Do not let the rootstock get too big before grafting. Once greater than pencil thickness, less of the sap flow of the stock is intercepted by the scion. This results in a slow growing scion. Florist tape is unsuitable for use with bigger plants, so normal plastic tape has to be used. If this tape is removed early because potato tuber moth has got under the tape problems arise. Early removal of the tape can cause the union on the stock to 'pull back' from the scion (see Figure 2). The cause of this is probably the tendency of the scion to 'take' better at the tip or lowest part rather than on the top of the stock in older plants. This weak union can break in a storm, particularly with a heavy crop load.
Figure 2. Folding back of the stock from the scion after removing tape too early. (A problem where older rootstocks are grafted.)
Do not plant too deep in the field because too many suckers will develop. Many eggplant growers have planted tobacco, eggplant and capsicums in the past. There is a tendency to plant deep because a better root system can result. With devil's fig, the lateral vegetative buds grow up as suckers, even from 100 mm down. Removal of these can be a major maintenance task when growing the crop. If the scion dies in the field, remove the whole plant and replace it. Any attempt to graft bigger stocks in the field is 'hit and miss' at best and they become very thorny. Check young plants regularly for signs of potato tuber moth. If potato tuber moth larvae get under the tape nothing will control them and the grafted piece will wilt and die.
Disease Bacterial wilt could still be a problem if plastic mulch is used. Overhead irrigation and bare soil can reduce bacterial wilt problems, both with grafted plants and normal seedlings. As bacterial wilt is mainly a summer problem there is more to be gained by grafting a spring planting. If some devil's fig plants show wilt in a particular situation, normal seedling eggplant would have a much higher crop loss.
Trellising As with seedling eggplant, there is a tendency for the plant to lodge or 'crawl' along the ground. This could be overcome by trellising the crop, using a trellis as for tomatoes but with fewer wires.
Grafting It is recommended that whip grafting be tried once the grower is able to master the cleft method. The nursery environment would have to be good, with equal size of stock and scion. With grafting clips, rain and overhead watering is excluded until the tissue has healed. In a week or so the clips can be removed. Grafting is more suitable for smaller growers who want a second crop from the one planting. Growers who aim to pick the first crop only before ploughing in would find grafting of less value. If tuber moth is normally a problem on seedling eggplant, it can be worse on the grafted plant. Most of the points covered in this article would also apply to tomatoes. Anyone interested in trying grafting would be encouraged to try giant devil's fig (Solanum hispidum - beware the thorns) as well as wild tobacco tree (Solanum mauritianum). These would have potential as rootstocks if their resistance to wilt is as good as devil's fig. The amount of suckering from these plants is unknown but it would be a bonus if they sucker less. Devil's fig tends to be more adaptable to different soils in the wild than the other two.
Pumpkin Seeds
Adrian We use the seeds to make a nice snack. We simply put a little salt on them, then pan fry them with a little bit of oil till slightly brown. They are a really good crunchy snack! No need to peel them, they're fine as is. Harvesting around 60kg of pumpkins this year means we get plenty of pre dinner snacks!
Jason I have never hulled my pumpkin seeds either when roasting them in the oven. Generally I put them on a tray after having cooked something else and just let the residual heat bake them. As for pepitas, they are from a specific kind of pumpkin I believe.
Diane I make similar but I use dukkah seasoning instead as there are many different dukkah mixes to suit every taste - enjoy them with wine/beer instead of nuts etc. They only take a short time in the oven to puff up.
They only eat the seeds of pumpkin in Cappadocia, Turkey and use the flesh for fertiliser to grow more pumpkins for the seeds!
Bok Choy Botanical name: Brassica rapa var. chinensis Other names: Buk Choy, Pack Choy, Chinese white cabbage, Chinese chard by Roger Goebel - DPI BRASSICACEAE (Brassica) family
Varieties of bok choy have different characteristics. The four most cultivated forms in Queensland are:
Joi choi or Chinese white bok choy. Plants to 30cm high with white stems.
Mei qing or Shanghai bok choy. Plants to 15cm high light green stems.
