Garlic Update

 All the Garlic has dried enough to start dehydrating as flakes, so by the time this post goes up, there won't be a lot left. Here's what our season looks like as far as picked garlic globes goes.

 

 

                                                                                      Purple Stripe.

 

                                                                                      Tasmanian Purple

 

                                                                                       Wilde Pearl

 

                                                                                       Monaro Red

 

                                                                                       An 80mm diameter Garlic (Purple Stripe)

Zucchini Cross Photos

This is a bit long winded with photos of over mature Zucchini fruits being saved for seed, but I'm trying to work out which pattern fruit people like the most, well enough to make you grow it.

 

There are 9 fruits shown (1-9) and taking into account, they have darkened in colour because of their age, the patterning if they have it will make it easy, although there is also some ribbing on some of them.

 

Would you grow a plain yellow or one with stripes, assuming they all are all similar tasting, a patterned or ribbed and patterned. These Zucchini's are what Jan crossed last year, between a yellow fruited plant and a green fruited plant.

 

 

I'm Cooking Dinner

Probably the wrong day to do it, but I'm cooking a boned leg of Pork for dinner in the camp oven. I think the neighbours may know by now what I'm doing.

 

Air Drying Garlic

Here is one of four varieties of Garlic we grew this year and have just cleaned up, these being Monaro Red. These will sit for another month now before going through the dehydrator as Garlic Flakes.

 

 

80mm Garlic

 While we had a great Garlic crop this year, some of the globes we got were huge, with a few between 75mm - 80mm. Here's one of our purples which was 80mm when pulled, now just under as it dries.

Our Zucchini Cross

A sneak peek at our Zucchini cross and the minor differences that have shown up, which will determine which ones make it next season. The ribbing and stripes are the main thing we think will make these appealing to growers. In no particular order, these range from all yellow to ribbed and striped. All these zucchini's will be saved for seed this year, currently range from around 30cm up to 40cm.

First Picking

Here is a photo of the first picking..

This photo shows the striping from the Jade Numbat showing up in this new cross.

 

Zucchini's Started Producing

I guess with 9 plants pumping out zucchini's, it won't be long until picking starts in earnest. These are our Gold Rush X Jade Numbat cross, which needed to be hand pollinated due to lack of male flowers. We have a few marked to keep for seed, so all being well we'll get some.

 

Macalister Tomatoes

 My Macalister tomatoes are fruiting, not as many as I'd hoped for, but it maybe the season perhaps. Here's a look at one starting to get some size to it. I hope I get a few with bags on to save some seed.

My Benches

Well, the benches are now finished, thanks to Jan lacquering the bench tops and me fitting the vice yesterday. I purchased a LED fluorescent light to go over the longest bench, so will get that installed soon.

This is the last photos of them.

Some Spuds to Finish With

Making room in the garden for other things saw some Ruby Lou potatoes dug this morning. I like these boiled with some butter and cracked pepper.

Why Waste Them

 Jan cut off the un-pollinated zucchini's this morning and will cook these to eat. There is nothing wrong with them, so why waste them.

New Additions

Finally got around to making a couple of work benches for the shed. First one was 3.5m x 80cm the second was 1.8m x 80cm, both 90cm high.

These are heavy, but won't need to be moved once tops are sealed.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                              

Garlic Galore

Well, I pulled some of my Garlic this evening, not by solstice or the moon, but because they were ready. I started with three rows of Tasmanian Purple and I'm very pleased with the results. Well over half of those pulled were a great size, with a lot of big globes among them. I have three or four more varieties to do tomorrow and will lay out on the lawn to start the drying process. The bigger bulbs in the Tasmanian Purple measure between 75-80mm, can't ask for more than that.

Bottom two photos show:-

Monaro Red, probably the smaller size bulbs of all pulled so far.

Wilde Pearl, a good mix of sizes medium to large.

In The Garden This Week

 A quick snapshot of a couple of raised garden beds in our garden. Our Zucchini plants and Strawberry plants are doing well at the moment.

Today's Tomato Size.

Macalister - my cross I did last Summer.

 

In The Garden Today

 Not much happening in the garden today, but enough to keep as a memory for down the track. 

Firstly, the Red Onions got pulled, thanks Jan, as they had bolted and we would have lost them if I'd left them in the soil.

 

First up a look at my tomato plants and where I'm at with them. 

Then, I bagged a few more flower trusses, as can never have too many bags on. Looking at this photo you wouldn't think so.

Then a photo showing the curling ribbon I use to mark my trusses I bag.

Bolting Onions

We've had a few of our Red Onions bolting, so first thing was to cut the flowers off. Tomorrow we'll pull the ones that bolted and these will be dried and used first. 

 

No point wasting them.

 

How are yours going?

 

 

 

It Has Arrived

 We got our new Covid Camp Oven today, so now it needs a good hot soapy wash, then it needs to be seasoned, a job Jan will do later in the day.

For those that are not familiar with what I've called it, then the lid should say it all. It's a 12" diameter Camp Oven, so should do everything we want in it.

Waiting on Our New "Covid" Camp Oven

Our new Covid Camp Oven is stuck in the Mail Centre in Melbourne somewhere after being posted a week and a bit ago. We ordered the new 12" oven from Billman's in Castlemaine and have been hopeful of trying it out soon. 

This new oven will make our 4th Camp Oven, having a Metters, a Furphy and a China stamped one, so we're holding out to cook our next roast in the new one, if it ever arrives.

While the oven has been ordered, I have increased some of our pit items, as shown.