Very hard to grow seeds that way that will yield fruit.
Why so?
Not really, they are a bit hard to germinate alright, need warm soil around 25C and 2 weeks.
Don’t know, but it is a thing.
It’s generally because the seeds we buy are mass produced hybrids and if you save the seed, when it fruits, it’s not true to a parent seed.
If you can buy true heirloom seeds you should definitely save the seed from any produce as it will be true to the parent.
The thing with seeds from tomatoes, chillis etc is that you have to make sure the coating is completel off them, I’ve used paper kitchen towel in the past and give them some time to dry out in a paper bag or envelope.
Of course you could just try with the hybrids. Like anything in gardening, give it a go and see what happens.
Looking at these
It’s been a weird summer here. We’ve had a La Nina weather system which has meant a lot less really hot days (though we’ve had plenty) and lots of rain. Lots of rain, like 4 or 5 times what we normally have in summer. I’ve been mowing lawns to beat the band ( and I’m very excited about the battery powered Makita line timmer I’ve just bought which will make wife and neighbours haopy with noise reduction).
Most crops were good, the Roma tomatoes were outstanding. Tbe Money Maker tomatoes I trialled not so much, very disease prone and actually didn’t taste all that great. I’ll try another variety next year.
But everything finished very early and we seem to be getting into am early Autumn.
It’s been a relief in a way after the horrendous summer of last year. But now anticipating a very hot, very dry summer later this year.
So beds, all but one with some late Zucchinis, cleared and barrow loads of home done compost applied. I’ll start the seedlings like broccoli, kale, leeks, red onions, cabbage and sweet pea tomorrow. I’ll plant broad beans direct tomorrow
as they have a ling growing time. I’m undecided as to whether I’ll do garlic after last years disaster.
I actually prefer the winter vegetables, less pressure.
I have lots of large ceramic and terracotta pots in the garden and on the veranda. The vast majority have been picked off the side of the road from people throwing them out. In some cases they’re broken, but I can easily fix them with liquid nails.
This huge glazed pot was picked up in front of a neighbors house. I actually knocked on his door to ask if he was throwing it out and yes, because it had a crack in it.
Bizarre, as you’d barely notice the crack. So I got a $300 pot for nothing.
I planted an Olive tree in it, at the time a bare wisp of a thing about a foot high last year
It’s kind of grown since and now I have a crop of olives turning from green to purple and black.
Not many, but I’m going to pick them in the next week or so and try to cure them.
You can’t eat olives off the tree, they’re too bitter, so you have to cure them in brine, many times over and then set them in oil for a year. So I’ll do this as a very involved experiment to see if I can get a nice jar of olives in oil next year.
I’ll prune the tree back hard after picking to a standard and should have a very decent crop in the next few years.
The olive tree is actually staked with a length of copper pipe I salvaged from our bathroom renovation. It looks great. #repurposed
Yes, unfortunately
Is there any issue (cost) with water usage for all those plants?
What part?
Wyoming on the NSW Central Coast about 90 mins north of Sydney.
I have two rainwater tanks with capacity of 4500 litres which I use for the vegetables. Thus summer’s been fine, with lots of rain, but most summers are very hot and dry (winters very dry as well) so the tanks do run out and then I’m on town water. But we have restrictions so I can only use the hosebtwice in a week.
It gets pretty grim sometimes. I have a hose from the washing machine waterimg one of the front lawns and buckets in the shower captures about 50 litres a day which go on the other front lawn
But we have had many months with a brown front lawn.
There’s a lot of hamd watering
And yes, it does cost extra. But the tanks generally cover the vegetables.
I have olive trees in the garden, for decorative purposes. The leaves are a lovely grey green colour. They actually fruited last summer though the olives were tiny and never went beyond green.
Give it a couple ofbyears and you could see some decent fruit. You need heat.
They’re a beautiful tree that get better with age.
That’s not far from Newcastle I think! Traveled that whole coast years ago… Nearly didn’t come back!
Ripped out 15 50 year old sitkas there. Myself and the cub planted a hedge down the far side- black and white thorn, hornbeam and copper beech. The oil tank is an eyesore but there’s nowhere else for it. The plan is to plant a few native trees, cram as many agastache, hyssop, balsam etc in as possible, maybe throw in some vegetables as well…and tidy up the shed.
It’s a draughty spot though, despite global warming.
