Allan Campbell 🐻Nov 23, 2022
Some of the food we grow in our large hothouse. We have 12 raised beds in this one and 3 raised beds in our small hothouse. Until June 2019 both were used for herb plant production for the Cygnet Market. We had up to around 500 to 600 plants in them. We retired from that venture then and gutted all the racks and put all the beds in. Currently we harvest broccoli, spring onions, strawberries, spinach, rainbow chard and parsley. Tomato plants are in and staked and we have a couple of beds of stringless beans growing as well. Usually the outside veg garden would be planted as well but the very wet season hasn't helped. We have planted some potatoes out there and no tomatoes this year for first time in a decade.
Show threadAllan Campbell 🐻Nov 23, 2022
Show threadALotOfJoyNov 23, 2022
@Als_Patch wow that’s gorgeous! Are you in a cold climate? It looks beautifully made
Show threadALotOfJoy
@Als_Patch aha I see Tassie! I’m in Central West NSW Wiradjuri country. V cold winters and late hot summers. Always looking for new ideas for growing things
Nov 23, 2022 at 3:37amWeb
Show threadAllan Campbell 🐻Nov 23, 2022
@kaama still gets hot in there. That is why dark tint laserlite walls and clear roof. 50 deg in the summer. Airflow with open top half of door at entry and large opening aluminium windows far end. Only about 17 deg outside here today and inside it was 34 deg.....so I opened to top of the door.
Show threadALotOfJoyNov 23, 2022
@Als_Patch it must be perfect in the winter?
Show threadAllan Campbell 🐻Nov 23, 2022
@kaama yes it is. We never have to purchase much in the way of veg. Have 22 tomato plants in that I have grown from seed started in early August. We freeze as many cherry and Roma tomatoes as possible in 2 litre icecream containers. Use them throughout the year in stews , soups, sliced while frozen with a bread knife for on pizzas and on toast with cheese. Works well.
Show threadALotOfJoyNov 23, 2022
@Als_Patch sounds like my kind of heaven. I’m just emerging from long COVID and so turning my focus to food production. You’ve really inspired me. Didn’t know that I would find this sort of stuff here. Nice to meet you!
Show threadAllan Campbell 🐻Nov 23, 2022
@kaama nice to meet you as well. We grow a lot of fruit here as well. Apples, pears, cherries, nectarines, peaches, apricots, blueberries and raspberries.....there is more as well. As the season goes on I will put up more photos....due to possums around we have 2 netted orchards.
Hope your recovery continues.
Show threadALotOfJoyNov 23, 2022
@Als_Patch I’ve a burgeoning raspberry patch and trying to figure out if I need to support the canes up. I’ve lots of varieties in there and need some new ideas on what to do with them. Do you support yours?
Show threadAllan Campbell 🐻Nov 23, 2022
@kaama I have coppers poles in each end and have run plain fencing wire down each side at around every 300 mm in height. The canes stay in between them and if they try and pop out just feed them back in.
Show threadAllan Campbell 🐻Nov 23, 2022
@kaama another way to hold the canes up is star pickets driven in each end and in between if a long distance then plain wire tied up each side. Just need to be as tall as the canes or higher.
Show threadALotOfJoyNov 24, 2022
@Als_Patch you’ve got me thinking and pacing up and down my orchard today considering what to do with this magnificent crop of raspberry canes.
Show threadAllan Campbell 🐻Nov 24, 2022
@kaama my word they look great. We have ours in a roughly 20 metre long row with 3 x dripper type 12 mm poly lines to get the water to them. Will get a couple of photos for you tomorrow and post them.
Show threadALotOfJoyNov 24, 2022
@Als_Patch I planted a few varieties but forget now which ones. So much rain this year and they have just gone nuts!
Show threadAllan Campbell 🐻Nov 25, 2022
@kaama our raspberry row using 2.4 m high star pickets and plain fencing wire. Photo of 12 mm poly lines x 3 to water them. Poly has drip holes every 300mm or each foot.
Show threadALotOfJoyNov 25, 2022
@Als_Patch oh wow 😯 fantastic design! Well that’s decided then. ..I need to rethink my set up. I’ll have to inspire Mr Joy.
Do you grow hazelnuts down there? I almost bought some fantastic mature trees yesterday but hesitated as was told I need shelter for them. So not an open field. Do you know much about them?
Show threadAllan Campbell 🐻Nov 25, 2022
@kaama don't know much about hazelnuts.....we have 2 and grow them in with our stonefruits on wires under netting structures....we have lots of possums and wallabies here.
Show threadALotOfJoyNov 25, 2022
@Als_Patch we have wallabies and roos but the possums are a long way from us. However birds are often a problem with produce. I’m pretty relaxed about it. Harlequin beetles are my nemesis!