Replacement Rhubarb

Spend the evening digging the old green rhubarb out in the hope that the new red rhubarb will take over. The green rhubarb tastes good, but the red looks better.

Rhubarb Crumble

2.8KG of rhubarb came out of the parch and into the kitchen. 800g went into rhubarb crumble (which was excellent) and 2KG was stewed and went into bottles. This is the first (non-jam) bottling endeavour for the patch and it seems to have worked well.

For Christmas dinner Kohlrabi, Cauliflower, and turnips. The cheddar yellow cauliflower is excellent both raw and cooked. The remains went into filo-parcels for dinner tonight. They, too, were good.

Tomatoes are starting to come, but the plants are yellowing. They need some tomato food.

Kohlrabi, An Unexpected Delight

After a wet Saturday, Sunday was spent felling and mulching a tree that was casting a shadow over the new extended patch. The said tree was also located in prime vege-patch real estate.

Took some turnips for tonights dinner as well as some Kohlrabi. Roasted Kohlrabi is good! Peel the vegetable using first your hand, then a potato peeler. The skin is woody and easily removed. Then rub in oil (in this case Rice-Bran Oil), then into the oven for about 30 mins. They are excellent.

Raw they're also good. They taste a little like a nutty cucumber.

Germinated Peppers

Two of the capsicum have reared their heads above the surface. They need a change to grow stronger, but they're there.

Carrots

Over the weeked managed to find time to weed and plant some carrot seeds.

Outside Pix

Lettuces

Brocolli

Peas

Inside Pix

Cucumbers

Zucchini

Germinated Brassicas

Its Chili

Had a few minutes and so planted 6 each of Capsicum and Chili Pepper. Placed the lot of them into a tray in the green-room.

Also finally got some (shop) silverbeet out of the tub they came in and into the patch. They were looking pretty sad and had been there several months. Chances are they'll die.

Seed Seeds Seeds, on the grow

All three seed-trays were empty, and its summer. This was a sad state of affairs that needed resolving. The seed-trays were washed in hot water, then rinsed in hot tap water, then filled with black-magic seed mix.

Into the three trays went 20 each of:
Spinach (winter giant)
Spinach (bloomsdale)
Cauliflower (all the year around)
Cauliflower (violet sicilian)
Cabbage (copenhagen market)
Brocoli (italian Precore)

That a load of Brassica and a lot of spinach.

As its early summers its also time to get the cucurbits in. They are a lot larget than the tiny brassics so they go into individual pots rather then seed trays. Into 4 pots each went:

Pumpkins (harvest gold)
Squash (sunbeam)
Zucchini (blackjack)
Zucchini (blackbeauty)

In previous years the pumpkins have suffered mold and not produced fruit - perhaps this year will reverse the trend.

Onions into the Patch

The red and regular (brown?) onions were moved into the patch. The density there is now quite high as it includes onions from last year from earlier in the season and from now.

Last year's onions keep trying to flower, but they're getting nipped in the bud. With luck this will encourage them to grow onions rather than flowers.

Tiny Asparagus

The Asparagus have hatched. They are varying in length from 1mm to 1cm. They are impossible to photograph, however, because they are so thin they can only just be seen. They are also nearly the colour of the soil!

Tomato and Cucumber

Tomatoes. See... Tomato plants doing their thing. These are located in the corridore at the top of the stairs. There are similar plants in the green-room, and three similar pots in a summy coridore at work.

Cucumbers. Cucumber sandwiches in the making. So it might take a few more days before they're ready to harvest, but you've got to start somewhere.

Kaye's Great Grandmother's Strawberries

Kaye very kidly donated 2 strawberry plants. The are from plants that she took from her great grandmother's garden. That would make them heirlooms, perhaps even from 100 years ago. They will apparently produce little red berries, they should go well with the little white ones already in the patch.

One went into the front patch. The other went into potting mix in the green room. With luck they'll do well and it'll be possible to multiply out the plants.

Carrots Seeds Are In.

Finally got around to planting the carrot seeds into the patch. There were a few Manchester Table seeds left over from another project to which were mixed Paris Market, Lubyana, White Belgian, and Purple Dragon. These were then scattered quite densely over one corner of the patch. Within an hour it had started to rain.

The remaining nutri-read carrot seeds were not planted - they aren't that good and don't grow that well. This is not only my experience but the experience of another vege grower in Dunedin.

Cucumber

First go with cucumbers this season. This year King's Marketmore Cucumbers. Six seeds went into a tray. With some luck we'll see at least one germinate. In previous years the cucumbers have gone in a little late.

Cat-Fennel

Its not just us humans who love to spend the afternoon in the garden watching the vegies grow. In the background you see the Fennel from last year (it died back over winter but has clearly sprung back for spring).

Planting Out Onions and Turnips

The first batch of Long-Keeper onions went into the patch. Some were left in over the winter, just to see what happened. They survived and continue to grow. You can see here a mix of old and young onions.
The last spaces in the patch are filling up. You see here the brassicas planted out over the weekend. In the front on the left was planted (today) with the white-turnips.

Putting the brassicas to bed

The brassica that were reaised in seed-trays did generally very well with the exception of the cauliflower. The got too big for the seed trays and so were transplanted to the vege-patch.

