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Showing 1291 - 1320 of 1608 comments
Basil 02 Jan, Patricia hay (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Can you grow basil in tunnel house. Any tips. Tried growing from seed with no success .
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Basil 26 Feb, Elysa (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Yes! For the cooler climates tunnel house is the way to go! I had terrible luck growing outside until a friend told me she grows hers in a tunnel house, now I have brilliant Basil! Also, to keep them going, clip regularly and root in water, they are very quick to root. You will have basil Spring to Fall.
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Basil 02 Feb, Karen (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
I live North Shore Auckland. I've tried to grow allsorts of veg & herbs in pots from seeds outdoors with mixed success. The basil was one of my dismal failures. I now grow all my seeds indoors until the weather is warmer and the plants are well established. I find starting indoors is a lot more convenient for keeping an eye on progress. Regards basil, I find the seeds grow well starting indoors but take a while to get established once outdoors, then they go crazy! Since starting indoors I now have few failures but there are some things to be aware of: Light - needs good light so the seedlings don't become leggy. Be aware that near glass (windows/doors) can cause burn damage. Turn the pots around regularly so the plants don't lean. Don't over crowd, thin out seedlings if necessary. Temperature - Note the soil temperature required to germinate. Overheating during the day, too cold at night. I put a box over the pots at night to protect from sudden drops in temperatures. Ventilation - Ensure good air flow to minimise risk of disease, be aware of cold draughts coming from open windows at night. Watering - My seeds are sown in different sized pots/trays depending on what they are. I use
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Basil 13 Nov, Yolandi (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Mine germinates so well and then I loose about 3/4 of them in the first 4weeks. The leaves die.... They re inside. Not sure whats going on
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Broccoli 02 Jan, Tania hodges (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Why does our plants only produce really small main heads of broccoli, the plants appear to be really healthy.
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Broccoli 03 Jan, John (Australia - temperate climate)
It may be a small headed variety. Many of the large headed varieties are only available from commercial seed growers Contact Egmont Seeds (NZ) they have larger headed varieties.
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Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) 01 Jan, Lynne Adams (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Do I nip top stems off to increase side stems and fruit
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Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) 02 Feb, Karen (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Yes. Not counting the seed leaves I generally let the plant grow to about 8 true leaves then remove the lower 2 (ventilation space under growing plant) and cut the stem leaving 4 true leaves. This results in a stronger stem, more side shoots = more fruit. This works well for me growing one plant per 15L container.
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Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) 07 Jan, Peter (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
If you nip off the stem they will be sturdier plants and I have found they do produce more fruit.
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Beetroot (also Beets) 30 Dec, Michael (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Hi there, we have had beetroot growing for about three years now and had very good crops. This year however, we applied compost very heavily & the bulb is not very big & in some cases not at all. What have we done wrong?
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Beetroot (also Beets) 19 Sep, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
If the compost wasn't completely broken down it would take N from the soil to break it down. Very little left for the beetroot. On the other hand heaps of good compost and soil could be too rich. What I try and do is when mixing in compost etc - do it 4 weeks before planting anything. Turn the soil over several times and wet it to mix it all up and help break it down. Don't have too rich a soil to start with - you can add fert as they grow depending on how they are doing. I use inorganic fert - 2-4 teaspoons to 9 L of water in a watering can.
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Beetroot (also Beets) 19 Sep, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Try to grow after a previous crop that has reduced the N. Also apply a bit of P.
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Beetroot (also Beets) 13 Jan, Jean Beardsall (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I could hazard a guess that your compost contained too much nitrogen. Anything with bulbs or roots doesnt respons well to nitrogen. Maybe add a little lime to bring it to the correct PH. Google says: Beetroot prefer a soil pH of 5.8-7.0 but can tolerate a pH of up to 7.6. Acid soils are likely to create nutrient deficiency problems and should be avoided or limed to raise the pH.
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Beetroot (also Beets) 19 Jul, carl Freeman (New Zealand - temperate climate)
It could also be variety, some like 'bulls blood' are primarily for leaf. But yes probably too much nitrogen.
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Cabbage 28 Dec, tom green (New Zealand - temperate climate)
what is the best way to protect our cabbages from caterpillars that leave holes all over the leaves.we have tried derris dust but to no avail.
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Cabbage 09 Jan, Alan (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Cheap environmental way is mix Baking soda and flour 50/50 and sprinkle on. They die within 48 hrs. If it rains you need to repeat but the solution is cheap enough and won't poison you?
