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AMARANTH (WHITE LEAF) / CHINESE SPINACH OR BAYAM
Planted : First planted in November from seed. That planting failed. Tried again in January in better soil,
that produced better results but growth was slow. The third planting was far more successful and we harvested the leaves over summer.
These seem to like lots of nitrogen in the soil.
Harvested : 2 of 5 years so far have been good for harvesting. 2019 was a poor year.
Position : We have put these in semi-shade and full sun. They seem to prefer semi shade.
Propagation : Collect and dry seed. Keep in sealed dry containers for the next season. Sow directly where you want them to grow.
Pests : The pests seem to leave it alone most of the time.
We have tried this several times more now and propagation from saved seed has been quite successful some years. Results seem to be quite variable
with nothing to account for the differences from one year to the next.
The BEST thing about these plants it is that it doesn't seem to matter how old the leaves get, they don't
go bitter like some other greens so you get a long harvest from the plants.
Sets seed in autumn.
Ease of growing : **
Pest resistance : ****
Ease of further propagation : **
Production : ***
Our recommendation : Fickle, some years are good others very bad.
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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BANANA
Planted : September. From small plant (Carnarvon banana).
Harvested : 5 years and still waiting for fruit.
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Cut down to ground level each spring and the plants re-grow.
Pests : We have seen no problem with pests.
So far this is growing very well and the original single plant has become three but no fruit yet. They have suffered a bit during winter
and can look rather ratty.
The winters really knock the banana around but after they are cut right down in spring they come back and grow well.
This year (2019) they have been rather yellow which means they need more fertiliser. They generally require a lot of fertiliser compared to other plants.
Bananas are technically a herb.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : *
Our recommendation : Give it a go even if they don't fruit, the leaves can be used in various recipes for Asian food.
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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BASIL
Planted : Grown from seed early spring (September)
Harvested : From October to April.
Position : Shaded in the late afternoon. They appear to resist running to seed if kept in shade.
Propagation : Collect and dry seeds. Keep in sealed dry containers ans sow directly where you want them to grow. Basil will also propagate from cuttings
that are kept in water until they develop roots and then re-planted in soil.
Pests : The odd leaf or two will be munched by a snail but generally they seem free from pest problems.
A garden herb, basil is one of the easiest plants to grow. We have planted it in a position where it gets sun until about 2pm and then shade. It went
to seed fairly quickly and then proceeded to spread all over the place. It seems to be used mostly in European recipes which means we only use it occasionally.
We grew the basil from seed. Although some of the leaves get eaten by various pests, they produce so many leaves that this is not really worth taking action on.
We also tried purple basil (see picture) but this was not resistant to pests and was quickly destroyed.
All died off during winter. Re-planted from saved seed the following season.
No apparent serious pest problems except when they are young seedlings. At that time snails can strip the leaves and kill the plants.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : ****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : *****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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BEANS
Planted : October (mid spring)
Harvested : Mid-Late summer Jan-Feb.
Position : Full sun
Propagation : Good. Let seeds mature and dry well before storing in a dry container. Some sources say dust with fungicide
but we have never bothered and it hasn't been a problem. Plant dry seeds directly in to the area you want them to grow.
Pests : Apart from seedlings being eaten by snails if you plant too early, we haven't had a ny real trouble with pests.
We started by planting from commercial packet seeds. The reason we are using the generic term 'beans' instead of listing different
varieties is that we have found they all share similar characteristics and can be happily lumped together on one entry.
We had some difficulty in propagating seed to begin with but now we are able to keep enough seed each year to more than
cover our needs for the following year.
If you plat too early it is likely that snails will attack the plants and can wipe out an entire planting in a couple of days.
Once the weather starts to warm up a bit it is usually safe to start planting. We3 plant seeds in rows about 15-25cm apart.
We now have climbing bean seeds mixed in with other varieties so we will generally plant near something that the beans can climb
if they turn out to be a climbing variety.
Most crops have grown well and have produced enough beans for many meals. Later in the season when the pods start to develop large lumps,
stop picking and leave those beans to mature and dry. Then you have seed available for next season.
We tried a second planting this year (2019) but it didn't produce enough beans to be useful for more than a few meals.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Ok to grow.
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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BEETROOT
Planted : Early Autumn (March). Plants were bought as seedlings.
Harvested : From late September.
Position : Full sun
Propagation : We have not yet managed to propagate these ourselves. We attempted to let one plant go to seed (see pic) but it failed to do so.
Beetroot do not like being moved so plant them where you want them to grow.
Pests : None observed.
The position we chose gave a lot of sun but growing was painfully slow.
The first crop took quite a long time to be ready for harvest. Successive crops were also very slow in growing.
The big beetroot pictured is NOT eating size. Once they reach this size they start to become woody. The best size for eating is about the size of a tennis ball.
Beetroot leaves are edible.
Ease of growing : **
Pest resistance : ****
Ease of further propagation : We have been unable to propagate.
Production : ***
Our recommendation : Worth a try
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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BROCCOLI
Planted : First planting, seedlings early Autumn (March). Second planting self seeded from original plants in late spring.
Harvested : From May
Position : Full sun
Propagation : From seed after initial planting. A little lime may help. Try not to re-plant in the same area.
Pests : Cabbage white caterpillars. Decimated the plants.
In full sun this grew quite quickly and we started harvesting it after about 6 weeks. We have found that the flower heads are more loose than the ones we are
used to getting from the shops but it is still quite edible.
Apparently it is possible to eat the leaves but they turned out to be very tasteless. In any case most were eaten by pests.
These plants were bought as seedlings. Various pests eat the leaves but the flower heads appear to be unaffected. For some reason the flowering heads were very
sparse and not tight as the ones in the shops are. We did get a few meals from the plants but the flower heads got smaller the more we harvested.
Broccoli is one of the best plants you can eat for your well being but they took too long to grow. We saved some seed from the first plants and have had no
problem growing from seed but we are still having problems with the flower heads being too sparse.
As good as this plant is to eat we have given up on it for the moment. The flower heads are never dense enough and they get attacked by too many pests.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : ***
Ease of further propagation : ****
Production : **
Our recommendation : Don't bother
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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BRUSSEL SPROUTS
Planted : Planted as seedlings in early Autumn (March) They don't like hot weather.
Harvested : From October
Position : Full sun
Propagation : They can regenerate from the main stalk.
Pests : As with all cabbage like plants they get attacked badly by cabbage white caterpillars. Snails are also a problem as are aphids.
A very slow growing plant.
These plants were bought as seedlings. It took all winter for the plants to start to get large and develop the sprouts. It was late September before we were
able to do any harvesting.
They suffered leaf damage due to snails (see picture) and the tops of the plants were attacked and damaged by aphids. These were controlled
somewhat using pyrethrum spray. In the end this proved to be ineffective. Took off the sprouts and re-planted the bare stalks. These regrew from the
base and we did manage to get a second crop from the original plants.
A second crop was planted from seedlings but they suffered badly from cabbage white caterpillars.
Ease of growing : **
Pest resistance : *
Ease of further propagation : ****
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Worth a try despite the pests.
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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CAPE GOOSEBERRY
Planted : Late Autumn (May).
Harvested : From October. They fruited again over winter and still fruited into spring.
Position : Part sun with afternoon shade.
