tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13687754195412932932024-02-21T16:46:23.663+11:00Yackandandah Community GardenGrowing a community........Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-36689988176668040542019-03-02T17:38:00.000+11:002019-03-02T17:38:40.321+11:00Garden Update<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Hello. It’s Saturday afternoon and I’m sitting inside hiding from this relentless heat. I actually just watched an episode of garden gurus and that has inspired me to write this blurb.</div>
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I don’t know about anyone else but I am over the hot dry conditions. I’m probably not alone in saying that my garden has suffered and as a result I have reduced my veggie patch down to long-term crops only to save water. </div>
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Our <b>March workshop </b>is very relevant considering our climate change. Dave crook is the local Gardner who will demonstrate how to build a wicking bed from a half wine barrel. This has several positives for gardeners, one being the obvious water saving and another being the extension of life of the pot its self as wine barrels tend to rot away fairly quickly. Wine barrels are quite roomy and would be very suitable to crops of greens and trellises of snow peas for example. Our workshops are held on the third Saturday of each month. That will be 16 March.</div>
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As I move about in the community people often comment to me about our community garden. This morning some locals were very pleased to tell me that in their opinion the garden looks lovely at the moment. Our Saturday morning short get-togethers have achieved a lot considering the small amount of effort we put in. We have mainly been keeping the beds watered with the help of dripper hoses and just removing some spent vegetables and a few weeds. As usual we enjoy a chat and always learn something about what’s going on in Gardens at the moment. We are also very fortunate to have the help of the Shire with a weekly trip on the ride on mower. The boys from Beechworth prison have made a valuable contribution by visiting and running along the creek edge and up our native bank with their brush cutters. These are the jobs that our small group of volunteers would not manage to do regularly so we are very grateful for this help.</div>
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Cheers to all and let’s hope for some useful rain soon.</div>
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Lee-Anne</div>
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Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-81517100452817588302018-07-19T08:26:00.002+10:002018-07-19T08:26:17.574+10:00BEE HOTEL workshop <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-86803130713235558572018-05-31T19:51:00.000+10:002018-05-31T19:51:14.245+10:00Saving Tomato seedLee-Anne brought a couple of tomatoes along to the Yackandandah Community Garden. They are from a cherry tomato which she considers is a very nice variety and suits her needs extremely well so she is keen to keep growing the same type each year. <br />
So far it has successfully self seeded in her garden each year so there's been no need to replant but she is worried that one year something will happen and no volunteers will pop up. That's how good this tomato is for her.<br />
The solution is to keep some seeds from a couple of healthy fruit from a plant that is typical of the variety. That way, if the unthinkable happens and no volunteer seedlings turn up one year she will at least be able to grow the same type from seed she has saved.<br />
That brings me back to those tomatoes she brought to the garden. What's the best way to collect and store the seed for future planting?<br />
The simplest way to save tomato seed is to squeeze the seeds and juice out of a ripe fruit onto some paper (paper towel or tissue paper is good but newspaper will do) and spread the seeds out thinly. Sit it in a warm, dry place for a few days until the pulp has dried. The seeds will be glued quite well to the paper so just roll up the paper with seeds and store in a sealed container. Make sure you label the seeds or the container. Even if you have a good memory in 12 months or a couple of years you'll find the container and wonder what the stained piece of paper is about. Add the date so that you will be able to keep track of how old the seeds are. Tomato seed is generally viable for around 5 years but I have had some that germinated well after 8 years so these seeds will be good for a long time.<br />
When the time comes to plant just tear the paper up into small pieces and plant the seeds paper and all.<br />
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One possible problem with storing tomato seed like this is that any diseases that are in your tomato this year will still be present in the dried pulp surrounding the seeds so when you plant it your young seedlings can be infected right from the start.<br />
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A better alternative for tomatoes and other soft fruits is to ferment the pulp. Fermenting helps to dissolve the fruit and may even kill some diseases.<br />
Squash the fruit into a container. Here I've used a glass jar but a plastic container is just as good. If the tomato has little pulp or flesh you can add just a little water. <br />
Don't add too much water at this stage. It appears that tomato fruit have some chemicals that inhibit the seeds from germinating. Water dilutes these chemicals and leaches them away until the seed can grow. I think that's an impressive adaptation. Seeds won't grow inside the juicy fruit and, even when the fruit has fallen on the ground it takes some time for the chemicals to disperse so the seeds won't even try to grow for several months and by then it is spring again. A very neat trick to make sure the tomato babies are safe from the winter cold.<br />
