Aussie 2007 Season

[cosmicgardener]

I wish South Australians would stop sending their weather this way! I've been turning the heat off at night and the tommies survive on retained heat. By 4 am they are getting down to about 9 and surviving well. Toughens them up! Hail is bad, Icy Winds are bad, South Westerly winds are Bad. Wolf Blass Eaglehawk Cabernet Sauvignon is good, Hairy Bikers Rock! Grandchildren are exhausting. I've done my notes on Emperor Penguins for the one that can't read yet; typed up the cheat sheet for the other one's debate I got them to sort my planting list into colour varients so I can stagger the colours - no free lunches here.......

[Mantis]

Getting a bit sick of the cool windy weather here as well. Some of the plants outside have been looking very sickly from the cold. Some are ok. The wind is relentless.

[tessa]

finally getting a few days of spring weather.

the seedling are putting on a wee bit of growth and i can see true leaves emerging everywhere.

so exciting!

[Grub]

You are right Spatz.

Evil weather and mine will be hardy things in a different way... I reckon they are growing about an inch a day.

Not sure what I'm going to do with all the spares, but I have thought of leaving them in a foam tray at the local organic markets with a sign saying:

HEIRLOOM TOMATOES FREE TO GOOD HOME - CHECK TOMATOVILLE.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE VARIETY YOU HAVE CHOSEN.

Meantime, eggies are going mad.

[cosmicgardener]

Oh good - send some spring this way - 4 days time should see it arrive here.

Grub, I give all my spares to the Community Garden, do you have one in your neck of the woods? Otherwise to neighbours that can't run fast.

[Grub]

I checked the ABC weather and maps and you guys are in for some rain and only 15C... bit windy too. Good workin' weather. No wonder all your beds are prepped

[mcsee]

Mantis - I know what you're putting up with over there. We've had strong to gale force winds here for 24 hours so far, but it's supposed to be easing on Thursday. We've missed most of the rain that came our way, but sunny days are forecast by the wekend. Most of my tomato spares have found new homes, the rest will go in one load to a good home.

I'm planting tomorrow arvo all being well.

[Grub]

Sorry about the pic quality, used the lousy happy snappy, but this is the one and only Box Car Willie to sprout from the seed-raising mix. Seed source was Dr Carolyn. So I'm thinking it should be the real deal.

But get a load of it. It has Cotlyedons like an umbrella plant and needs staking already. Lol. It's as though it's tapped into a veing of pure N... will see what happens. Maybe need another transplant.

[cosmicgardener]

My Willies gave me the willies as they were slack little growers to begin with but have put on weight well in the last two weeks. I was beginning to think I'd have to offer substitutes but nah, they have started to come up to scratch. I grew them last year with enormous crops and saved seeds, so I suspect they just didn't like the cooler start. Planting out on the 18th then a day to clean my fingernails and look respectable then off. Koeksoetie is here and has offered to tomato sit for me. Might convert her.........

[Grub]

Really... enormous crops!

This is what I have heard. I have tried growing BCw for about three years now and get the faux instead. And had bad germ. one year.

Does it taste like just a good honest tarty one? Did you like it?

Koeksoetie? I googled. All the way from NSW. Bravo!

[cosmicgardener]

She just came for a visit and brought me some South African Gem Squash seeds. Lovely Grub

Now Lovely Grub( person) - tell me about the Faux and the Non Faux because I haven't a clue what I've got except they were big juicy and abundant, fairly late, but lasted well into April. I'm only interested for sake of the label, so I'm not kidding myself......

[Grub]

Well, the faux BCW is a big red thingy with great taste and some ribbing, but then some of mine were also smooth and round. But it's just a big 1lb-plus thing. It's not that productive. The real BCW is a tennis-ball sized smooth red thing with high production, apparently a bit like a commerical one in terms of yield, with a supposed good honest tomato taste.

More in about three months.

[Mantis]

What you describe is exactly what I got last year. Heaps of tennis ball size smooth fruit. Taste was fine. Cant say they were any better than Grosse Lisse or College Challenger because I really dont think they were anything to jump up and down about. Another good alround red eh.

[tessa]

pink bias.
LOL.

[Spatzbear]

The babies are slowly picking up. They are coping with cold nights (under cover) and windy, sunny days.

I will have far less varieties this year than planned. That's alright, as I won't have to prepare that many beds. Theoretically.