Contact Me

To contact me please email: Liz@suburbantomato.com

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45 Responses to Contact Me

  1. Jody says:

    Belle really likes your beet recipe. Thanks for posting it. We were wondering where you’re located.

  2. Robyn says:

    Hi Liz, I live in Melbourne and I just found your website this morning. What a treasure. Thank you for your generosity in sharing local growing info, which is exactly what I was looking for. Absolutely love all your photo’s, trials & triumphs. I will be referencing your website often into the future I suspect. Again a huge thank you for helping me get growing! & happy harvesting to you, Robyn.

    • Liz says:

      Thanks Robyn, I really appreciate you both visiting my blog and leaving a message! Hope you garden is both bountiful and fun to be in!

  3. Alex says:

    Hi Liz,
    I too have just discovered your blog. I’m not above pinching all your great ideas for my own garden, and the new one I have just started through Landshare. For those who might be keen gardeners with limited space, or them that gots space and no green thumb, the landshare website is a great place for people to meet and share a garden.
    As for tomatoes, I can suggest ‘tommy toes’, the little yellow pear ones you’ve already mentioned, and there’s another one I think is called something like ‘summer jewels’. They’re all smaller varieties with thin skin, prolific fruiting and delicious taste. Fantastic for salads and grazing while you’re wandering through your patch.
    All the best for the season, and continued success for your veggies and your blog.
    Keep it up!
    Alex

    • Liz says:

      Hi Alex, Thanks for visiting. I’m growing some Tommy Toes and am anxiously awaiting the first ripe one. Good luck with your garden and I will be sure to check out landshare – thanks for the tip.

  4. Annie says:

    Hi Liz, I’ve just discovered your website and love it. Am going to try your method of eliminating gall wasps, but was wondering if you can offer any advice on other pests. We have a mandarin tree that has 12-15 mandarins on it. Last week we discovered that one mando was half eaten (probably rats) so we put a net over the tree and tied it tight around the base. This week another piece of fruit has gone. Do you have any methods of keep rats away from food crops? We’ve just planted a large vegie bed and are worried about how we will keep rodents away from our crop. Cheers. Ann

    • Liz says:

      Thankyou for reading! I hope the wasp method works – this is my first time of trying it so it is a bit experimental but hopefully it gets rid of enough of them that the trees are OK. Regarding rats, unfortunately the short answer to your question is no. We too have rats at the moment. We can’t bait because we have a two year old who would no doubt find it. We tried traps but thus far they haven’t taken the bait so to speak. Fortunately at the moment they must have a few food sources as aside from digging in the compost bin they don’t seem to be taking much but we have lost things in the past. It is frustrating. You could try chilli spray to see if that keeps them off.

  5. Steve Cope says:

    G’day Liz,
    Just discovered your blog and whilst you call yourself “Suburban Tomato” there is definitely a lot more for keen backyard gardeners to read here. If you don’t mind I have added your blog as a link on my own with a little story attached to encourage more visits here. I hope my words have given you justice. Will comment here from time to time.

    Regards, Steve

    • Liz says:

      Hi Steve and welcome. Thanks for the feedback and I really appreciate the write up on your blog – I hope you get the feeling back in your mouth soon – he he he. I would love any comments you choose to make. I have started reading your site and I’m really enjoying it.

  6. paul says:

    Where do I buy 1kg of broadbean seed in Melbourne? I want to plant a green crop + flower and though this may be a good look?

    Paul

    • Liz says:

      Hi Paul,

      New Gippsland Seeds, who I’ve used reliably in the past, sells them: https://newgipps.com.au/subcategory.asp?id=60. They sell them in 500g lots so that could be worth a go. Eden seeds also have them (and a lot cheaper than New Gippsland). http://www.edenseeds.com.au/content/default.asp. I haven’t used Eden seeds before but I have had them recommended to me as being a good supplier. If you are using them as a green manure crop you want to cut them off at ground level as they flower. You want the roots (with its attached nitrogen) to stay in the ground and you don’t really want them to form pods (although a few to eat is always nice) as pod formation will use up all that lovely nitrogen that you want to keep in the soil.

  7. Sue says:

    Hi Liz. Great blog – enjoyed browsing. I’m keen to know where you got your horseradish as I’ve been looking in melbourne and can’t find a supplier. Anyway thanks for a good site. Sue

    • Liz says:

      Thanks Sue, I bought mine at CERES in Brunswick. If you haven’t been its usually worth a look – they have a good range of edibles. It does vary a bit according to the time of the year so I’m not sure whether it would always be available or not. Calling ahead never hurts.

  8. Emmy says:

    I bought a butternut pumpkin seedling from Aldi and planted it… now something is EATING the leaves… I’m really annoyed… do you know what it could be and what’s the best way to stop my plant leaves getting eaten before it dies?

