How to grow Thai Basil and Thai Siam Queen from seed.

🌿 Thai Siam Queen🌿 🌿 Annual. 🌿 Large and bushy variety growing to 80cm with fragrant green leaves and purple stems producing small red/purple flowers. 🌿 Leaves have a strong flavour that is a mix between aniseed and basil and is very popular in Asian cuisine. Ideal for salads, noodle and rice dishes. 🌿 Can be grown in containers. Can be used in potpourri. Very attractive variety; is sometimes grown as an ornamental. 🌿 The plant is larger and produces bigger leaves than regular Thai Basil. #howtogrowbasil #thaisiamqueen #organicgardener 📷 Original Saigon Restaurant Instagram https://www.instagram.com/originalsai... and website Original Saigon Restaurant Instagram https://www.instagram.com/originalsai... and Website https://www.originalsaigon.com.au/ Wikipedia Thai Basil. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_basil 📫 Like to sponsor my next video? Let me know here. ssjdmb@hotmail.com 📫 Got a question or suggestion? Let me know here. ssjdmb@hotmail.com

C is for Carrots

Spring, a great time to plant carrots. And the only way to grow carrots is by planting seeds. Here are a few ideas to help you get off to a good start. #carrots #howtogrowcarrots #organicgardening 📫 Like to sponsor my next video? Let me know here. ssjdmb@hotmail.com 📫 Got a question or suggestion? Let me know here. ssjdmb@hotmail.com Below is a copy and paste from garden.passion_ig on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/garden.pass... A) Avoid transplanting . B) Sow seed directly in the soil . C) Provide a rock and clay free soil . D) Provide a soft light soil enriched with mineralised organic matter . E) Eliminate obstacles in the soil. Carrots are selfish, greedy and unsociable. They want the soil all to themselves and do not want competition or obstacles. They want to grow fast without hindrance. Any slight disturbance as they dig deeper into the topsoil makes them very very angry . F) Ensure the growing medium is very deep. Any stress or space restrictions experienced by the taproot as it grows vertically will cause immediate deformity . G) Avoid heavy or high-pressure watering until at least they’ve reached a strong seedling stage. Overzealous watering prior to germination is one good reason to displace the volatile seeds and cause them to grow very close to each other . H) Protect the growing medium from animals and birds digging or foraging in the soil. Carrot seeds are notoriously slow to germinate and often they end up displaced growing anywhere bar the position you had initially planned or intended for . I) Give it room to grow. If possible, isolate one seed. You can alternatively create trenches and sprinkle a sand-filled container containing the carrot seeds but you will still probably need to thin them out later as they grow . 💘 Follow @garden.passion_ig for more 😉

Three Minute Monday. How much water do I give my Mandarin Tree

🍊 We're in the midst of the worst drought ever here at My Veggie Garden, since the last worst drought ever so I need to work out how long it takes to hand water my Mandarin tree.

All about Basil Downy Mildew.

🍄 Basil downy mildew was detected for the first time in Queensland in April 2017. 🍄 Basil downy mildew is caused by a fungal pathogen. It initially appears as tiny greyish specks on the underside of leaves and progresses to cover larger areas of the lower leaf surface. The fungus may appear raised from the leaf surface or “fluffy” in appearance. As the disease progresses areas of the affected leaves may turn yellow, brown and die. While affected leaf material may not be viable for commercial sale, the disease itself does not have an impact on human health.🍄 #basildownymildew #growingbasil #organicgardening 🍄 Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-p... 🍄 Justin Russell. Biosecurity concerns over seedlings sold at Toowoomba store. https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/... 🍄 Australian Backyard Vegetable Growing, Facebook Group. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...

How to grow and sow lettuce from seeds.

Lettuce is one of the easiest veggies to grow in containers, in your garden and the results of your efforts are seen fairly quickly. With these tips, you can be enjoying the bounty of your own harvest in a short six to eight weeks after planting. This, then, is the simple process of planting some lettuce seeds. They'ed germinated in 5 days.

Organic Gardener. Mar/Apr.

For the few of you who don't read the Organic gardener magazine then I'd like to recommend the Mar/Apr 2017 edition.

Mine came in the mail yesterday so it won't be long before it hits the newsagents. 

I spent the morning reading it from cover to cover and feel so much wiser.

There's a great feature on 'Urban Farming' a growing trend world wide.

Plus

•  Paul West suggest a plan for growing year round vegies
• How to grow and use parsley
• Growing Leeks
• Raising Quail
• Putting up barriers to stop critters eating your produce. 
• Recipes
• What to do for autumn

And on and on it goes.

Probably the most jam packed and informative issue I've read for a while. 

Do yourself a favour and grab a copy!

Cheers

Stewart.

NOW

I picked up on this from the current (September 2014) issue of the organic gardener mag.

In case you don't have a copy 'yet' I'll share it here as well.

Taste the Difference, Feel the Difference, Make a Difference

Friday 3 – Sunday 12 October 2014






From the 'About' tab on their Facebook page.

About

Taste the Difference, Feel the Difference, Make a Difference! 3-12 October 2014!

 

Mission

 

Objectives
The main objectives of National Organic Week are to:
• Increase consumer demand for, confidence in, and appreciation for organically-grown produce and goods in all extant and potential markets, with a dual focus of mainstream retail (large and independent) on the one hand and farm direct marketing and farmers’ markets outlets on the other.
• Raise the general public's awareness of the vital connection between organic farming methods and genuine global environmental sustainability: especially between climate change abatement, organic farming practices, food waste avoidance and composting.

• Increase knowledge among members of the general public, food sellers, purveyors, restaurateurs, retailers, café owners and farmers Australia-wide about the stringent and world recognised standards for Organic and Biodynamic Products and about identifying certified organic products by independent certification logo marks.

• Engage and build capacity for non-organic and non-biological farmers to convert to organic and/or biological farming methods where appropriate, based on assessment of market demand and future industry growth needs, as well as for its environmental benefits and more resilient agricultural outcomes.

• Raise political awareness at relevant federal, state and local government levels of how sustainable organic and biological farming methods and products directly meet the agricultural and environmental challenges of the 21st Century; especially vis-à-vis climate change, resilient and diversified agriculture, food waste avoidance and water efficiency.

• Give media profile to NOW's week of activities including seminars, tastings, launches, while supporting industry stakeholders and sponsors to promote their organic products and organisations to the general public.

 

Cheers

 

Stewart