Propagation : Planted from a seedling.
Pests : Nothing known. Local birds don't seem to have worked out that there are nice little fruits inside the outer covering.
Grew slowly through the winter and started producing fruit in early spring. The fruit were ready to eat by mid-October. They produce intermittently
in the early months of summer but then stop when it gets very hot. They have started production again in mid-autumn.
They continued to fruit very well right through the winter.
Fruit are delicious with a bit of a sweet and sour taste. They resemble small tomatoes and can be made into jam.
We started with one plant but have managed to grow another from seed. The original plant has has grown very large so plant these somewhere where they
have room to spread out.
They like well drained soil and good watering. When fruiting is over cut down to half height and allow to re-grow.
Our initial plant grew very well for about 3 years and then expired. Other plants grew from fallen fruit and they spread all over the place.
We didn't have much success with the second lot of plants that grew up and the lack of good fruit combined with rapid spread of the plants
meant that we have given up on them for now..
These became so invasive and really weren't producing as well as in past years, we decided to pull the whole lot out. If we do ever try again then it
will be in a big pot.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : ****
Production : *****
Our recommendation : Very good to grow.
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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CAPSICUM
Planted : As seedlings in early spring (September). Second planting from seed in January.
Harvested : From December
Position : Full sun for some and afternoon shade for others
Propagation : Keep and dry the seeds until needed. Plant in spring.
Pests : These get attacked by some kind of grub. We are not sure what it is but obviously an egg is injected into the fruit and the grub grows inside.
The same grub will also attack chillies. We are now spraying with Dipel bio-insecticide and hoping to reduce the attacks from the grubs.
If this works we should be able to leave the capsicums on the plants long enough for them to turn red.
Initially difficult to tell apart from the chilli plants, capsicum seems to eventually grow into a larger plant.
The plants stopped producing over winter and are became little more than green sticks. When spring came round they all started sprouting new leaves again.
It is taking a long time for them to get going again.
They do not grow as well as chilli or paprika. We have now been trying to grow these for several years and have always found them to be a bit awkward to grow.
We will keep on trying different methods until we get it right as they are usually expensive in the shops. If anyone has any good tips we would love to hear
them via email to info@wanowandthen.com
Ease of growing : **
Pest resistance : * Very prone to attacks by pests.
Ease of further propagation : **
Production : **
Our recommendation : Worth a try but paprika are easier to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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CELERY
Planted : Seedlings planted early summer (December) although we have found that planting in late September may be better. Thin out seedlings
for thicker plants.
Harvested : From April (better growth during winter).
Position : Full sun
Propagation : They self-seed each year. The seed can be collected but it is very fine.
Pests : None observed.
Initially we planted this a bit too early and it became a bit woody. It appears that planting it later in summer would have been better and new growth on
these plants has been much improved.
These plants were bought as seedlings. We are hoping that one or more plants will go to seed to provide us with a means of producing next years crop.
It turned out that they simply split into new bunches anyway so production has been on-going and very simple. Later they did flower and produce seeds.
One benefit of growing your own celery is that when you want just a small amount, all you have to do is remove a few stems and let the remaining plants
continue to grow.
They seem to survive winters ok. Lots of new growth and more tender stalks comes in spring.
When the plants went to seed and we ended up with heaps. They grow well from seed but tend to start flowering when the weather gets hot.
Occasionally they fail to grow well but we have no explanation for this. They don't seem to produce very thick stalks like the celery in shops.
One plant survived the winter and we are waiting to see what happens through spring. Meanwhile we have planted more seed.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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CHILLI
Planted : Seed and seedling in early spring (September).
Harvested : From November to May
Position : Full sun for some and afternoon shade for others. They seem to do best in full sun.
Propagation : Keep and dry seeds until needed. Plant in spring.
Pests : Like capsicums these get attacked by some kind of grub. We are not sure what it is but obviously an egg is injected into the fruit and the grub grows inside.
The chillies have been one of our best crops. Despite the attacks from grubs (see capsicum above) we usually are able to pick chillies regularly during the warmer months.
They are one of our most used ingredients and are expensive in the shops so getting so many is a big bonus.
Chillies are very easy to grow most of the time but we have been having trouble with them in the last couple of years.
After an initial planting the lose most of their leaves by the end of winter. With the start of spring they have start re-growing leaves but usually
only for the second season. After that the seem to just give up and die. After that they then should be removed and re-grown from seed or seedlings.
We have tried a variety of different chillies and most of them grew well for the first season.
For the last couple of years the chillies came to nothing. We have tried again with seed but for some reason they are just not thriving.
It is hard to work out why the chillies are failing so badly but we have to keep trying as this is one of our most important ingredients for cooking.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *
Ease of further propagation : ***
Production : *****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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CHINESE KALE or KAILAN
Planted : Seed planted in late winter (mid-August)
Harvested : From October
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : From seed.
Pests : Almost impossible to grow because so many pests love to eat this plant.
Planted as seeds and grew well but the pests just love to chew it to bits. We put
some under a screen enclosure and they are did much better. A third planting was also chewed to bits
despite the application of Dipel.
The pest problems with this vegetable are a real pain as it is very nice to eat and grows well.
We have now given up growing this as cabbage white caterpillars love to munch it to nothing.
One recommendation is to companion plant this with Vietnamese mint (Laksa plant).
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : Nil
Ease of further propagation : ****
Production : Poor due to high pest rates.
Our recommendation : Don't bother unless you can keep the pests away.
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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CHINESE RADISH or DAIKON
Planted : Late winter (mid-August) to early spring.
Harvested : From mid-October
Position : Full sun.
Propagation : From seed.
Pests : None observed.
This was initially an experiment just to see if the radishes would grow. As it turned out they grew very well and now we will
allow some to go to seed so that we can grow more each following season.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : ***** Save seeds.
Production : *****
Our recommendation : Good to try
Latest update : Mar 2019
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CHOKOS
Planted : Late autumn (May) by buying a choko waiting until it sprouted and then putting it into a big pot.
The only reason we put it into a pot is that we were going to move house and we want to take it with us.
It survived the move and re-planting but did not survive long enough to produce any fruit.
Harvested : Never managed to harvest.
Propagation : Keep the 'fruit' until it begins to shoot then plant.
Pests : Unknown.
Chokos are climbing plants and the 'fruits' (for want of a better word) and leaves are edible. Just as it was starting to
make progress it was damaged by a winter storm and now had to re-grow all over again.
We got this plant going again until we experienced a couple of days of hot strong winds. It then shriveled up again and it
was thrown away.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : Unknown
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : Unknown
Our recommendation : Don't bother unless you have a position out of the wind
Latest update : Mar 2019
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CHOY SUM
Planted : Late autumn (May). These were bought as seedlings and it took quite a few weeks to see some results.
We have also planted some from seed and they are even slower to get going.
Harvested : From August
Position : Full sun.
Propagation : Keep and dry seeds. Plant anytime but spring is probably best.
Pests : Snails and caterpillars can be a problem. Use snail pellets and dipel spray.
Snails love eating the leaves and are a huge pest of these plants. In late winter they stated to flower and we allowed them to grow
up, as we want to get seed from them. The only problem (apart from snails) is strong wind which tends to push the plants down if
they are not supported.