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Leave the container of tomato pulp and seeds uncovered in a warm place. After a few days the pulp should start to go mouldy - that's good. The bacteria and fungi are breaking down the tomato flesh and cleaning your seeds. If it dries out just add a little more water to keep the pulp just liquid.<br />
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After 4-6 days it is time to rinse the seeds. <br />
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Pour the mouldy pulp into a kitchen sieve and rinse under a tap our outside with a hose. <br />
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All the softened pulp should wash away but you may need to assist by rubbing the softened pulp with your fingers. It should take just a couple of minutes to clean the seeds. <br />
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Shake off excess water then turn the sieve upside down over a sheet of newspaper and tap the sieve to transfer the seeds to the paper. <br />
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Leave the paper in a warm place for a few days until the mass of seed is dry They will usually stick together but when properly dry just rub between the fingers to separate the seeds. <br />
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Store in an airtight container, label with the type and date for future reference and keep in a cool, dark place to keep them viable for years.<br />
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If you're growing a really nice tomato variety why not keep some seeds for next year or to give away to friends. I've found this treatment ideal for both tomato and cucumber seeds.<br />
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Happy seed saving<br />
<br />Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-61438719465012470282018-02-18T14:10:00.000+11:002018-02-18T14:10:12.235+11:00Tomatoes - lots of tomatoesIts that time of year again. Late summer and the tomatoes are ripening fast. <br />
There's only so many tomato sandwiches you can eat and a few more get used in summer salads so what can you do with the rest?<br />
Here are some ideas so your surplus tomatoes don't go to waste.<br />
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<strong>Preserved tomatoes</strong>: Tomatoes are relatively easy to preserve. I mostly use the Fowlers preserving system as you can see in the photo but I have also tried hot packs in normal screw top jars which works just as well. I bottle whole tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and tomatoes packed in tomato puree.<br />
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Yackandandah Community Garden has several fowlers outfits available for community use. They can be booked at Yackandandah Community Centre.<br />
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<strong>Passata</strong>: The Yackandandah Community Garden has run a couple of passata days to show how this traditional Italian tomato pure is preserved. There are many ways to get passata but basically you just need to puree the tomatoes, bottle the sauce then heat treat the jars to preserve the contents. You can puree your tomatoes either before or after cooking them with a food processor, blender or sieve. A passata machine takes a lot of the work out of pulping the tomatoes and removes all the seeds and skins. <br />
There is a Community Garden passata machine available for community use from the Yackandandah Community Centre.<br />
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<strong>Sun Dried tomatoes</strong>: Great for party nibbles or for added flavour in salads and very simple to do. Simply cut tomatoes into 1-2cm thick slices and place them on a tray in the sun for a few days (bring them inside at night or if rain threatens) until they reach your desired consistency. If you let them dry right out they will store in a sealed container in the pantry for use in winter soups and stews. We prefer them semi dried so the partly dry tomatoes are packed into jars, covered with olive oil and sealed then kept in the fridge. You can add garlic or other flavours to the jar if you like. I prefer Roma tomatoes for drying. They are just the right size when cut in half and are not as juicy as some varieties so the don't take too long to dry. Cherry tomatoes are just a bit too small and dry out to ultra thin tomato chips.<br />
If drying food in the sun worries you dry them inside in a dehydrator. Your community Garden group also has a dehydrator available from the Community Centre.<br />
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<strong>Tomato paste</strong>: I cut up the tomatoes then cook them gently until soft then run the mixture through my Mouli mill. A blender or food processor should achieve the same outcome. The puree then goes back on the stove with any flavours and is cooked gently again to infuse the flavours and reduce the sauce some more. Remember to stir regularly or it can burn on the bottom of the pan. You could reduce it to the final paste consistency on the stove but I usually pour the mixture into my drying trays and sit it in the sun until it reaches final paste stage. That may take a couple of days. As for dried tomatoes, bring the trays inside or under cover at night or if it rains. The photo shows a tray of pizza sauce drying. I've added onion, herbs and garlic to the basic tomato puree for extra flavour.<br />
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<strong>Pasta Sauce</strong>: Cook up tomatoes, celery, capsicum, onion or whatever combination you like. When it has reached the desired consistency pour into warmed jars, seal and process in the oven, microwave or water bath to sterilise and vacuum seal the jars. This is great for a quick, easy winter meal - just cook some pasta and open a jar of your very own sauce. There's a bottle of pasta sauce on the right of the photo at the top of this post.<br />
