overwintering Winter-Summer in OZ "Comparison" / Aussie Blabberers

[gasificada]

I hope that you're right. I have big big plans for this season.

Don't hold me on it! It's just how it is in my garden. Funny... I'm up to my eyeballs in pests but aphids are one that have never really been a problem. Guess it's just not the right conditions for 'em here.

Hey Trips, heads up if you're around: my local Bunnings has sheep poo in stock ATM. I dare say yours will too (with the whole store-to-store consistency thing they seem to be going for of late).

Only really stopped in there to compare prices with Masters but ended up walking out with a couple bags.

Speaking of Masters, has anyone else checked them out yet? Heaps cheaper! I can't have been paying too much attention the first time I went in....

Masters: 6L peat moss, $4

Bunnings: 5L peat moss, $6

(How does that work?? And the Kilkarney stuff is like $2 or $3 bucks cheaper at Masters too)

Masters: 25L poo, $5

Bunnings: 25L poo, $7

(but Masters didn't have sheep poo)

Picked up a few bags of Naked Farmer Soil Activator from Masters too for $8 ea which I'm sure I paid more for at Bunnings a while back (but can't remember now... I could be wrong).

 

[megamoo]

The exact same brand of digital timer switch $22 in masters and $18 in bunnings. My kids like riding in the cars with steering wheels / trolleys at masters though. They got upset the other day when I said we didn't need anything and couldn't go.

 

[gasificada]

The exact same brand of digital timer switch $22 in masters and $18 in bunnings. My kids like riding in the cars with steering wheels / trolleys at masters though. They got upset the other day when I said we didn't need anything and couldn't go.

There you go. Maybe I should have taken the time to compare prices on more than just the bagged potting mixes, etc, eh? Guess it might even out after all.

(Either that, or you lot on the other side are back-to-front!)

 

[Mezo]

Its half five lads & i can still see when walking without tripping over a cow turd.

Mezo.

 

[Trippa]

Yeah the days are drawing out now. Just as well as my over winters are looking like they will be binned at this stage
They just look terrible. Lucky I started plenty of new seeds a few weeks ago and besides the odd aphid they are looking great . Growing extremely well and so far have had great germination rates.

Thanks for the heads up on the shite gas. Might take a nosy this weekend.

 

[gasificada]

Tell me about, Trips. Some of last seasons "survivors" (if you can call them that):

On another note though, Aji Amarillo x Yellow T Scorp F1s springing back to life after a recent heavy pruning:

Thought I might share my latest project too:

(All "learn by doing" at this point... I have no bloody idea what I'm doing! )

Still a bit of work to do (more organic materials and plenty more swings of the hoe) but at least it's a start. Damn clay-type ground is a bitch!

Funny thing... found onions still growing in there which I planted like a good 15 years ago!

Oh well... I'm planning on planting companion crops anyway.

Yellow Wasp which I pulled out and gonna whack in the ground somewhere if it survives (mangled the roots pretty bad trying to get the thing out of the rock hard ground):

Some closing advice? Always listen to that voice that says things like "get some gloves ya dickhead!"

 

[Ferrero]

Some closing advice? Always listen to that voice that says things like "get some gloves ya dickhead!"

You work in an office Gas them some supple sore hands lol

 

[gasificada]

You work in an office Gas them some supple sore hands lol

Haha. No matter how often I get 'em dirty and banged up, they're still ready to break just as easily the next time.

 

[Trippa]

Looking good gas. Not the hand though. You need to do more work . Flag the gloves. Get some callouses going and you'll be sweet .

Your over winters look miles better then mine. Seriously no idea what my problem is with my plants. Except maybe they need repotting . Still waiting on some red 7 pots to come up and my selection will be complete for the season.

 

[gasificada]

Cheers Trips! But I won't be showing no close-ups or anything of the overwinters though. They may look OK-ish from distance but up close speaks another story........

Awesome to hear all but one variety has done it for you! So far I have about half up of what I plan to grow next season. Think I may have either rotted the last bunch I put down though or cooked 'em when I wasn't paying attention to temps inside the box.

