Pinching Out Lateral shoots

Just a short video on pinching out laterials using my iPhone.

I should have said leaf instead of branch and you pinch the laterals from the leaf axil. (The angle between the upper side of a leaf or stem and the stem or branch that supports it.)



Cheers

Stewart

Bright Idea.

I hardly ever watch TV but sometimes out of the blue something draws me to it.
In this case it was a story on landline and I thought what a cracker of an idea. And as the bloke on the interview said it's not rocket science.
I can't embed ABC video on my site but follow this link, make sure you click on the 'Play Video' Link just above the main story, have a look and I'd love to hear what you think.

From the ABC landline site:-  PIP COURTNEY, PRESENTER: Experts tell us that just 2.5 per cent of all the water on the planet is fresh and very little of that is accessible, locked up in ice caps and deep down beneath the earth. And with so much of the available fresh water used up by agriculture, it's becoming an increasingly scarce resource.

A group of international scientists. which has based itself in outback South Australia, has devised a system of growing crops which doesn't rely one bit on that diminishing fresh water supply.

And as Pru Adams reports, they're now ready to take their ground-breaking technology to the world.

Q & A

Hello veggie people, I've had a few questions posed to me through the e-mail contact in the last few weeks so I thought I'd throw them up here for the heck of it.
If any one does have a question just fire away and I'll do my best to answer it.

Question 1. Hi Stewart, I have a rosemary plant in a tub that seems to be quite healthy but it gets this white or grey mildewy stuff on the new growth. What is it and how can i get rid of it?
I live on the Gold Coast so it is often hot and humid but the mildew seems to be around most of the year. One site said to use dolomite as the plant will like it and it will help with the problem.
Any info would be appreciated -thanks, G*****.
My answer.
Hi G*****, sounds like powdery mildew and with rosemary in your climate it can be a problem. Best way to fix it is to spray with copperoxychloride, any nursery or supermarket should have it. Follow the directions on the packet and it should be fine.
If you haven't already it needs to be in full sun all day and when watering, which is usually unnecessary, then water in the morning to give the water a chance to dry up off the foliage.
Cheers. And hope this helps
Stewart.

Question 2.  About Burke's Backyard Tomato.
Hi, did you pinch out the laterals. Someone told me they did and got no
fruit, they said you don't need to with this variety, I find this hard
to believe, nothing on the ticket the plant came with. What do you
think? Hope your gardening going well mine just beginning, regards J***


My answer.
 Hi J***, it's been a while since I planted these but from memory I'm sure they needed staking and pinching out of the laterals. They were a tasty tomato but I was disappointed with their yield. Fwiw the best tomato I've grown is one called Mortgage Lifter. Large tomato's and plenty of them.

Cheers, hope this helps

Stewart.

I'll add one more thing about tomatoes that I didn't include in my answer and that there is two main growing habits of tomatoes. and they are named determinate and indeterminate and I've pinched a description from the Garden Webs site,

Determinate varieties of tomatoes, also called "bush" tomatoes, are varieties that are bred to grow to a compact height (approx. 4 feet).
They stop growing when fruit sets on the terminal or top bud, ripen all their crop at or near the same time (usually over a 2 week period), and then die.
They may require a limited amount of caging and/or staking for support, should NOT be pruned or "suckered" as it severely reduces the crop, and will perform relatively well in a container (minimum size of 5-6 gallon). Examples are: Rutgers, Roma, Celebrity (called a semi-determinate by some), and Marglobe.

Indeterminate varieties of tomatoes are also called "vining" tomatoes. They will grow and produce fruit until killed by frost and can reach heights of up to 10 feet although 6 feet is considered the norm. They will bloom, set new fruit and ripen fruit all at the same time throughout the growing season.
They require substantial caging and/or staking for support and pruning and the removal of suckers (I call these lateral shoots) is practiced by many but is not mandatory. The need for it and advisability of doing it varies from region to region. Experiment and see which works best for you. Because of the need for substantial support and the size of the plants, indeterminate varieties are not usually recommended as container plants. Examples are: Big Boy, Beef Master, most "cherry" types, Early Girl, most heirloom varieties, etc.

May your harvest be bountiful
Cheers
Stewart

Golden Laced Wyandotte chooky chickens

    I've been harboring a desire for some Golden Laced Wyandotte chooky chickens (yes, that is a technical term) for quite some time now but have never been able to find any handy enough to home.
    The idea has been simmering along for a while but had been put on the back burner of ideas.
    The other day though after clenaing up around their run it came to me to have another search and see if I could find any. 
    My first and only port of call is always the Farmstock (great website too) web site and as if it was meant to be there in the first half a dozen listings was an add for some Golden Laced Wyandotte chickens.
    A quick phone call and the deal was done for four Golden Laced Wyandotte chickens. A second phone call to a good friend to drive me down to pick them up and there you be, all done. 
   

 They were seven and eight weeks old a week ago tomorrow (2/10/12) and in the USA that's (10/2/12)
 

    Here's a brief description from Wikipedia :- The Wyandotte is a breed of chicken originating in the United States. The first examples of the breed appeared in 1870s. Wyandottes are a docile, dual-purpose breed kept for their brown eggs and for meat. They appear in a wide variety of color patterns, and are popular show birds. The Wyandotte lays pale brown or tan eggs and usually has a white ring of feathers around its neck. Wyandotte hens are devoted mothers.

The Wyandotte is a breed that suits both free range and confinement in a run. Hens occasionally become broody. They are also very vocal, uttering soft clucks on a regular basis.
The breed has been noted for being incredibly friendly, and combined with their easy maintainability are a favorite with those new to raising chickens.
You can read more on Wikipedia about Wyandotte chickens by following this link - Wyandotte Chickens


Cheers

Stewart.