Late Spring (October) in our Australian Subtropical Vegetable Garden

[@franckelatter9829]

Great to see a SE QLD gardener. I am in the East side of Brisbane. You have great information and you grow a lot more than I do! As I have had my husband with a knee replacement so I had to let the garden go till now! I do have heritage cherry tomatoes going rank, good turmeric and ginger harvest and replanting ginger now. oak leaf lettuce, cucumbers, beans, Gamma pumpkin. Flat leaf parsley going to seed other herbs doing ok! So not a total loss missing a season.

[@loveofdirt]

It’s going to get more challenging soon so probably not a bad time to take a break. Sounds like you’ve got lots going anyway.

[@miranda5237]

🌱 Thanks for sharing. This time of year is great for growing.

[@loveofdirt]

I admit I don’t love this time of year, dry and hot 🥵 better than wet and hot I suppose but I am already looking forward to Autumn

[@miranda5237]

@@loveofdirt I'm also not looking forward to summer, but spring makes the gardens flower and summer vegies are fun to grow. All the best 🙂

[@apmcrobert2270]

I'm not sure I could ever get sick of mulberries! Lol😂. Ours is just starting to ripen. Love your video.

[@loveofdirt]

I reckon we could easily have been picking 1kg a day from the two trees. We’ve given a lot away.

[@CarolFox-ut2fg]

You are inspirational ...thank you. Sometimes life gets in the way of good gardening intentions, so I’m watching your beautiful garden and admiring your energy....and good health. 🌈🐓🌈

[@loveofdirt]

Thank you ☺️

[@GeordoWebster]

I saw somewhere that pollenating pumpkins by hand then bagging it immediately helps defend against fruit fly. So far seems to work.

[@loveofdirt]

Yeah they are alright after a certain size too I think their thick skin protects them. When the bird stops attacking I’ll probably start doing that.

[@sharonhoffer3599]

I got swooped by a mamma Butcher bird once as I was unintentionally too close to its chick. It got me right on the middle of my forehead on the hairline, swooping from behind! It started bleeding straight away and gave me a headache for the day, so it’s definitely worth being cautious! I just planted some seeds I bought from you, I love how your packaging has all the information you need on there! I’m just starting to use seeds, so wish me luck 🙏🏽😊🌱

[@loveofdirt]

Yeah this one has drawn blood a few times with other members of my family. I’ve thankfully been wearing a hat every time so i guess that’s protected me. My son won’t go outside without his helmet on 😂 they’ve settled down a little bit though, fingers crossed they stop soon. And yay for the seeds 🙌

[@myrustygarden]

😂 sorry the comment about the “line” made me giggle. Could you put out something for them to eat and distract them while you tackle the potatoes? Here it’s starting to get old now as we head into fall temps but luckily or not it’s still sunny. Garden looks amazing enjoy the fact that we can share gardens in different parts of the world as it’s always busy somewhere. Have a fab weekend, Ali 🥶🌞🇨🇦

[@loveofdirt]

Carrying a stick helps but makes it hard to do much 😂

[@JerryPatterson001]

Another good one, thank you

[@loveofdirt]

Thank you ☺️

[@SueBennett-h4w]

Always very inspiring 🍀🦋🐝

[@loveofdirt]

Thanks so much

[@sandracastle9319]

Your garden is looking great.

[@loveofdirt]

Thank you ☺️

[@gardentours]

Maybe you should put some food in your hands to give to those birds. I had blackbirds nesting on my terrace and I bribed them with raisins. So they were happy to see me when I came 🤣

[@loveofdirt]

A lot of people have said this but I am not keen as I do already give them water and for the past 6 years I’ve thrown them bugs when I am digging in the garden. They know my face, they are just very protective 🤷‍♀️

[@joanneamy1590]

I know people who feed wild birds mean well, but it's kinder not to feed them, especially things like raisins (high sugar and no protein). Too many wild birds now have metabolic bone disease due to not getting the nutrients they require, and it is sadly passed on to their young. I see magpies, butcher birds, larks etc all the time with twisted ankles because of this. Bird rescue groups are trying to combat this, and have suggested backyard compost piles/healthy gardens for birds to forage on their own for worms and insects are the best thing for them.

[@gardentours]

@@joanneamy1590 Now I have all those compost piles and mulch on the ground where they can find food. I have firethorn where they can feed on the berries. I don't spray my garden so they find more food. When I started the garden there was nothing in there. Just grass.

[@joanneamy1590]

@@gardentours sounds perfect for them :)

[@loveofdirt]

I leave my compost bin lid open sometimes when it’s full of soldier flies for the birds too. I think I’ll just keep chatting with them when they’re happy and hope they don’t attack next year. They seem to be finished for this year 🙌 was only about 5 weeks of mega swooping

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

I get your hot lovely crops do so well I'm so jealous it was so so cold this summer

[@loveofdirt]

It will slow down soon as it gets too hot here, opposite problem of what you have.

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

@@loveofdirt can you grow anything in the summer?

[@loveofdirt]

It’s just a struggle, lots of pests and diseases.

[@BenosFishing]

Nice! Where did you buy your raised garden beds from? Cheers

[@loveofdirt]

They are Birdies Australia beds, from Bunnings here in Australia.