Tai sai nikanme or Japanese celery mustard. Plants to 45cm high with thin leaves and stalks.
Canton or squat. Plants to 20cm high with white stems.
Growing Bok Choy: Ideal growing conditions are required to produce quality plants. Any stress will increase the growing time, reduce the flavour and size and are likely to cause the plants to ‘bolt’- produce a premature seed head. Recommended growing conditions include: Soil Ph 6.5 to 7 is preferred; Row spacing 30cm and Plant spacing 10cm; Plants sown in seed boxes, transplanted at 2 to 3 weeks of growth or direct planted; Rows on raised beds to increase soil drainage around the root area; Choose well drained soils with plenty of aged organic matter; Frequent light watering, twice each day when not raining; Maintain the area weed free; Adequate nitrogen (equivalent to 1kg urea to 10m of row applied in 4 or more applications) Harvest entire plants or just cut the larger leaves. Harvest the entire crop as quickly as possible and dig in any remainder to reduce pest/disease levels. Don’t re-plant the area with the same or similar crop.
Sweet Potatoes Like white potatoes, sweet potatoes contain a mix of starches and moisture. There are many differences. White potato starch granules are larger than in sweet potatoes and white potato granules swell and gelatinize at a lower temperature but the biggest is the presence of enzymes, specifically amylase enzymes, which are found in all sweet potatoes and not found at all in white potatoes. They are important because amylase enzymes convert starches to sugars during the cooking process. The most common sweet potato types in U.S. supermarkets are Beauregard and Red Garnet. Both have more amylase enzymes, which break down more starch during cooking, resulting in a moist, soft texture and sweet flavour.
White Potatoes White potatoes are characterized into two major eating types: High-starch, low-moisture (which can be dry and mealy); and low-starch, high-moisture (also classified as smooth and waxy). These two types of potatoes differ in total starch content and the composition of the starch. Waxy potatoes have less starch. But most importantly, the composition of the starch is quite different. Most starch in plants is made of two molecules: amylose and amylopectin. High-starch mealy potatoes contain about 25 percent amylose with the rest being amylopectin. They also generally lose their shape when simmered (think, mashed potatoes). Because they have so little moisture, they soak up liquid as they cook and explode. But low-starch waxy potatoes contain almost no amylose. They hold their shape better than other potatoes when simmered (think potato gratin).
How to tell it's low in Starch
If you purchase loose or unlabelled potatoes and you're not sure if they're waxy potatoes, there's an easy trick for determining starch content. Cut one of your potatoes in half using a knife with a broad blade. Starchy potatoes leave a gritty white starch residue on your knife. Your potato will also stick to your knife. If you slice through the potato and your knife looks clean, you likely have a low-starch potato. Low-starch potatoes also slide off the knife more easily and stick less. (Ref: ehow.com)
Pumpkins For extended storage, wash skins in a solution of about a tablespoon of chlorine bleach to a gallon of water to disinfect the skin and discourage mould or rot. Dry immediately as dampness encourages spoilage. If you find mould, wipe with vegetable oil to remove the mould and seal the spot. You can leave them on the vines into the winter months. The longer you leave them the better they will store. Frosts will help to sweeten the fruit as well. Leave a good size of stem on the pumpkin and NEVER carry them by this as you can damage the fruit and this will start the whole thing rotting. Store in an airy place (shed is good) on their side as this will stop moisture developing near the stem area. I also use candle wax on any wounds to help prolong the storing time. Leaving them out in the sun for a couple of days will help to harden the skins, bringing them in undercover at night, before storing. If a stem happens to come off you can seal it by dripping melted candle wax onto the area. Turn them every couple of weeks so they aren’t resting on the same spot. Ref: Marilena Stanton
Michelle says they have had great success storing them in the shed - the best "keepers" were the ones with the longest stems still on them - some over 1m long !! I also rubbed some vegetable oil in to their skins - heard someone recommend it once so I gave it a go. Also - the ones that I rolled over occasionally seemed to avoid getting mushy bottoms. I must say we did notice that the older the pumpkins got, the richer the flavour and colour. These were all Kent seeds that Jason gave me a couple of years ago.