 

[Ferrero]

lol you should see my only 7 pot that I overwintered its a stick I suppose living out toward ipswich it gets pretty cold and it being in a aquaponics system the water gets colder lol oh well

 

[gasificada]

Added some more poo to the bed today:

Hoed the thing for a good two hours today... slowly getting there but still needs work:

Before:

After:

(Have I even gotten anywhere?? )

Any suggestions on what else I could add to improve it? Don't want to overdo it on the poo! I'm thinking another bag of Naked Farmer Soil Activator and maybe a couple bags of plain composted bark type potting mix... although from what I've read, I should be wary of anything that might contain fine sand when dealing with clay?

Trying my hand at cooking up some "premium-style" potting mix too:

Peat moss, compost, a bit of sheep poo, vermiculite, perlite and dry mineral fert.

And Yellow Wasp not looking to crash hot after ripping her out:

 

[Ferrero]

Can't help ya Gas but oh doesn't that cow manure smell like crap lol

 

[megamoo]

What does the naked farmer stuff add to the soil? Is it benificial microbes? I used it once before and I know it looks rich and black but I can't say I noticed incredible results.

 

[Ferrero]

I can probably give you some fish manure

 

[gasificada]

Can't help ya Gas but oh doesn't that cow manure smell like crap lol

I would be questioning any crap that didn't smell like crap.

What does the naked farmer stuff add to the soil? Is it benificial microbes? I used it once before and I know it looks rich and black but I can't say I noticed incredible results.

What does it do? So far, as far as I can tell... makes your soil look rich and black.

http://www.nakedfarmer.com.au/id31.html

The whole "breaks down clay" thing got me. Although, with these sore arms, I'm wondering what's really breaking down the clay!

I can probably give you some fish manure

Do you do bulk?

 

[Ferrero]

lol I could probably do a couple kgs and some water with good nitrates levels

 

[Lavatung]

Today I discovered that all the weeds that had recently sprung up in all the places I'm planning to put my chillies this season were INFESTED with aphids. The same happened to me Yesterday. I was pulling up weeds from my garden and noticed giant aphids. I checked the rest of my garden and they were only on the weeds. Crazy! I'm in the swan valley. We're do you live megamoo?

I pulled them all up and threw them in the bin. Then I went around and sprayed pyrethrin on everything. No chilli plants affected yet but thats only because they are all still inside.

Basically this place I've just moved into, which has a perfect garden in every other way for growing chillies... is an aphid house party!!!!!

From what I remember about an aphids lifecycle they hatch and suck on the leaves until they are big enough to migrate to a new plant where they make more baby ahpids and it snowballs from there. I have seen some ants around but they aren't where the aphids were, I didn't see any farming behaviour from them. The aphids were real big suckers too. They weren't all the tiny green ones, but the mostly larger darker ones with legs.

Mowed the lawn a few days ago and a few tiny weeds have sprouted up amoungst the grass. Every single weed of this one particular type had aphids under the leaves... even if it was a tiny little sprout that would have to be only a couple of days old, and it was well away from any other infected plant. So they must be everywhere outside, and trawling the lawn to find the new little weeds they like. They seem to ignore most types of weeds but really love this one type.

The house is on a sharp corner and I only have one neighbour, who has a garden which looks a bit neglected. I'm hoping they aren't coming from there because even if I clear out all the weeds and aphid sites on my property.... as soon as I put my chillies plants out they will come over and get into them. I really hope this season doesn't turn into a tale of buying millions of ladybirds or endless chemical warfare.



edit: It must be messing with my head cos I went and shaved my head for no apparent reason.

I don't think I got the hang of replying to people's posts yet haha

 

[gasificada]

What you trying to do there, lava? Maybe I can help you out?

...

After doing a bit of research, it sounds like I might be doing the wrong thing by working the hell outta my clay (and possibly causing greater compaction)! Working amendments into a not-too-deep top layer and giving them time to work themselves in seems to be the suggested course of action. Why do I always jump in first and ask questions after?

Building a raised bed on top of clay soil (and letting that work down over time) sounds like a great option too. Might have to select another patch of ground and experiment with that also.....

 

[Trippa]

Add some pea straw or some form of organic mulch to build up the humus layer this adds in aeration and stops compacting of the soil as quickly.