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Cabbage 02 Jan, Richard (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
The best way to protect from white butterfly caterpillar on brassicas is to cover with insect netting available form your hardware/garden store - I use a cloche system - very effective - no sprays no worries...
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Zucchini (also Courgette, Summer squash, Baby marrow) 21 Dec, Dianne Lovell (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Any benefit in removing the lower grown leaves. The thing is a triphid
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Zucchini (also Courgette, Summer squash, Baby marrow) 02 Feb, Karen (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
I agree with John. For powdery mildew prevention and control I use a brew of 3tablespoons of baking (bicarb) soda, 1/2 teaspoon non detergent dish soap to 6litre of water. The soda changes the ph and destroys the spores, soap acts as sticking agent. MUST test spay, leave 24-48hrs observe for chemical damage. May need less soda. Do not add anything to brew like fertiliser or neem oil, as this will change the ph and the brew will either become ineffective or cause damage. When ok with mix, spray everything (plant, container, soil, stakes etc) all over. Give sprayer a good shake prior and during application. Don't pour leftover brew into soil - ph change can cause growth problems of young plants. I do this weekly from planting out regardless of need; this minimises powdery mildew starting up. My cucs, courgettes and toms get this treatment but the amount of soda required may vary. I keep a note of the brew(s) and results for future reference. Best done in the evening so it has time to do its thing overnight without the risk of sunburn. Make a fresh batch of brew for each spray session. Remove some additional leaves to enable good ventilation throughout plant. What variety of triphid are you growing?
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Zucchini (also Courgette, Summer squash, Baby marrow) 24 Dec, John (Australia - temperate climate)
The only benefit that I know of would be to increase air circulation and reduce mildew problems. If you are plagued by powdery mildew mix up a spray of 10% milk with water and thoroughly spray your plants. I can't explain why but it works. Trust this helps.
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Beetroot (also Beets) 19 Dec, Mike Chester (New Zealand - temperate climate)
What is eating my beets? The bulb is gnawed through from the side often leaving the plant top on the soil and the underground part of the beetroot flush with the soil. Rabbits? Can't be possums because they have been exterminated in Miramar, Wellington. Please advise.
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Beetroot (also Beets) 24 Dec, John (Australia - temperate climate)
If it is a rabbit or rats you would see soil disturbance around the plants. It could be grubs such as cutworms in the soil. Mix up a Bt spray such as Yates 'Natures Way' and water it along both sides of your row around the beets. This is a sfe insecticide and only affects chewing pests. Birds could eaat the grubs after with no effect. Trust this helps.
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Carrot 01 Dec, Elizabeth (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I have grown carrots successfully for years but my latest crop of young carrots are all white!!!! why
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Carrot 06 Jan, Mel (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Our current seed has yielded white, purple/black and orange and they are all lovely. It is a bit to get used to but if they taste fine I suspect cross pollination or someone muddled up the seed.
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Carrot 22 Dec, oli (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
My Carrots turned white years ago, cross pollination i guess. we love them white and kept the seeds.
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Ginger 23 Oct, Emily (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Please may I know if I could grow ginger, the edible ones we get in the supermarket, in Auckland? Thanks
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Ginger 02 Feb, Karen (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
I bought my ginger from a supermarket and seems to be growing well. I selected the small pieces with the bumps looking undamaged. These bumps will be the growing points. Make sure that the part of the ginger that was attached to a large piece is dry and crusted over before planting else it may just rot away. I think it was 8 pieces I planted and 6 have sprouted. Took a while to see results so patience is required. Best started, one piece per pot. I used plastic drinking cups with drainage holes. Don't over water. Keep soil damp but not wet.
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Ginger 16 Mar, Tracey (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Hi Karen Thanks for your comments. I am going to have a go at growing ginger inside. I love your tip on letting the cut ginger dry out before planting. I hadn't thought of that. Thanks. Tracey
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Jerusalem Artichokes (also Sunchoke) 16 Jun, Andrée Prentice (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I have a surplus of organic grown Jerusalem artichockes. What would be a reasonable price per 500gr if I sold the at the local growers' market ? Thanks for your help' Andrée
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Daikon (also Japanese radish, Lo Bok) 09 Jun, Ray Lilley (New Zealand - temperate climate)
It has been recommended we plant daikon to provide its nutrients for our olive trees. Can you recommend a good low-cost seed provider?
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Showing 1291 - 1320 of 1608 comments
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