Karl Trepka

Good point...mainly the leaf diseases such as early/late blight and septoria. The soil diseases would be nice but have found a rootstock called the Litchi tomato (Solanum sisymbriifolium) that is resistant to most of these so will fall back on that if they become an issue.

I have not had a good crop of tomatoes for several years with cold weather or disease hitting the tomatoes hard.

So when I saw the video on YT from “Those plant people” on breeding for disease resistant I knew this was the only answer.

In a nutshell they cross there heirloom varieties with the most disease resistant Hybrid they could find.

Unfortunately, here in Australia we have very few hybrids with a good profile. The hybrid Iron Lady was my first choice but can’t find it anywhere. Please contact me if you can get it!
I’m using the second hybrid (Crimson Crush) mentioned in the YT video to cross with dwarf and other heirlooms. In desperation, I also found hybrid Juliet and Solanum pimpinellifolium but they are wildcards at best.

Even though it is Autumn/Winter here (near Melbourne), I’m growing now so I have seeds for spring. I have used a combination of a polytunnel with bottom heat from a hotbed.

The hotbed is maintaining about 18 C in pots at the surface. My goal was 16 C as the bottom of the pots are going to be warmer.

General plan is to cross all heirlooms with Crimson crush/Juliet/ pimpinellifolium. Normally would use Dwarf tomatoes as mother as this is a recessive trait BUT cytoplasm/mitochondria play an important role in disease resistant. Will end up doing both ways but expect heirlooms will die/get sick and need to be culled before they can set fruit.

It’s now 3 weeks from planting and most are flowering so have started collecting pollen to store in fridge.

Going to focus mainly on the leaf diseases such as early/late blight and septoria. The soil diseases would be nice but have found a rootstock called the Litchi tomato (Solanum sisymbriifolium) that is resistant to most of these so will fall back on that if they become an issue

If anyone is doing the same thing please let me know particularly if you are from Australia (se of Melbourne).

Youtube video Tomato breeding

Varieties
Sleeping Lady
Wild spud leaf
Kookaburra cackle
Adelaide festival
Rouge De Marmande
Piennolo del Vesuvio
Crimson crush (hybrid)
Juliet (hybrid)
Solanum pimpinellifolium (wild)

Hi
Any plastic container will do provided its vermin proof and retains moisture. Unless timber is lined with plastic, it is far too difficult to keep moist enough. Most people DO NOT keep their worms moist enough to promote breeding.
The trick with those tiny retail farms is to take off drain tap ( keep OPEN) all the time and use the bottom “water tank” as just another tray/level.

I recently started using shredded cardboard with a little coco mixed through.

Depth needs to be 300mm but I have  European night crawlers so plan for 400mm. Surface area is the most critical factor that determines final population you can have.

Vents are also VERY important for evaporation to keep the worms cool in summer.

Photos. White threads on black cloth are hatchlings, Bottom of plastic dog house, kiddy shell pools, retail w/farms, scavenged bath to be converted.

Do not use crushed rock in base for drainage, this is crazy. Grated vertical panels may work. Otherwise, just fluff it up now and then.

Hi
i just discovered hybrid Bana grass (aka hybrid Napier grass) this is my fav non legume biomass plant at the moment.

still searching for a perfect nitrogen fixer for temperate climate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhTmBwbq3JM&pp=ygUKYmFuYSBncmFzcw%3D%3D

cheers

Hi
Looking for a naturally branching rather than one stalk variety of okra. anything similar to Heavy hitter would be great.

Preferably not a dwarfing type.

Here is a short list of what i have to swap or let me know what you are looking for.

Potato onions (bunching onion) seeds and bulbs
Lagos spinach
Ashwaganda (tonic herb)
Korean chilli (kim chi type)
Sweet potato various heirloom varieties
Mother of all hebs (cutting)
Indian Lettuce (6ft summer/heat)
Bana Grass (biomass and soil improvement)
Runner bean
Arrowroot
Figs heirloom Greek varieties
True potato seed diploid and tetrapliods



Thanks

Hi David,

No problem with the budwood usually i graft in spring about oct we can touch base Sept to make arrangements. A word of warning they are very hard to graft and best to graft trees that are in the ground with lots of vigour.

That is a old post and have been experimenting with air layering with good success. I may have all three varieties in spring fingers cross. I'm giving them away for cost of postage/free on the agreement you "pay it forward" and sell, share or trade them so they are not lost.

Here is the link to my latest post on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/xjdH4z36KxFpdpvY/

Cheers
Karl

Carob Scion/budwood of heirloom varieties
Hi all,

The grafts I did a few years back are ready to share so if you are keen let me know.
Scion will be supplied for the cost of postage on the agreement you “pay it forward” and sell/share or barter the varieties so they are not lost to the permies.

Grafting carob is not easy but a few precautions will get you fair results


If your grafts fail, let me know and we can try again or try another option.

I'm located SE of Melbourne Australia. so can't post o/s

Varieties are:
SFAX (female)
CASUDA (female)
CLIFFORD (hermaphrodite)

cheers

Hi

I'm in Australia and looking for Manihot Grahamii (Hardy Tapioca) either stem cuttings or seeds.

It looks similar too Cassava which it is related.

It may be a weed in the northern parts of OZ or maybe an ornamental.

Happy to buy of swap .........have cassava varieties.

Plan to use it as rootstock for grafting cassava.

Thanks

Hi

Is anyone in Australia growing named varieties of carobs?

I have access to Clifford and two local Hermaphrodites .

Please let me know as i'm looking for bud wood for grafting.

The pic is of a local Hermaphrodite.

Thanks

sorry no updates the two trees near me are very good with one being a good keeper