There are some problems with bolting to seed but overall these are worth growing.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : *
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : ***
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Latest update : Mar 2019
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CORN
Planted : mid summer (late December) with good results but a later planting in late January did not do so well. Latest planting has been from seed in early
September. That turned out to be a bit early.
Harvested : From February
Position : Full sun for some and afternoon shade for others. The ones getting afternoon shade did better.
Propagation : We attempted to grow from seed we collected but all plants were weedy and did not produce. We will just stick to the packet seeds from now on.
Pests : No pest problems evident.
We have tried several crops of corn. The first we planted during summer and this was quite successful. The second crop we planted in late summer / early
autumn and this was much less productive. Corn cobs that do not fertilise properly produce few corn kernels and are stunted. Results have varied greatly
with corn but nothing so far has been as good as the first crop.
It appears to be important to help these plant fertilise if they are not Planted in large blocks. We bought all the corn as seedlings to start with and
then tried commercial seed. Both worked well. Kept seed does not work well and produces weedy plants.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : ****
Ease of further propagation : *
Production : ***
Our recommendation : Worth a try
Latest update : Mar 2019
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CORIANDER
Planted : Late autumn to early spring : August - September from seed. 2014 plantings are growing very well. One is in full sun and the other in shade.
It will be interesting to see which ones go to seed first.
Harvested : September onwards.
Position : Full sun and shade.
Propagation : Dry the seeds and re-plant as required. The plants produce MANY seeds.
Pests : None observed.
Coriander always runs to seed very quickly. The seed we have collected is very fertile and we have more than we could ever use.
This is a good thing because coriander seed is also used for cooking.
Growing the plants in a semi-shaded position may help stop them going to seed so quickly.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : ***
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Latest update : Mar 2019
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CUCUMBER
Planted : September (early spring) from seed. Later planting than this should do better.
Harvested : From mid-summer (Jan to March)
Position : Full sun.
Propagation : From commercial seed.
Pests : None observed.
First crop failed but the second did well producing over a dozen cucumbers. We haven't persisted with these because of the
poor results we have had since then.
There are a number of different types of cucumber and we have tried several. Apart from our second crop of ordinary cucumbers,
the rest have proven difficult to get started and difficult to pollinate.
If the 'fruit' does grow then removing them once ready to eat will encourage more to be produced.
Ease of growing : ***
Pest resistance : ****
Ease of further propagation : Unknown
Production : ***
Our recommendation : Worth a try
Latest update : Mar 2019
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CUCUMBER (APPLE)
Planted : early spring (September)
Harvested : From November
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Unknown
Pests : No pest problems evident.
We bought this as a seedling and didn't know at the time that it would be important to manually fertilise the flowers. Like pumpkins and melons the flowers on these plants are either male or female and manually taking the male stamen and inserting it into the female flower helps produce more cucumbers. We did get a few cucumbers out of it before the plant expired but they appear to be rather short lived.
They are very nice to eat but poor production means we may not bother with them again.
These plants were bought as seedlings.
Ease of growing : **
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : Unknown
Production : **
Our recommendation : Don't bother
Latest update : Mar 2019
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CURRY PLANT
Planted : Small seedling planted mid spring (October).
Harvested : It took some time to grow large enough to harvest. Allow a couple of years. When it was young it dropped all its leaves in winter.
Position : Afternoon shade while it was young. Now it is tall enough to be in the sun all day.
Propagation : From seed. Grows easily. Small plants pop up around the mother plant and are easily moved to pots.
Pests : Nothing known.
We use curry leaves a lot in our coking and having a plant that we can take a few leaves at a time from is much better than keeping dried leaves.
This is another plant that we bought as a seedling and originally kept it in a pot. It was kept well watered and fertilised and has grown steadily.
The cold weather all but stops any growth but with spring the plant starts growing again. We have now moved this from the pot into a
permanent place in the garden and it has done very well.
If these plants survive they will grow into a fairly decent sized tree. They grow easily from seed.
Our tree is now about 6 years old and needs regular pruning to stop it from getting too big. It produces many more leaves than we will ever need.
We have found that pinching out the flowers before they develop encourages more lush leaf growth.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : *****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Latest update : Mar 2019
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EGGPLANT
Planted : Mid-spring / Late winter tried and tried so many times we have lost count.....
Harvested : Never !
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Not a chance....
Pests : ?
Planted as seeds and as seedlings, we have been completely unsuccessful at growing eggplants.
We tried seeds from bought eggplants and commercial seeds but unfortunately the result was the same. Every time we have tried to
grow egg plants they have failed.
We tried again with three different types of seedling bought from Bunnings but although they flowered well, they produced no fruit. Sadly the winter killed the lot.
I have no idea why these things just refuse to grow in our garden because friends and family grow them with ease.
Ease of growing : Too hard
Pest resistance : ?
Ease of further propagation : ?
Production : ?
Our recommendation : Don't bother.
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FENNEL
Planted : 1st try September (spring). 2nd try Let the old plants self seed and grow over winter.
Harvested : 1st Crop failed as it was planted too late and went to seed but the second crop did very well.
Position : Full sun
Propagation : From seed
Pests : Nothing seen.
Our second attempt at growing fennel looked like it was going to do well until the hot weather struck and all the plants went to seed.
We tried again over winter and the plants are did very well in spring. The photo shows just one of many plants that grew.
Ease of growing : ***
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : ***** Self seeding
Production : Pending
Our recommendation : Worth a try
Last update of this entry : Nov 2015
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FUZZY GOURD / CHINESE GREEN GOURD / HAIRY GOURD
Planted : early spring (September) from seed. Failed to germinate. Re-planted in January in better soil and germinated that time.
Harvested : Began harvesting from early April.
Position : Full sun.
Pests : Nothing seen.
We allowed one gourd to grow and age in the hope of producing seed for next year.
Gourds to eat are best taken when they are about the size of a zucchini which in fact is what they are similar to to eat.
The second season we planted seeds in spring (Oct) but they did not start to grow until late December. Harvesting was from Feb to April.
Erected trellis as this is a climbing plant.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : ***
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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GALANGAL - THAI GINGER
Planted : early winter (June)
Harvested : First leaves appeared in November.
Position : Shade.
Propagation : Re-plant tuber sections.
Pests : Nothing known.
Very similar to ginger. Little happened until January when the first leaves started to appear. VERY VERY slow growing here.
It kept growing for about 12 months but never came to anything and then expired.
Ease of growing : *
Pest resistance : Unknown
Ease of further propagation : Unknown
Production : Unknown
Our recommendation : Too difficult
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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GARLIC
Planted : Bulbs planted in early autumn (March)
Harvested : January. It is ready when the leaves begin to brown and dry out.
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Separate bulbs a re-plant.
Pests : No pest problems evident yet
We planted this from one bulb of garlic and each clove sprouted. It takes a long time before garlic can be harvested but each clove
turned into a head of garlic. Considering the price of garlic and the slow growing nature of these plants we won't be
trying too hard to grow garlic again.
Garlic flowers and stems should be cut off in order to get larger cloves. If you do allow the flowers to grow then the stalks (or scapes) are
edible and actually delicious. Doing this usually results in small single clove garlic. Soft neck varieties of garlic rarely produce
scapes. Cut the scapes off before they develop flowers if you want to concentrate on the bulbs.