[@zappy7393]

I've found that my cucumber is also struggling when Ive sowed direct this year, might be the frost but Im not sure. The catepillars are also destroying my brocolli, its a daily routine to get out there and strip several off...good thing is that they arent eating anything else and my kids dont really eat brocolli...sacrifice to the bugs I guess. Im also letting one of my 3m beds rest over summer, determined not to miss Autumn and Winter 2025 seasons. Will get some of that cover crop mix thanks!

[@loveofdirt]

The cucumber we planted back in August is fine so not really sure. Do you have the cluster caterpillars or the cabbage moth?

[@mitchturner4558]

How are you stopping caterpillars on your leafy greens and pac Choy etc. They are relentless at the moment.

[@loveofdirt]

Not really doing anything at the moment, but check out my video on preparing for the onslaught of bugs for my approach. I just pulled out my sacrificial kale and one of the cabbages has something eating it, the broccoli did have a caterpillar but it hasn’t been terrible yet.

[@andrewlange4036]

Thanks for the update on your garden and I know your problems with butcher birds we have an aggressive one out the front of our house as well, it was getting that bad that the council nearly had to come and remove it. Just wanted to know where do you get your metal raised garden beds from? Thank you 😊

[@loveofdirt]

They just put a sign here to warn people. They haven’t got us in years but I always heard them getting poor kids in the park. They must have nested closer this year. The beds I just got from Bunnings - birdies 6 in 1, can do a couple of configurations. The bigger ones where the Tomatoes are 8 in 1.

[@mike_au]

Hi, I have a question, how do you do drainage in your IBCs? Do you cut out the bottom and contact it to the ground? Rocks in the bottom with a fabric separator going out the drain? Or some other way? I live on the sunshine coast as well, lots of rain in the wet season

[@loveofdirt]

I did a video a couple months ago of setting up the July bed you can see the layers there. But it has overflow and has layers of gravel and sand with geo fabric between.

[@justinesimms8887]

Thanks for the update! Your garden is looking great! I'm having super big problems with black spot on all of my pawpaw trees (yellow and red). Yours looked so clean and free of spots - do you have any clues on what I should do? I tried spraying Lime Sulphur on them as it was so bad but its back only a month later. The fruit which was full of black spots at the first spraying is just starting to ripen but by the time it is half ripe, the whole fruit has rotted. I'm wondering about pulling the whole lot out and starting again. We are in Wellington Point, SEQ.

[@loveofdirt]

I’ve only heard of treating with copper for the blackspot, thankfully I haven’t had it yet, but we have lots of airflow here and it’s a bit of a hot/dry microclimate where it’s located.

[@Petalsandstamens]

Hi where did you buy your fruit fly trap and what is the brand? Thank you

[@loveofdirt]

It’s bugs for bugs, I did a video a while back on these - preparing for the onslaught of bugs.

[@sadnd]

Do you have possums? How do you deal with them?

[@loveofdirt]

Yeah we do, they normally get my papayas and trim anything on the fence line. I haven’t had them down in the gardens though, rats do more damage. Nets really are the only option.

[@mrleeal]

hoocho is a good channel for outdoor hydroponics and where did you get your pineapples ?

[@loveofdirt]

Oh cool I’ll check it out. I started with 4 plants, one was a top from a store bought pineapple and 3 were from a relative who lived near a pineapple farm. We replant the tops and usually get 2 pups off a plant after it fruits. We’ve now got about 40 plants.

[@mrleeal]

@@loveofdirt thanks I didn't know they used starts not seed cheers

[@loveofdirt]

Yep they’re called ‘pups’. If you go to a proper fruit shop you might still be able to get them with a top.

[@uppanadam]

Yeah...Noisy Minors here in Adelaide - South Australia!! Pain in the a-hole hey?? LOL!!

[@loveofdirt]

Oh the noisy minors haven’t swooped me! There’s plenty here, I like them because they get the grasshoppers

[@uppanadam]

@@loveofdirt My next door neighbour has trees!! So they next in there!! So I cop it when I go out and water my garden!! LOL!!

[@loveofdirt]

Hopefully only a few more weeks 😬 my son goes out with his helmet on now.

[@stratnut7146]

Everything is looking great. How did you go about the Pineapples. I’d love to plant pineapples sometime

[@loveofdirt]

I started with a top from a store bought one, just popped in water and waited for roots and planted in a pot. They take a while but they are pretty plants

[@stratnut7146]

@@loveofdirt thanks for that. Seems a lot of stores like cutting the tops off these days and it’s hard to find them. I might do a run up to Beerwah to the fruit and veg shop at the petrol station

[@loveofdirt]

Yeah hard to find them these days but Some of the old school green grocers might have them. Generally once they fruit you get 2-3 new plants off them, that’s how we’ve collected them over the years.

[@stratnut7146]

@@loveofdirt thanks for your help.

[@stratnut7146]

@@loveofdirt P.S the bees are going great. Pick up my second colony on Saturday

[@LNFrom]

Ive heard that some varieties of pomegranates are only ornamental and only ever flower. We planted one 2 years ago and and havent gotten friut and we cant find the tag to check. Hopefully its just young and not ornamental. 😅

[@loveofdirt]

It’s about 10 years old. I had it in a pot for ages, I think I need to hand pollinate. We did have another one that gave us fruit but they were tiny and didn’t ripen very well, it was probably ornamental.

[@carolinereynolds2032]

A butcher bird swooped me just last weekend. I was wearing a big hat so his soft feathery body only crashed into me. No murder beak in evidence.

[@loveofdirt]

This one has drawn blood on most of my family. A hat is key 👍