Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Oh yeah Martin, and now I think I have a travel bug. And I didn't even mention the adventure caving.

Yes we ate them, only supposed to eat the smaller ones as they are tender, but quite an odd taste and the kids put up too much of a fight and as i had it in the AP, it was going gang busters so it went. If you have started getting flowers the fruit flowers won't be far behind, off memory was about 2 or 3 weeks after first flowers that the fruit ones appeared. The fruit grow real quick and hide well in the foliage.
I have heard about the exfoliating qualities but my wife wasn't interested.

Caving? wow exciting stuff.

aka "spelunking"

Sounds exciting.

Thanks for the update Faye, hopefully I will get a chance to look at that travel photo album one day!

Hahavyou will be sorry Charlie. I will have a few albums by the time I see you. I must sort some geez what a job.

Lufa make great cleaning sponges (making soaps or put a string through a big one to scrub your back in the shower.)
We actually use them for washing dishes and stuff, just make sure to let them dry out between uses or they will deteriorate quickly if left too wet for long.

Beware though, letting the lufa vine access a tree means you could have your work cut out for you getting the vines and mature fruit out of the tree.

Who remembers the pictures of me 20 feet up in the Oak tree with the 14 foot pole pruner trying to cut lufa out of the tree?

Hi Faye, Did you leave your Galangal in your system to over winter ? Mine has just flowered and wondering if I should harvest it, or if I can just dig little bits up when ever I need some if it survives a perth winter.

How are the bunnies. Easter has been and gone. Did you have a stew?

@Matt,

If you live in a cold climate, turmeric (and I think Galangal) die off in winter - this would be the time to harvest?

oops looks like I missed a few posts.

Mattyoga, mmm I don't remember planting galangal in my system. And I haven't seen any in there recently.

Well easter has been and gone and so have the bunnies, that is all I'm going to say
Got my new trout babies last week (Thanks Gavin) and the only food I had was 4mm pellets, a bit naughty I know. I try and crush them and some stay whole, they don't seem to mind, you know what trout are like.
Lots to do around the garden as it is mulching time and I have 10 loads on my verge, yeeha. I have grown most of my winter veges from seeds this year and currently organising a large herb garden and trying to get all my fruit trees (you know those ones you buy and nowhere to put them) in the ground. The temps have sure dropped and I'll be chopping wood today for tonights fire.

Faye if you chop wood you should check out one of these:

http://www.alloutdoor.com/2014/04/19/vipukirves-leveraxe-totally-axe-design/

Regards, Martin.

Similar action to when I split wood Martin haha. The fire is it's own reward, just sitting and watching the flames dance

Wow their eggs are awesome!! Did you release lacewings into your system or did they show up naturally?

I also searched for encarsia formosa on the forum before I started a topic in general discussions and saw that you mentioned you were breeding the encarsia formosa. Do you mind sharing about that? Thank you.

Wow that is an amazing system, what a fantastic record you've kept. How do the worms get in your system? I hope to make meals that great someday! Thankyou for the photos and information.