Adelaide Hills Vegie Gardens in Mount Torrens, South Australia | Gardener

Adelaide Hills Vegie Gardens

Locality: Mount Torrens, South Australia

Phone: +61 401 438 652

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Gardener
• Agricultural service

22.01.2022 Sometimes vegies don't grow the way you want them too. You might even call it ugly or a failure. But I disagree. This cauliflower is still perfectly edible, it could be added to stir fries or curries or cauliflower 'rice'. It tastes like 'normal' looking cauliflower. I turned it into a batch of sweet mustard pickles or picalilli using Mum's recipe. This is great for the classic ploughman's lunch and I love it in a sandwich where it adds a wonderful pop of flavour. #homegrown #preserving #homemade

22.01.2022 The vegie patch is finally hitting full production. The zucchinis are 2 of my favourite varieties; cocozelle and costata romanesco. They look similar but the latter has more prominent ribs. This is the first year I've put shadecloth over the vegie garden and the difference is incredible. The zucchinis and cucumbers show no sign of wilting and are growing faster than I've ever seen.

21.01.2022 Last minute Christmas shopping? We have gift vouchers available. Go on, give someone the gift of growing food. Or flowers because there is no reason a wicking bed can't be used for general planting. After all, they're just big, self watering pots!... Our popular patio model fits in the car so you can take it home yourself and wrap it up.

19.01.2022 Fresh herbs are a key to great food but they cost a lot of money for small quantities. Growing your own allows you to pick only what you need, when you need it, ensuring you are getting the freshest ingredients possible. And herbs love wicking beds! Rosemary, thyme and oregano went into a ragu with extra oregano, parsley and spring onion tops added just before serving.... Our wicking beds make great Christmas presents. Alternatively, gift vouchers are available.

18.01.2022 Thanks to the latest app update, I am struggling to be able to upload photos here. Until Facebook fixes this issue, head over to Instagram to keep up-to-date on what I'm doing and new product launches. @AdelaideHillsVegieGardens

18.01.2022 Today's basket of goodies from the garden is going in a Spring risotto. Rainbow chard, leek, asaparagus and peas (purple podded and greenfeast). Super fresh. Seasonal cooking at it's finest. ... And the moment we've all been hanging out for.... . . . . Soil temperature in our backyard, taken at several locations, ranges between 16.5-17.9C so it's time to get planting the summer crop! We'll be busy getting the first tomatoes in as well as sweet potatoes, zucchini and possibly cucumber. Loads of sunflowers to plant out along with marigold, cosmos and calendula. It's the best time of the year in the garden. #vegiepatch #homegrown #growyourown

17.01.2022 The start of another big project. This is going to be an impressive vegie patch in an amazing property. You can customise our timber beds to suit your style. You really are limited only by your imagination. These are our large timber beds with WaterUps wicking cells with a 120L reservoir giving you 3-4 weeks between watering.

17.01.2022 The latest gardening trial has begun. The kids vegie patch is a pair of Foodcubes which were plumbed together. I kept looking at them thinking if I separated them, I'd have the perfect setup for gardening trials. This trial is comparing the material in the legs/cones/wicks in the Foodcubes. One has coir, one has fine perlite. The soil was removed, the Foodcubes disassembled, cleaned and resassembled as separate systems. The soil was put back in along with added coir, perlit...e, compost, Gyganic, Seamungus and blood and bone. The plantings are identical, something the kids seemed quite happy with and with a little guidance from me, they planted their own Foodcubes out with jalapenos, capsicums (Californian and long yellow), basil and marigolds. Both were mulched with Who Flung Dung and then watered in. Our custom netting structures were put in place to protect the seedlings for the next month from birds and possums. Shadecloth (50%) was put over the top. The hypothesis is that perlite is well known to wick water, the hydroponic community use it effectively in their systems, but unlike coir it is completely inert and will not break down over time, which results in not having to replace the wicks.

17.01.2022 We are still open for business. As we have done since March, contactless pickup or delivery is still an option. We will continue to practice social distancing, along with hand sanitising and face masks. One change is that we are reverting back to cashless. And we'll throw in a couple of heirloom tomato seedlings with every garden bed purchase, while stocks last.

16.01.2022 It's here! The brand spanking new, WaterUps Square Planter. Made in Australia from recycled plastic. The dimensions are 480 x 480 x 400mm (l x w x d) and it holds approximately 40L of soil. We are running an introductory special of $65 for the month of February, RRP $70. Like all wicking beds with WaterUps wicking cells, these planters will go 3-4 weeks between watering. ... Not yet on the website so contact us directly on 0401 438 652 or private message via Facebook/Instagram.

