Posted by Skud on 2013-10-24 23:19:19 UTC

The share house where I'm living is breaking up in December, and that means most of my spring/summer growing has been disrupted :( I started the spring with a lot of garden work and planted lots of things, but now I'm slowing down and trying to eat what's left, rather than start anything new.

So here's the current garden status:

• Front yard: two garden beds and some containers with greens and herbs of various kinds. The last lettuce has gone to seed, as have a couple of the older chard. The kale is on its last legs, badly attacked by slugs or snails or cabbage moths (not sure which). The asian greens are being chewed badly, too, but I can't quite bring myself to care or do anything about it. There's coriander doing okay in a semi-shaded spot in the front garden bed, and some mustard greens and new-season chard that are doing well.
• Back yard: we set up pea and bean netting up the back fence to grow all kinds of beans, but I have stalled planting on those because of the move. The snow peas have finished. The only thing growing up the netting is a patch of triffid-like nasturtiums. I have lots of miscellaneous things in pots, including the last of the beets, lots of parsley and mint, some new-season greens (perpetual spinach) and older greens (sorrel), some herbs (dill, basil), a couple of over-wintered peppers, and tomatoes and other nightshades grown from seed at the end of winter are now starting to come along well.
• I have way more tomato seedlings than I can use. You see, I have about six varieties, and I planted a seedling tray of each, which is 48 tomato seedlings in total. I also have various kinds of peppers and some eggplants and tomatillos. My goal at present is to plant them in intermediate-sized pots (6-8") in the hope that I can stick them in the soil as soon as I get to my new place, which will be early December. Later than the ideal planting date, but not too late. I have four tomatoes that I planted in larger pots (12" earlier), and these are coming along so well I almost feel like I'll have fruit on them before I move. Eep! I've bought some small stakes for the rest, rather than the 6' monsters I usually use, since those would be tricky to fit in the back of anyone's car.
• I'm taking cuttings from a few of my herbs (sage, lemon balm) and growing small pots of other things (warrigal greens, dill, basil) so that I can plant them when I get where I'm going.
• I planted cucumber seedlings (from Bek) in trays just before we decided to move, and sadly I've had to ditch them. I'll take the cucumber frame with me, though, and I hope I can get something going once I'm up there, even if I have to buy some commercial seedlings.

Over on my Dreamwidth journal, brainwane asked me some good questions about how I'm going about choosing a new place in Ballarat, in terms of gardening: am I considering sun, soil quality, etc? You can read the thread here if you're interested.