    • Liz says:

      Hmm my best guess would be slugs or snails – is that possible. Probably the best way to work it out is to go out with a torch just after dark and see if you can see anything. Butternuts are generally pretty vigorous -I’m not sure where youre based but assuming its Southern Australia it should grow quicker than it can be eaten once the weather gets a bit warmer. If a lot of it is getting eaten the other possibility is rodents of some description.

      • Emmy says:

        I’m in Melbourne.

        don’t think its rats.. I know I have enough snails to start a french restaurant in my garden… bought some floating row covers so see how that goes once I can get out there to put them on (and the wind doesn’t blow them to kingdom come!)

        • Liz says:

          I find beer traps work oK for slugs and snails (although probably better for slugs), but for me the best method for snails is to find where they hide and round them up. I find it a little icky but satisfying nonetheless, and it minimises the destruction at least for a while.

  9. Dianne says:

    Hi Liz, I discovered this blog yesterday, I’m oggling over your vegie-porn with jealousy!
    I’m in Melbourne also, so it is good to see what I could potentially grow.. But I’m a complete novice starting out with some strawberries in a pipe on my fence and some very sad looking snowpeas which I think I planted too late, and yesterday some cherry tomato plants which I got from the bunnings clearance bin after I gave up on sprouting my own seeds, and am experimenting with a gutter garden with lettuces and herbs, which isn’t looking great either. ๐Ÿ™
    Is there a section on your blog for those of us starting out? I can see the month-by-month…
    Cheers, Dianne

    • Liz says:

      Hi Dianne, I did a Top 5 tips for new gardeners once. you can find it here.. Otherwise I haven’t written anything specific but if you search of any of the crops you are attempting them you should find posts on most things. If you have any specific questions or issues you would like me to post on then please let me know.
      Liz

  10. John Cotterell says:

    Hi Liz!
    Would you consider having a heading for odds and sods from contributors? I ask because I have just made a superb (IMHO) strawberry syrup and I would like to tell you and your followers about it while strawberries are cheap as they currently are – and just anyway.
    Many regards, John

    • Liz says:

      Hi John,

      Yes I would certainly consider it – I could put it as a heading across the top and draw people’s attention to it via posts. If you would like to either send me the recipe with or without some notes and I can compose something around it Or would you like to guest write a post?

      Or maybe you should consider writing a blog? I get the sense you might enjoy it?

  11. John Cotterell says:

    Hi Liz,
    I have interests that come in bursts but I would not have enough to sustain a blog as you do. However what does one do to write a guest post – is it an upmarket comment?
    Please explain.

    • Liz says:

      Basically you write the copy and I publish it in the the same way I publish my usual posts only it would be you writing it rather than me. I would indicate that it was written by you but otherwise it would sit on the blog in the same way all my other posts do. I might edit it a bit if appropriate but would let you see what was being publish before releasing it upon the world so to speak.

  12. josie brady says:

    I just came across your blog, and found it interesting. Like you I am trying to grow fresh food. Your Scarlet Runners may not be setting as it is warmer where you live. They do better in Tasmania due to the frosts we get in winter, and I think came from the UK originally. If you can get them to produce they will keep coming up for several years, I think I got 7 years out of them before they needed to be replaced. However, you can grow bush beans, which don’t do as well here. Whilst I don’t like the heat I do envy you for the tomatoes you should be able to grow in your warmer climate.

    • Liz says:

      We do get to grow a good variety here which is good so I guess I should begrudge the occasional thing not doing so well. At least the flowers look pretty.

  13. Gareth Jones says:

    Hi Liz, Just stumbled across your site
    I’m another novice Melbournian gardener… really enjoying your blog it’s encouraging & seems I’m on the right track.

    my tomatoes are producing lot of fruit.. I too have planted more tomatoes in the last couple of weeks to see what happens. Hoping I can grow them most of the year.
    My capsicums, jaelopinos, chillies are plentiful.
    My Zucchini plant is a monster and hard to keep up with, thanks for the recipe I was getting sick of fried zucchini.
    I have three eggplants growing in one pot, I was concerned it might be crowed but they’re producing well, same with the chilies and jaelopinos they share a pot but are plentiful too. Something is stealing the strawberries!!! So I’ve moved them to a half wooden barrel, easier to net…

    Anyways from what started with one plant has now turned into 6 substantial vegtable beds…

    I’m very interested in where to next as I have no idea what I should be preparing for the autumn. I look forward to reading your tips

    Thanks once again for your blog….

    Gareth

    • Liz says:

      Glad you stopped by Gareth! Gardening can be really addictive can’t it? Just one more bed, just one more plant and so it goes on. Regarding Autumn – in Autumn I generally plant out my winter crops. That means seedlings of Brassicas (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kale etc), it also means seeds of broad beans, beetroot, onions and garlic (cloves in case of garlic). You should still be harvesting from all those summer plants – particularly the chillies, capsicums and eggplants in Autumn (and pumpkin if you are growing any). I find my kids, slugs, snails, birds, mice and the dreaded rats all eat strawberries so it could be anything of those, or if you have them possums. I have to admit I think I’m going to give up on strawberries – too much slug damage, too many lost berries, etc etc but then again they are so nice…..