The garlic bulbils that the flowers will produce, are actually genetic clones and it will take 2 seasons for them to produce
proper mature garlic.
When storing garlic don't cut the leaves off, tie them together and hang in a cool dry place.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : *
Our recommendation : Too slow but try if you like
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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GARLIC CHIVES / CHIVES
Planted : Early spring (Sep)
Harvested : From mid-summer (Jan)
Position : Full sun
Propagation : Self-seeding
Pests : None known
Seed planting failed so we tried growing from seedlings. They were eventually very successful and are now spreading by self-seeding.
They do not seem to die off in winter so the leaves are available all year round.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : They just seem to keep growing.
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Worth a try
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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GINGER
Planted : First planting early summer (December) Second planting in May.
Harvested : First leaves from May, second planting appeared in November.
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Re-plant root sections.
Pests : None known.
This is another experiment that did not work very well.
Initially we just bought a small piece of ginger and put it in the ground where it would be watered and fertilised along with all
the other plants. This seemed like it was going to work (see photo) but during the severe heat of summer the leaves burn badly.
The plants continued to struggle on but never really recovered.
We tried again using a large pot with rich organic soil. Eventually we dug up the old ginger plant to find that a new bulb
(bigger than the old one) had grown even though there was little evidence of anything going on above the soil.
We then planted a number of small ginger roots and this looked like it was going to work well.
After digging up the ginger we found very little had grown.
The leaf growth had been the best we had seen but still it all come to nothing in the end.
Ease of growing : **
Pest resistance : ****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : *
Our recommendation : Very slow but worth a try. You will need rich soil that is not allowed to dry out.
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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GOJI BERRIES
Planted : Mid-spring (early November)
Harvested : A year after first planting.
Position : Morning shade.
Propagation : These will grow all over the place from seed disbursed by birds that eat the fruit.
We did try to grow this from commercial seed but it didn't work so now we have grown it from a seedling.
The plant seems to become a long skinny bush that requires a lot of support.
Over winter it dies right back but came back very strongly over summer.
After growing this for a while now I have to say that I really don't see much point in the berries. They get slightly bigger
as the plant size increases but they are particularly tasteless.
The bush (if indeed that is the right word for this straggly plant) is a hopeless leaning mess of spindly twigs.
It is neither attractive or tidy and I just can't work out why anyone would find it something good to have
in the garden.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : ***
Our recommendation : Ok to try but the fruit is small and birds love to eat it.
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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GRAPES
Planted : September.
Harvested : About 2 years after planting. January-February.
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : From small cane.
Pests : Badly damaged by powdery mildew.
So far this vine is growing well and after a few months is many times its original size. We have put a frame up for it to climb on
and are awaiting more results.
In its second season and it fruited quite well. We got around 8-10 kg of grapes. We took the first bunch off a bit early and they were
not sweet enough but the rest were very nice.
Third year was a bumper crop with more grapes than we could eat. It is best to leave the grapes until they go a slightly yellowish
colour, then they are at their sweetest. We lost some grapes that rotted but there were so many produced that it didn't matter.
Year four wasn't as good but we still got several kilos of grapes. The vine suffered a setback when the trellis supporting it collapsed and
it has now been cut right back pending a bigger and much stronger frame being built to support it.
Year five was a disaster with powdery mildew damaging the vine and destroying the grapes.
Year six and it seemed like the vine was dead. It took a very long time to get going and although, in the end, it did grow
and produce lots of leaves, there were almost no grapes and they did not mature.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : ****
Ease of further propagation : Unknown
Production : Was good until last year when powdery mildew destroyed the crop.
Our recommendation : Good to plant.
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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HEAD MUSTARD
Planted : Planted seeds in late winter (mid-August)
Harvested : First crop was too small to harvest. Later crops have been very good.
Position : Afternoon shade for the first crop, full sun for the rest.
Propagation : From seed.
Pests : They are very attractive to insect pests.
In the first crop only two plants grew. We allowed them to go to seed and re-planted the following year and since then we have
had very good results.
These are very prone to attack by insect pests.
Ease of growing : ***
Pest resistance : *
Ease of further propagation : ****
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Worth a try
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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KAYLE
Planted : January (Mid-summer)
Harvested : April
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : From seed.
This is easy to grow but it is a favorite food of just about EVERY garden pest. We have discovered that planting it next to Vietnamese
mint (see left) helps protect it from caterpillars etc.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : None
Ease of further propagation : ****
Production : ***
Our recommendation : Don't bother unless you grow it in a covered area because the caterpillars will eat it all before you do.
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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KHOLRABI and PURPLE KHOLRABI
Planted : January (Mid-summer)
Harvested : From September to April
Position : Afternoon shade and full sun
Propagation : From seed.
Pests : They can be attacked but we are not sure what by. See the pic to the left.
Easy to grow if you are patient. Garden pests do attack the leaves but it is the round stem part
that you eat so that isn't a huge problem. The purple variety seems to be much slower growing.
You will need to keep them well watered in the hot months.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : **
Ease of further propagation : Unknown
Production : ***
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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LAKSA PLANT / VIETNAMESE MINT
Planted : Late winter (August) from a cutting.
Harvested : Any time.
Position : Part sun, afternoon shade. Under shade cloth or in a shady spot during summer.
Propagation : Clumps can be split up and re-planted.
Pests : Nothing seen.
This plant does not like the winter in Perth but it did survive and has grown well since the warmer weather started. They also
HATE full sun and MUST be placed where they are shaded most of the time.
We have tried to save this plant but it is looking like it will die completely during the second winter.
Well one plant did survive and has come back well. We will split it again during the warm weather just as a bit of insurance.
Sadly in the end nothing we did could keep these alive they all shriveled and died over the hot summer months. Still
good to grow if you want to use it in cooking Asian dishes.
We have now bought new plants that were planted in very late summer. They have at least survived their first winter and
are now growing very well. The plant with afternoon shade is doing better at the moment but we expect that will change
as the heat of summer starts.
The plants survived a couple of winters now so perhaps we have finally found a position in the garden that they like.
They are in semi shade and are doing well during the summer months.
Ease of growing : **
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : ***
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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LEEK
Planted : Late autumn (May)
Harvested : From October. Started flowering in November.
Position : Full sun, late afternoon shade.
Propagation : New plants appear to sprout from the sides of larger plants. We re-planted and they did grow but
it is far simpler to just plant from seed.
Pests : Nothing obvious.
These have been terribly slow growing. They took about 5 months to be ready for harvest. We rarely use them these days and
haven't bothered re-planting recently.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : ****
Production : **
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2017
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LEMON
Planted : Late autumn (May)
Harvested : First fruit was 2 years after initial planting but was only 2 lemons. The lemons have now been growing for about
8 years and are producing more than enough fruit for our needs.
Position : Initially afternoon sun but planted in a large pot so they could be moved. Since this it has been put in a permanent
position with afternoon shade. Although now it is higher than the fence it pretty much gets sun all day.
Propagation : Specialist grafting to root stock is usually required.
Pests: Leaf miners and aphids. Controlled by spraying with white oil.
Selected a grafted tree of about 1.5 metres high. Planted in a mix of potting mix and sand with citrus fertiliser added. In January
this was moved to a permanent place in the garden.
