Autumn bliss
Vegetable Vagabond
by Kate
1y ago
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Open Gardens..... in changing times
Vegetable Vagabond
by Kate
1y ago
 I have visited a few open gardens today. They are all gorgeous and the owners have done an amazing job getting them ready, with all the rain etc that we have had. Some had magnificent, old trees, some massess of prettiness, one had fabulous, very old rock walls, most had a pond. The thing about them all was that they could have been anywhere in the world that had an appropriate climate. None of them were what I would call Australian. I know 2 gardens that say Australia, without being just natives, and that is what I particularly like. None of them had much in the way of food gardens ei ..read more
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November 2022 Kitchen Garden Guide
Vegetable Vagabond
by Kate
1y ago
  Saturation! This last month or so will be testing your garden layout, water management and soil health. Don’t blame the weather; how your garden reacts is all about plant health, soil health, drainage and the state of the ecosystem you have had a big part in creating….. or not creating! Aphid and white fly infestations, rust, rot and root diseases as well as pollination issues can be sidestepped significantly by having a garden of biodiverse plants, including lots of Tasmanian natives, predator attracting plants, bird attracting plants and nesting sites as well as a soil packed with mic ..read more
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August 2022 Kitchen Garden Guide
Vegetable Vagabond
by Kate
1y ago
  August heralds the coming of the light, where the sun is a little higher in the sky and daylight hours are lengthening. Lengthening days and strengthening sun bring energy to life in the southern hemisphere. Along with climate trends and weather variations, these are what influence the arrival of spring. Here in Cygnet, cold winds often arrive, just when we start to enjoy a bit more sun so provide shelter for the edible garden, using hay bales, for example. Insects, fungus, birds and other annoyances We walk in the forests and marvel at the beautiful fungi but we don’t like curly leaf a ..read more
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August 2020 Kitchen Garden Guide
Vegetable Vagabond
by Kate
1y ago
  July was terribly dry, with mild nights. Today it is forecast to snow almost to sea level, with plenty of rain elsewhere. This winter at the bottom of the world will test the plants and seeds in our gardens as they try to work out if it is time to grow or best to stay dormant a while longer. One thing we can be sure of is that it is time to sow tomatoes, as far off as a summer harvest seems. Tomatoes I have written about sowing tomatoes many times. The gist of it is: 1.   They really do need bottom heat for good germination. Use a brewer’s mat or terrarium mat or silicone terr ..read more
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August 2016 Kitchen Garden Guide
Vegetable Vagabond
by Kate
1y ago
  Making water work The wettest 3 months on record means everything is saturated and most soil will be unworkable for a while yet. Working the soil when it is in this state can damage the structure and upset the soil life, never mind about damaging your back! I recommend we all take a while to observe what is happening in our gardens by plunging a spade or fork to its full depth, wobbling it back and forth and, on your hands and knees, looking at and feeling the soil. Once it is no longer solid, like slicing a cheesecake, but rather more like breaking open a muffin, then you can go ahead ..read more
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June 2022 Kitchen Garden Guide
Vegetable Vagabond
by Kate
1y ago
 Various things are happening in my garden which indicate that the plants know a thing or two about the season that I do not.  Firstly, self-sown miners lettuce and corn salad are both coming up at the same time. This is a treat because I love them both and usually have to wait until almost the end of winter for the corn salad to appear, which then grows quickly before running to seed. Another thing is that frost has not yet knocked off the yacon leaves, which are very large and generally have turned black by now, telling me it is time to harvest the tubers. The BOM forecast for the ..read more
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March 2021 Kitchen Garden Guide
Vegetable Vagabond
by Kate
2y ago
  Summer has drifted in and out, the wind has howled and abated, rain has pelted down, then evaporated and our tomatoes are slowly ripening. Interestingly, my tomato plants are much taller than ever before, and the first tomatoes to ripen, quite early on, were the big, luscious Black from Tula. The most productive this year has been Jaune Flamme, which I only decided to grow at the last minute. It just goes to show that it is worth planting a diverse range of tomatoes and everything else. Cuttings Autumn is an excellent time for taking cuttings. Cuttings in autumn can be semi hardwood or ..read more
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March 2020 Kitchen Garden Guide
Vegetable Vagabond
by Kate
2y ago
  It seems that autumn has arrived, with few tomatoes ripening but lots of fabulous beans and no bushfires in our area. The paddocks that have had hay cut are green again, with the cool summer and frequent showers. We have a lot to be grateful for, here in southern Tasmania. Alliums Onions, garlic, shallots, potato onions, walking onions, leeks, elephant garlic, chives and garlic chives are all alliums and have been grown for thousands of years, in many parts of the world. Alliums all have day length requirements; some preferring shortening days, some lengthening days, some a little mor ..read more
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March 2019 Kitchen Garden Guide
Vegetable Vagabond
by Kate
2y ago
  My garden has been blasted by winds from the north west and south west, drying everything out, no matter how much I water. I am rarely despondent about my garden but, after the fires and smoke and stresses  of January then the winds of February, all I can do is learn and implement some strategies for the future. Lesson 1: Shelter My cucumbers have thrived for several reasons and the first is that they are sheltered from all wind. They needed no extra water than normal and have produced a continuous supply of beautiful, healthy, crisp, Dragon’s Egg cucumbers for months. They are she ..read more
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