Your comments and tips

07 Jan 19, John McKenzie (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

I grew scarlet runners this year they grew great but sadly no flowers.Any suggestions

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08 Jan 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Did you plant them Oct to Nov? Did you use a lot of fertiliser?

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04 Dec 18, Dale (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hello Mike Just wanting to know the names of a couple of local (QLD / sub tropical) organic seed companies to buy from. I bought one lot of seeds from Green Harvest, but some are not producing .( it happens hey) I must say it has been such a dry and extremely hot spring and these 35 plus days are a real struggle for all the veggies. I even bought a couple of cheap tarps to give some plants a little shade.... I remember in past posts you mentioned a couple of companies. Also I would like to grow organicncorn,but I didn't see it on the A to Z growing list..are they all GMO now? Your help would be much appreciated. Regards Dale

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05 Dec 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I'm not sure but I think GMO seed is really only sold to commercial growers. A lot of seed we buy is either heirloom or hybrid (a cross of two or more varieties). Someone can correct me on this but I think organic food is more about how you grow it - no chemical sprays or chemical fertilisers. Just had a look - Eden seeds sell organic seeds - probably cost a lot more though. Phone them if you like.

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05 Dec 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hi Dale I don't know any organic seed selling companies. I really only started planting a lot of things by seed the last 2 years. I use to buy a lot of seedlings - lettuce, cabbage, corn, celery, broccoli etc. It was only last year I decided to grow more from seed. It can be very hit or miss trying to germinate small seeds. I built a small green house at the back of my shed and installed a water spray line to germinate some seeds - small seeds are easily displaced by big droplets of water. Germination rates vary so much but a lot has to do with how we manage watering etc as they germinate. I buy most of my seeds from Boondie seeds in Armidale NSW. Email her and see what she can tell you. I like her

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02 Dec 18, wayne gardiner (Australia - temperate climate)

edges of bean leaves drying out

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02 Dec 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Sounds like lack of water or hot sun. Temp here today 35-36 - within 2 degrees of record since 1948 for Dec. Not really a good time to be trying to grow things in SE Qld.

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04 Dec 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hot dry winds can do this also - especially a NW wind - current heat wave conditions north of Gladstone.

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27 Nov 18, G'Day Farm (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I have started to get the same problem with our blue lake beans, beautiful and now not so much. My general feeling is not enough even watering. I use tech line and we've had very little rain. When we had the rain they were perfect.

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29 Nov 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

The techline watering might not give a good enough watering - 3L/h/dripper spaced 300mm. When plants are near/full grown I probably give my plants (about 10 plants) 1 1/2 to 2 minutes at 20 L/ min.

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