It took 4 years for the tree to start producing well. It is now 8 years old. We have to prune it once a year to stop it getting
too big. It is constantly producing fruit.
We did have problems with yellowing leaves so we added trace elements to the citrus fertiliser we were already using and watered well.
This seems to have made a difference.
Pest resistance : ***
Ease of further propagation : Not attempted
Production : Good after 5 years *****
Our recommendation : Essential
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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LEMON GRASS
Planted : early spring (September)
Harvested : From December (dies back a bit in winter) Grow more than one clump in order to allow it to recover.
Position : Afternoon shade and full sun.
Propagation : Pull up a section of grass with the root attached and re-plant then water well until it is established.
Pests : None observed.
Bought as a small seedling, this plant took a while to really get going but it became huge clump of grass and did well for a while.
By the end of winter the lemon grass was looking rather unhappy with a lot of brown leaves but it came back well over summer.
When the weather gets hot give the plant extra water.
After a couple of years the original clumps seemed to wither and die off. We had already established new clumps so it was not a problem.
After several years it appeared that the lemon grass did not get enough sunshine in winter as it was located next to a south facing fence.
It has now been split into more clumps and planted in full sun. It remains to be seen how they go over winter but the extra sunshine
has certainly improved growth over summer.
Lemon grass is an essential ingredient in Thai cooking. We don't use this very much but enough to make growing it worth while.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : *****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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LETTUCE (COS)
Planted : early autumn (March)
Harvested : From September
Position : Full sun.
Propagation : Very easy from seed.
Pests : Some pest problems with a small insect that attacked the leaves. Controlled using pyrethrum spray.
It took until late Autumn for the seeds to germinate but growth is quite slow. We have separated the seedlings
and it took some time before they were ready to harvest.
Some of the plants we have grown seem to be more dry and a bit tougher than the ones we buy at the shops.
Not sure why as they get plenty of water. For some reason only a few plants seem to develop a heart.
Cos lettuce is really nice to eat cooked Asian style and can be used in salads.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : ****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : *****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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LETTUCE (LOOSE LEAF)
Planted : early autumn (March) Second planting done in late February. Started harvesting in April.
Harvested : From September
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : From seed. Easy to grow.
Pests : Some damage from snails but not too bad. Damage during winter from leaf miners.
It took until late Autumn for the seeds to germinate but growth is quite slow.
The seedlings needed to separated out but they do seem to grow quite well.
Plants became larger by the end of winter but suffered badly from attacks by small insect pests. Some sort of leaf miner.
Controlled by using pyrethrum spray but leaf damage was extensive.
We have since started planting in early spring (September) under a screen enclosure. This has resulted in much better
plants with few insect problems.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : ***
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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LIME (CALAMONDIN)
Planted : August (Late winter)
Harvested : It will take 4-5 years before these are big enough to harvest leaves from.
Position : Morning shade.
Propagation : We planted these from a small tree bought from a nursery (Bunnings).
Pests : Leaf miners.
Sometimes called ornamental lime or calamansi, it is used in Asian cooking to introduce a sharp tang to a dish.
We grew this from a small tree obtained from Bunnings. It took about three years to become well established and since then
has continued to grow well and it produces a lot of fruit at the end of winter.
As it is mostly the juice from the fruit that is needed for cooking, we squeeze the juice out and freeze it in ice cube trays to use when needed.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : ***
Ease of further propagation : Unknown
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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LIME (KAFFIR)
Planted : December (Summer)
Harvested : It will take 4-5 years before these are big enough to harvest leaves from.
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : We planted these from seed BUT our trees have never fruited.
Pests : Leaf miners.
This was planted from seed and is VERY slow growing. Citrus are usually grafted on to root stock so we are waiting to see what
happens. Kaffir limes are grown for the leaves that are used in Asian cooking.
The three plants that have grown from seed and even at 3 years old were are still too small to start harvesting leaves from.
They have been attacked by leaf miner and we have responded with pest oil that seems to have worked.
At about 4 years old these small trees are finally started to show real signs of growth. They took another couple of years
to really reach the point where we have leaves available any time we need them.
Finally after 5 years these trees (yes I can call them that now) are really ready to harvest. All three of them survived and are
doing well but you really do have to be careful of the long viscous thorns that adorn the branches.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : ****
Ease of further propagation : Not attempted yet but as we grew these from seed that is at least one option.
Production : Takes about 3-4 years for the trees to become viable.
Our recommendation : Slow growing but a must have for Asian food.
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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LIME (TAHITIAN)
Planted : Late autumn (May)
Harvested : Never
Position : Afternoon sun but planted in a large pot so can be moved. Later it was planted in the ground with afternoon shade.
Propagation : Never got the chance.
Pests : Leaf miner.
Selected a semi-dwarf grafted tree of about 1 metre high. Planted in a mix of potting mix and sand with citrus fertiliser added.
It was unhappy with the cold weather and lost most of its leaves. It recovered well in spring. Re-planted in a new location with good soil
and looked as though it would do better.
Like the lemon and kaffir lime this has also been attacked by leaf miner and has also been looking rather sickly.
We gave it citrus fertiliser and more water but no matter what we tried it remained small and never produced fruit.
It got very yellow and sick looking so it was pruned back hard and given trace elements in addition to citrus fertiliser.
The tree did bounce back over summer but started looking sickly again once the the cooler weather set in.
Yet again it all went haywire over winter. We just didn't seem to be able to get this plant going.
It was still alive but despite being the same age as our lemon tree which is now full of fruit and 8 feet high, the lime just would not get bigger and
produce fruit.
I finally got sick of watching this pathetic plant struggle to survive. It is now an ex-lime tree.
Ease of growing : *
Pest resistance : ***
Ease of further propagation : Not attempted
Production : After 6 years we gave up.
Our recommendation : Too difficult
Last update of this entry : Sep 2016
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LUFFA
Planted : Mid-autumn (April)
Harvested : Never
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Unknown
Pests : Unknown
Seed planting failed. We tried this a couple of times but they just never grew.
Ease of growing : Unknown
Pest resistance : Unknown
Ease of further propagation : Unknown
Production : Unknown
Our recommendation : Don't bother
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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MELONS (ROCK)
Planting : Not deliberately planted so no way to know when the seeds got there.
Harvested : Only produced 2 fruit. Took about 4 months.
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Save and dry the seeds. Re-plant as required.
Pests : Unknown
These were not deliberately planted by us but have sprouted anyway. So far we have had three plants come up but the melons they have produced have all been very small. They seem unable to ripen in cold weather.
Ease of growing : **
Pest resistance : ****
Ease of further propagation : Unknown
Production : *
Our recommendation : Don't bother
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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MINT
Planted : early spring (September)
Harvested : From October (dies off a bit in winter)
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : It just keeps growing. This is a plant you need to keep under control as it wanders.
Pests : Nothing seen.
Mint is very invasive and has to be kept under control. I am not really sure why we bought it but it just seems to be a traditional vegetable garden plant.
These plants were bought as seedlings. No pest problems evident yet.
It dies back in winter but takes off like a rocket in spring and has to be controlled.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : ***** Might as well be a weed.
Our recommendation : Good to grow but keep it under control
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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MINT (THAI)
Planted : early spring (September)
Harvested : From October (dies off a bit in winter)
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : It seems to keep going but does not like winter.