16.01.2022 Freshly podded peas to go with dinner tonight. Peas are so easy to grow. They require little additional fertiliser added to the soil (a little compost only although I do add Seamungus as well) as they fix nitrogen from the air. Which also benefits the crop that follows them. They are best grown Autumn-Spring which in South Australia is usually our wetter months so little watering is required. ... If you don't want to provide them with a climbing structure there are dwarf varieties available. Snowpeas and sugar snap peas are other options if you find podded peas not too your taste. Due to their ability to fix nitrogen from the air and convert it into usable nitrogen in the soil, they make great cover crops. Simply dig them back into the soil just before they start to flower. #purplepoddedpeas #peas #heirloomvegies

15.01.2022 Pink Berkeley Tie Die. Every year I try to grow at least one new tomato variety. Often they are only grown once but occasionally, along comes a variety that makes it on to the permanent list; this is one of them. Visually stunning, grow well with plenty of fruit and most importantly, tastes amazing. It's an indeterminate variety, that is, it requires staking and will grow 2-3 metres in height if allowed to. It will set fruit continuously up the vine during the growing season.... Almost all the tomatoes I grow are indeterminate, the determinate or bush varieties I've tried just don't do it for me taste wise but I'm always on the lookout for new varieties. Are there any determinate/bush varieties you love and would recommend?

13.01.2022 The next trial for the season is go. This is a 3 way experiment. The first aspect picks up on the failed fertiliser trial from last summer, the soil in one bed was hydrophobic so the results were not valid. All 3 beds (newly installed, these are our large timber wicking beds with WaterUps from Down Under wicking cells) received the same soil amendments. The base is Jeffries Vegie and Garden mix with coir, compost and perlite. To this is added Seamungus and blood and bone.... The first part of the trial compares the fertilisers Rooster Booster and Gyganic, both produced by Neutrog. Bed 1 is organic, the extra added ingredient is Rooster Booster, a pelletised chicken manure. Bed 2 is not organic, the extra added ingredient is Gyganic, an organic based, chemically boosted, biologically boosted, complete fertiliser. Bed 3 is the same as bed 2. The second part of the trial compares white and green shadecloth. Beds 1 & 2 have white shadecloth, bed 3 has green shadecloth. All 3 beds have 4 tomato plants; Pink Berkeley Tie Die, Tigerella, San Marzano and Tommy Toe. There are also basil, marigold and cosmos. The tomatoes will be pruned to 3 main stems. And finally, all beds were mulched with Who Flung Dung.

12.01.2022 The last installation for 2020 was something different. The client had issues with roots from a nearby tree sucking all the moisture from the area resulting in poor growth, high water usage and water repellent soil. Michael, one of the legends from AHLG Adelaide, constructed this stunning raised garden bed, with capping and paved around it. I then converted it into a self watering bed using WaterUps from Down Under wicking cells which will hold ~900L of water. ... The client will be planting it with roses and other ornamental plants, not a vegie in sight. An awesome transformation!

12.01.2022 Our range of liners has increased. We have 0.5mm food grade liner made from flexible polypropylene in 2m and 4m wide rolls. The 4m wide option has been added today due to customer demand for a wider option. These are available in whatever length you need. The 2m wide liner is $25/linear metre, 4m wide is $50/linear metre.... We also now stock the WaterUps reservoir inserts which are manufactured in Australia from 0.6mm Jeteco 100% recycled and food-grade classified polypropylene, making it easy to waterproof the water reservoir of your WaterUps wicking bed. Reservoir Inserts come with welded corners and a pre-cut hole for the overflow pipe to make installation very easy. The reservoir inserts come in 2 sizes; 1600(L) x 800(W) x 150mm(H) and 1200(L) x 400(W) x 150mm(H) priced at $65 and $62 respectively. Note: The reservoir inserts are not suitable for beds with internal posts, in this case you'll need to use our 2m or 4m wide liner.

12.01.2022 Perennial plantings in wicking beds. There are a lot of urban myths surrounding wicking beds. In the workshops I run for community gardens and gardening clubs, I include a myth busting session. Myth #1 - you can only have 300mm of soil in a wicking bed. ... False. The height water moves upwards through soil via a process called capillary action, better known as wicking, is dependant on the soil composition, soil depth and the one most people forget, water reservoir height. The amount of soil you use depends on the type of plants you want to grow. Plant deep rooted perennials and you can use a lot more than 300mm of soil, particularly if you are using a shallow, water efficient reservoir made from Waterups wicking cells, which have a height of only 130mm but hold 120L of water per m2. Myth # 2 - you can't plant perennials in a wicking bed. Often the reason given is the requirement to remove the soil every year or 2, which is most definitely not required. As you can see from the picture, rhubarb, a perennial, is loving this wicking bed which has 400mm of soil. Also in this bed are several asparagus plants, also perennial and also loving the bed. I've planted trees, both edible and ornamental, berries and most recently, a passionfruit in wicking beds and they thrive. To date I have found no plant that has not done well in a wicking bed. In reality, a wicking bed regardless of size and soil depth, is just a self watering pot. You can grow anything in a pot so why not a wicking bed?