  14. Janelle says:

    Hi Liz..are you part of the SAKG program?

  15. Paul Triplo says:

    Hi,

    Great site.

    I am a Chilli addict.

    For the first time this year I have grown Chilli from seed.

    I have about 50 seedling which are now really coming along. Different varieties.

    I grew them from seed in my window in Western Sydney from June this year.

    It was a warm winter which I think helped as I reckon I got about 50 seedlings from about 100 seeds simply planted in seedling soil in small pots.

    I will share my experiences as they grow.

    I am interested in your experiences with Kipfler Potatoes as I planted them in my Veg Patch outside in August. It gets all day sun and it has been a warm spring.

    The plants have all come up bushey and healthy and are about 18 inches tall.

    When should I harvest this crop?

    • Liz says:

      Sorry for the delay in replying – I have been busy in the non blogging world. I love the idea of the 50 chilli seedlings. A lot of mine have been eaten by slugs/snails this year so I wont have as many as usual. I would love to hear how you get on with yours. You could start harvesting the Kipflers pretty soon – I find they are ready sometime in November from August plantings. You can tell they are ready when the foliage dies back. I do find with Kipflers that some re-sprout before all the foliage has died back so I don’t usually leave them as long as other varieties. You could have a bit of a feel around and see but I wouldn’t do more than bandicoot a few before the foliage starts to yellow a bit. Does that make sense?

  16. Les. F. says:

    Can I cut the top off my Curry leaf tree, to force it to bush out? If so how much do I cut ? can I use the cutting. The plant is 76cm tall, and growing well!

  17. kevs says:

    Hi Liz,

    I’ve just found your website through your review of the Tigerella tomato, whose seeds I’ve just bought for this summer, which being in the southern English Midlands is just (hopefully!) around the corner… I grow in a suburban back garden too – 30ft x 80 ft though my growing area is rather smaller.

    My list of tomato varieties for this year: Sunstream (mini-plum) and Sweet Emerald (ripe-when-green cherry) – seeds from supermarket-bought toms; Lettuce Leaf and Jen’s Tangerine from http://www.realseeds.co.uk; and good old Black Cherry. Also growing mangetout peas (Golden Sweet and Bijou from http://www.realseeds.co.uk), Desireรฉ potatoes, climbing French beans, garlic and whatever else I think will survive predation and neglect well enough to give me a decent harvest (i.e not cauliflowers). That’s not including the permanent fruit tree/bushes/canes around the garden…

    Thank you for you blog posts and photographs; I’ve bookmarked it and I’ll enjoy reading through your posts, remembering of course to mentally reverse the seasons, and I’ll feel jealous when November comes, our season has finished and yours is only beginning… ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Cheers,
    kevs

    • Liz says:

      Thanks Kevs, It’s almost at the point I will start feeling jealous of you (although our winter has nothing on yours……).

  18. Sidj says:

    Thanks for a fabulous blog. Could you recommend a good place to buy a curry leaf plant in (particularly Southeast) Melbourne?

    • Liz says:

      Hi Sidj,

      Bunnings in Coburg had some last week, they would be worth a try. Otherwise I’m not sure as I’m not too familiar with the suppliers down that way.

      Liz

  19. Cherie Hobday says:

    Would like to be part of all this, sounds great advice. I am just a novice gardener really although over the years I have grown som magnificent Old Fashioned Roses and they are so beautiful & enjoyable during season, as well some of them have blooms, sparse as they be, right thru winter! My other love is herbs! These days and aged 67 I just like to potter around with my Pot Plants and try different things! Thank-you Liz for a great blog! ????

  20. Mark Lavery says:

    Hi Liz, how are you?
    Ive been growing tomatoes for a few years now, im always trying to find ways to have them growing earlier and producing earlier.
    I planted some seeds last week (siberian and green zebra), and they have germinated, just wondering when you think would be OK to put them outside, like in a little greenhouse outside. They are kind of outside already, but ive kept the soil at around 20c, i’m working on the idea that starting them outside will have benfits in the long run as they can get used to a bit of warm and cold right from the start.

    What do you think?

    ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Liz says:

      As long as you don’t get frost they should be OK. I generally keep an eye on nighttime minimums and if they are above about 5 degrees then the plants are generally OK, especially if they are in a little greenhouse. If they are used to 20 you don’t want to shock them so I would make the transition as gradual as possible. Maybe try outside in the day and then protected at night until the night temps get up a bit.

  21. Hi Liz and everyone on this website, I ‘ve made a subreddit for Australian gardeners to trade their seeds, cuttings and plants. Would love to see you guys there! https://www.reddit.com/r/AustralianPlantSwap/

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