Fall in love with lettuce - Oct 18, 2012
Dear gardening friends
I have just got back from a fishing trip on the Eucumbene River. No sign of any fish but I did count 48 Kangaroos out the window of the camper van yesterday morning. Perhaps the Kangaroos have started to eat fish?
We have all been complaining about the price of Tomatoes in super markets with prices hovering around $12.99 a kilo. But the other day I was looking at the price per kilo of those ready to eat bagged lettuce leaves. The prices ranged from $15.00 to $28.00 per kilo depending on the lettuce mix. This is outrageous because lettuce is so easy to grow.
I called into Rodney's Nursery in Canberra and they were selling ceramic pots that were planted up with different coloured lettuce plants and they looked fantastic.
You could grow one of these at the entrance to your front door because they look so good. The trick is to pick the bottom leaves off the plants until you have enough for a salad rather than pulling them out. This way your potted creation will look great for months until the plants go to seed. This is a much fresher and cheaper option than bagged lettuce and it is chemical free.
There are so many lettuce types now available in seedlings. One of the best mixes is a variety called Lettuce Combo. This is a mixture of Mignonette, Cos, and Butterhead types in both brown and green leaves. These look fantastic planted together and they also taste delicious. Each punnet seems to have at least 15 plants so they are great value. You need to plant lettuce in good quality potting mix to get them growing fast. We are having great success with our latest potting mix trial with Tim's Best Potting Mix and also Organix Tomato , Herb and Vegetable potting mix. This last mix is totally organic.
Choose a pot that is at least 450mms across. Fill it with the potting mix and cover with sugar cane. Transplant the lettuce seedlings out of the punnet. Arrange the different coloured foliage and lettuce types in a pattern that pleases the eye. Water them daily and they will be ready to eat in just 6 weeks. The pot needs to be in a sunny position. Afternoon sun is better than morning sun. Snails and slugs can sometimes climb up the sides of your pot so snail bait may be required.
I got my photo taken in the paper this week holding up a pumpkin. This 5kg Queensland Blue pumpkin cost almost $20.00! I remember when people made Pumpkin soup because it was so cheap. The boys and I planted Pumpkin seeds in our garden last week before that beautiful rain fell. We just took the seeds out of a Queensland Blue Pumpkin we bought at the fruit shop. We dug some cow manure into the soil first then covered it with sugar cane. The seeds will pop up within a couple of weeks and we will have pumpkins at the end of summer. Be warned a pumpkin vine can take over your entire back yard. Say goodbye to your dog because it could be the last time you see it. If you back onto a reserve plant your vine out there. I have known people who have trained their vine over the garden shed.
Another vine that is much easier to contain is a cucumber vine. These are available 6 plants in a punnet for $4.99. My favourite variety is the Lebanese cucumber.
These are so easy to grow in any sunny position. (The same preparation as per pumpkins). Arrange the new growth in a circle to contain the plants size. Pick the fruit when they are small. You will get at least 30 cucumbers per plant so make friends with cucumber eaters fast.
Have you noticed how popular Chilli plants have become? It seems every body wants to grow the hottest variety!
Well Lisa is our Chilli expert and she has many varieties that will burn your lips. Habanero Chilli is the hottest variety we have at the moment. This has a 10/10 rating which means it will make your eyes water a lot. We have Habanero Chillis in Red, Yellow and Brown fruiting varieties for just $4.30 each.
Chilli loves the hottest place in your garden and they can be grown in pots or gardens. Pots are a great idea because when winter comes you can move them closer to the house away from the frost. Use Tim's Best potting mix or Organix for best results.
Have you noticed that the older leaves on your Gardenias are turning yellow?
This happens every spring as your plants get new spring growth. In the old days you would purchase Epsom salts or Magnesium in a little box but now all you need is Tim's Fast Food. Sprinkle some of this around the drip line and your plants will go green again fast. We have just used Fast Food to treat our plants in the nursery.
I just noticed we have Flannel Flower plants coming into flower in the nursery. These make beautiful flowering gifts. They only cost $17.99 so they are cheaper than a bunch of flowers. They can be a bit fussy, so grow them in a pot using native potting mix for best results. I love the velvety grey foliage of Flannel Flowers.
Grey leafed plants are very popular at the moment.
Russell spotted 2 kittens under our lunch room on Saturday morning. They are wild cats but this still didn't stop him making the claim that he could catch any thing! Russell's feet could be seen sticking out from under the building for hours but still no cats caught. He even tried "here pussy, pussy".
We have never seen Russell move faster than a slow walk so the cat's freedom was never in danger!
Have you seen our pet Magpie? We have a Magpie that has fallen in love with our nursery. Maggie has at least 3 bird baths every day then sits on the sign to dry its wings. The other day it had the longest conversation with me while I was working in the Grevillea bed. Only wish I knew Magpie.
These have got to be the coolest looking bird ever.
Karyn is pruning the Goodbye Neighbours hedge at the front of the shop today. It is pruning season so be careful if you are climbing up ladders. I have fallen through my hedge several times at home. You think the hedge will support the ladder if it starts to fall. What actually happens is you just fall straight through the hedge. I got one of our Tim's Gardening Service Guys to prune my hedge last year and they did a brilliant job. Contact the nursery if you want professional help.
I was hanging the clothes on the line this morning and I could smell the sweet scent of citrus flowers. My Mandarin and Kevin The Lemon are covered in sweet smelling white flowers. We often forget how perfumed citrus trees are.
The Roses are now in full bloom at the nursery. Bring your nose down for a perfume treat.
Happy gardening
Tim