Powering Away

We've just had four cold nights here and the tomato plants are still looking OK. They range in height from 70cm to 90cm and are all bagged ready for a good season, hopefully.

This one I could reach easy to get a photo is 80cm.

 

 

Frosts Next Week

The first tomatoes are forming on the plants at the moment, but the next week will pose a problem here. Over a few mornings next week, our temperatures will drop in the 1C - 5C range and with it we're sure to get one or two frosts here on the Plains. I have a structure over the tomatoes, so they will get a shadecloth cover on the colder nights.

 

Last Jobs Done - Tomato Bed

 With Jan's help today, we finished what was needed to be done with the tomato bed.

The last three tomato plants were planted with one swapped plant, changing the layout plan of the garden bed. I held back one Macalister plant and substituted it with Rosado de Ademuz. We then went to Sale to get some Sugarcane Mulch, but Bunnings didn't have any, so a detour to Home Hardware and we managed three bales, which was more than enough to do the whole bed.

We can sit back now and watch the garden grow.

 

Healthy Worms - Worm Tower

In-Bed Worm Tower - My wife Jan made a worm tower out of PVC in a small garden bed with access to the garden soil. To tempt the worm into the soil, she buries scraps below the soil to bring the out from the tower.

In this photo you may be able to make out the quantity of worm feeding inside the tower. (Zoom) They are eating their favourite food - Soaked Rolled Oats.

Second photo shows Jan making the tower with the last one showing it in place in a garden bed.

 

 

Zucchini's Planted Today

 Jan planted her Gold Rush X Jade Numbat Zucchini's today, so all being well they should take off in growth. It's been looking like we'll get some rain this morning, but nothing as yet.

Tomato Planting Layout 2020-21

This is the layout for my tomato bed, 30 plants in total, of which 11 plants are my cross I did last Summer.

 

Macalister 1	Macalister 2	Macalister 3
Macalister 4	Macalister 5	Macalister 6
Macalister 7	Macalister 8	Macalister 9
Macalister 10	Rosado de Ademuz	Macalister 11
Negrillo di Almoguera	Rosado de Ademuz	UK2000
Wandocka	UK2000	Korichnevyy Rebristyy
Kodiak Brown	Rosado de Huelva	Rosado de Huelva
Amurskiy	Negrillo di Almoguera	Negrillo di Almoguera
Korichnevyy Rebristyy	UK2000	Amurskiy
Striped Rumplestiltskin	Rosado de Ademuz	Wandocka

Tomatoes in Today

Today is tomato planting day and what a hard day it's been. I have got 27 of 30 tomato plants in the ground, with three left to go among the garlic rows,
All being well we'll be eating them in November (60 days from today).

A few of my secrets about these plants that you can't see. The garden bed received about 125mm extra height with composted cow manure, the planting hole for each plant was dug with a power post hole auger, with each hole getting backfilled with fresh compost mixed with a handful of Blood & Bone. The plants have all had blossom bags fitted, which is something I do religiously each year. All plants have had side shoots removed and because they were potted up some time ago to 140mm pots, the lower leaves 30cm up from the bottom of the pot were removed and planted to the new depth. The extra stem that was buried, will produce new roots and make the plants stronger in the soil. As tomato plants feed close to the surface, the new manure layer will do wonders for these plants.

 

 

Feeding the Soil

Two trips to GRLE in Sale (Saleyards) today to get two trailers of composted Cow Manure for the garden. Last year it was full of worms, this year a bit drier, but still worth getting @ $20.00 per/m3. It's only available for pick up on a Monday and today I had to queue to get my first load and you can order and pay on their web site.Here are some photos of us unloading etc.

 

Zucchini Cross

Two years ago Jan crossed her Gold Rush Zucchini with pollen from a Jade Numbat Zucchini I had growing, the end result on the first year we grew the seed was mostly what you'd expect, a yellow Zucchini. But there were a few plants that showed some differences, from the stems being different, to a different colour, a pale Green fruit.

To cut a long story short, we didn't manage to save seeds from the F1 plants last season, so we're trying again this year. All being well we'll get something nice out of the plants I have almost ready to be planted.

What's Cooking Today?

