Leeks: worth the effort.

A $1 pack of seeds and a little energy. I now have four generations growing and it will be great.


I picked a fee and I cleaned them and I'm read to fry them at put them into a quiche.


Yay.

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Bug wars in springtime

My beautiful donut peach had a bit of a problem. Distorted new growth. It's because the peach green aphids are loving the fresh new growth. They suck the sap out of it and exude a sugary substance.


So the ants move those aphids all over the tree, spreading the problem. Strangely the obvious "how to control it" is a harmful act. When people think of a low impact insect control they think of pyrethrum, because they think of crushed up daisies and marigolds. Wrong. More later.

Step 1: Stop the ants going up the trunk. Put a ring of low impact ant sand around it.

Step 2: Let the beneficial insects do the rest. The fluffy white parts where the aphids were are parasitised aphids (thanks to a tiny wasp). And of course the big guns - ladybirds.


Ladybirds, both adult (above) and nymphal (not pretty but still black and red) are a powerhouse of aphid control. The bad news - pyrethrum will kill them stone dead.


So, it might take a few years to get the populations of beneficial insects up, but it's worth it. And stay away from pyrethrum - it's a green con.

I'm fine with chemicals. But used cleverly. If there was no fruit on this tree I'd use one called Confidor watered into the soil. I think that's how we got so many beneficials for this year. Confidor runs through the sap of the tree and controls aphids, but leaves the beneficials alone.

Bug wars.

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Orange: Transplanted

They don't normally move well. I kept this blood orange for two years in a 44 gallon drum, cut lengthways and moved it this morning.


They don't like to move, because root disturbance, well, disturbs them. But I think I did this one gently enough.

I'll know in another few weeks. If it doesn't drop all its leaves I got away with it.

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Broad beans: don't panic

It needs to be getting a little warm for them to set fruit. Bee action.


So if you have just had the flowers dropping off, don't panic. They'll start leaving behind tiny 8mm long embryos and three weeks from now you'll have beans.

For me the biggest trick is to not plant them too early - only about August in Adelaide - otherwise your plants are 900mm high before they start setting fruit. Mine were timed well this year. They're 300mm.

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Time to plant tomatoes

I've had these in pots under glass for four weeks now.




John Lamb on @891weekends dropped the flag on the planting season. That's good enough for me.


And we're off!

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Snake Bean

My Singaporean expat friend Marziah game me some snake bean last season. And they were great. Cut to one inch pieces, fry with olive oil, dried garlic and some salt, briefly. Very nice.


I saw some here in Little India

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Jonah, we've got some fun coming

Chum, I'm here on a first teaching visit. It's taken me a while to get my head clear about when we come. But on the second teaching visit here where I've also bought you a ticket, we should get the chance to


Look up the Singapore river


Go on some hurdy gurdy


Eat a crepe


Dance in the fountain a few times


Not go to Hooters


And look back at the hurdy gurdy we were on.

More (and more interesting) ideas to come.

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