I've had cosmos come up voluntarily around my garden over Summer, I'm in the Widebay part of Queensland and was surprised as I always tend to grow them over the cooler months, but I thought well if you want to be here you are very welcome! 😊 I've always had sunflowers popping up throughout my vege garden and have heard those same comments you said about them and have been thinking I should stop growing them amongst my veges, just have the zinnias etc they look so beautiful but perhaps time to encourage them in another spot 🌻💐
I’ve grown sunflowers amongst veggies before with no major dramas, it’s just having to give those beds extra nutrients and water to keep up. The stalks do make amazing bean trellises.
I haven’t had a lot of luck with my vegepod either. Rats get in under the top and no matter how much I water it still seems really dry, I wish I hadn’t followed their instructions but instead set it up more by my own instinct for growing
Rats are tricky, no stopping them if they are determined. I find the armyworms lay eggs on the nets as well and because the holes are that little bit bigger than in a standard insect net they all drop inside so you have to be onto it.
Put weed mat over the wicking well plates, this stops soil getting in reservoir and still allows wicking. In shallow area parisian market carrots do well. I dont use the vegepod covers as moths drop eggs thru canopy, better off making a PVC 500mm high rectangle pipe frame and using insect mesh fly wire.
Yeah I felt like it needs the barrier, geotextile like I use in wicking beds. I should have said nothing grows in the shallow area more like it limits options, and that section also dries out quicker.
Hi Niki I can’t believe how many rockmelons I got to grow 12 and counting tasted one yum but having up hill battle with cukes got 2 but vine just died my sunflowers 🌻are beautiful but coming to an end now tomatoes 🍅 thriving but other crops struggling and that’s gardening 🧑🌾 hey . Merry Christmas to you and your family.
I’m in Perth. Had my large vege pod for 4 years now. Apart from it drying out a lot in summer it does well . My tip…put composting worms in it from my worm farm.
Oh good idea. My worm farm population is still low but I’ll definitely do that once they get going again. They’re were a few fat earth worm that were in there but not sure they’ll love staying in the vegepod.
I’m in Perth. Had my large vege pod for 4 years now. Apart from it drying out a lot in summer no problems. Always top up with compost. I put worms in a year ago & doing well. Flowers are always in there along with whatever veggies I’m growing Thick layer of mulch the chicken corn canola bale from Bunnings.
Most gardeners I’ve seen use perlite to fill all the bottom but as my hubby dislikes perlite the vegepod has all dirt. I think it would be great to have an emergency release valve under the wicking sets. I also find the covers could be a bit longer. I agree the module centre is a pain 😅. Great update Nicki hope it all goes well, Ali 🥶🥶🇨🇦
I think horticultural sand would work as well in the legs, I probably would have used it instead if I had it. That’s what I use in my wicking beds for the ‘wick’
Peas have pretty short root systems. Wonder if you could put peas along those partition areas of the veg bed 🤔 would need a bit of a trellis but it could work.
I’d never seen one of those wicking beds before..interesting. My pumpkin is going off ...I was going to pull it out (it’s a volunteer...growing in the wrong place) but I’ve got 10 pumpkins growing and am hand pollinating. I just paid $9 for a small whole pumpkin, so I’m happy. I’m such a lazy gardener. I work on the soil, try to keep it happy and just chuck random “stuff” in. My asparagus patch is going off. Question...I’ve sprouting potatoes but it’s too early to plant them. Do you store them in a dark place and when do you plant them? Enjoy your Christmas break...you deserve it. Also what do you do with lots of green chillis?
Volunteer pumpkins always do the best. Green chillis - if I’ve had to remove them I put them in the freezer until I am ready to use them. You could also pickle them. I don’t eat a lot, My husband is the chilli eater, he usually slices them up and puts them on random things.
Have you tried scarifying the beans to help germination? Not sure if it’s recommended specifically for Madagascar climbing beans, but could help it germinate before it rots?