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If you've got any good ideas for surplus tomatoes let us know so we can share them with others.<br />
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NeilYackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-27777067172708946912018-02-11T14:16:00.004+11:002018-02-11T14:16:31.535+11:00Workshop - Pruning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-5434214330438535652018-01-14T14:50:00.004+11:002018-01-14T14:50:56.427+11:00Workshop - Growing Herbs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-3088407197629207662017-11-14T20:55:00.001+11:002017-11-14T20:55:12.538+11:00Workshop - European Wasps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-34339240657472094332017-11-06T17:15:00.002+11:002017-11-06T17:54:56.107+11:00Folk Festival CompostLast year the Community Garden offered to help the Yack Folk festival 'Green Team' manage the folk festival waste. <br />
The green Team have put a lot of work, over several years, into reducing the Folk Festival environmental footprint. They've installed solar electricity to offset the power used during the festival, encouraged food vendors to use compostable or reusable containers and arranged for waste to be sorted so less ends up in landfill. Small amounts of organic waste have been collected for composting.<br />
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For the March 2017 Festival the team wanted to take the waste one step further and compost as much of the organic waste as possible right here in Yackandandah. That's where the Community Garden got involved.<br />
The organic waste was put through a power shredder - food waste, including one wheelie bin nearly full of bones, cups, paper plates and cardboard boxes. We ended up with a trailer full of shredded raw material which then went into the Community Garden compost tumbler with some cow manure and enough water to help the bugs start the composting process.<br />
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All winter Doug W. has been carefully tending to the compost, turning the tumbler regularly and adding water when it looked dry. All that waste paper and food scraps has matured into lovely rich looking black compost and is ready to feed the gardens. <br />
I knew that compost reduced in volume as it went through the process but we were amazed to find that an entire trailer load of material has reduced down to just 2 wheel barrows of finished compost.<br />
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Here you can see how good this compost looks.<br />
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The cricket club assure us the cups they used are supplied as biodegradable but there's still quite a lot of pieces that have not broken down yet. We'll need to talk to the supplier and check what those cups are made from.<br />
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Some of our Folk Festival compost has been spread around the new summer plantings at the Community Garden. <br />
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Folk Festival compost feeding the new tomatoes (left), eggplants and cucumbers (below) at the Community Garden.<br />
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We've also kept some of this great compost to see how it grows seedlings and some to show off at the festival of Dangerous Ideas in Yackandandah on Friday December 1st. Look for the Green Team/Community Garden site while you're there and see how good Folk Festival Organic waste can look when we make an effort.<br />
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<br />Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-33135987752889682182017-09-24T17:53:00.002+10:002017-10-28T18:39:42.788+11:00Install small solar system WorkshopYackandandah Community Garden is installing a new improved solar lighting system in the shelter to cater for night time events.<br />
We're taking the opportunity to run a short workshop to demystify photovoltaics and you're welcome to join in.<br />
We'll look at the solar panel, Battery charge regulator, Battery, Lights and Switches and show how and why it is all connected together to make a working low voltage solar system.<br />
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10:30am saturday September 30 at Yackandandah Community Garden. Cost $10Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-16059374151590106742017-09-14T16:12:00.002+10:002017-09-14T16:13:02.605+10:00Wicking Bed workshop - Saturday 16.09.17<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-39695392286599657602017-07-23T22:25:00.003+10:002017-10-28T18:41:30.695+11:00Winter in Yackandandah Community Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The recent cold weather has really slowed down growth at the garden this winter but after weeks of waiting we can now see broad beans emerging in bed 1 <br />
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There are also some tiny pea shoots just showing in bed 2 but you'll need to search closely to see them. they really are just showing through at the moment.<br />
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Brassicas are great winter crops for cold areas like ours. The broccoli, cabbage and Caulis we planted in autumn are well grown and slowly getting closer to harvest. The broccoli have tiny buds in the centre but it will still be a few weeks before they are ready to pick.<br />
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The bower birds also like some winter greens and started eating the leaves of our brassica seedlings. You can see where they have eaten the edges of this cabbage leaf. <br />