Pests : Nothing seen.
There are many different varieties on mint and this is a Thai version.
It grows reasonably well in the warm weather but dies right back in winter.
We keep wondering if it will regenerate when the spring comes along and so far it has managed to do so.
It is much less invasive than English mint.
Ease of growing : ***
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : ****
Production : **
Our recommendation : Good to grow but it hates cold weather.
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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MUSHROOMS
Planted : Whenever the kits are available.
Harvested : Several weeks after initiating growth.
Position : Dark cool room.
Propagation : Eventually you will need a new kit.
Pests : Nothing seen.
Mushroom kits are available from nurseries and places like Bunnings.
They are fun to try and can produce good results.
It is simply a matter of following the instructions on the kit and harvesting the fungi 'fruit' when it reaches a reasonable size.
They will continue to produce crops until the nutrients run out and each crop will be less than the previous one.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *
Production : ***
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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OCRA
Planted : 1st - January (mid-summer) 2nd - October (mid-spring) 3rd - October (mid-spring)
Harvested : Not enough planted to harvest as we are trying to build up seeds. First fruiting occurred in April. Second planting was very good and we
harvested from January to late March.
Position : Afternoon shade. Second planting in full sun.
Propagation : From seed. Second planting from home grown seed was good. Third planting from home grown seed failed completely. Will go back to
commercial seed next season.
Pests : Nothing noted.
These seem to be a bit 'hit and miss'. Some years they grow well and others we get nothing. hey aren't the most popular veggie as they can be rather
sticky once cooked.
Ease of growing : ***
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : ***
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Worth a try.
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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ONIONS
Planted : spring (October) also a second batch planted in Autumn (April). During the second growing season we have planted a couple of different
types starting in early winter (June).
Harvested : First trial From February.
Position : Full sun
Propagation : Re-plant bulbs in the first year then collect and dry seed in the second year.
Pests : Nothing known.
When we planted our first onion we had no idea that they were biennial. his basically means that during the first year the original bulb splits into
several sections (ours was 8) and produces 8 new onions. The following year any of these onions that are planted will produce flowers and eventually
seed.
The seed seems to work well and we could easily grow more onions but considering the low price in the shops and the an=mount of room they take
up in the garden, it isn't something we are going to grow regularly.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : ****
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Probably not worth it
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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OREGANO
Planted : early spring (September)
Harvested : From November
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Dig up sections of plant with roots attached and re-plant and move to a new site.
Pests : Nothing known.
Once this gets established it goes crazy and spreads out in every direction. Oregano is another traditionally European herb and we don't make much use of it.
These plants were bought as seedlings.
No pest problems evident yet. The main problem we eventually had with this plant is that it spreads out too much. Probably best kept in pots. In the
end we hardly ever used it and pulled it all out.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : *****
Our recommendation : Good to grow but has to be kept in check as it is invasive.
Last update of this entry : Nov 2015
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PAK CHOY
Planted : early summer (December) through to mid-autumn (April)
Harvested : From late January
Position : Afternoon shade and full sun. The ones with afternoon shade did MUCH better.
Propagation : Collect seeds and re-plant as needed. Can be planted all year but better to avoid weather that is too hot or too cold.
Pests : Pests include caterpillars and snails. Growth is so prolific that this has not been a major concern.
If you let a couple of pak choy go to seed they will produce enough to keep you going for as long as you like. We are getting so many plants sprouting
now that we have far more than we can possibly eat.
They seem to like a bit of shade during the afternoon as when we had them in full sun they didn't do as well.
All our pak choy have been grown from seed. They seem to be happy enough with the colder weather but they are much slower growing and seem to go
to seed quickly.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : *****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2109
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PAPRIKA
Planted : First planting Mid-summer (January) Second planting Early spring
Harvested : First planting from April Second planting from Mid summer
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Save and dry seeds.
Pests : Like chillies and capsicum, these are sometimes injected with eggs from some pest species and grubs then grow inside.
Once established these plants do well and are very productive for their size. They can be used as a substitute for capsicum in cooking.
Like chillies they seem to produce for about 2 years before they need replacing with new plants grown from seed.
The leaves are attacked and eaten by some pest but we have not identified it yet.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : **
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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PUMPKINS (BUTTERNUT)
Planted : early spring (September)
Harvested : From January
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Save and dry seeds. Re-plant in spring.
Pests : Nothing observed.
It seems as though all pumpkins are prolific in both leaf growth and pumpkin production. Most of the pumpkins that have grown in our garden have come up as a
result of seeds being put into compost holes as kitchen waste.
Pumpkins love to spread out along the ground and they also love to climb and we have found them happily producing very large pumpkins high up in trees
that the vines have climbed.
These are another vegetable that produces separate male and female flowers so they also benefit from manual fertilisation. Although the larger pumpkins
(see below) died off in the cold weather there is still one butternut vine growing but it is not flowering so no pumpkins are being produced.
Eventually the cold weather killed off all the pumpkin plants. Subsequent planting from saved seed have worked well.
No pest problems evident yet.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : ***
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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JAP PUMPKIN
Planted : early spring (September)
Harvested : From January
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Save and dry seeds. Re-plant in spring.
Pests : We have had no pest problems with any of our pumpkins.
Everything we have written about the butternuts (above) applies equally to the JAP (or Kent) pumpkins.
It is just as well that pumpkins can be stored for a long time as they produce far more than we can usually eat. The cold weather has pretty much
knocked the pumpkins on the head with the vines withering up and the last pumpkins staying very small.
Apparently 'JAP' has nothing at all to do with Japanese, it is supposed to stand for, 'just another pumpkin', at least that is the story we have been told.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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RADISH
Planted : Late winter-Late summer
Harvested : Continuous
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : From seed. Very easy.
Planted as seeds. Good results. Quick to grow, few problems and a good harvest.
Not many people are aware that radish leaves are edible. Not only can you eat them but cooked in the right way they are very tasty.
A good addition to your vegetable garden.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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RHUBARB
Planted : early autumn (March)
Harvested : From June
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Collected seeds but they failed to germinate.
Pests : Nothing observed.
We bought them a seedlings and they have had great leaf growth. This is unfortunate as it is the stalks that are the edible part - the
leaves are poisonous. So far we have had five harvests from these plants, removing the largest stalks and leaving the smaller ones to
grow. It will be interesting to see how many harvests we can get using this method.
The leaves do get nibbled a LOT especially by fuzzy bear caterpillars but it does not seem to cause any problems for the plants as
long as you manually get rid of the caterpillars.
One of the plants seeded but did not produce many seeds.
We still (now 5 years on) have 1 plant of the originals left. We tried to re-grow more from seed but to date this has not been successful.
Well I spoke too soon, we were away for a couple of weeks and one of the sprinklers failed and the poor old rhubarb has paid the price.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update : March 2016
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ROCKET
Planted : Late spring (Nov)
Harvested : From January to April
Position : Full sun.
Propagation: From seed.
Pests : None observed.
Planted as seeds. These grow easily and quite quickly. Rocket is not universally popular due to its strong peppery taste but it is a good
addition to a salad if you like the flavour.
Needs to be kept under control as it will take over the veggie patch if you let it.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : ****
Ease of further propagation : ***** Grows like a weed!
