December round up & Goodbye 2011

Well what an interesting year the weather has defiantly created some challenges in the garden, but if nothing else it has made me more aware of the importance of being able to manages the variations and extremes. To me it even enhances the benefits of growing with the Autopot system.
Back when I first moved to the Bay I battled with trying to have a garden, poor soil, scorching heat meant all my time was spent at the end of a garden hose trying to keep things alive, now I feed more than one home and have so much fun doing it not to mention the number of people I have been fortunate to meet while promoting this great product.
Over the year I have experimented with a few varieties as well as a few mediums one of the big changes I have made is I have stopped using the Searls Premium potting mix in favour of an organic soil produced by Osmicoat it is a Superior product and the seedling just bound with it. I just feel it goes well with our Nutrient and does not have the high content of wood fiber that is in most potting mixes, this is just a personal opinion I know you all have your own ideas but I just try to share as much info as possible based on trials carried out under real growing conditions in our climate. I also use My Perlight and Vermiculite 50 / 50 mix.
I am about to trial Clay balls in the next few weeks as well as growing in Scoria.

Here is a look at what is growing at the moment.

Black Russian Tomato's Loaded down with fruit

Hybrid burp less  Cucumber

Darwin Lettuce ready to move to window box unit

Purple capsicum second flush

Celery thriving in the system

A nice herb selection

Acorn leaf lettuce, Silver beat and many more fresh delights

Beet root my second crop

A beautiful double petunia just starting to develop

Sunny the sunflower 

My New "Grow House"

At last I finally got my new tunnel house built and relocated all my plants.
I have been talking about this for a while and set my self a time limit to have it done before Christmas.
The trick was to turn the half tunnel into a full tunnel utilising all the existing material and at the same time extend to 6 meters so let me show you it taking place.

Some of the material laid out to begin

I am using 2 inch Agriculture water pipe to form the tunnel and  metal roof bracing, I also had to use a smaller sleeve inserted into the bigger pipe to extend the 3 half hoops from the old tunnel.

Extension sleeve to add other half

I have used small Star pickets to slip the pipe over, the tension on the natural curve holds it in place I suppose if you where worried about lifting you could put a bolt through to secure.

Bracing up the hoops 

The bracing comes in 6.2m length so this worked out well. Note my little helpers feeding away with out a worry in the world.

Ready to cover

The first brace up from the ground is placed at the height to take my existing shelving which is recycled pool fencing. The main cover is 50% white horticulture shade cloth just to kill that midday sun and control the wind. As far as I am concerned wind will do more damage than anything.

The cloth  comes in 3.6 wide so 12 meters cut in two works well, I have just over lapped at the join.

I have also joined 2 clear tarps together, they come at 4x3 I just tied them at the eyelets with cable ties.

I have permanently attached at one end and only secured it by rope to pegs at the other so I can roll it back at any time. I am planning to just have it folded at my work end as a little protection if need be and not effecting the plants. I have found it very important to be able to control the weather.

Cover on and plants shifted.

I have relocated the tanks as well until I can move up to a Smart -Pump in the mean time we are still gravity feed, My main line is a 13 ml. with T join reducers to 4 ml. for the Hydro trays naturally with this number of pots its important I have enough water flowing to support them. I need to add more shelving but we are up and running and I can now have more fun.

The plastic tarp comes down to the bench level so works well. I had just finished the installation when it started to rain and by this morning we had 10 ml with every thing looking well this morning.  When the sun comes back I will just roll back the rain cover and have another great day in the garden.

How good is this!  bring on 2012

Yea! its raining

Its been a long time coming each week the weather man promised a change but every one else got it but us. I let the plants enjoy a wetting last night but now it has set in so it is time to see how my ingenious roll up roll down pulley system works.
Bingo works like a dream, I will roll up again when it stops.

This is the clear plastic tarp I talk about.

I know its pretty simple but it just lets me be in control with weather changes and to celebrate the rain I have moved SUNNY into his new home, he looks a little lost at the moment but it will soon reach for the sky

Sunny's new home.

While I am talking about reaching for the sky the Celery I planted 5 days ago has reached the top of the surrounds that I put around to create nice white crisp stalks so they are racing.