As a reminder, they were: Broccoli (Premium Green F1), Cabbage (Copenhagen Market), Cauliflower (All Year Round), Pak Choy (White Stem).

Also transplanted peas (from way back) from trays to the patch. They do well inside, and outside they are a centimeter or so in length.

Finally, found the orange chedar cauliflower at Bunnings in Dunedin. One tray of 6 went in beside the other brassica. Overall a good weekend for the vege-patch.

Patch Pix

Early days yet but there's life in them there patches. Front and Middle is Cauliflower and Broccoli planted in autumn. They survive the winter and have started to take off. With luck they'll go to flower (which is the part we eat). In the background is Spinach.

Those shoots between the brassica is the garlic. The first shoots sprung up a week or two ago - and there should be more to come. They're grown from left-over sprigs from last year's crop planted close to the shortest day. In the background (above) you'll notice a few little white markers... they're marking out the radish that didn't yet sprout.

Pot-Tomatoes

The Tomatoes have grown to over an inch an so moved out of seed trays and into larger pots at their final destination. Above is a picture of the seedlings, these need potting and will probably get grown in the house.

Kohlrabi, Asparagus, Onions, and Lettuce

Sounds like quite a salad, but was quite a weekend. The Kohlrabi migrated from the seed-trays into the vege patch. Into the seed trays went 5 kinds of lettuce. Of couse, red lettuce is brassica not lettuce; and miners lettuce seeds don't look at all like lettuce seeds and so probably aren't lettuce either.

Red onion and green onion seeds went into trays as did asparagus seeds.

The rhubarb has started to show its head over the soil. As there is an abundance three plants were dug up and given to collegues. These were replaced with a different variety (Victoria) that were grown from seed last year (and kept in pots over the winter).

The tomatoes that were planted about 3 weeks ago (and I neglected to record) have germinated. They have grown to the size of a pin.

The brassicas planted a month ago need about another week before going into the patch.

Green-Peas

Put 40 of the remaining soaked peas into a seed-raising tray in the green room

Ground Peas

Put the peas into the ground. Two types, snow peas and regular peas. They were drained this morning then washed this evening before going into the vege patch. Basicly just mixed the compost into the soil with my hands and then pushed the peas into the mix to the depth of about 1cm. Lets hope we don't get any more frosts this spring.

Oh Peas!

Last night took the Snow Peas and some regular Peas and soaked them overnight. Tonight drained the water and rinsed. Also took 2 barrowloads of compost from the compost heap and spread it over the vege patch where the peas will go (hopefully) tomorrow.

As there is already leaks and onions in that section of the vege patch, compost was spread around them. Note... Onions survive the winter just fine. With luck they'll split some time in spring.

Brassica Germination

Planted 4 kinds of brassicas into one of the seed trays: Broccoli (Premium Green F1), Cabbage (Copenhagen Market), Cauliflower (All Year Round), Pak Choy (White Stem). The "plan" is to compare the seeds with the seedlings.

The Kohlrabu have germinated with nearly all peeking up out of the soil. Both the emerald and purple varieties have gerninated well.

The onions are showing signs of germination, but some are rotting. They get a white mold on them. I suspect that the seeds germinate then some mold sets in and they turn into little mold balls. None-the-less, it looks like enough will be successful to result in a first-round ready for planting in a week or two.

Kohlrabi

It took no more then 15 mins, but I found the time! Planted 20 each of the Purple and Emerald Kohlrabi in one of the seed trays. With some luck the green room will get warm enough during the day for these Brassica to do their germinating thing.

The King's Package

The seeds from Kings have arrived. Kings are very efficient. This year they got the oder exactly right too. Looking forward to pleanty of carrots later in the season.

Kings Seeds

Just placed this year's order with King's Seeds (and got the 2 free packets for exceeding $40, by 70c). Tons of carrots this year as there's none left in my stocks. Trying a new kind of tomato and kohlrabi for the first time. An asparagus bed in going in this year too. So here's what I got:

Asparagus Mary Washington
Bean Blue Lake Runner
Broccoli Premium Green F1
Carrot Paris Market
Carrot Lubyana
Carrot White Belgian
Carrot Purple Dragon
Cucumber Marketmore
Kohlrabi Emerald F1
Kohlrabi Early Purple Vienna
Pumpkin Harvest Gold F1
Snow Pea Goliath
Squash Sunbeam
Tomato Lady Bug F1

Un-young

Onion, that should have been.

Planted 3 trays of onion seeds, one of sweet red, one of italian long keeper, and the final of bollatana.

All the seeds were at least one year old and so the germination rate night be lower than expected.

There isn't a whole lot more that can be planted at this time of winter other than the brasicas.

Radish and Spinach

To the vege patch was added perpetual spinach from Red Barn. Also planted some radish seeds - with the hope of slow growth over winter. In order of left-to-right (from front of patch) the radish types were Cherry Belle, Black Round, and German Giant.

That bed now has cauli and broccoli at the front (interplanted with Garlic) then spinach, then radish.

Start of new Season

After a week of non-stop rain it finally cleared up yesterday. In went 6 cauli, 6 brocolli, and nearly 20 garlic. The garlic is saved from last year, but the others are from the shop - not from seed.