Verandah Garden - Page 2

Spexxvet · 10-22-2007, 04:56 PM

The only thing I've been successful growing in the ground is grape tomatoes, which I love. It seems like nothing else does well. I have pots like yours for my herbs, and they do just fine. My soil has red clay about 14 inches below the surface - not good for drainage or root growth.

Aliantha · 10-22-2007, 05:02 PM

A lot of quick growing veges don't need much root growth spexx. Things like lettuce and bok choy for example. You should also be able to grow other salad type veges such as capsicum (you guys call them peppers I think). Also brocoli and cabbage etc would do fine too.

Just try turning the soil over with some fertilizers high in phosphate. If you can get hold of some kind of chook poo and water it down then sprinkle it on the soil during this process that'd be helpfull too. Let it sit and mulch down for a week or two (which is quite necessary if you use chook poo because otherwise it can burn the seedlings when you put them in) then away you go.

You can also get stuff to break up clay soil if you want to increase the depth, but the best thing really is to build up what you've got and put a frame around the outside for your garden bed.

Spexxvet · 10-22-2007, 05:14 PM

I had a frame, and roto-tilled in peat moss, manure, and compost every spring, covered the soil with "no weed" cloth and heeped mulch on top, but it didn't seem to help. Peppers and tomatoes were small, broccoli didn't work, and zucchini died after producing 3 or 4 zucs.

What is chook poo?

Aliantha · 10-22-2007, 06:53 PM

poultry shit is chook poo.

Have you thought about getting your soil tested? Perhaps it's either too acid or too alkaline. Either way you can fix that. Zucchini like good drainage or their roots rot. Same with most other salad type veges. It's probably because of the clay basin (which I've had to deal with before) so you need to get the stuff to break it down. I'm having a mental blank on what the stuff is you need, but you can buy it in large bags and it's white powdery stuff. I'll remember the name later and come back and post it.

Aliantha · 10-22-2007, 06:56 PM

Gypsum is the stuff. You sow it into the soil as you would your dry fertilizer and manure but you put it in before the fertilizer and manure.

Urbane Guerrilla · 10-23-2007, 01:49 AM

Frankly, anybody who watched Steve Irwin's memorial service got that reference. However, Aussie folk hasn't yet scored a huge audience in the States. Folk aficionados are no doubt importing their discs from online dealers these days.

Aliantha · 10-23-2007, 02:24 AM

I didn't watch the memorial service, so I've no idea what was on it.

10-22-2007, 04:56 PM	#16
Spexxvet Makes some feel uncomfortable Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 10,346	The only thing I've been successful growing in the ground is grape tomatoes, which I love. It seems like nothing else does well. I have pots like yours for my herbs, and they do just fine. My soil has red clay about 14 inches below the surface - not good for drainage or root growth. __________________ "I'm certainly free, nay compelled, to spread the gospel of Spex. " - xoxoxoBruce

10-22-2007, 05:02 PM	#17
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	A lot of quick growing veges don't need much root growth spexx. Things like lettuce and bok choy for example. You should also be able to grow other salad type veges such as capsicum (you guys call them peppers I think). Also brocoli and cabbage etc would do fine too. Just try turning the soil over with some fertilizers high in phosphate. If you can get hold of some kind of chook poo and water it down then sprinkle it on the soil during this process that'd be helpfull too. Let it sit and mulch down for a week or two (which is quite necessary if you use chook poo because otherwise it can burn the seedlings when you put them in) then away you go. You can also get stuff to break up clay soil if you want to increase the depth, but the best thing really is to build up what you've got and put a frame around the outside for your garden bed. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

10-22-2007, 05:14 PM	#18
Spexxvet Makes some feel uncomfortable Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 10,346	I had a frame, and roto-tilled in peat moss, manure, and compost every spring, covered the soil with "no weed" cloth and heeped mulch on top, but it didn't seem to help. Peppers and tomatoes were small, broccoli didn't work, and zucchini died after producing 3 or 4 zucs. What is chook poo? __________________ "I'm certainly free, nay compelled, to spread the gospel of Spex. " - xoxoxoBruce

10-22-2007, 06:53 PM	#19
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	poultry shit is chook poo. Have you thought about getting your soil tested? Perhaps it's either too acid or too alkaline. Either way you can fix that. Zucchini like good drainage or their roots rot. Same with most other salad type veges. It's probably because of the clay basin (which I've had to deal with before) so you need to get the stuff to break it down. I'm having a mental blank on what the stuff is you need, but you can buy it in large bags and it's white powdery stuff. I'll remember the name later and come back and post it. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

10-22-2007, 06:56 PM	#20
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	Gypsum is the stuff. You sow it into the soil as you would your dry fertilizer and manure but you put it in before the fertilizer and manure. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

10-23-2007, 01:49 AM	#21
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	Frankly, anybody who watched Steve Irwin's memorial service got that reference. However, Aussie folk hasn't yet scored a huge audience in the States. Folk aficionados are no doubt importing their discs from online dealers these days. __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course.

10-23-2007, 02:24 AM	#22
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	I didn't watch the memorial service, so I've no idea what was on it. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

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