Noses wanted! - Oct 09, 2014
Dear Gardening Friends,
We have had a great response to Arthur’s Big Greek Tomato. This extra large fruiting Greek Tomato tastes delicious. One of Arthur’s Greek friends came in and bought 6 plants so it must be good. We are selling the plants for $4.50 and all money raised is being donated to The African Aids Foundation in Camden. They use the money to provide fencing, seeds and training to Africans so they can grow fresh vegetables. The Anti Viral drugs used to fight AIDS work much better when the patients are eating fresh vegetables.
I visited South Africa several years ago and saw how these vegetable gardens were changing the lives of the people. The gardens were individually owed and cared for, mostly by women, and the successful gardeners were able to make a living by selling the vegetables. It was amazing how much more confident and positive these women had become. I also noticed that the people who had the vegetable gardens had much tidier huts. We are only just discovering the power of gardening.
Tomato Myth
Should you prune tomatoes?
Most gardening books and gardening experts will tell you that you should prune out the lateral branches. The idea being that this will give you bigger tomatoes.
Clive Blazey from The Diggers Club conducted pruning trials and discovered that pruned tomatoes produced up to 83% fewer tomatoes! The explanation is that pruning sets back fruit production and plants don’t have enough time to recover yields. So if you want more tomatoes don’t prune them. You will need to use more stakes to support the branches.
Remember tomatoes need to be watered everyday for best results. Try not to water the leaves. Mulch around the base with sugarcane and remove any of the lower branches so they don’t touch the ground. Liquid fertilise with Harvest every 10 days if you want big tomatoes!
Our Angels Trumpet trees are starting to flower and we have been amazed just how special these varieties are.
Most of them are the rarer double flowering varieties. We had much consternation on Facebook this week with some people saying that this plant shouldn’t be available in nurseries because it is poisonous.
But one of our gardening friends Chis Tonitto pointed out that the leaves of Rhubarb and potatoes are poisonous too.
These small growing trees have the most amazing perfume. We have limited numbers.
October is the best time to choose your rosebushes because you can use your nose to choose the most fragrant varieties.
Sure they are cheaper in winter but how often have you bought a rose bush only to discover in spring that it has no perfume!
There is an old saying “Stop and smell the roses”. If you buy rose bushes now you can also see which varieties are the most disease resistant simply by looking at the leaves.
Come and talk to Ryan, our rose expert if you need help. He has been spraying the leaves with Harvest and they have never looked better!
Chinese Lantern shrubs have arrived. These forever flowering fast growing shrubs are related to hibiscus but they seem to be much easier to grow.
We have orange, yellow, pink and red flowering varieties and they are covered in flowers now. They are great value at just $15.99 less your garden club discount. They would make great flowering gifts too!
Last year we asked our club members if they would like to help out Thomas Reddall High School.
The School was starting a new reading program and they needed adults that would be willing the read one on one with kids from the school.
Three of our club members volunteered and the program was a huge success. Just like the owners of the vegetable gardens, when the kids discovered that they could read their confidence sky rocketed.
This year the school is running the reading group on Wednesday. If you would like to make a difference to a child’s life then Thomas Reddall needs you! If you can spare 2 hours or more please contact Bee Perusco 46254404. Morning tea and training will be provided. Remember good things happen to good people.
Pig has jumped camps pretty quickly and is now getting ready to support Western Sydney Wanderers when The A League kicks off this Friday.
Pig originally supported Sydney FC because he was good friends with Delpiero. Del, as Pig called him has now returned to Italy so Pig is supporting the locals.
Pig sings for the red and black. Which team will you sing for?
Happy Gardening
Tim