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To protect the smaller seedlings we re-erected the bird netting over one patch in bed 6.<br />
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Happy winter gardening everyone,<br />
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Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-85817774344932632332017-06-18T18:10:00.004+10:002017-06-18T18:10:56.537+10:00JAPICKLES workshopHi Gardeners,<br />
The 3rd Saturday each month sees our Yackandandah Community Garden alive with activity.<br />
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From 9:30 am there's the Produce Swap. This month we had oranges, grapefruit, eggs, mushrooms, raspberry canes and some seedlings on the table. Drop in next month to see what's available or to add something to the swap.<br />
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At 10 we take a tour round the garden discussing what's happening here and at home. Lots of discussion of garden problems, ideas and suggestions.<br />
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At 10:30 the monthly workshop starts. This month we had Yack resident, Sachi talking about Japanese style pickles and showing us how it's done.<br />
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Sachi spoke passionately about the importance of human gut health and said that pickled and fermented foods can help keep plenty of beneficial bacteria in our digestive tracts. 17 people from Yackandandah and surrounding areas booked in for this workshop. They all enjoyed the tasting and got to take some pickles home to help get them started with their own simple Japanese style pickling.<br />
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We have invited Plastic Wise Yackandandah to present our July workshop with discussion and ideas on alternatives to plastic. Even if you don't intend to go cold turkey, this should help us all to start getting off the plastic wagon. - Saturday July 15 at 10:30am<br />
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Don't forget our regular Garden Gathering. Every Saturday morning 9:30am to 10:30am. Discuss garden ideas, problems and solutions and help look after the garden.<br />
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NeilYackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-55860929483186464972017-05-11T22:26:00.000+10:002017-05-11T22:26:15.871+10:00Ornamental GourdsCold nights have arrived at Yackandandah Community Garden. That means the end of all the frost tender summer growing crops, including our ornamental gourds.<br />
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Many visitors have marvelled at the arch over the path into the garden as these have grown, flowered and developed fruit but the leaves are now showing signs of the cold so it is time to harvest the fruit and remove the vines so we can use this area for another crop.<br />
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Our mature gourds will be put aside to dry then they can be used in many different ways.<br />
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There are plenty of ways you can condition your gourds. <br />
The simplest, if you have space, is to cut the stems and stack the fruit in a shed, under cover, while they slowly dry out.<br />
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If you have limited space try tying them on a string and hanging vertically.<br />
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For those with plenty of garden space you can even leave them on the vines and they will dry out a bit slower over winter.<br />
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As the gourds dry they develop mould on the surface. This is quite normal so don't throw them out at this stage. In fact, it leaves the gourds with an attractive, mottled pattern on the outside of the shell.<br />
You'll probably find that the skin on some of the less developed gourds will be paper thin and won't be much use. Best to just keep the fully mature ones.<br />
It will take several months for the gourds to dry fully. They are ready when the seeds inside rattle when you shake the gourds.<br />
After that you can let your creativity run riot to produce all manner of interesting, useful or artistic things from the shells. <br />
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Just make sure you keep some seeds so you can grow another crop next season.<br />
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NeilYackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-90517547678146961872017-05-06T18:11:00.000+10:002017-05-06T18:11:00.480+10:00Sweet potatoesYackandandah Community garden has had the first frosts for 2017 this week. That means the sweet potatoes have now stopped growing and it is time to find out what we've grown this year.
At today's Garden Gathering we pulled up the vines and dug up the tubers. We noticed that the ones that were put in late had much smaller tubers so it looks like it is important to get these growing early and into the garden as soon as possible in spring if you want to get good yields.
Everyone took home cuttings of the 3 different sweet potatoes to grow some plants for next year.
You can grow sweet potato plants several different ways but we've had good results from cuttings which are very easy to do.
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Just take a piece of stem <br />
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and cut into sections with 4-8 nodes (nodes are where the leaves grow,
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cut off the lower leaves
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and put the pieces into a jar of water. <br />
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If you are lucky you might even find a stem where roots have already started to grow. You can pop these into a jar of water or into potting mix.