11.01.2022 We'll be closed from tomorrow and in lockdown with the rest of SA for the next 6 days. Last minute purchases of wicking beds, Waterups wicking cells or seedlings very welcome till late this evening. Pickup only. It's an opportunity to take a breath and enjoy time in the garden.

11.01.2022 We're open this Tuesday 10am-2pm, Wednesday 11am-2pm and Thursday 10am-4pm for you to buy heirloom vegie seedlings direct from us. Mostly tomatoes ($5) with a few cucumbers ($4) and zucchinis ($4). Advanced, organic and spray-free. 20 Tuck st in Mount Torrens.

11.01.2022 I set up some small wicking beds at my parent's house in late 2019. This one got planted with a range of succulents they had propagated from other parts of their garden. When first planted there were tiny plants in a sea of white gravel. A little over a year later and you can barely see the gravel with the plants filling up the space. If you're concerned about putting plants that don't like wet feet in a wicking bed, don't be. A well designed wicking bed does not have wet soil as the soil should always be free to drain excess water. The soil will be moist giving plants the perfect growing environment.

10.01.2022 Sweet potatoes have settled in to their new home well. They've survived the winter, albeit mostly inside the house as initial cuttings which were transplanted out into a greenhouse in early August and finally planted into the wicking bed 4 weeks ago along with a couple of commercial purple fleshed seedlings. Yesterday they got mulched using our favourite - Who Flung Dung.

08.01.2022 WaterUps Oasis Wicking Bed Kits are now on sale. Normally $395, from now until Christmas, they are $375 plus we'll throw in 6 advanced, heirloom tomato seedlings (additional value of $30), 20L of perlite ($20) and a block of coir ($15). The bed comes flat packed with the all the required wicking components including a reservoir liner, 8 wicking cells, inlet and outlet pipes. Just add soil. ... Dimensions: External 1640(L) x 840(W) x 450(H)mm. Delivery extra, installation available. Contact us for a quote.

07.01.2022 With the first bout of hot weather approaching, what can you do to prepare your garden? Watering in advance so plants are suffering from a lack of water may seem obvious but it's critical. Healthy plants survive stress much better than already stressed plants. Up the watering today and tomorrow in non-wicking beds in preparation for the heat. Plants in wicking beds are not going to be suffering from moisture stress if your wicking bed is working correctly. Fruit trees and or...namentals - deep watering, via drip irrigation for longer periods every few days. I've got our fruit trees on twice weekly irrigation for 1 hour. Wicking bed myth #474 - you should never water from above. Utter nonsense! Gardeners should not be limiting the tools in their toolbox, particularly in South Australia where our summers are hotter and drier than the eastern states. That's why you should seek out advice from your area. If you haven't done so already, apply a thick layer of mulch around your plants, be they edible or ornamental. This cools the top layer of soil as well as retaining moisture and preventing weeds. My favourite is Who Flung Dung which also feeds your soil. On hot days, first thing in the morning, I water the vegie garden from the top, wicking bed or not, to keep the mulch layer cool and add moisture to the top layer of soil where there will be plenty of plant feeder roots. Shadecloth. I've been in denial for a long time but I've finally put shadecloth (50%) over a number of my beds and I can see quite clearly the difference it has made on even 30C days. The zucchinis aren't wilting, last week without the shadecloth, they were.

05.01.2022 Our contribution to Christmas lunch. One of the regular salads during summer is a bbq zucchini and haloumi salad with a dill yoghurt dressing. Also did a simple green salad with plenty of lettuce, cucumber, snowpeas and spring onions. Hope you all had a relaxing day with friends and family. It was nice to spend the day with family and not dealing with bushfires.

04.01.2022 Tromboncino seedlings are now available. One of our favourite vegies to grow and eat. When young, they are similar to zucchini and can be used in the same way. When allowed to get big, often in excess of 1m in length, they are left on the vines and the skin changes colour to a pale brown/orange like a butternut pumpkin, and they can be stored for up to a year and used in cooking like a pumpkin. Plenty of tomato seedlings left too. From now until sold out, all seedlings are $4 each or 3 for $10.

02.01.2022 The first tomato plant is finally in the ground. A few weeks later than planned. This is also the first gardening trial for the season. The trial compares pruning methods with tomatoes. 2 beds, identical plantings. The tomato varieties are Amana Orange, Pineapple, Yellow Tommy Toe and Black Cherry. ... In addition, basil, marigold and cosmos. Bed 1 will be pruned to a single stem. Bed 2 will be pruned to 2 main stems. Currently under fruit tree netting to keep the burds and possums at bay. This will be replaced with 50% shadecloth in a month.

01.01.2022 The tomatoes in the pruning trial are powering along with plenty of fruit set. 17 days since planting. They've been trained and tied with suckers removed, along with all leaves below the first fruit, the latter helps with air circulation around the plants which limits fungal growth. The photos show the single stem bed only.