Aussie 2007 Season

[cosmicgardener]

Yes, quite advanced - seeds sown 15th August. They need to be well grown in our cold climate - just to give them a fighting chance. I'd rather have waited a bit longer but we're off next week and won't be back for 5 weeks, so they are in the house sitter's hands now, ( I've put in an order for a good night's rain every three days)

[Grub]

Looking great Cosi,

I'll have to get a pic up in a day or so as mine are well on the way... got open flowers on Sara's G. and most cherries aand earlies now. Heaps of fruit set on eggplants and chillies and caps.

[cosmicgardener]

Good going up there in the big smoke. My chillies eggies and caps are all little seedlings, but they will give the greenhouse gnomes something to do while I'm away. We finished rigging up the watering system - total cost $50. I've sown a few more cherries for the kiddies ready to plant out when we get back. There is still time to plant more even in early December when it's only 'slightly' warming up. February should see us cropping well. Amazing what a few degrees of latitude can do...............

[tessa]

wow...those are *huge* cosmic.
looking good!

[Mantis]

Quit watering in the greenhouse and opened it right up doors and all for the last 3 days. Blighted leaves seem to be lessening which is good. Got to below zero last night but no cassualties.
Have a good break Cosmic and think of us working folk once in a while eh

[Mantis]

What a difference a day makes. And one that was warm, windy and the humidity got down to single figures. Got home to find so many wilted leaves I am thinking something more nasty than early blight. Made up a copper spray and drenched them after picking off the dead leaves. Tempted to pull some plants that are really bad. Never had this before, so I might have to rely on an autumn crop from my new seedlings planted in another part of the yard.

[Grub]

Sorry to hear about your problems, Manto.

Maybe it's the mix or the soil.

Keep us posted with daily reports... maybe we can talk them 'round?

[Mantis]

Decided I am going to pull some of the worst plants tommorow. I should have done a proper cleanout of the greenhouse in the winter. My fault, to careless.

[mcsee]

Mantis,
Is it all possible you can get the best of them out of the hothouse all together and harden them off and maybe grow them in the yard away from the others.

It's tragic to lose some of your plants.

[Lomatia]

Mantis, I like to give the polyhouse a bit of ventilation by opening the doors but with all the winds we have had recently I'm a bit scared the plastic will take off like a parachute.

[cosmicgardener]

What a bummer - do you think it's fusarium or verticillium wilt? Can you sacrifice a plant and cut through the stem and see if it's rotten or squishy inside? What are the symptoms apart from drooping leaves? Can you say with any certainty that it is wilt and not just the heat or lack of water?

[dice]

You could root some cuttings to make up for
the lost plants. I have a few rooted in pots that
I took about 6 weeks ago, rooted in water, then
transplanted into pots 2-3 weeks ago (growing
under lights beside a window). Two of them have
already produced flowers (Odessa and Aurora,
to be specific). Someone, here or on GW, asserted
that cuttings will produce flowers sooner than seedlings.
Seems to be true.

[Full Moon]

I'm really sorry to hear that Mantis. Are the outside plants Ok.

[Mantis]

The outside plants are ok so I hope to get a crop off them. I will pull Juanne Flammee tonight as it is the worst hit and disect it as Cosmic suggested. I have some young seedlings and will make some new earthboxes this weekend to put well away from the greenhouse to grow them in.

[Grub]

Post a pic of the sickly ones...