OK, I’m a bit of a raver when I get going, and one thing that’s guaranteed to get me going every time is ginger. You see it’s so incredibly easy to grow and I’ve been on a bit of a mission to get ginger lovers everywhere to start growing it. In fact I’m so committed to this cause, that I’ve made videos about how to do it… and you can watch one here, but if you could just stay with me for a bit longer, there’s something else I want to say.
Ginger is easy to grow in the home garden even in cooler climates
You probably know… ginger is a tropical crop… the Sunshine Coast in South East Queensland is a famous growing area… but even if you live in southern Australia, you can have a go at growing your own. It’s all about creating a suitable microclimate, and it’s easy to do. Just choose a warm sunny spot in front of a north facing wall where you can imitate the kind of hot steamy conditions that ginger loves, and if you grow it in a pot, then the reflective heat from the wall will help to warm up the growing medium as well. The time to plant is in spring because it needs a long warm summer to grow, so mark that in your diary. I’m just starting to harvest my ginger now – and the video I’ve prepared shows the bountiful return I’ve gained from a single pot. Check it out, and do be sure to have a go at growing it… you’ll be delighted at how easy it is.
Post Rain Action
It’s been a wet and soggy summer in sub-tropical Australia, and it has taken its toll in the vegie patch. I know a lot of you are losing valuable crops due to fungal disease and root rot. Some plants like tomatoes and eggplants may carry on into the autumn if you’re diligent about removing diseased materialand feeding them up to get them actively growing. In some cases, it’s best to cut your losses and get on with the next generation of
I’m sowing seed now for winter crops like kale
food crops. In warm coastal areas, it’s not too late to get in some more seedlings of tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, corn as well as beans… all those summer things… and if you get in quick you’ll enjoy a good return before the cold sets in. I’m also getting a start on winter crops. Just last week I was sowing seed into trays, mainly the cabbage family… broccoli, kale, and of course cabbage… I’m also laying down some coriander, onions, leeks, lettuces, silver beet and beetroot, and once they’re up, I’ll be potting them into 100mm pots to grow them on… just so that if we get a few really hot days, which we will, I can move all my sensitive babies into a cool protected spot until that horrible hot sun recedes.
Cut back ragged rose bushes to enjoy autumn flowers
Rose bushes are also looking raggedy after the rain, but don’t despair loves because this is a prime time for giving them a big overhaul and if you do, you’ll be rewarded with a bounty of beautiful blooms in autumn… and in the subtropics, that’s when we enjoy our very best roses. So this week, get out those secateurs, cut off all that ugly diseased material… be brutal if you must, it doesn’t matter… then give the plants a good feed, water it in well over the next few weeks and… kaboom… watch in awe as it erupts into a flurry of fresh growth with juicy plump buds that will burst open into the most beautiful roses you’ve every grown! Trust me!
