What's growing in our Subtropical Australian Garden in August

[@jaffy3551]

I’m so glad I finally found a channel that is based in QLD!

[@loveofdirt]

Glad you’re here!

[@cathygainge3033]

You should try Self Sufficient Me, he is a Queenslander, too.

[@cathymadsen2930]

I second that!

[@lis819]

Marty’s garden channel is pretty good too…he’s just over the border in Byron Bay…

[@12acresfarm]

Great to see another Aussie channel. I am loving how much you can fit in your space. Well done. 👍

[@loveofdirt]

I try to maximise the space. Our block isn’t terrible in size but the position of the house makes growing space limited.

[@andrewradford3953]

That is really impressive! So much productivity from a suburban yard. I have a small area on my farm that I'm that I'm sharing with anyone interested in growing food. Located in Caboolture near Ningi.

[@loveofdirt]

Thanks I try to jam as much as I can. Great offer, we’re just down the road from you.

[@leonsaquaponicsandhomegard6793]

Looks fantastic. I really like the way you compose your videos. Like it that much I decided to feature your channel on my KZbin page. Keep up the fantastic work. And your shop is also amazing 😊😊😊

[@loveofdirt]

Thank you, they are always a work in progress 😂

[@leeoregan9766]

Vanilla bean likes a canopy... they thrive on the shadier post of a deck/verandah, they'll flower and set beans under roof in early spring, and reality? it's easier to remember to paintbrush pollinate if they are staring at you over your morning coffee. i'm 5 hours north of you and coastal however, similar zone. I roast my beans in a popcorn airpopper... i first warm them on a sheetpan in a hottish oven, then move them in small batches through the airpopper, it's the rotation that seems to do the trick, along with the high heat of the popper...try one scoop and see what you thing.

[@loveofdirt]

Yeah we had our bean under our patio but we’ve removed it for Reno’s so I’ve popped it under these trees but I think the bit of sun that does penetrate is that harsh afternoon sun. I did see someone say a popcorn machine! Thanks for the tip I might try that

[@joanrossington6932]

Having my best winter vegetable crop ever as the weather has been cold enough for all my brassicas to thrive without the white cabbage moth being a pest. Usually have to cover them. Thanks for your posts.

[@loveofdirt]

Now you mention it I haven’t seen them either! It has been a good season

[@TheHappyCoder]

I harvested jicama in autumn. For those on keto diet, it's great to make fries (if not on keto, potato fries are much better). I prefer to eat it raw. Caution: the skin is poisonous too, so make sure to peel it off. This year I just grew it in a raised bed without much trellising (only a short mesh) and removed the pods to increase tuber production. But last year I grew it with longer trellis and won't make the mistake again.

[@loveofdirt]

Oh didn’t know that about the skin, thanks for the heads up. Will see what they do this year. It’s probably a monster in there as it’s just come back 4 years in a row.

[@TheHappyCoder]

@@loveofdirt oh, if you haven't harvested it for 4 years, it will probably be very hard (not good when eaten raw). But it will definitely be a monster 😀 it grows very deep too and it is easy to break, so may need to dig around it first. Don't pull the top - it will just come off without the root

[@countrymousesfarmhouse497]

Hi, new sub , so fun to see more qld content creators being offered. Im not sure if youll see this comment but if you do , i once saw someone roasting small amounts of coffee beans in an old electric popcirn machine on yt. Possibly it was The Elliot homestead . Great garden , thanks for sharing lovely ❤

[@loveofdirt]

A few people have suggested a popcorn maker, thank you I'll check it out.

[@honeybacres]

The garden is looking so productive. So much delicious produce growing for you. Great work.

[@loveofdirt]

Thanks, it’s got a bit to go getting it back to what it was after neglecting it.

[@Jaq_O_Lantern]

I've never thought to try growing my own coffee and vanilla plants in our climate before! Two of the things I absolutely love most haha. I'm so glad to have found your channel, I live out on Bribie and other than Mark from Self Sufficient Me it's been a rough time tryna find gardeners who share the same climate as myself, so thank you for posting these videos!

[@loveofdirt]

You’re welcome. And you’re just up the road from me.

[@goldcoastsubtropics5417]

Hi, I'm a new subscriber, love your videos. Keep up your good work. Cheers greg

[@loveofdirt]

Thanks greg :)

[@MrBeach27]

Looks great.

[@loveofdirt]

Thank you! We’re slowly getting back on track.

[@CarolFox-ut2fg]

You are inspirational...the garden look great. I love that you are in the sub tropics. My stocks and lavender are putting on a good show and are lovely and fragrant. My first sweet pea flowered today yay and I can pick my cymbidium orchid and double jonquils and puta vase of flowers inside to enjoy. ..my walking onions are about to flower so the bees will be happy. But the veggie garden only has lettuce and cabbage ready to pick. But my success is a shoot on a rose cutting that I put in a raised bed now I’m scared I’ll kill it when I transplant it. Keep on tantalising us with your wonderful produce.

[@loveofdirt]

Thank you! Your garden sounds lovely. I am trying to get more flowers in.

[@sc0tt500]

I bet the critter snipping off your seedlings are cutworms. I have issues with them attacking my corn seedlings, either getting cut completely off at ground level of cut in half and die. If you insert small sticks into the ground vertically near the seedlings you’ve recently planted the sticks will discourage the grubs from attacking the seedling stems. Love seeing your updates as I'm in the same climate (Northern NSW) so can compare notes : )

[@loveofdirt]

I did check for them as that what I thought it was but there was no mulch and digging around only found those cockroaches, normally I can find the cut worms easily. I am going to try that tip though.