Actually no I haven’t, I do it with loofah and blue butterfly peas, I have tried presoaking and then just waiting for the sprout and then planting and that has worked in the past too.
I've never heard of a veg pod before. It's seems like a good idea for plantings over summer. So if you are going away over summer, do you just rely on the rain to keep your garden watered?
We have someone coming to look after pets daily, I am trying to decide whether or not to get them to look after the gardens or just let it go and see what happens.
Exactly 😂 it’s mostly either wicking beds or the sweet potatoes at the moment so I think we might be ok to just see what happens. With all the rain we’ve had I haven’t waters in weeks anyway, I’ll just stretch them this week as much as I can with this heat predicted to get them used to being neglected. I might lose the sunflowers but I can live with that.
@loveofdirt not sure had them at the seedling stage for like a month now and I don't seem to be getting much more growth are they just slow till a certain point?
@@loveofdirt both some in pots generic potting soil with lime and others in a bed that is well established and growing corn Iam really keen on getting into melons of all types as I really enjoy them
I've had cosmos come up voluntarily around my garden over Summer, I'm in the Widebay part of Queensland and was surprised as I always tend to grow them over the cooler months, but I thought well if you want to be here you are very welcome! 😊 I've always had sunflowers popping up throughout my vege garden and have heard those same comments you said about them and have been thinking I should stop growing them amongst my veges, just have the zinnias etc they look so beautiful but perhaps time to encourage them in another spot 🌻💐
I’ve grown sunflowers amongst veggies before with no major dramas, it’s just having to give those beds extra nutrients and water to keep up. The stalks do make amazing bean trellises.
I haven’t had a lot of luck with my vegepod either. Rats get in under the top and no matter how much I water it still seems really dry, I wish I hadn’t followed their instructions but instead set it up more by my own instinct for growing
Rats are tricky, no stopping them if they are determined. I find the armyworms lay eggs on the nets as well and because the holes are that little bit bigger than in a standard insect net they all drop inside so you have to be onto it.
Put weed mat over the wicking well plates, this stops soil getting in reservoir and still allows wicking. In shallow area parisian market carrots do well. I dont use the vegepod covers as moths drop eggs thru canopy, better off making a PVC 500mm high rectangle pipe frame and using insect mesh fly wire.
Yeah I felt like it needs the barrier, geotextile like I use in wicking beds. I should have said nothing grows in the shallow area more like it limits options, and that section also dries out quicker.
@@loveofdirt needs an overhead watering system , misting kits in Aldi $19 last month.
I avoid overhead water because of disease spread. Our rain and humidity here is already a battle.
@@loveofdirt I'm in Brisbane and dont have any problems, we dont go running out with umbrellas to shelter plants from overhead rain.
Good to hear you don’t have issues with the extra overhead watering 👍 I don’t love wasting water, I’d rather it go directly where it’s needed.
Hi Niki I can’t believe how many rockmelons I got to grow 12 and counting tasted one yum but having up hill battle with cukes got 2 but vine just died my sunflowers 🌻are beautiful but coming to an end now tomatoes 🍅 thriving but other crops struggling and that’s gardening 🧑🌾 hey . Merry Christmas to you and your family.
That’s so amazing re the rockmelons!
It’s Looking good 😊
Thanks Leon
I’m in Perth. Had my large vege pod for 4 years now. Apart from it drying out a lot in summer it does well . My tip…put composting worms in it from my worm farm.
Oh good idea. My worm farm population is still low but I’ll definitely do that once they get going again. They’re were a few fat earth worm that were in there but not sure they’ll love staying in the vegepod.
I’m in Perth. Had my large vege pod for 4 years now. Apart from it drying out a lot in summer no problems. Always top up with compost. I put worms in a year ago & doing well. Flowers are always in there along with whatever veggies I’m growing Thick layer of mulch the chicken corn canola bale from Bunnings.
That’s what I did for 5 years, topped up with compost. It was just this last year it just slowed down.
