Next on the list of sowing seedlings was the large older seedling trays. I found five of these
(Above): Tray 1 – Buttercrunch lettuce
(Above): Tray 2 - McGregor Cocktail tomatoes
(Above): Tray 3 – Tiny Tim cherry tomatoes
(Above): Tray 4 – Kings Celery Apium groveolens
(Above): Back of Tray 5 – Beefsteak tomatoes
(Above): Front of Tray 5 – Hebanero peppers
Better late than never. The potting shed is still to get off the ground and repairs have not been started to the greenhouse/ seedling facility as yet, because of delays in the building work and other excuses.
We are probably way past the sowing deadline for Spring 2014, but we are nevertheless going ahead on the off-chance of some successes…
24 September, and we start off a few of the seeds from last year, using tow brands of seedling mix, namely 40L of Dalton’s Premium Seed Mix and 15L Yates Black Magic.
(Above): Back Row L to R: 1, 3, 6 and 7. Front Row L to R: 2, 4, 5, 8. and Marigolds
(Above) 1. Beans: Dwarf French Top Crop
(Above) 1. Close-up of Dwarf French Top Crop
(Above): 2. Beans – Climbing Kentucky Pole
(Above): 3. Peas – Climbing Sugar Snap Peas
(Above): 4. Picking gherkins (31 seeds)
(Above): 5. Cucumbers: Telegraph Improved Cucumbers (24 seeds)
(Above) 6. Organic Cucumbers Cucurios sativus (59 seeds)
(Above): 7.White Giant Organic Spinach (144 seeds)
(Above): 8: Cabbage - Brassica oleracea capitata (144 seeds)
(Above): 9. Marigolds
Umu is a Polynesian term for earth-oven, one of the most simple and long-used cooking structures. At its simplest, an earth oven is a pit in the ground used to trap heat and bake, smoke, or steam food. Earth ovens have been used in many places and cultures in the past, and the presence of such cooking pits is a key sign of human settlement. They remain a common tool for cooking large quantities of food where no equipment is available.
We, however, are not planning to build an umu, but rather a pizza-umu, where Pacific meets Mediterranean.
(Above): This is the sort of style we’re thinking about…
Fire Cement
For use in laying Fire bricks and patching fire places, kilns , furnaces, pizza ovens etc. This product is pre-mixed and should be used sparingly with 1mm to 2mm joints. The bricks must be laid dry and heated up slowly.
20kg bucket. Priced from $112.70; 8kg bucket. Priced from $51.75; 3kg bucket. Priced from $32.20; 1kg bottle. Priced from $19.55 (ideal size for the home handy man)
Medium Duty General Purpose Refractory Mortar. Max service temp 1300 deg.C. Less prone to cracking than other Refractory Mortars or Fire cements.From Invercargill Shipping charge = $22.00 North Island - Rural Extra
Recent interesting Old World farm pictures include:
Using construction reinforcing grid pieces rather than full-sized lengths for climbing plants – individual sections cut to desired height and width and stapled to timber uprights.
Quite a grand chicken coop, with ventilation slots in the lower half, safe protection for the flock and peaceful laying environment.
An old window frame recycled as an address sign…
The repeated use of neat stone borders gives continuity to the overall appearance… Chartwell has no shortage of suitable stones.
(Above 1,2): Tiny red berries on large bush shrub to the left of the snake pergola. To be identified
(Above 3,4) Small bunches of tiny white flowers on the huge shrub on the south side of the secret garden copse.
(Above 5): A dual colour pink Dahlia plant near the secret garden copse
(Above 6): The Kiwi vine with the last of the season’s leaves.
There are two main types of kiwi. Actinidia arguta (the hardy kiwi) and Actinidia deliciosa (the fuzzy kiwi). In general, both types require two plants,a male and a female, for pollination. Both plants produce flowers, but only the female will produce fruit. To ensure fruit production, plant a male and a female of the same species. There are self fertile varieties of each species which yield smaller fruits.
