

I have a lovely crop of chillis on the plants in my wee glasshouse, but frosts are closing in and Im wondering if I pull up my chilli plants and hang them somewhere, like you do with tomatoes, will…Continue

Started by Ruth OSullivan. Last reply by Ruth OSullivan May 3.

Wrong time to plant Impatiens cuttings? 2 Replies

I want to grow Impatiens from a cutting - in December on Waiheke. It is now flourishing everywhere nearby, on similar sloped land facing the same way as my section. Is it possible to grow it from a…Continue

Started by Susan Kraemer. Last reply by Susan Kraemer Apr 17.

What is the best low cost Mulch 19 Replies

Any recomendations? Pea straw is expensive. How about shredded paper? Will this rot down quickly enough? It is for my veg bed and eventually I want to be able to dig it in. Why is pea straw so…Continue

Started by Samantha Freeman. Last reply by Megan Apr 11.

Keeping carrots in the ground 3 Replies

Kia ora,I heard a story that if you cut off most of the top of carrots you can keep them in the ground for a few months without them going woody in the centre. Does any have nay experiemnce of…Continue

Started by Laine. Last reply by Ruth OSullivan Apr 3.

Choko 14 Replies

Does anyone know where I might get choko seeds or plants? I would like to grow a vine next summer.

Started by Rex Morris. Last reply by Lisa Mar 24.

Sweet berries and/or fruit plants for the garden (1/4 acre) 2 Replies

Mindspin! :o) A whole new garden to plant, and not sure what ... want it to be sweet to look at & sweet to taste ... lots of fruit! but what? Have planted a Peach Ingelby. Tahitian Lime and a…Continue

Started by Sonya. Last reply by Robert Boesnach Feb 19.

Coffee Plant 2 Replies

Is anyone growing coffee? Have a 3 yr old plant that is growing well and nearly 1m in height. I don't know if I have 2 problems or if they are related. I have small limpets (my word) on the…Continue

Started by Yvonne Symons. Last reply by Richard Grevers Feb 6.

When do you pick sunflower seeds? 3 Replies

I have a couple of sunflowers, some still to flower. Anyway one is already losing their petals, so the question is when do I harvest sunflower seeds? this is the first time that I have grown them.

Started by Yvonne Symons. Last reply by Kali Feb 6.

Source of good manure... 9 Replies

I've got lots of green stuff to go into the compost bin now the tomatoes and borage are ready to come out - and think I probably need some manure.  Anyone got recommendations for good sources around…Continue

Started by Abbie Reynolds. Last reply by Jenine Abarbanel Jan 23.

OK to put tomato plants in same raised bed as 1.5 meter tamarillo tree? 2 Replies

We made a big 1.5 m x 1m raised planter of composted earth (to make it easier to avoid digging too far!) and planted the tamarillo, it has flourished.Now I need space for two tomato plants and I put…Continue

Started by Susan Kraemer. Last reply by Susan Kraemer Dec 9, 2011.

Ahhhhhhhh! That Wandering Dew! 13 Replies

Hey does anyone have ideas of how to control/kill wandering dew?  It seems to be in take-over mode and is spreading itself into all areas of the garden.  I'm not sure if this has been partly my…Continue

Started by Wendy Parr. Last reply by Wendy Parr Dec 7, 2011.

Ginger beer plant 19 Replies

Can anyone advise me of where I can get a ginger beer plant (a la …Continue

Started by Jackington. Last reply by Michael Elphinstone Dec 6, 2011.

Where can I get elderberry trees? 28 Replies

I know they grow from cuttings and by suckering- but where can i GET these? I am happy to buy and to pay all costs etc in order to procure a dozencuttings...

Started by Teeli. Last reply by emma Nov 29, 2011.

Rabbit-proof fence

What's the minimum for a (temporary) fence to keep rabbits out of a vege patch? (in terms of height etc. and depth beneath ground if that is necessary?) Continue

Started by Richard Grevers Nov 13, 2011.

Sprouting Potatoes 4 Replies

Hi everyone, a quick Q on potatoes. Do they need to be in the dark to get them to sprout properly? Mine have been in the light and are taking ages to get anywhere, so I have today moved them back…Continue

Started by Laine. Last reply by Rex Morris Oct 11, 2011.

What to plant under established fruit trees? 13 Replies

hi there,We are on a sloping, windy, urban section in coastal Christchurch but have planted a good selection of fruit trees (Feijoa, Lemon Meyer, Apricot, Plumcot, Conference Pears, Apple trees).…Continue

Started by kathryn newbery. Last reply by Karen Bee Aug 25, 2011.

Growing root ginger in Aotearoa/NZ? 8 Replies

Kia Ora Koutou, I discovered that a small piece of root ginger sitting on the soil had started to sprout.Has anyone tried to grow root ginger? Does it get more vigorous growth in spring?I live in…Continue

Started by Peter watson. Last reply by Lorraine Barnett Aug 16, 2011.

Comment Wall

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Comment by Shona Cullen on April 27, 2012 at 12:19pm

 Can anyone tell me the easy way to clean cruched shell, my garden surounds are a mess and to dont know how to tidy it up for the winter?

Comment by Richard Watson on December 1, 2011 at 5:31am

yes for cooking it doesn't matter if they are not a 100% ripe but for us we leave ours till they turn a yellow colour and slightly soft

Comment by moggy on November 30, 2011 at 5:58pm

there are different varieties of gooseberries, some turn reddish, some do not. It does not matter if they are 100% ripe or not, all recipes usually call for the addition of sugar anyway. Gooseberry and elder flower fool is delicious

Comment by Matt Moir on November 30, 2011 at 4:12pm

Thanks for the memories Josephal I fondly rember my grandfathers gooseberrys from back in Dunedin in the late 60s early 70s with that red tint on them when they were ripe for picking he regreted showing me the ripe ones after that but because I always beet him to that bush never left any for anyone else.