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Latest update : March 2016
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SHALLOTS
Planted : Late winter (mid-August) planted from bulbs.
Harvested : November - February
Position : Afternoon shade or full sun.
Pests : Nothing observed.
Shallots are great to cook with and preferred to onions in many dishes.
We were given some bulbs by a friend and have continued to have these available to cook with ever since.
When the tops start to turn brown they are ready to harvest. Lift them from the ground, separate those that you want to keep for cooking
and put the largest ones aside to re-plant.
We usually leave them in a cool dark place over winter and then plant out again in late winter.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : *****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Latest update : March 2019
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SIEW PAK CHOY
Planted : Late winter (mid-August) planted from seed.
Harvested : November - February
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : From seed. Very prolific seed generation.
Pests : Generally not much damage from pests which is surprising considering they are nice big green leaves.
Planted as seeds. These grow easily and quite quickly. We allowed some to seed and got more seeds than we could ever use.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : ***
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Latest update : March 2019
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SILVER BEET
Planted : early autumn (March)
Harvested : From September to April
Position : Full sun
Propagation : From seedlings.
Pests : Pests include snails and caterpillars but damage is minimal.
To start with they were very disappointing. They grew VERY slowly and even after 5 months we were not been able to harvest any.
We moved these to a new position and this did have some effect.
This (along with the start of spring) finally got these plants to grow properly. Silver beet has an earthy flavour and isn't one of our
favourite leafy vegetables.
One plant kept on growing and eventually the others gave up. We thought the surviving plant may have gone to seed but that didn't happen.
Ease of growing : ***
Pest resistance : ***
Ease of further propagation : Unknown
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Good to grow if you like to eat it. Personally I think it is like eating dirt ...
Latest update : March 2019
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SNOW PEAS
Planted : Late winter (August)
Harvested : Never
Position : Full sun
Propagation : Unknown yet
Pests : Unknown
Our previous efforts with snow peas have been a complete failure.
First we tried seedlings and then we tried using seeds. They did grow from seed but in the end they just didn't produce anything worth while.
Perhaps one day we will try again because other people do have success with these and they are great in a stir fry.
Ease of growing : *
Pest resistance : Unknown
Ease of further propagation : Unknown
Production : Unknown
Our recommendation : Seedlings (not good) Seeds (also failed)
Latest update : March 2016
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SPINACH (ENGLISH / BABY)
Planted : Seedlings early summer (December) / Seeds early spring (September). Seed again in January.
Harvested : As yet not enough have grown to harvest.
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : From seed.
Pests : Pests include snails and caterpillars.
We had very poor results with this. These were probably planted at the wrong time and despite the healthy appearance of the one in this photo,
the rest were spindly and miserable.
These were first bought as seedlings and then tried some commercial seeds.
Susceptible to heat, so it should be grown in a shaded area.
When we finally got a couple of these plants to flower and seed we found the seed pods were very spiky (similar to double Gs). We have planted from
seed and plants and they germinated but the results were just as bad.
We tried a different variety called baby spinach. This was planted from commercial seed and did very well (see the second photo). Although it was called baby spinach it has bigger leaves than the English spinach we tried.
This new variety has done very well. It was planted in late winter (August) and has been harvested from October to December. We will let some go to seed to see if we can propagate them next year.
The second set of results below refer to the baby spinach.
English spinach / Baby spinach
Ease of growing : * / *****
Pest resistance : * / ****
Ease of further propagation : * / Unknown
Production : * / ****
Our recommendation : Not worth it / Good to grow
Latest update : March 2019
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SPRING ONIONS
Planted : early spring (September) from small commercial plants meant for eating.
Harvested : From December. We have harvested seeds (September-October) from the first plants and have re-planted some. It is now mid November and the seedlings are starting to appear.
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Unknown yet
Pests : Nothing noted.
This was one of the first plants we put in to the garden and it has grown well. No problems through the heat of summer and no noticeable pests.
We don't use it that often but it is handy to have when needed.
We originally planted spring onions that we bought from the supermarket. They grew quite happily. As they flower and self seed, they are always
available in the garden.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : ****
Production : ***
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Latest update : March 2019
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STRAWBERRIES
Planted : Mid spring (early November) from small commercial seedlings.
Harvested : Almost right through summer and into early autumn.
Position : Morning shade
Propagation : They spread out on their own for a while.
Pests : Snails and slugs.
This was a test just to see how strawberries would grow without too much preparation.
During autumn the strawberries spread out and are did initially produce fruit - somewhat to my surprise.
There wasn't a great deal of fruit so more plants would have meant better production.
There have been a few minor pest problems with slugs getting to the fruit but nothing we are that concerned about.
The plants survived winter but produced very little the following summer. Perhaps it is necessary to re-plant each year.
Although they survived the first winter they did nothing during the following summer and then died off, so if we want to try again, we would have
to re-plant but I honestly don't think it is worth while.
There is one solitary plant still surviving about 3 years after the initial planting but it hardly produces any fruit.
The fruit that the plants did produce wasn't either as large or as sweet as commercial strawberries.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : ***
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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STRAWBERRY GUAVA
Planted : Mid spring (early November) from small a commercial plant. ($12.50)
Harvested : About 2 years later the first fruit appeared.
Position : Morning shade
Propagation : Unknown yet
Pests : Nothing observed.
It took a couple of years for the plant to get fully established but since then it has grown well and is now the size of a small tree (about
three times bigger than the picture to the left).
As it is near a fence, it will have to be kept trimmed back.
The fruit have increased in size from something like a marble to the size of a walnut. They are read and quite attractive.
The tree is now producing more and more fruit each year.
They have the texture of an ordinary guava and have a sweet-sour taste. They contain a number of hard seeds that should not be swallowed.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : Pending
Production : ***
Our recommendation : Good to try if you have space.
Last update of this entry : Marc 2019
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SWEET POTATO
Planted : late summer (February)
Harvested : Leaf first taken in April. Tubers harvested in September. Small tubers re-planted at the same time.
Position : Full sun
Propagation : Re-plant tubers.
Pests : Nothing much seen except the odd tuber may get attacked an holes bored into it.
Our first attempt was a dismal failure. We planted tubers but nothing happened. We tried again and this time the tubers have sprouted and have done very well.
Many people aren't aware that the leaves of sweet potatoes are edible. Not only edible but very nice. DON'T CONFUSE SWEET POTATOES WITH ORDINARY POTATOES.
ORDINARY POTATO LEAVES CONTAIN TOXINS.
We started growing these plants specifically for the leaves but later on we harvested some of the tubers.
The most recent planting has been very slow growing. Unlike many plants, they seem to slow down over summer and then
start to grow new leaves in Autumn.
Ease of growing : ***
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Worth a try
Last update of this entry : Marc 2019
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SUNFLOWER
Planted : August (late autumn)
Harvested : Mid-late summer (Jan-Feb)
Position : Full sun
Propagation : From seed.
Pests : Nothing noted.
We didn't actually plant the first sunflower in the garden, it just turned up one day. We left it to go to seed
and then planted more the following year.
The first plants from saved seed were rather stunted and the flowers were small but the second planting resulted in huge specimens.
We tried again with saved seed but nothing grew.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : ***
Production : ***
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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SWORD LETTUCE
Planted : August (late autumn)
Harvested : Mid-late summer (Jan-Feb)
Position : Full sun
Propagation : From seed.
