Size Matters! (for container growing)

Chilli Plants

These chilli plants are the same variety, the same age and have been grown under the same conditions except for 1 key variable - container size. You can successfully grow a number of plants in containers but you need to make sure your container is big enough. A container that is too small limits the size of your plant.

The big pot is 35cm across and this is the right size for chillis, capsicum and dwarf tomatoes such as Tiny Tims and Florida Baskets. 

New Chickens

Yesterday we got some new Isa Brown chickens for our backyard. Over the years we have had a couple of varieties the Isa Browns have been the best - friendly, good layers and hardy. We got them from a lovely couple at Campania. Delia raises the chickens with great care and sells them predominately to backyard chicken enthusiasts.

The Danbys outside one of their chicken coops

Chickens in their house. They also have time outside under Delia's watchful eye as crows and hawks can be a problem.

We got 3 and they are very cute (though a little shy at this stage). Thanks to some advice from Delia the introduction was very peaceful (only 1 peck so far).

Chickens are a great addition to your backyard. They provide eggs, manure and are good can be good compost makers and weed removers. They also make pretty good pets if you spend time with them.

If you would like to buy some chickens please call Delia on 6260 4222.

Snow White - Our New Variety of Yellow Climbing Tomatoes in 2011

We trialled Snow White tomatoes this seasons. They are delicious and easy to grow. This will be one of the varieties that we grow for you in spring this year.

My Garden March 2011

Just wanted to show you how my garden is looking this year especially my tomatoes.

In the background of this photo are our climbing tomatoes. The tomatoes are supported by 100mm x 100mm grid mesh from K&D. As they grow we have been feeding through the mesh. It has been able to support them even in strong winds. This year we planted Black Russians, Grosse Lisse, Soldacki, Camp Joy, Black Zebra and Snow White but quite late in the season. We have yet to harvest from these plants but they are all setting fruit well currently. In the foreground is my lettuce bed. You can see that the smaller seedlings are protected by wire baskets.

Unfortunately I have not been having massive success this year with my eggplants and capsicums.

Generally we have lots of lovely eggplants by this time in the season. Due to the cold our plants have been quite slow and have only got flowers quite recently. Eggplants won't survive frost. I think this cold summer and autumn means no eggplants.

My capsicums have grown really bizarrely. I have had 2 and may get a few more. Not a great year for solanaceae family plants.

 Luckily my bush tomatoes are a much happier story. Our bush tomato bed is full and we have already enjoyed a large harvest this season. The tomato hanging over the edge is a Burpee's Quatre Century. This bush has a number of tomatoes on it that we are looking forward to harvesting soon.

The real success story this year has been Waltham Tomatoes. The Waltham Tomato bush has taken up most of the bed and has produced large numbers of extremely large cherry tomatoes. We have had a good yield from our Tiny Tims as well.

Here is today's harvest which is made up of Walthams and Tiny Tims.

Growing Melons in Tassie

The last melons right at the end summer. At this stage the vines have all died back and are putting all their energy into the fruit.

One of the big surprises over the last 2 years is discovering that we could grow rockmelons, honeydew melons and watermelons in Moonah. Home grown melons have a superior taste to store bought melons. This is because melons only ripen on the vine. Once picked the melon does not improve in flavour.

Yummy rockmelon ready to eat.

Melons need a sheltered sunny site and should be planted in November, December or January and will provide you with a crop about 2 months after translpant. Our first crop of melons grew really well but was in a windy spot and got horribly blown around. Last year we had a lovely warm and sheltered site and our fruiting vines were much more successful. 

The melons, pumpkins and tomato area is almost finished!

Melons are heavy feeders and need a similar amount of space to pumpkins.  The amount of sugar set in melons is closely related to the amount of magnesium in the soil. Prepare the soil with 125 -250 grams of dolomite lime per square metre to provide needed magnesium and calcium.

In cooler areas you may want to grow in a greenhouse or with cloches. In most areas of Hobart you should be able to grow melons without these aids once you are past the last frost. 

Little Sugarbaby Watermelon. Small but sweet.

Hardening Off Our Seedlings

At the market people commonly ask if our seedlings are hardened off. All of my seedlings have at least 1 week, often 2, outside of the greenhouse.

The next 2 weeks of seedlings for sale acclimatising to the outdoors 

My greenhouse is not artificially lit, air-conditioned and I don't use heat beds to encourage plants like tomatoes to grow. What all of this means for you is that my seedlings are ready to be outside. They will not be shocked by weather (unless you climate is colder than Moonah). The seedlings themselves are produced more efficiently as I am not using large amounts of electricity to power air-conditioning or heat beds to grow them.

Tomato seedlings enjoying the morning sun

Came back from 10 days in Brisbane to find this prize at my back door

Called 'purple cape' this variety of broccoli is impressive both in colour and taste. Here is another  more glamorous example grown by fellow stall holder Matthew ttp://www.sbs.com.au/food/blogarticle/119372/Garden-Relatives/blog/Gourmet-Farmer and yes I will be selling this variety again this season

My garden in Moonah

My garden and greenhouse in early February 2010. As you can see I have converted my two car garage into a greenhouse. Outside I have seedlings hardening off ready for sale as well as four custom made raised beds and one very large raised bed in timber. One industrial sized compost bay on the back wall and behind the shed is 12 square metres for 6 chickens