A.arguta has small, smooth skinned fruit and can withstand -35˚C. Fruits of the hardy kiwi can ripen on the vine in late fall. A. deliciosa has larger, brown, fuzzy fruits and can withstand -12.2˚C
A site that is full sun with well drained soil that is rich in organic matter is ideal for kiwi growth.. The leaves may show nitrogen deficiency if the soil is too basic. The plants do not tolerate salty soils. It will tolerate some shade but prefer a sunny location where they can ramble across some type of trellising system. They should have some protection from strong winds.
Watering - Kiwi fruit plants need large volumes of water during the entire growing season but must also be in well-drained soils. Watering regularly in the heat of the summer is a must. Never allow a plant to undergo drought stress. Symptoms of drought stress are drooping leaves, browning of the leaves around the edges, and complete defoliation with regrowth of new shoots when the stress is continuous.
Fertilization - Plants are heavy nitrogen feeders which should be applied in abundance during the first half of the growing season. Late season applications of nitrogen will enhance fruit size but are discouraged as the fruit then tends to store poorly. In basic soils, a citrus and avocado tree fertilizer should be broadcast about the vine and watered in well in early March. Follow up the initial fertilizing by supplemental additions to early summer. Mulching with manures and/or straws is very beneficial. However, do not put the mulch directly in contact with the vine as crown rot will occur.
(Above 7,8,9): Lemon tree with blossom.
(Above 10,11,12): One of two Lemonade lemon trees.
(Above 13,14): I found a small single Marigold plant (dead) in the greenhouse. These are the offspring, which I plan to collect for seed (once again) to sow as bee attraction around the new greenhouse, when it happens.
(Above 14,15): Single red rose on the western side of the kitchen yard trellis.
(Above 16,17): Rosemary in the chicken run and lower orchard areas.
(Above 18): The tomatillo obtained from the Gunn’s in whose greenhouse they grow most prolifically.
The tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica), also known as tomate verde ("green tomato") is related to the Cape gooseberry, bearing small, spherical and green or green-purple fruit of the same name. Tomatillos originated in Mexico, and are a staple of that country's cuisine. They are grown as annuals throughout the Western Hemisphere. Tomatillos are frequently eaten fried, boiled, or steamed.
The tomatillo fruit is surrounded by an inedible, paper-like husk formed from the calyx. As the fruit matures, it fills the husk and can split it open by harvest. The husk turns brown, and the fruit can be several colours when ripe, including yellow, red, green, or even purple. Tomatillos are the key ingredient in fresh and cooked Mexican and Central American green sauces. The freshness and greenness of the husk are quality criteria. Fruit should be firm and bright green, as the green colour and tart flavour are the main culinary contributions of the fruit. Purple- and red-ripening cultivars often have a slight sweetness, unlike the green- and yellow-ripening cultivars, so are somewhat more suitable for fruit-like uses like jams and preserves. Like their close relatives, Cape gooseberries, tomatillos have a high pectin content. They also tend to have a varying degree of a sappy, sticky coating, mostly when used on the green side out of the husk.
Tomatillo plants are highly self-compatible, and two or more plants are needed for proper pollination.Thus, isolated tomatillo plants rarely set fruit. Ripe tomatillos will keep refrigerated for about two weeks. They will keep even longer if the husks are removed and the fruits are placed in sealed plastic bags stored in the refrigerator.
Wednesday 2 April 2014. This is the second part of a two-part blog.
There are a number of Dahlia-like windflower-y flowers dotted around the garden. Before they start dying off, and we end up not remembering what each looks like, I have taken a close-up of each flower, a shot of it in its natural environment and a general picture of the surroundings, so as to be able to identify the location where it is currently growing.
(Above 1,2,3): Looks like Greek windflowers, on the western side of the Secret Garden copse.
(Above 4,5,6): Looking like a yellow Greek Windflower, also on the Western side of the Secret Garden copse, next to the purple ones.
(Above 7,8,9): This double orange in the western end of the Secret Garden copse
(Above 10,11,12): On the western side of the jardin potager trellis is the double pale orange.
(Above 13,14,15): On the western side of the jardin potager trellis is the double pale pink.
(Above 16,17,18): Shiny orange berries in the seed pods of this lily-type plant on the northern end of the Secret Garden.