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Keep your cuttings inside where it is warm and keep topping up the water as it evaporates. You may need to change the water every now and again if it starts to go green. <br />
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The cuttings should produce roots in the water and will grow slowly through winter. When the ground has warmed up in spring your new sweet potato plants will be ready to plant into the garden.<br />
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<br />Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-9840743278256318102017-04-09T16:56:00.002+10:002017-04-09T16:56:37.944+10:00Garden Gathering - April 8th 2017<br />
Hi gardeners,<br />
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4 hardy helpers attended Saturday's Garden gathering this week. <br />
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We planted lots of winter seedlings - spinach,<br />
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and silver beet, both in the lower level of bed 1. <br />
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Broccoli, cabbage and khol rabi in the top level of bed 3 (which Vicki and Lee-Anne topped up with topsoil during the week - thank you both. That bed should retain moisture much better next summer and was much easier to plant into)<br />
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Purple broccoli went into the top level of bed 6 <br />
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and the lower level of bed 4 is now planted out with onion seedlings which means we should have a very productive garden right through winter.<br />
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Yackandandah Community Garden is still producing good crops. The tomatoes have slowed down but you can still pick beans from the arch as well as edible pod peas and leafy greens in bed 5. <br />
The carrots in that bed are not quite ready to pick yet so please leave those for another month or 2.<br />
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The sweet corn in bed 1 is now ready to eat so please drop in and pick a couple for dinner. Just look at all those plump, sweet corn kernals.<br />
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I don't think many people have noticed the lemon cucumbers growing in the wicking bed behind the fig tree. Take a look if you like cucumbers - there's lots ready to eat or pickle.<br />
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Our sweet potatoes in bed 2 are still growing so fingers crossed the tubers are also growing under the ground. These can be grown from cuttings. You're welcome to cut some pieces and root them in a jar of water on a warm window sill. Keep them inside your home in the water all winter and plant out only when the frost is finished in spring.<br />
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NeilYackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-24036383058228252242017-04-04T16:40:00.000+10:002017-04-08T20:37:43.017+10:00Easter Weekend WorkshopIf you're planning to stay local this Easter and are looking for something to do, we are running a Seed Saving workshop on Easter Saturday following our monthly produce swap.<br />
The produce swap will kick off at 9.30am, and the workshop at 10.30am.<br />
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You'll learn when to harvest seed, how to store it and other seedy subjects.<br />
If you'd like more details you can email us yackandandahcg@gmail.com OR phone Neil PH 02 6027 1557<br />
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<br />Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-64372005087993382452017-03-14T13:27:00.004+11:002017-03-21T12:11:54.003+11:00Passata making Workshop Saturday <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is nothing like being involved in processing bucket loads of fruit or veg for preserving, its the joy of summers abundance.</div>
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And its not just imagining the wonderful meals that are will be prepared during the winter months when things are slow in the garden, but its also the social aspect, the team work, the conversation, its a celebration. </div>
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This Saturday is our Passata making workshop with Marty O'Sullivan. There are still some places left so if your interested please send us an email to book in. </div>
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<a href="mailto:yackandandahcg@gmail.com">yackandandahcg</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><a href="mailto:yackandandahcg@gmail.com">@gmail.com</a> </a></div>
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<br />Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-32071116149696324652017-03-13T18:36:00.002+11:002017-03-13T18:36:10.952+11:00What's up at the Yackandandah Community GardenHello Gardeners,<br />
Just over a week ago Vicki planted the garlic cloves for next year's crop.<br />
Today the first couple have popped up above the soil.<br />
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Traditionally garlic is 'planted on the shortest day and harvested on the longest day' but in this area we find they do much better planted a bit earlier. If you plant in autumn the plants get a chance to grow big and strong before it gets really cold. larger plants means you'll get better garlic bulbs when they are harvested. I generally try to plant mine when I expect the first autumn rains so they can grow without any additional water. Ideal for gardeners who supply their own water.<br />
