6 months

6 months and my life will be back..after 3 years otherwise occupied.
Uni starts at the end of Feb and it is going to be a 1000 mile an hour ride ...for 5 months ... and then I'm done .
Looking forward to this change backward with a intense yearning .
Its been 3 long years with hobbies abandoned , activities curtailed ,life =work and no play.
In no way do I regret this degree in fact, but acknowledgement of the missing parts need to be made ..........and the support rendered by all.

Now ...change of subject .......GARDENS ANDS VEGETABLES.
I have spent a while this morning perusing blogs I used to frequent and forums ....WAH ... gone ,changed ,stagnated... What am I to do .????

future planning

because I think the vege prices will go sky high this summer ..gardening becomes a matter of necessity not fun.
My job tonight is to go through the seed box and see what i have.
If all goes well a planting of tomato seeds will commence .Over the last few years I have fallen back on a few shop bought plants but long every summer for big brandywines,white tomatos ,tiny little tom thumbs,big multicoloures beefsteaks and the good old hawksbury(cousin to grosse lisse).
Yesterday Iweeded and mulched a small section ready for strawberries.
When I close the laptop (soon)I must go and sort out the now no longer marauding free rangers..they are complaining bitterly.

Growing Strawberries.

When?

In July to early August decide where you are going to plant them, Can be in the garden or pots. Dig the soil over and add whatever compost, manure and straw (layer on top) you can lay your hands on. Try to enrich the soil BEFORE you plant .A month gap is perfect but if the manure isn't fresh closer is OK.

Decide if you are going to use home-grown runners or disease free certified runners/crowns from a nursery or shop. (Online or in Real life).

Where?

Strawberries like full sun. This also helps to stop the various moulds and disease that can attack. Traditionally Strawberries are grown in raised beds and also pots. Pots can be tricky as they dry out quickly.

Some people like to have black plastic or black matting to keep the weeds down; others choose to grow them under a good layer of straw. To grow under black Matting (this is better than plastic) lie the matting out and secure it into position over the garden bed. After this, cut a cross in to the mat, planting the strawberry crown into this slot. You can mulch over the matting ....avoid any wood chip in the garden -it is not suitable (draws too much nitrogen as it breaks down)

How to get strawberries- not runners. Plant up to 30 plants for a family. Pick the fruit, don't let it stay on the plant. Water them and fertilise (but not too much, especially if you have really dug through lots of manures etc.) Charlie carp or fish emulsion is good. It's that simple.

Pinch out the runners as this makes the plant produce fruit. As the season draws to an end or you have had enough strawberries (this does happen) let the runners grow and plant them .......next year's crop. A healthy bed of strawberries will crop 2-3 spring /summers in a home garden .Commercially they are replaced each season. One tip, don't plant where tomatoes/ capsicum or eggplant have been in the last year...verticullim wilt will cross to strawberries.

Further Infomation

Strawberry disease control guide from NSW Agriculture. This is an excellent reference guide to what the diseases look like and what to do...not organic

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/119558/strawberry-disease-control.pdf

Canberra organic growers guide-Fact sheet

http://www.cogs.asn.au/growing-guides/growing-strawberries/o.

Diggers fact sheet-

http://www.diggers.com.au/fact-sheet-strawberries-growing-your-own-organically.aspx

Garden express fact sheet
http://www.gardenexpress.com.au/growing_guide/strawberries/strawberries.html

Fruit from NOV-DEC	Continuous....NOV-MAY
Cambridge Rival ,Hokawase, Chandler,Kunawase.	Alinta, Kamu, Aromas
	Perenial type (wild strawberries) golden leaf,Temptation,Alpine,Fraise de Bois.

 June-bearing varieties produce one large crop of berries in late spring to early summer..

 Everbearing varieties produce two smaller crops: one in early summer and another in early fall.

 Day-neutral berries, the newest type, can produce fruit continuously throughout the growing season. Read more:

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-grow-strawberries.html#ixzz1UmvvhSwP

 

Enjoy.

scenary

random shots

freeeeezing ....

but the cold is an excellent time to renovate the garden -both veges and flowers....plus the blog..
be back soon ....

random selection

ready for winter

During summer i bought two wooden barrel pots and as you can see had a great displa in them .This winter I have dianthus and poppies ...oh and back pansies .

I have bought a couple of new roses , cleaned up the rose garden ...Loking at it I decided it needed something underneath .....found seaside daisy in punnets ..plus Im imaging ranuculus in spring

The vege garden is neglected and I dont think im going to find the time to do one thing to it ..lucky pumpkins thrive on neglect....

s