shiukopuppy's Blog
shiukopuppy's posts about: avocado
Jul 22, 2007 | 2:47 AM PST
Tags: avocado , Pomegranates , seaweed emulsion , fish emulsion , mulch , soil pH , multi grafted apple tree , quince , Strawberries
We got up early on Sat to go to the farmers markets. We're trying to learn about the seasons and eat locally grown, fresher produce. So we bought some veggies and australian native flowers. I soaked the vegetables for pesticides when I got home.
We did lots of gardening as it was unusually warm. The pomegranate and avocado that we bought recently were still in their growing bags from the nursery, so we potted them. We're renting our house so we have to grow our trees in pots and dwarf them a bit so that we can take them with us to future houses. It's also better for these trees because they need free draining soil and we have heavy clay soil. I ran around testing the soil pH in the different garden beds today - the soil was acidic when we moved in, but we have managed to make it neutral over time.
I'm still confused about my strawberries: I didn't cut them down because they are still fruiting! It's late winter and there are lots of strawberries in progress. Will letting them live increase their susceptibility to diseases? I thought they were supposed to die! anyway, that is an ongoing mystery..
I mulched all of my fruit trees and berries with lucerne, and gave the trees and garden beds some seaweed solution. I gave my asian greens and winter lettuces some fish emulsion, and also gave some to my peas because I don't want them to flower until after the last frosts. 6 weeks until spring, but there could still be some spring frosts. We planted out a sago palm and moved some clover to areas of bare lawn - we have been under water restrictions for many years here due to drought. Lawns have had to be sacrificed but clover seems very immortal.
Today we went to see a friend who we found out works at a nursery. We bought a flowering quince, a bare rooted 2-way grafted apple tree, a few native Australian plants and ground breaker solution. He took 70% off everything which was exciting. When we got home we potted the tree and we found out that the naughty local possums had eaten our mustard green manure.
Jul 19, 2007 | 2:37 AM PST
Tags: guava , grapes , nashi , Pomegranates , almond , coffee , avocado , berries , lime , Lemon , strawberries , water apple , lychee , durian , mango , star fruit , papaya , honeydew , dragon fruit
There are varying climates in Australia, but I currently live in a temperate area. I'm growing the fruits that need winter chilling but I'm dreaming of the fresh fruit of hot summery places! There are things that I just can't grow here or at least not grow well. Especially right in the middle of winter! It's heartbreaking to taste the fruit in the shops and even sadder when the fruit has come a long way and suffers in flavour for it.
Rambutans here are overpriced and old. I used to eat fresh mangoes, dates, pomegranates, papyas and honeydews when I lived overseas. I even ate durians. The shrivelled tiny star fruits in the shops here are unappetising. Lime and lychee drinks - not financially viable! Bananas are expensive because there was a typhoon in the banana growing areas. Earlier this year I visited a fruit farm and spice gardens in Malaysia where I tasted dragon fruit and my new favourite is the wax jambu or water apple. Above is me at the farm gesturing to a plant that I forgot what it was!
So you can see that I love to eat!! This is a major motivator in the garden. Hopefully one day I can garden in a tropical setting. And I comfort myself that I get to grow a lot of my current plants that would not survive in the tropics. As spring is nearing, I am checking all my fruit/trees' health.
GUAVA: Died back completely this winter, but I read somewhere that they recover well.
GRAPES: Still can't figure out how to prune them - it has been a few years of struggle..
NASHI: Had some rust or something last summer. I have dealt with that. It's about to bud-burst!
POMEGRANATES, ALMOND, COFFEE, BERRIES: Still very dormant
AVOCADO: Looks cold and sad!
LIME: Going crazy, looks to be outgrowing its container
LEMON: Not looking very motivated..
STRAWBERRIES: Now they are working very hard :)
Jul 18, 2007 | 4:34 AM PST
Tags: bonsai , mame bonsai , penjing , avocado
Slimezilla and I went to some bonsai nurseries in Sydney on the weekend. Bonsai is Slimezilla's hobby, and mine is the edible garden. I accompanied Slimezilla as he bought lots of starter trees and different pots.
I don't really know that much about bonsai. Although bonsai are cute, I have always been more interested in vegetables. Anyway, this time, I came across a kitchy little fruiting kumquat in their nursery! I could not resist it! I bought a few mame (tiny) bonsai pots to raise a few miniature fruiting trees from seed. I think it's very hard work and it's something I know little about, but still willing to try! I will also embellish my trees into little scenes, in a bunjae/penjing style! I bought some tiny scholars, contemplated pots with in-built lakes and will consider some stork or buffalo in the future!
That aside, I bought an avocado sapling and a red seedless grapevine. Still very much winter here, we have had terrible frosts and I worry for the peas I was so proud of in this blog! I can't wait for the days when I can stay outside as the sun sets, and not shiver into the house!
Speaking of my house, last night, some delinquents tried to break through my front door with some garden rocks and a butter knife. It was very scary, they stood back and tried to come inside until we turned on the lights. They managed to use so much force that the broken glass travelled several feet into the house. Anyway the garden has been violated, I am mourning for it, and I am thinking of redesigning the front yard to get rid of heavier things that can smash windows with.
