Starting out.. any tips?

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by EarthMama, Dec 18, 2008.

  1. EarthMama

    EarthMama Junior Member

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    Hi there all,
    I am just starting out.. i have purchased lettuce (4types) Basil, Chives (Garlic chives also), a late tomato plant currently in flower,capsicum & Queensland Blue Pumpkin. I am about to plant in tubs as have no limited ground that i could use and a little concerned as to what is actually in the soil around here.
    Anyone who would like to share Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
    Also wanted recommendations for anything else i could grow in pots/1/2 wine barrels at this time of year?
    I am in the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne.
    Thanks

    "Be the change you want to see in the world" ~Gandhi
     
  2. paradisi

    paradisi Junior Member

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    Re: Starting out.. any tips?

    shove it in, water it, feed it and see waht happens.

    if a plant wants to grow it will - no matter what you try and do to it.

    if you use seed from bought fruit - no cost and no problems trying them

    if you use bought seedlings - 40-60 cents a plant so again no real cost and with your experimentation it will help you muchly in years to come

    the biggest thing with trying to grow food is actually planting them. get the fingers dirty and hope they turn green.

    big smiley at the end of this and a good luck good wishes message too
     
  3. EarthMama

    EarthMama Junior Member

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    Re: Starting out.. any tips?

    Thanks!
    Well my hands got dirty & so did my son so all in all we had a wonderful day!
    Thank you for the welcome, advice and smile.
    Love the your blog title also :)


    Another quick question.. i bought some 1/2 wine barrels with wine still in them.. apparently i need to fill and soak these a few times to get rid of excess wine before planting. I am worried about using all that water and it going to waste.. is there anything i can use this water on?
     
  4. aroideana

    aroideana Junior Member

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    Re: Starting out.. any tips?

    What harm could a little wine do ? seriously :drinkers:
    maybe scrub it out with some soapy water and wipe down , 1lt
     
  5. EarthMama

    EarthMama Junior Member

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    Re: Starting out.. any tips?

    Heehee well okay then!
    Off to scrub and then we'll see if my vegies come out pickled.
    Cheers!
     
  6. Mowman

    Mowman Junior Member

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    Re: Starting out.. any tips?

    My tip is I'd go for maximum production from the available soil. Constant planting every available space is the only "effort", the care and harvesting follows easily. Keeping the plants fed and harvesting as soon as theyre ready increases production.

    Silver beet gives good bulk production, about 12+ plants in half of one of your barrels should give a few good meal-sized portions every second day. Cos lettuce and rocket are good high-producers, if constantly plucked. A couple of red migonettes in the lettuce patch makes it pretty. All benefit from constant feeding with their water. Tuscan cabbage/kale is good for plucking. Once oregano takes hold, its like a fast ground cover in the gaps at the moment.

    Zucchinis and button squash should be high producers in Melbourne at the moment, I'd suggest overplanting (3-4 plants around the edges of the barrel), allow for this barrel to spread a metre in all directions, and pick them small at about 15-20cm for higher output.

    Red cabbage is an attractive low maintenance plant. I've found a few sunflowers in medium-large moveable pots are very good for gardener's morale.

    I think tomatoes are the best thing in any vegie patch. Cherry tomatoes are the easiest to grow and upkeep. Good small fillers for any available space are basil seedlings, radish seeds and beetroot.

    I think a good "essential farm equipment" tip would be a sack truck trolley with a strap, for moving the barrels around. I'm not sure of the chemical implications, but filling the bottom quarter of the barrels with broken up styrofoam would make them a lot lighter to move around, and vegies dont need soil all the way to the bottom of a half barrel.
     
  7. sindhooram

    sindhooram Junior Member

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    Re: Starting out.. any tips?

    Hi - I'm not an expert but I have read that there are carrots - Parisian or Oxheart type that do well in containers because they are short and stubby rather than long rooted - could be worth a try. I grew a tomato in a pot and it didnt do so well but I think becaue I needed a lot more compost.It seems from what I have read like cherry tomatoes do better in pots than larger varieties.

    Good Luck!!
     

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