White Currants are very popular with the birds and I rarely actually get any...this year I have covered the whole plant with a net fruit bag...maybe I will get some this time!Weather Highlights:
Lowest Min -1.4C
Highest Min 14C
Lowest Max 15.6C
Highest Max 32.5C
17mm Rain
As you can see from the temperature ranges this fortnight we have had a real mixed bag weather wise! From almost hot weather one day to windy, wet and wintry weather the next. Throw in a couple of frosty mornings and I think we have just about covered it.
Propagation:
Seeds:
Basil Thai Lime Ocimum americanum var. americanum 4 Seasons seeds*
Borage White Borage officinalis 4seasons seeds*
Chamomile German Matricaria chamomilla New Gippsland Seeds*
Savory Summer Satureja hortensis New Gippsland Seeds*
Spinach Egyptian Orchorus olitorius Cornucopia*
Spinach Mountain Atriplex hortensis Cornucopia*
Cosmos Mixed Cosmos bipinnatus Home saved seeds
Basil Mrs Burns Lemon Ocimum basilicum/americanum The Lost Seed
Black Cumin Nigella sativa The Lost Seed
Marigold Crackerjack Tagetes erecta DT Brown
Marigold Safari Mixture Tagetes patula Yates Seed
Mexican Hyssop Agastache mexicana "Sangria" Southern Harvest
Purslane Golden Portulca oleracea Cornucopia
The seeds marked * were sown in small pots in the greenhouse, the other seeds were direct sown around the tomato seedlings in the Old Chook Run Garden.
Potting On/Up:
Evening Primrose Oenothera biennis
Planting out:
Planting in the Bath Tub Bed Basil Large Italian
Basil Lettuce Leaf
Basil Purple
Lettuce Drunken Woman
Lettuce Gloria
Tomato Bendigo Drop F6
into the Bathtub bed and Bed 11 (Fridge Wicking Bed)
Tomato Capri Showstopper F3
into the in-ground bed in the Old Chook Run (these ones are not dwarf plants so I shall just see what they produce)
While some of the spring seedlings have been planted out planting/sowing was put on hold as we had frosts forecast for Oct 14/15. Those seedlings already planted out were covered the rest were better off waiting in the greenhouse.
With frost forecast I had to grab whatever I could find to cover the new seedlings. Many of the beds are already covered with netting...mainly to keep off the birds that scratch around looking for the worms!!! The netting will raise the temperature in the beds by a couple of degrees and that often is enough to prevent damage but at this time of the year with such young seedlings I like to add a bit more security. These are removed each morning.
Plastic juice or milk containers with their bottoms cut off act as "hats" and with the tops on provide mini greenhouses for the seedlings...
Styrofoam or cardboard boxes are useful for larger plants...
This perforated plastic sheeting came as part of a kit some years ago and is handy to grab and throw over the netting hoops...
Or here it is used to wrap around tomato cages. Secured by cheap shop clamps, it does the job...
Even pieces of shadecloth or old tarps, you can even use old bed sheets, come to the rescue...
These Trombone Gramma seedlings have grown in the cut down juice bottles that covered the direct sown seeds. These "hats" stay on during the day and the lids are added when frost threatens.