Today, with the weather being nice, we decided to cook a roast in the Camp Oven in the backyard. We had enough wood here for probably 10 fires, but as we're in a no burning outside area, I had to keep the smoke to a minimum, so opted part way through to use Heat Beads.

 I have an old rotisserie fire pit here so it was just a matter of lighting a fire and getting the Heat Beads burning. The the cooking started with the meat and vegetables in the Camp Oven then into the fire. 

 

An hour and a half later, it was done and we were soon having our roast dinner. I think we both overindulged, but it was so tasty.

 The end result was a tasty meal and we over indulged, it was that nice.

In The Garden Today

 Today, Jan dug out the Silverbeet and chopped it up for the Compost Bin, which although some see it as a waste, we don't eat it and grow it specifically for that purpose. Here's a half a barrow load before getting to the bin.

 

 Also, a must show photo of Jan's Crossed Zucchini seeds currently germinating. These are still F1 seeds, as we failed dismally to get seeds from the crop last year. These are a cross between Gold Rush X Jade Numbat.

Not Gardening Related - Another Hobby

I know it's not garden related as such, but it will become a regular feature in the garden. We've always liked cooking in the Camp Ovens while away camping, plus we did a bit at home before we moved here. I have a Firepit ordered from Queensland, so when that arrives we'll get organised.

Here's our set up when we go bush, but probably won't get this advanced when we start.

Bags on Tomato Plants

Here's a video from today which shows what being over committed to your hobby means. The white bags (as shown in an earlier post) are over the first flower trusses to stop them cross pollinating and may be off the plants by planting time.

Hothouse Shade Cover Back On

 With the terrific weather we're getting here, it's certainly heating up the hothouse, so today we put the shade cover back on. A simple job that probably took 15 minutes to do, certainly changed the interior temperature and light intensity.

Back to normal growing now that Winter has slipped away.

Calytrix tetragona "Compact Pink"

Today I potted up the Calytrix tetragona "Compact Pink" plants, that struck over Winter. Nineteen plants, which isn't too bad from what went down.

 

 

Sowed some Jade Numbat X Gold Rush Zucchini Seeds

 

I sowed a dozen seeds of Jan's crossed Zucchini (Jade Numbat X Gold Rush). These are F1 seeds, as we failed the get seeds last season.

 

Our Local Happy Wanderer

Our local form of Hardenbergia violacea growing on our garden arch. This form is usually an understory plant in the local bush and would never ever reach this potential in the wild.

\

Bagging Time

 Still not up to full on gardening yet after my procedure and hospital stays, the tomato seedlings are telling me they need bagging, so today I started on a few and will progress through the lot in coming days.

Bagging, you ask. Well it's really called Bagging blossoms on your tomatoes, which gives you the satisfaction that your tomatoes will be as pure as you can get them and not crossed pollinated. It's a simple process and once you've done it once or twice, will become second nature to you. I've been doing it for years, but when I had my garden forum, some would say they bagged their tomato blossoms, when you know they don't. Simple fact for me is that I do it and I'm more than happy to give my seed away knowing it will grow true.

Looking Good So Far

Just a quick update for anyone checking in on this Blog. I've been in and out of hospital recently, but I have all 50+ tomato plants in 140mm pots, which is good. I'll update this post again at the end of the week if I can get past a doctors appointment in the morning.

 

 

Tomatoes As Of Today - Sunday 2nd August.

I've been potting up my tomato plants into 140mm pots, as they are now growing quite well.

Here's a look at a tray I've just done this morning.

Sneak Peak - Tomatoes

I'm posting a sneak peak at my tomato plants, one day after  I would normally have planted them.

Here are a few of them.

A Rainy Day Job

We're currently getting some light rain from an East Coast Low Pressure System, so a good opportunity for me to pot up my tomato plants that I intend to grow in in the garden. I bought a 50 litre bag of Osmocote Potting Mix yesterday, so I'll start getting them into 140mm pots at some point this week. I think from the bag I should get about 50 plants potted up, so money well spent on the mix.

Into the potting mix I'll add some Brunning's Tomato & Vegetable Food, which is similar to Blood & Bone with additives and the tomato plants love it. Don't look for this fertiliser at Bunning's as they only stock it during the tomato season, shame really

Here's the Potting Mix I'll use.