Our Garden has been around for about 10 years when we moved onto our selection. At times I've expanded it and also taken areas out due to drought, flood and fires. Animal pests are roos, bandicoots, possum, rats occasionally, cockatoos, parrots and my free roaming chickens at times.
We've grown just about everything. Had some good crops of Pok Choy, Spinach, Lettuce, Zucchini, Squash, varieties of Pumpkin, runner beans, Snow peas, tomatoes, radish, leek and spring onions. Nothing on a large scale but enough for us, the neighbours and have sold surplus at the local bush market in the past.
The farm came with a variety of fruit, nut and native tucker trees. Lost a few in the fires and the following flooding afterwards drowned/rotted a couple. Sold bags of mandarins, pomelos and experimenting with pineapples presently. Most fruit needs to be harvested before the birds get to it especially the cockatoos and native parrots which also tear into the olives and macadamias.
We tend to grow more than we need and store some in the larder.
As I alluded to there were fires and floods last couple of years. The rain has 'turned' the soil and growing is difficult so there is a bit of mulching going on. Our latest day out with the dogs is taking the small truck to a location near a river and taking the exposed loamy soil from a collapsed bank and mixing it in with manure, ash and our current soil at home. Maintaining a healthy worm farm as well.
Another experiment I'm doing is planting potatoes and sweet potatoes in large boxes on the porch. Never had much luck with them in the past as grubs and bandicoots ripped through the ground.
I have a small herb garden set aside and a seedling room which we tend to occasionally.
As for tobacco @"Ninurta"#2 I have grown it in the past and it went wild. Big pink blooms and large cabbage leaves which I dried and mixed with regular tobacco. Fire wiped it out. Currently trying again but no seeds are striking sadly. Some stunted ones but no higher than an inch. Other garden plants are ornamentals such as native orchids, perennials and dragon fruit climbing cactus.
Plants that otherwise failed this last year are corn, peppers/chili and melons but there is always next year.
The gardens are a hobby and we can spend many hours just dicking around with the plants and trees. Wood cutting and splitting will take precedence soon and some work on the house through the winter.
Mouse plague last year took out out seed stock so starting afresh. Put some passion fruit in pots along with mulberry cuttings and will soon prune the grape vines and plant the cuttings. Recently put a fig tree and a plum tree in the yard and they seem to be doing well. Had one lemon tree suffer from grub/bug infestation so cut that back and the fig is taking it's place.
Guess we'll be doing this until we sell up. To be honest I do get lazy and lose a lot of plants and need to up my management. Can't bend much and not tolerating heat/sun which at times triggers a virus. Now a lot of the veg's are in raised beds with some shade sail.
Raved on a bit. I do like this thread.
Kind regards and happy planting,
Bally)
We've grown just about everything. Had some good crops of Pok Choy, Spinach, Lettuce, Zucchini, Squash, varieties of Pumpkin, runner beans, Snow peas, tomatoes, radish, leek and spring onions. Nothing on a large scale but enough for us, the neighbours and have sold surplus at the local bush market in the past.
The farm came with a variety of fruit, nut and native tucker trees. Lost a few in the fires and the following flooding afterwards drowned/rotted a couple. Sold bags of mandarins, pomelos and experimenting with pineapples presently. Most fruit needs to be harvested before the birds get to it especially the cockatoos and native parrots which also tear into the olives and macadamias.
We tend to grow more than we need and store some in the larder.
As I alluded to there were fires and floods last couple of years. The rain has 'turned' the soil and growing is difficult so there is a bit of mulching going on. Our latest day out with the dogs is taking the small truck to a location near a river and taking the exposed loamy soil from a collapsed bank and mixing it in with manure, ash and our current soil at home. Maintaining a healthy worm farm as well.
Another experiment I'm doing is planting potatoes and sweet potatoes in large boxes on the porch. Never had much luck with them in the past as grubs and bandicoots ripped through the ground.
I have a small herb garden set aside and a seedling room which we tend to occasionally.
As for tobacco @"Ninurta"#2 I have grown it in the past and it went wild. Big pink blooms and large cabbage leaves which I dried and mixed with regular tobacco. Fire wiped it out. Currently trying again but no seeds are striking sadly. Some stunted ones but no higher than an inch. Other garden plants are ornamentals such as native orchids, perennials and dragon fruit climbing cactus.
Plants that otherwise failed this last year are corn, peppers/chili and melons but there is always next year.
The gardens are a hobby and we can spend many hours just dicking around with the plants and trees. Wood cutting and splitting will take precedence soon and some work on the house through the winter.
Mouse plague last year took out out seed stock so starting afresh. Put some passion fruit in pots along with mulberry cuttings and will soon prune the grape vines and plant the cuttings. Recently put a fig tree and a plum tree in the yard and they seem to be doing well. Had one lemon tree suffer from grub/bug infestation so cut that back and the fig is taking it's place.
Guess we'll be doing this until we sell up. To be honest I do get lazy and lose a lot of plants and need to up my management. Can't bend much and not tolerating heat/sun which at times triggers a virus. Now a lot of the veg's are in raised beds with some shade sail.
Raved on a bit. I do like this thread.
Kind regards and happy planting,
Bally)