Garlic will grow in most soils but you'll definitely get better bulbs if you have fed the soil beforehand. Try to find a spot in the garden that you fed for a previous crop because too much fertiliser can cause the plants to grow too quick and the bulbs don't store well.<br />
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Our climbing beans have put on a growth spurt over the past few weeks and there's lots of lovely beans hanging from the trellis waiting to be picked. <br />
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Hunt among the leaves to find the ones that are hiding as well. We all know fresh is best so please pick your own veg from the Yackandandah Community Garden. remember to leave a donation in the tin at the front and when you have time why not come down and give us a hand to keep your community garden growing.<br />
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NeilYackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-90756798575992223742017-03-07T16:37:00.000+11:002017-03-07T16:37:01.905+11:00Autumn workshop calendar Here is our autumn workshop calendar and we're learning to make Passata! This was an absolute hoot last time and very popular. <br />
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So, if your tomatoes are ripening and your imagining your pantry shelves well stocked for winter, you'd be wise to book in quickly as there are limited places available.<br />
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Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-43288190505346411142017-03-02T20:03:00.000+11:002017-03-02T20:03:09.733+11:00Have you seen the new signs?Hello Gardeners,<br />
We've introduced some new signs at Yackandandah Community Garden to help identify which vegetables are ready to use.<br />
Look for these 'Ready to Harvest' signs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-q9OALB8z-QWpVNBArxtlW_ugqI_9X4SAcG5ItQV5LzY0fh_ZfMyeb9R1g0JsHR2gTG8063AYzp-e4wieucTXv9RDalzd2l6Erz2nXeVVzglBAgkVFf3HY88Yv5Tw3z5Q-6N0AT3xQ6E/s1600/P1160651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-q9OALB8z-QWpVNBArxtlW_ugqI_9X4SAcG5ItQV5LzY0fh_ZfMyeb9R1g0JsHR2gTG8063AYzp-e4wieucTXv9RDalzd2l6Erz2nXeVVzglBAgkVFf3HY88Yv5Tw3z5Q-6N0AT3xQ6E/s320/P1160651.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
to show you where veges are ready to use.<br />
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Not everything in the garden is labelled so also be on the lookout for other ripe produce that's not yet labelled. There are several patches of chives that are perennial and can be harvested almost all year and if you search hard enough you may even find some beans on the climbing bean arch. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMhvIpZ0VpNZlOt2poPp6rDIADKkS7hHWVaBWj_WCbDL8bkbhXAGcuDx8-XPBOicOtQdbdl8pgKuiOgAc-AtOPGBpXGYT4M_LzPHlmB5flmLuRxcj_JpTAjsZS57Fve8ZLSMRL-syOUel/s1600/P1160650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMhvIpZ0VpNZlOt2poPp6rDIADKkS7hHWVaBWj_WCbDL8bkbhXAGcuDx8-XPBOicOtQdbdl8pgKuiOgAc-AtOPGBpXGYT4M_LzPHlmB5flmLuRxcj_JpTAjsZS57Fve8ZLSMRL-syOUel/s320/P1160650.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tomatoes are just ripening in the top of bed 1. Thanks to Yackandandah Mens Shed for the loan of this trellis to tie up the larger tomato plants.<br />
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Also keep a look out for ripe produce in unexpected places. This week I found some self sown cherry tomatoes growing between the shelter and the creek. look at those luscious ripe tomatoes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QkoRLO4f9ZJk2Npo9yXZ96pwvVR6lnW9wWv7q9ObKUonMjRj_v3muNkwcRdW5nP7P5FHuOpol6Jw9OhzSueMWBn6dPhIQy-PQKXk68GforlBPDMxjp5G_UpgzDQVKcf5OGVgAB6xbP8M/s1600/P1160654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QkoRLO4f9ZJk2Npo9yXZ96pwvVR6lnW9wWv7q9ObKUonMjRj_v3muNkwcRdW5nP7P5FHuOpol6Jw9OhzSueMWBn6dPhIQy-PQKXk68GforlBPDMxjp5G_UpgzDQVKcf5OGVgAB6xbP8M/s320/P1160654.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
These spring onions have been ready to use for quite a while so if you need a couple for a stirfry come down to the garden and pick some - you won't get fresher than that. <br />
Look for them in the top tier of bed 5, just up the steps from the shelter. Some bok choi, now ready in the top of bed 1, (near the compost bins) would go well in that stirfry too.<br />
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Please remember to leave a donation when you take some produce from the garden.<br />
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You'll also see these smaller signs around the garden:<br />
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All plants need leaves to convert nutrients from the soil into food for the plant. Some of our plants are so popular that we need to give them a chance to grow a few new leaves and feed themselves before starting to pick the leaves again. Continual picking can reduce the health and vigour of plants like silver beet and could even kill them. We hope you can just hold off enjoying this produce until the 'Ready to Harvest' signs appear again.<br />
<br />Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-7138557654158748222017-03-01T17:38:00.000+11:002017-03-01T17:39:16.862+11:00This week at Yackandandah Community GardenHello Gardeners,<br />