My Celery experiment

Lettuce trial rap up

Well 4 weeks are up on my Lettuce trial of growing in drink cups. Without question the Green Mignonette proved the best but at the same time the 30 degrees plus is getting to hot for most lettuce, it starts to show with the outer edges burning or browning so I will try again in the autumn, but over all I still think the widow box has proved a reliable 4 week cycle it will be interesting with the new Darwin Variety that I have sown. Never the less I will enjoy fresh salad tonight along with just picked Cucumber and beet root that I cooked last night from the garden.

Also I should point out these plants have been on the same nutrient mix as everything else, If I wanted to get real serious I would feed from a separate tank at a lower CF. and keep the water cool.

Green Mignonette in Drink Cups

Not the best and not as good as the window box system

Take your pick

Now the single 12 " hydrotray that I have been using for the lettuce trial will now be the home of my Giant Sunflower seed that has just popped its head through "Happy Birthday Sunny"

Welcome Sunny

It will move to new home once it gets a little bigger.

Talking about bigger take a look at my Black Russian Tomatoes lots of fruit set all over and they are racing

plenty of fruit set

Thought I would plant some Celery this week haven't grown it in the system before mainly because I am not a big fan of the stuff, I have seen it growing in the PVC drain pipe system and it was all floppy and green with no real big crunchy stalk so I have made surrounds to force the growth up and to keep the light off the stalk. I have used a wast product that comes between the layers of pavers, cut and taped it to fit around, I was not paying $15.00 for a piece of PVC. It will be interesting to see how this goes.

Fridays Up Date

With the tempature sitting around the 30 plus I'm glad I am an Autopot grower otherwise I would have to spend all my day watering if I was going to have anything left alive at the end of day.

So whats happening in my back yard?

As I like to keep a variety of things growing so people can get a good idea of what they can be achieving themself, plus I need to keep my display young enough to be able to shift it in the Mobile unit.
Most thing are to big within a couple of weeks to take, but its good to have plenty on show when people come around which is what I encourage.

School Walkway

Some time back you would have read about me installing a Smart pump at one of the local schools to feed 18 hanging baskets along a walk way to their new assembly hall, A couple of weeks back I did a replant with a Purple Craze Petunia and they are now look amazing, see for your self and the best part is they don't have to do a single thing its totally self managed.

Loving the sun

What a way to start your day with a walk along this path to assembly

Check out this progress with the 4 week lettuce trial, as I have always thought Green Mignonette would be the best for the trial but as you know I have tried 2 others so far and have been very disappointed, but look at this at 14 days they could be on target so far.

Green Mignonette 14 days in drinking cups

Though the weather has been very hot my capsicum are still producing even though they are showing a little wilt. The purple has been a stronger plant and has good shape fruit.

Purple & Yellow Capsicum 

Here is my second planting of the black Russian Tomato I had to destroy my last one as it got some sort of bug but these are off to a flying start, I also have them in a different location. They have great big flowers compared to my other Tomatoes

Black Russian

Hybrid Cucumber

My Hybrid cucumber is enjoying this weather, this variety has only female flowers therefor every flower turns into a fruit if you enlarge this photo by clicking on it you will see its covered in cucumbers 

Hybrid 101

This Tomato I am realy interested in it is a hybrid medium size fruit developed for hydroponics, I have growen it from seed and so far its doing well. The one next to it is my favorite Pink Pearl.

Tomato No Mess & Burks Backyard Italian Tomato

These are another couple of interesting plantings I will be interested in how they do and will as always keep you informed. The Burks backyard variety is a squat looking plant so far it will be interesting to see how it cops in this system.

Holidays & Plants

We are about to approach the silly season when some of you  will pack up and head for the beach others will visit friends and love ones so what are you going to do about you plants, they are a little like your pets do you take them with you or do you leave someone to look after them?
Lets divide the plant into 2 locations, Indoors and out doors and lets talk about indoors to start with.
Yes you can stack them all into the bath and trust you don't drown some, Yes you can have that lovely neighbour pop in and water them. Now If you are like the average home owner with indoor plants you have probable killed a few by either over watering or under watering over the years and finally you have some that are doing well, are you really prepared to let some one else take over or as I said stack them in the bath.
What I want you do do is think seriously about what I call a brilliant product its called "A SMART POT"by Auto pot systems, This is a self Watering plant driven container that depending on the plant species, it can let you go away for weeks at a time and come home to thriving happy plants.
Now don't compare this with some sort of self watering trough container this is a plant driven concept which means your plant gets exactly what it requires not what you or your neighbour think it needs,
Take a look at this example.