Most gardeners I’ve seen use perlite to fill all the bottom but as my hubby dislikes perlite the vegepod has all dirt. I think it would be great to have an emergency release valve under the wicking sets. I also find the covers could be a bit longer. I agree the module centre is a pain 😅. Great update Nicki hope it all goes well, Ali 🥶🥶🇨🇦
I think horticultural sand would work as well in the legs, I probably would have used it instead if I had it. That’s what I use in my wicking beds for the ‘wick’
@ oh I’ll give that a try as I have a new one to fill (new being second hand 🤭)
Peas have pretty short root systems. Wonder if you could put peas along those partition areas of the veg bed 🤔 would need a bit of a trellis but it could work.
Yeah a few things work, eg lettuce, spring onions, etc it’s just an annoying restriction, probably a good thing - keeps me from over planting 🤣
@loveofdirt 🤣 I know the feeling. I have a bunch of seedlings looking for a home and my beds are jammed 😅 good idea on the lettuce and spring onion.
I’d never seen one of those wicking beds before..interesting. My pumpkin is going off ...I was going to pull it out (it’s a volunteer...growing in the wrong place) but I’ve got 10 pumpkins growing and am hand pollinating. I just paid $9 for a small whole pumpkin, so I’m happy. I’m such a lazy gardener. I work on the soil, try to keep it happy and just chuck random “stuff” in. My asparagus patch is going off. Question...I’ve sprouting potatoes but it’s too early to plant them. Do you store them in a dark place and when do you plant them?
Enjoy your Christmas break...you deserve it. Also what do you do with lots of green chillis?
Volunteer pumpkins always do the best. Green chillis - if I’ve had to remove them I put them in the freezer until I am ready to use them. You could also pickle them. I don’t eat a lot, My husband is the chilli eater, he usually slices them up and puts them on random things.
Have you tried scarifying the beans to help germination? Not sure if it’s recommended specifically for Madagascar climbing beans, but could help it germinate before it rots?
Actually no I haven’t, I do it with loofah and blue butterfly peas, I have tried presoaking and then just waiting for the sprout and then planting and that has worked in the past too.
Wow here the large cover is $50 cdn and it was on sale for Black Friday
The mesh only is $50, the structure with the mesh is $200. It does come with irrigation but I wouldn’t use that.
@ could you repair the top pipe or use pvc pipe
It’s very fragile because of its age i think the connector pieces would snap if I tried. Ive been taping it back together for a while 😂
@ perhaps bending pvc like the UK gardeners all use for netting but I have faith you’ll find a great solution
I’ve used electrical conduit in the past it works well. If I can avoid a net I will, I find more problems happen when I net things.
I've never heard of a veg pod before. It's seems like a good idea for plantings over summer. So if you are going away over summer, do you just rely on the rain to keep your garden watered?
We have someone coming to look after pets daily, I am trying to decide whether or not to get them to look after the gardens or just let it go and see what happens.
It's always the gardeners challenge, getting people to water when you are away. No one does it as well as you. Lol😅.
Exactly 😂 it’s mostly either wicking beds or the sweet potatoes at the moment so I think we might be ok to just see what happens. With all the rain we’ve had I haven’t waters in weeks anyway, I’ll just stretch them this week as much as I can with this heat predicted to get them used to being neglected. I might lose the sunflowers but I can live with that.
was this shot before the rain? also to you have any tips for getting watermelon going my seedlings are very slow
In between the rain. Had to do it in parts as it kept raining on me 😂 what’s happening with the watermelons? Mine aren’t loving this humidity.
@loveofdirt not sure had them at the seedling stage for like a month now and I don't seem to be getting much more growth are they just slow till a certain point?
@loveofdirt these are the seeds I ordered from you so it's not crap genetics
Sounds like a nutrient issue are they in the ground?
@@loveofdirt both some in pots generic potting soil with lime and others in a bed that is well established and growing corn Iam really keen on getting into melons of all types as I really enjoy them