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submitted 1 week ago by Baku@aussie.zone to c/melbourne@aussie.zone

Today's weather forecast (Melbourne CBD, 3000): min - 12Ā°C, max - 30Ā°C. 100% chance of no rain

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[-] melbaboutown@aussie.zone 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

It might have been good to grow more crops that donā€™t require cooking, for people who might not have access to proper kitchens and would prefer to eat the veg fresh. Standard size tomatoes and cucumbers, carrots, that kind of thing. I wonder if itā€™s too late for sowing cucumbers.

I wish I had more space and strength to gardenā€¦

spoilerThe two tiny patches of soil in my own back yard are choked with runners of tough invasive grass that creeped in under the fence from a neighbour, and I donā€™t have the physical strength to dig it out and put a cement barrier to block it from returning. Especially as it grew through weed mat which would complicate removal. Maybe I should leave it though and keep it long as a home for bugs.

I was thinking of trying to improve the dry sandy neglected spot for actual growing when the disposable non-native annual flowers die.

As for prep I know sunflowers leach heavy metals out of soil, might break it up with deep tap roots, and beans enrich the soil with the nitrogen fixing bacteria in nodules on their roots. There are green manure crops you dig back in. Compost bins can be made cheaply (though Iā€™d have to buy a drill.)

But itā€™s got a rock hard sandy layer a hands width down that I might not be able to break through to dig it over. Green manure seeds might not be able to stay moist enough to sprout. And even with wetting agents, organic matter, nitrogenous crops etc itā€™s still much more publicly accessible ie vulnerable to vandalism and choked with greedy invasive tree roots.

Plus going out there to tend it puts me in proximity to crazies.

I just want to be allowed to mind my own fucking business and do my constructive hobby manā€¦ šŸ˜’

[-] indisin@aussie.zone 3 points 1 week ago

Standard size tomatoes and cucumbers, carrots, that kind of thing. I wonder if itā€™s too late for sowing cucumbers.

You have nothing to lose by trying, well barring a bit of time watering.

Just so you know I've got some brand new tomato plants on the go from seeds and they're loving it, very late start for those. With the weather how it has been this season I'd predict that that the fruiting period will be into late May. I'd hope cucumbers would be the same with ample regular watering.

[-] Bottom_racer@aussie.zone 3 points 1 week ago

weed mat

I found the one I got a few years ago (plastic thing) just to try out didn't work very well and had the same problem. Sort of made it harder when things grew through it.

I feel you with the grass though. It's an uphill battle :(

[-] melbaboutown@aussie.zone 1 points 6 days ago

Yeah, just grew right through! Removal likely isnā€™t going to happen, I donā€™t have the physical energy to spare.

Iā€™m just going to have to leave it as shelter for the bugs and trim it down a bit when it gets out of control

this post was submitted on 02 Jan 2025
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