My Peace Lilly in a Smart Pot

Thriving

This container has 3 Lt. of water plus nutrient around the outer side of the container this feeds the plant through a wick controlled by a Smart -Valve which is controlled by the plant itself so no more over or under watering of indoor plants I never touch this plant just check that the container has water and if necessary top up
As for food I add between 1 to 2 ML per Lt. of A & B nutrient about every second fill.
This is the smaller of the series there are larger ones available.
Talking about larger if you are worrying about your large outdoor tubs you have while away all you need to install a "Smart Dripper" this will keep big tubs or special fruit trees in peek condition while you are away.
Now if you are using the Auto pot System for your Veggies all you need to do is make sure you have a big enough tank to last for the time you are away or connect a float that will top up in your absence.
Allways check for blockages and make sure everything is working as it should be for taking off and all wil be well.
If you want to know more about preparing for holiday getaways please drop me an Email  auto.group@optusnet.com.au

Hears what is happening in my back yard.

Zucchini 2nd crop.

Black Russian Tomato 

This is my second planting of this Tomato, the last one I had to destroy as it caught some disease that set it back. I have a policy if it's not doing well then it gets destroyed on the spot.

2nd Hybrid Cucumber covered in fruit

Asian Lettuce.

You often see the Asian Mix growing but this is a single variety which is doing well the pots on the right are actually just sitting on the Capillary table in spare pots.

Sweet Corn growing in recycled medium

The 4 week Lettuce update

Well my second test with growing lettuce a different way has reached the 4 week time frame that I have allowed. This test was with butter head lettuce a little better than the iceberg but still not up to the normal standard in fact it is now getting to hot with temperatures over the 25 which has lettuce bolting to seed so I may be pushing my luck to complete the next cycle which is now with Green Mignonette which is my favorite lettuce and most consistent, it will be interesting to see how this goes they are planted straight from the punnet and topped up with 50/50 Per lite mix.

Butter head at 4 weeks stage.

Not happy with this lot

                              

                                       Green Mignonette at start of 4 week trial

It's November Allready!

Well this month has  gone fast and we will soon be sitting down to that Xmas dinner. I wonder how many will be eating fresh produce from there own garden or should I say Autopot Garden.
Maybe this is something you could think about when you are planning you plantings set your self a goal to have the things you love to eat ready just for Xmas, think of the satisfaction and what a reward for your effort not to mention your body.

Jabotacaba

For those of you that belong to our GROWER GROUP you would have seen this picture which I put onto the front cover of our monthly news letter "FRESH" I am fascinated by it, their are about 5 different varieties and it comes from Brazil it taste great but the skins are tough and full on tannin so you spit the skin and the seed out and enjoy the flesh. talking about the GROWER GROUP any body is welcome to join us I don't care who you brought your system from we just love sharing Ideas and information on how to enjoy producing fresh food with the Autopot system if you would like to be part of the group just email your contact details to auto.group@optusnet.com.au and we will include you onto our data base.

Purple Capsicum

This Purple capsicum is doing very well the plant has always been healthy, I have a yellow one next to it and it is not as strong a plant so this one gets my tick of approval.

Ivy Geranium

My Ivy Geranium just keeps keeping on and I take it with me when I am out with the Mobile display and there would not be a day that someone wants to buy this. All they need is an Autopot hanging basket and you will have magnificent displays of thriving plants.

My Dwarf Mandarin

Thia little fellow is doing extremely well it's in a 12" single Hydrotray you can the fruit developing and there is plenty of new growth,  the poor thing gets dragged around with the Mobil display as well just shows you how good the system is.

Abundance of food

As you can see I have lot's happening on my Caplas table I would love a row of them things just thrive on it.