The garden is so green in May, and every year looks more like a jungle!
O jardim é tão verde em maio, e cada ano mais parece uma selva!
I have not planted a lot of summer crops out yet. Some of the raised beds are still full of broad beans, lupins, poppies and other plants that will be coming out soon to make room for the main crop of summer vegetables.
Eu não tenho plantadas muita culturas de verão para fora, ainda. Algumas das camas levantadas ainda estão cheios de favas, tremoços, papoilas e outras plantas, que será a sair em breve para dar espaço para as principais culturas de verão legumes.
We do already have some courgettes, tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, piri-piri, varied beans and cucumbers planted out – with lots more in trays in the polytunnel to plant out soon.
Fazemos já tem algumas abobrinhas, tomates, pimentos, abóboras, piri-piri, feijão e pepinos na horta – com muito mais em bandejas no polytunnel à planta em breve.
These are okra seedlings.
Estes são quiabo mudas.
Alec gave us some jerusalem artichokes last week.
Alec nos deu algumas Tupinambos semana passada.
I am trying to germinate two avocado stones, and I plan to try to cordon the trees within the polytunnel.
Estou tentando germinar duas pedras de abacate, e eu pretendo tentar cordão de árvores dentro do polytunnel.
Hello.
I’ve been following your blog for some time (since the “lost” one) and I just have to say that I ENVY you
. I have a similar projet so you’ve helped me a lot.
I’ve also posted some tips regarding your “experiments” on mayonese and building but never got a feedback so I don’t know if you’ve red them.
This is about the avocado seeds.
By my personal experience, they sprout very well if you put them directly on the earth and not on water. Try one in a pot.
Is the house ready?
I would like to see how did the window with the balcony ended up.
Beautifull work.
Best wishes.
Ana T
hi
thanks, yes we have read your comments.
we are still waiting for windows and doors – we’ll post some photos for sure, when they arrive!
cheers
Hi.
Keep the good work and thank you for sharing.
You’ve shown me that it is possible if you put your mind and body to it.
And the bees?
I will echo Ana Tereas and say that I grew 6 avocado plants and ended up giving them away as Christmas presents…I used to use the suspension over water method and decided that putting them in soil was just as good.
So Cassie is fat…Is she pregnant again?
Pics please!! Loving the new blog.
Pam.
yes, we found an avocado stone that had sprouted in the compost heap – so the earth method seems like a good one to try, thanks both for the suggestion.
no, cassie’s not pregnant, she’s got fat since she’s been spayed!
will post some animal pics soon x
Garden looking great!
I have also heard about the avocados in compost heap. have been trying but not joy so far.
A question on woofers? Do I have to register with the woofer Portugal site and put in my details, or with an international body? You seem to have a lot of experience with this and I wondered if I could ask your advice how to get started.
Thanks
xiao
Magnus
I tried the matchsticks-over-pot-of-water avocado sprouting method several times years ago and never had any success with it. Then I got talking with a Jamaican friend about sprouting avocados one day. He said that the best way was to imitate nature which is exactly what his mother used to do in Jamaica. You lay them on the surface of the soil and then subject them to several cycles of thorough soaking and drying and bingo! I’ve never had one fail to germinate since. I even got one to grow to 6 feet tall in an unheated glasshouse in Scotland. Never fruited though
but I guess that was hoping for too much!
hi magnus
we are members of wwoof independents, although sophie has always dealt with that stuff, so i know no more!!
andy
hi magnus
you have to register at http://www.wwoofportugal.org – there’s a membership fee (about 15 euros i think).
we also use http://www.helpx.net – it’s not limited to organic farms but it’s free and we’ve had some lovely volunteers come through there.
your place is really coming along, looks fab!
x sophie
Hi Andy,
I have tried using the stick-over-water method many times since childhood, it has never worked.
I grow now avocado plants by simply putting them into pots just below the surface of the soil, they all pop up around about May/June, but I am in Holland, so for you it will probably be earlier. The only trouble being that I have twice left them outside during an early frosty october night and they died.
Success!
Oh er – I have had success with getting avacados to sprout over a pot of water. They never fruited and proved difficult to kill ( i.e. shove that spindely plant thing outside and hope it goes away – but the damn thing kept growing!!!) Mind you that was in the UK – Bristol and Brighton.