Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: coatesi on January 16, 2009, 08:01
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Hi Fellow Growers
Over the last couple of years I have kept you up to date with gardening from down under. Was a bit lax last year for numerous reasons so I thought I better catch up.
Tomatos this year were the earliest I have ever picked them. A full 5 weeks early. Spuds were the same and I have planted a second crop and should get away with it before the first frost. Runner beans are the worst I have ever had. I am going to move my frames and try again. Shallots red onions, dug dried and hung. Parsnips up and looking good. Leeks coming on and should be ready about March. Tried a different Tomato among my many this year. I planted a heritage variety call Black From Tula. Very tastey but it is the most butt ugly fruit you have ever seen. I will post a picture when I get a chance. I will also post a mystery veg for you to have a guess at. The weather has been good in my area with rain appearing as we needed it. A lot different from last year when we had a five month drought and then just about a flood. I see we have another member from NZ now and no doubt Kiwi will also keep you posted.
Try and post pictures soon
Coatesi
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*waves* :lol:
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Cant wait for the pics - especially of the butt ugly toms :D Did it put you off eating them? :D
And Kiwi - I love your tree fern leaf avatar :D
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Hi Coatesi and Kiwi
My daughter lives in Nelson and i'm going to visit next month. For 4 whole weeks. How excited am i?!?! Although i am a bit worried about getting behind on my plot. And what about my spuds? I'd hoped my order would have been delivered by now. Gulp.
NZ is such a beautiful country - i'm very envious of you living there.
I lived in Auckland briefly many years ago and have very fond memories of my time in your wonderful country. All that fruit and veg. Mmmmm......
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You will have such a lovely time - Nelson is just gorgeous!
INteresting about the heritage tomato. I planted some too this year - called mortgage lifter :shock: It has huge mis shapen tomatoes - like the ones you get in Spain that taste amazing - they're not quite ready yet but can't wait.
It's been an absolutely stunning summer so far over here, I feel very lucky.
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Let's hope that our summer will be the same. Fed up of the cold and wet now. :cry:
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(http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii295/coatesi_bucket/DSC00365.jpg)
This is the mystery veg. :shock: Type and name please. Also a translation of the name. :twisted:
Shouldn't be too hard. Answer tomorrow sometime
Coatesi
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(http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii295/coatesi_bucket/DSC00368.jpg)
This is the Black From Tula tomato I am growing this year. As you can see the description of 'Butt Ugly' is actually flattering. The taste is magnificent, slightley smokey but not acidy at all. It is a heritage species so I should be able to keep seed and carry it on next year.
Coatesi
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well I know the answer to the first one - but since I live here I wont tell!
We grew some this year
My heritage tomatoes look a lot like those as well, but they are less brown so far.
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just letting you know we have family in papatoto NZ ,
maybe there are some seeds you cant get in uk , we would be willing to start the ball rolling by sending the 1st packs of seeds , think about what you want from good old blighty you could senmd us some in return , what do you think, cheers , cheers , pete and sue in hull east yorkshire uk ,
e-mail ,
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You need to be VERY careful on this one. Sending seeds to NZ is a no, no as they are very fussy about what they let into the country (following the Australian rabbit disaster).
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Yeh Val's right MAF wont allow any seeds at all in, it's something they are incredibly strict about.
We could, however, send you some - I don't think Britain has the same rules? anyone?
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eek, I know how strict MAF are. Didn't stop my grandad smuggling ukrainian mountain plant bulbs back from his native Carpathian mountains, through customs stuffed in his socks!
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eek, I know how strict MAF are. Didn't stop my grandad smuggling ukrainian mountain plant bulbs back from his native Carpathian mountains, through customs stuffed in his socks!
:lol: :lol:
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e-mail xxx
Peter, you might want to remove your email address or you'll get loads of spam :roll:
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Yeh Val's right MAF wont allow any seeds at all in, it's something they are incredibly strict about.
We could, however, send you some - I don't think Britain has the same rules? anyone?
Afraid you can't. NZ is not on the EU common list.
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My only worn once walking boots were declared a Bio Hazard on the way into Auckland :shock: Now I know I had been travelling for 32 hours but my feet don't smell that bad :lol: :lol:
Are the weird veg Tomatillos??
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aw :( well it was a lovely idea anyway!
Poolfield I'll let coatesi answer
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Val & kiwi are dead right!
Our bio-security is very strict; to the point that to bring a new organism (read, plant, seed,twig,leaf) will take up to two years to get permisson and many thousands of dollars. We have gone from thousands of new cultures a year to single figures because our market is so small the growers cannot recover the costs. You can buy as many native plants as you like but to be honest they are colourless and boring.
BUT I still love this place
coatesi
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The answer to the mystery is:- potato !
To be more specific it is a Maori potato that they think was traded to the Maori by whalers and sealers about 250 years ago. It originates from South America, as most of our plants in NZ seem to.
The name is Karuparera. Translation is 'Ducks Eye"
They are a small ,very waxy potato that is beautiful in salads. (We do have salads this time of year, Ah! Kiwi)
coatesi