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Look at how well the new carrots are doing!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rFjw5vNzt-AQqT3gBGmN2itonGnsj9-55vOEc2t_sdS17QFEwSdpGaE6VVT7hW2YkoSrqqPq03e8K7RPtQQIh944w3N_fam6tNl3YE7qNriVa1YIjvh8nt-KNxfjOSikMhTLiycVtjAV/s1600/P1160656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rFjw5vNzt-AQqT3gBGmN2itonGnsj9-55vOEc2t_sdS17QFEwSdpGaE6VVT7hW2YkoSrqqPq03e8K7RPtQQIh944w3N_fam6tNl3YE7qNriVa1YIjvh8nt-KNxfjOSikMhTLiycVtjAV/s320/P1160656.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last Saturday the Garden Gathering crew removed the shadecloth because these little plants will now have roots deep enough to survive a few hot days on their own. <br />
As mentioned earlier, these carrots should be ready to eat in a couple of months and could be harvested a few at a time, right through winter.<br />
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Our fruit trees have also had a summer prune to help shape the trees and to encourage flowering buds for next spring.<br />
Many gardeners are under the impression that fruit trees should only be pruned in winter when they are dormant. The reality is that pruning once or twice during summer can speed up formation of a good trunk and branch framework. Taking off the long, whippy, vertical shoots also forces the tree to put more resources into the flowering buds that will open next spring and also allows more sun into the interior of the tree to keep it healthy.<br />
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If you'd like to help out at the garden and learn lots more about how to make your garden thrive, join us on Saturday mornings anywhere between 9:30am and 10:30am at Yackandandah Community Garden, next to the swimming pool. We look forward to seeing you soon.<br />
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Neil<br />
<br />Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-39645509596154908312017-02-21T13:27:00.003+11:002017-02-21T13:27:41.985+11:00Community gathering and fundraiser<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This Friday a crew of supporters will be donning their chefs hats and aprons in an effort to raise some funds for the community garden. We've partnered up with Indigo Shire for this event and would love to see you all there. </div>
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Please show your support by first telling your friends. Then come and buy a slice of pizza, a sausage or a roast lamb roll! </div>
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Besides it being a great way to show your support, it'll be a lovely evening watching a film under the stars. </div>
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<br />Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-24874072332126093782017-02-19T17:53:00.002+11:002017-02-19T17:53:55.186+11:00More SeedlingsHello Gardeners,<br />
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A week ago at the Yackandandah Community Garden Saturday Gathering we sowed seed for our first winter crops.<br />
This week we have lots of baby brassicas.<br />
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Late summer and early autumn is the time to start thinking about winter vegetables. The plants need time to grow large enough before the cold of winter slows growth so you really need to start these in late summer.<br />
You can see in the picture that we sowed seed of Broccoli and Cabbage which should be ready to harvest later in winter when not much else is growing. We also put in some cauliflower seed which has been just a little slower to germinate.<br />
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We also sowed seed of Popeye's favourite - spinach. It also grows best in cooler weather but does need to be planted well before the cool weather to get a good start. Seed sown now will grow into healthy plants that should yield tasty spinach leaves right through winter.<br />
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In the next few weeks we will sow more winter veg seed: some more brassicas for a staggered harvest; onions and broad beans. Other crops you might like to consider this month include: turnips and swede; silver beet; lettuce; leeks and khol rabi. There's probably still time to plant the last beetroot for this season but get those in soon.<br />
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If you prefer to buy seedlings for your winter veg you can still relax for another few weeks.<br />
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NeilYackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-46396625887659931132017-02-15T22:11:00.000+11:002017-02-15T22:11:59.994+11:00What's Bugging You?Hello Gardeners,<br />
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The 3rd Saturday is this coming weekend. That means it will be <b>Produce Swap</b> and <b>Gardening Workshop</b> day at Yackandandah Community Garden.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Produce swap at Yackandandah Community Garden</td></tr>
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Kick off the morning with P<b>roduce Swap starting at 9:30am</b>. Bring your excess for others and take something from the table. Produce can include vegetables and fruit, preserves or jams, cordials, etc. We'd also welcome any garden related items that you think others might find useful. Even if you don't have anything to swap you're welcome to drop in and talk gardening, maybe even swap some cash for produce. Produce swap goes all morning so feel free to stop in at any time.<br />