[@lTSR0BBY]

I'm in Gladstone Qld, I assume our conditions are very similar? Awesome videos

[@loveofdirt]

Pretty sure it’s still considered subtropical too :)

[@smallworldbigmagic7993]

Great video. I’d love to see a video of your chicken set up one day 😊

[@loveofdirt]

We’re going to move the ‘lawn ornament’ coop soon as the white ants have destroyed it too. Hoping to go with steel but haven’t decided on the location just yet.

[@mygardenclassroom]

Great update! It already looks amazing 🙌. Where did you get your fruit salad tree!!?? That sounds amazing!

[@loveofdirt]

Thank you! It’s was a birthday present but it was from a place called fruit salad trees. They have all sorts, apples, citrus.

[@dougs_urbanfarm]

Nice work mate, keep it up. Im in the western suburbs and grow most of my own veges as well, but a lot of my space is taken up by a few hundred rare fruit trees as thats my passion. Cant believe ive never seen your videos, especially since i often search all things food growing in SEQ.

[@loveofdirt]

We’d probably get more value from the fruit trees with my kids. Sounds great to me

[@dougs_urbanfarm]

@loveofdirt if you ever want fruit trees hit me up, i plant a lot of my own fruit seeds to give away, or come to one of the sub tropic fruit club meetings, held bi monthly at peace hall in Albion. There are a lot of free give away there as members propagate more than they can grow.

[@SueBennett-h4w]

I just found you!!! I am keen to know where you are as I am close to Redcliffe Going to spend my Ekka day off watching your videos 🍀

[@loveofdirt]

Yay! Nothing else to do with this rain. I am Narangba so not far.

[@SueBennett-h4w]

@@loveofdirt wow super close I will definitely be watching for tips on what to start now Just put 2 new raised beds on the weekend

[@andrewlange4036]

Awesome video only found this channel recently and I’m from brisbane as well, would love to know where you got your blueberries from? as want to plant some in pots. Thanks ☺️

[@loveofdirt]

Just Bunnings. I have the Biloxi and sharpe blue varieties.

[@Chris_Stewart]

You can get home roasters for the coffee (Gene Cafe is one). I live on the southside of Brisbane, if you would like I would happily roast your beans for you.

[@loveofdirt]

I’d love one but can’t justify $800 for a once a year use. Maybe if we we were getting 20kgs it might be worth it.

[@cathymadsen2930]

Jicama is more like an apple than a potato. I like it sliced fresh with lemon, my fillipino friend puts a spice on them, maybe paprika? She pronounces it, sincama, so thats what i call them. If you don't like it, or can't eat it all, find a local asian store and sell it to them. I grew lots this year and sold 6kg for $36. Even better, they self seeded and grew by themselves in a raised bed without any water, so they were literally free money! Im thinking about putting up shade cloth over my raised beds this summer as they are totally useless in the summer heat! They dried out so fast and got so hot!

[@loveofdirt]

Oh! That actually sounds quite good, do you have to dig them up before they flower? Yeah our gardens always get shade covers- exclusion nets offer a bit too, I do try to position trellises to help against the western sun.

[@BiancaH1120]

Our ‘dwarf’ mulberry looked like yours before we moved house 😅 dwarf my ass Bunnings 😂

[@loveofdirt]

😂 my exact sentiment

[@heidiphillips6618]

Great looking garden with a lot of variety. I'm looking for a Blueberry plant to grow. What do you recommend? I'm also south east Qld.

[@loveofdirt]

I like Biloxi but I also have sharpe blue. They both grow well

[@heidiphillips6618]

@@loveofdirt Are they in pots or in the ground?

[@loveofdirt]

@@heidiphillips6618 Pots. Our soil is clay they prefer sandy soil.

[@badajoma]

Who do you recommend to buy glenlarge garlic thru?.., we're located in Brissy too😊

[@loveofdirt]

Me 😂 Get on the wait list though as they sell out within a day. I’ll try to get more this year but will depend on how big they are this year.

[@jaybay9944]

Just wondering what your brave technique is gettjng rid of them pests? 😬😅

[@loveofdirt]

Which ones?

[@jaybay9944]

​Well that grub and roach plus any other pest you see in your garden? I've heard that Aussie women are the bravest when it comes to bugs 😃 love a vid of how you battle them if that's okay?

[@WhiteFyre]

Is this Queensland, Coffs or the Mid North Coast?

[@loveofdirt]

We are South East Queensland but I’d follow this when we lived on mid north coast later in the month (once the last frost is done)

[@WellOkaythen.]

In your experience how well does milk work? I was going to give that a try

[@loveofdirt]

It doesn’t stop it completely, it more slows the spread if you do it daily. I think it’s on par with the eco fungicide.

[@OnceuponanOrchid]

I'm based in Brisbane north side. Yourself?

[@loveofdirt]

Yep same

[@karenjoy7557]

I hope U didn't pull out the chilli plants all U need to do is put cow manure around the plant and water and trim die parts off the plant chillies get hotter every year the plant grows....😂😂😂😂

[@loveofdirt]

Nah i haven’t yet I’ll see how they bounce back and if they produce anything when it warms up.