Comment by josephal on November 30, 2011 at 3:04pm

From my childhood, I remember gooseberries with great affection. When they get a slight red tinge and go a bit softer they are ok to eat. Green ones are super sour eaten raw! My grandmother would use them green and make gooseberry pies.

Comment by Yvonne Symons on November 30, 2011 at 2:48pm
Question, when do you know gooseberries are ready for picking?
Comment by Jane Maarie on March 3, 2011 at 9:02am
Thanks for that Richard. I have some Pukekohe Long Keeper seed which I got from Koanga, I will give that a go. :O)
Comment by Richard Grevers on March 2, 2011 at 12:48pm
Hi Jane,
Onions are more or less biennial: if you plant "sprouted" onion bulbs, they will develop seed stalks. Onions are day-length sensitive - bulb growth only happens above a minimum number of daylight hours (depending on the variety) - so you won't get winter growth. 180 - 240 days to maturity. You can plant seed densely in trays any time between now and July (September in cool climates) and will have seedlings to plant out in after 6 weeks. However, it is said that onions direct-sown then thinned are better keepers than those grown from seedlings. Last spring my onion patch got overgrown and I actually transplanted a second time to clean up - it worked. They are gross feeders but not too much nitrogen.
Comment by Jane Maarie on March 2, 2011 at 10:02am

I so hope these are not silly questions but....... I want to grow big red onions & brown onions as I have never done so before.

How do I start? Do I buys some onions, wait for them to sprout then plant?  Do you take off all the outer skin or leave it on? Do they take as long as garlic? I have read that it is a long process growing it from seed. Is this the right month to plant them or am I too late? Please help anyone. Thanks in advance.

Comment by Kiwi Lover on January 28, 2011 at 11:52pm

This is what I found after a bit of googling - seems quite good!

 

Watermelons: It is extremely difficult to tell if a watermelon is ripe by just looking; it must be examined. Watermelons will not continue to ripen after harvest. Hold the harvested fruits at 50 degrees to 60 degrees F. Here are indications you can look for: 

1. Thump it. If the watermelon sounds hollow (if you hear a dull thump/thud), the melon is usually ripe. This is difficult for less-gifted ears. The unripe melon will have a tighter, metallic ringing or hollow sound. This technique is not perfect however, because the dull sound you hear doesn't indicate if the melon is overripe. 

2. Use the criteria of approximate size for variety,

3. Ceasing of growth. 

4. Look at the color on the top. The watermelon is ripe when there is little contrast between the stripes. Another indication is when the surface color of the fruit turns dull. 

5. Look for the spot where the melon rested on the ground; a yellow-white, yellow or a cream-yellow color spot suggests ripeness and a white or pale green spot indicates immaturity. A green watermelon will have a white bottom; a ripe melon will have a cream- or yellow-colored bottom. Those fruit that show a change of color from green or olive-grey to yellowish brown should be considered ready to harvest. Also look for a breakup of green bands at the blossom end of the fruit. For best quality, walk the patch daily. 

6. The rind at the soil spot should toughen and resist denting with a fingernail when the melon is ripe. Scratch the surface of the rind with your thumbnail. If the outer layer slips back with little resistance, showing a green-white color under the rind, the watermelon is ripe. Feel for development of ribbed indentations that can be felt with finger tips. It should be firm but not a rock. If soft or soft spots it�s too far gone. Sponginess is bad.

7. Press on it. If the watermelon sounds like it gives a little, it's ripe. (This method can also ruin the quality of the fruit.)

8. Check the tendril. If the tendril is green, you should wait to pick the melon. Harvest when the curled tendril near the stem, the "pigtail" or tendril closest to the melon on the vine begins to shrivel and dry up. If it dries while the leaves and rest of the vine looks good, the melon should be ripe.

9. Harvest when a small crack appears in the stem just above the melon indicating the melon is ripe. If it's half-dead, it could mean that the watermelon is nearly ripe or ripe. If the tendril is fully dead, it could mean that anthracnose or some other fungus killed the melon, or that it's ripe or overripe. The drying of the stem tendril nearest the attachment point and green color tone are also indicators of ripeness. Sign vary with cultivars. 

10. Count the number of days from anthesis (flowering) or the number of days from planting. This works pretty well if you know the variety of watermelon and how many days it's supposed to take for that variety to ripen under normal temperature and fertilizer regimes.

11. The slipping of the stem from the melon with slight finger pressure is an excellent indicator of melon ripeness in the field. 

Hold a melon up to your ear, if you can feel it squeeze and hear a slight mush instead of a crack it is ripe. 

7 Check the size. It's not necessarily true that when a watermelon is big enough, it's ready; but under good conditions, it should be normal size. If it's not, you're probably too anxious.

8 Crack a few. You've got a whole field of watermelons, and you can practice a little, right?

9 Is the vine dead or dying? Well, the watermelon is not going to get any riper, so you might as well pick it

10. Rely on your nose, and look for a melon with the strongest fragrance, for this will most likely be the best tasting. Breath deeply and follow your nose to the sweet ripe melon. Sniff the aromatic one out. Next, look for a melon that is heavy for its size, because if you have two melons of equal size, the heavier one is almost assuredly the riper and better tasting melon. Smell is something you learn with experience.

11. Still confulsed? Guess. All indicators will not always work. Take your best shot and go with it.��

 

 

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