🚀 go-pugleaf

On Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:34:07 +1000, "FarmI" <ask@itshall be given>
wrote:

>"Je�us" <none@all.invalid> wrote in message 
>news:bk0t27hri94q5gj2052kt356bvrc13tapa@4ax.com...
>> On Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:53:49 +1000, "FarmI" <ask@itshall be given>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>I figured out how many weeks till Spring and how many tasks I had to do in
>>>the garden before the wqrmer weather comes.  I'm pretty much on track. 
>>>You?
>>
>> Reasonably... much more prepared this year than the previous couple
>> years as I have the hothouse, shade house and open veggie garden areas
>> all established. Still need a dedicated propagation area though, tired
>> of trying to raise seedlings on an ad-hoc basis.
>
>I know just what you mean.  I have a propogating area, but it's not quite as 
>I'd like ti to be - still some more improvements/refinements needed.

Snails, slugs and frost have taken a toll on many of my seed raising
attempts, best place I currently have is a mini-hothouse up on the
rear verandah. Does okay but not much good for large quantities.
So a dedicated propagation house is in order, I'll probably clad it in
laserlite and put it between the shade and hot houses.

>> Planted a few more fruit trees this week, all apples this time -
>> Bramley and three other cider apples (exact varieties escape me ATM).
>> That makes about 36 fruits trees in the orchard now.
>
>I've jsut been reading Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstalls cookbooks and am now 
>quite interested in planting Bramleys given how highly he praises them as a 
>cooking apple.  He's also into cider apples and has piqued my interest in 
>them too.

LOL, one of my nearby neighbours refers to me a 'Hugh'. I pretty much
grow and cook the same things as he does. So now I have a Bramley and
two Granny Smiths - should take care of my cooking apples needs.

I'm also into cider making (hence the cider trees) , I quickly
realised any/all cider kits left much to be desired and that you can't
beat cider made from fresh, local apples. I've learnt that higher
alcohol by volume isn't necessarily such a good idea, my batches from
last year average 12% and any more than a couple of stubbies is
usually too much for me... I actually _don't_ enjoy getting pissed
even though I do like to drink  :)

I make beer and spirits also, and other stuff like cherry wine, ginger
beer and perry. Although this year I've been concentrating on making
mead, which is a much longer term proposition - and considerably more
expensive. My last 30L batch using local Leatherwood honey cost me
about $80... now I just have to wait a couple of years...

I'm going to need a pot still soon, as I especially want to make apple
cider brandy and cherry brandy. Also want to put through some
alcoholic ginger beer and see what happens. And of course, some spiced
mead liqueur once she's aged enough... yum.

Although I have a still, its a conventional type which means that
it'll strip any colour, smell and flavor from anything put through it,
a pot still doesn't do that, hence the need for a pot still.


>We ahd a fantastic year for pears this year and the chooks have only just 
>finished cleanign up the drop from under our last netted tree.  Watching the 
>rooster 'telling' the girls about the where they could find the best bits of 
>pear was wonderful to watch.  He's such a lovely rooster and worth every 
>penny of his high price tag.

Lucky you - my oldest fruit trees are only about 3 years old, though
the cherries, prunes and quinces have fruited surprisingly well
already.

>> I hope we (here in TAS) don't have another odd spring, summer and
>> autumn... it was quite mild last year and did strange things to some
>> crops. Already many trees here are budding, which is a little early
>> once again. Hmm.
>
>That does sound early.  I can't see any signs of budding yet, but I'll now 
>pay closer attention. 


We've had a mild winter really (by local standards), had a few -6's
with hard frost but nothing like 2008 and '09. I hope we don't have
another mild spring/summer/autumn again, nice weather for humans but
not so great for flowering and fruiting plants.