Pests : Nothing noted.
These grew very well and we were eager to try them and see what they tasted like.
Sadly we were very disappointed. The leaves looked lovely, healthy and green. No pests touched them and we discovered there may have been a reason for that.
They were BITTER! Probably one of the most unpleasant tasting leafy greens that we have ever eaten.
Ease of growing : *****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : *****
Our recommendation : Only good if you enjoy eating bitter tasting plants.
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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TAMARIND
Planted : December (early summer)
Harvested : Unknown
Position : Full sun
Propagation : From seed
Pests : Unknown
This was basically a happy accident. We had some tamarind candy that included a few seeds. We saved the seeds and planted them and it wasn't long before
they germinated and small plants grew up. These are usually grown in the tropics so there was some doubt about whether they would survive the winter. (They didn't).
If they do grow to trees they will have to be pruned as the trees can grow to be vary large.
Ease of growing : ***
Pest resistance : Unknown
Ease of further propagation :Unknown
Production : Unknown
Our recommendation : Not worth it.
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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TATSOI / ROSETTE BOK CHOY
Planted : Early winter (June)
Harvested : From August
Position : Full sun
Propagation : From seed
Pests : Snails and caterpillars.
These took a long time to get going in mid spring they grew quickly and then bolted to seed. This we didn't mind as gave us seed for the following years crop.
Snails do attack them but seem to prefer pak choy so damage has been light. Once the pak choy had gone the snails switched their attention to these with
great vigor!
Tatsoi are very nice to eat so we tend to grow some each season.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : ***
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : *****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Last update of this entry : Mar 2019
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TOMATOES
Planted : early spring (September) Have planted both seedlings and from saved seed. Both seem to do well.
Harvested : From December
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Save and dry seeds. Plant in spring.
We had mixed results with our tomatoes. We Planted in early spring using a mixture of seeds and seedlings. For some reason it was the cherry and grape
tomatoes that did very well while the larger varieties were very poor.
We probably planted too many too close together and then failed to thin them out. The leaves eventually got a disease of some sort and the plants died
off in mid-summer. Even so we estimate we got 20-30 kg of tomatoes before cropping stopped.
We tried a cold weather crop but they grow very slowly and didn't flower much so growing in cold weather seems to be a waste of time.
Pests that caused a problem were moth grubs (the same ones that attack our chillies and capsicums.) Tomato dust seems to be the way to keep pests off the plants.
The second season tomatoes were planted in early spring but in December they seemed to suffer from some sort of wilt disease. We still got a good crop but it
could have been much better.
The third tomato planting was even worse. Disease struck again and most were pulled up and thrown away.
Home made compost was the source for the next season's plants. They produced reasonably well and we seem to have much less problem with small grape or cherry
tomatoes than we do with larger varieties.
The following year we have reverted to commercial seed to see if it resisted pests any better. This turned out to be much better with less pest problems and
no sign of plant wilting. We did use tomato dust so maybe that helped.
Since then we have had dreadful results. Seedings don't grow, seeds don't germinate and the only success was a rogue plant that grew up near the compost bin
that produced around 30 large tomatoes.
There are many different varieties to choose from and they are one plant that every keen veggie gardener really should have in the veggie patch.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : **
Ease of further propagation : ****
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Essential
Latest update : March 2019
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TROMBOCINI
Planted : early spring (September) planted seedlings.
Harvested : From late November
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Save and dry seeds. Plant in spring. (Seeds failed to germinate)
Pests : Nothing observed.
An unusual type of zucchini that is not easy to get. Yet another male/female flowered plant that benefits greatly from manual fertilisation.
These cropped fairly well considering we only had one plant to start with. The plant lasted all through summer and has only started to die off in April.
The eating qualities of these are superior to zucchini and their storage life is much longer. They will cross pollinate with zucchini but seeds in the
resulting 'fruit' will be sterile.
We saved seed from these but the next generation did not germinate. We have not seen these for sale again which is dissappointing as we would
prefer to grow them over zucchini.
Definitely not a cold weather plant.
Ease of growing : ***
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : Unknown
Production : **
Our recommendation : Good to grow if you can get seeds or seedlings
Latest update : March 2019
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TURMERIC
Planted : Early winter (June)
Harvested : Never
Position : Afternoon shade.
Propagation : Re-plant tuber sections.
This looks a bit similar to ginger - except for the colour. Like ginger it is not happy with cold weather and is too slow
growing to get a crop before the winter hits.
Winter killed this off.
Ease of growing : Too difficult
Pest resistance : Unknown
Ease of further propagation : Unknown
Production : Unknown
Our recommendation : Not worth it
Latest update : March 2019
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TURNIP
Planted : Late winter (August)
Harvested : From October
Position : Full sun
Propagation : Planted from seed
Pests : Nothing noted.
These are easy to grow and do very well. While not a fan of turnips myself, they can be incorporated into various Asian dishes that use some form of radish.
It is a pity that the plants that seem to grow the best are the ones we are not too keen on.
For anyone who likes turnips, they are great to grow and produce heaps of seed for the following season.
Ease of growing : ****
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *****
Production : *****
Our recommendation : Worth growing if you like them.
Latest update : March 2019
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WATER CONVOLVULUS / KANG KONG
Planted : Planted in early spring (September) from seed. Later planting in January.
Harvested : December - January for early planting but plant later for better results.
Position : Afternoon shade. When switched to full sun this did particularly well as long as it got enough water.
Propagation : Grows well from saved seed.
Pests : Nothing noted.
They need a lot of water as the name suggests.
These took a long time to grow and we only started harvesting in December. Another crop (planted in January) grew faster and we
started harvesting in late March. If the leaves and stems are taken and some leaf and root left behind they will readily re-generate.
If they are planted in full sun and given plenty of water they seem to do very well and leaves can be harvested several times if
you don't pull the entire plant out.
Ease of growing : ***
Pest resistance : ****
Ease of further propagation : ***
Production : ****
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Latest update : March 2019
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ZUCCHINI
Planted : early spring (September) with good results but a planting in early autumn (March) failed. The first year we grew these from seedlings and the
second year we are trying them from commercial seed. (Saved seed failed).
Harvested : From late November to March
Position : Afternoon shade and some in full sun.
Propagation : Save and dry seeds Plant in spring. Saved seeds have not worked well. Commercial packet seeds seem to be best.
Pests : Nothing noted.
We have had a number of different zucchini plantings now. The first consisted of only 4 plants and they produced very well over summer. We planted a
second lot in early autumn and they produced just three zucchini before the plants started to die off. Definitely not a cold weather plant. Later
plantings have done very well in full sun.
Bought as seedlings, no pests noticed. Overhead watering does tend to encourage mildew on the leaves.
The second type of zucchini we tried (green striped) has grown well and harvested from mid-November but the flavour of the zucchini is
not as good at the dark skinned variety (black jack) and they are quite soft in texture.
For whatever reason our zucchini plantings in 2014 were is complete failure. The plants all grew well but did not produce a single zucchini. We have no idea
why this is but we have since planted over several years and the results have been good enough.
Ease of growing : ***
Pest resistance : *****
Ease of further propagation : *
Production : ***
Our recommendation : Good to grow
Latest update : March 2019
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