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<b>At 10 am we 'Check the Garden'.</b> Take a walk and see what is happening this week, ask questions or pass on your garden tips. We always find plenty to talk about while 'Checking the Garden' on the 3rd Saturday each month.<br />
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<b>10:30 is Workshop time</b>. We're asking for a $10 fee to join in our regular garden related workshop each month. Your workshop fees go directly towards a flourishing Community Garden. This month the title is:<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">'What's bugging You?'</span> and we focus on pests, diseases' weeds and other problems in the garden. Participants can bring examples (if you can catch it or take a photo) for our experienced gardeners to identify and talk about how to deal with it. Otherwise just a good description will do.<br />
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Even if you don't have any problems (lucky you!) join the workshop, then you'll be prepared when they do turn up at your place. You may even have the solution we're all looking for. Join in, have fun and meet other local gardeners.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjTw9Xi0DxbdCFTYVoorgQ1gxg2z5VfJvStd6UzPRWLRd0AetBLKoHhr00gt-cxyYWHtQvf_RsHV98YwvwiGRu-y-rUl9nK8QkX7W9WB-PSITATgxINe-kUWfrVZHJyqmctohjfFjjTfd/s1600/Community+garden+Garden+gathering+11-2-17+03+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjTw9Xi0DxbdCFTYVoorgQ1gxg2z5VfJvStd6UzPRWLRd0AetBLKoHhr00gt-cxyYWHtQvf_RsHV98YwvwiGRu-y-rUl9nK8QkX7W9WB-PSITATgxINe-kUWfrVZHJyqmctohjfFjjTfd/s320/Community+garden+Garden+gathering+11-2-17+03+-+Copy.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willing workers at the Community Garden last weekend</td></tr>
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There's always things to do at Yackandandah Community Garden so even if you're not interested in swapping, walking or talking, come along and give us a hand on Saturday mornings. There's always something needs doing at the Community Garden. <br />
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9:30 - 10:30 every Saturday morning at the garden. We look forward to seeing you there.<br />
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NeilYackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1368775419541293293.post-27789468033016677232017-02-15T18:48:00.000+11:002017-02-15T18:49:48.317+11:00Carrots Are UpHello fellow Gardeners<br />
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A couple of weeks ago we planted carrot seed in the community garden. A week later they were starting to come up.<br />
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Now we have lots of tiny carrot plants.<br />
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You will find our babies under the shade cloth next to the shelter.</div>
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It can be difficult to germinate small seeds like carrots in the heat of summer. The shade helps conserve the soil moisture so the tiny seedlings get a chance to grow long roots without being fried by the hot sun. This method is a modern adaptation of the way my Grandfather grew carrots. He sowed seed then laid a board over the row to provide shade and conserve soil moisture. You need to check every couple of days and when the seedlings start to emerge, lift the board onto a couple of bricks or something similar so the tiny seedlings still have some protection but still get some light and air. Once the seedlings are well established we will remove the shade and let them grow.</div>
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You can harvest carrots all winter so we have planted quite a lot in these 3 rows.</div>
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The earlier crop of carrots is now ready to start picking as baby carrots.</div>
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We did not get time to thin out the original seedlings so they are a bit more crowded than they should be.</div>
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Pulling a few from where they are really crowded will allow the rest to grow much better and in a few weeks we'll have larger carrots to harvest. </div>
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If a few extra come out while you pull the one you want, don't try to replant them. Carrots don't transplant very well, so put any that are of no use into the compost or take them to eat - baby carrots are very tasty. The extra space will allow the ones that are left to grow so much better.</div>
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Carrots are a very productive and rewarding crop for a home garden. Have fun growing some at your place. </div>
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If you need to know more about growing carrots join us at a Garden Gathering - Saturday mornings between 9:30am and 10:30am at the Yackandandah Community Garden.</div>
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Neil</div>
Yackandandah Community Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13899825287457687383noreply@blogger.com0