various links

Specifically looking at fruit tree companion planting.

companion planting site

companion plants for fruit trees (NthAm)

companion planting vegetables (NthAm)

Also have feedly'd a bunch of Australian blogs, including artist as family which I regret missing on their 'through Sydney' leg (or even their 'through Kiama' leg. Would have been awesome to see and hear their story!

a pocket full of seeds: as someone who tends to spot 'bald patches' of earth and think "dammit, that could grow some [insert vegie of choice here] very nicely," I rather like the secret subversion of it!

Also: Joel Salatin in Sydney 21st Feb | intro to permaculture

Fruit Trees and Chill Hours

I have quite a few fruit trees, some of which have been acquired over the last five years, some of which are coming to me as gifts, and a couple which I specifically bought for the new house

- lemon
- mandarin
- multi-citrus x 2
- multi-stone
- peach x 4
- avocados x 2
- multi-apple
- cherry
- persimmon
- multi-nashi

The avocados were bought for the new house. The cherry and persimmon and one of the peaches are a gift from my mother. The reason I have 3x peaches otherwise is because I bought 3 multi-stone trees and all the other grafts died.

It's the multi-nashi that's the big problem for me. I didn't read the instructions, and the plant requires high chill hours. Which means somewhere that isn't Sydney (temperate, tending to warm temperate). So I'm looking for someone to offload it to. (Currently on the list: a friend in Ballarat, Vic.) Maybe I should look at offloading at least one of the (formerly multi-stone) peaches, too? I think at least one of them still has two grafts - I'd keep that one - and one fruited this year (actually, I think that one was a nectarine, but the fruit didn't stick, so maybe...).

Mind you, I'm keeping the one with all four grafts intact!

And I'd still like an Apricot tree, straight up. But that's just me.

Also: I have decided the passionfruit can go across the side fence. I may need to nail/fasten/screw in the chicken wire for it to hang off.

Day Before Yesterday: making compost heap in driveway bed. Will be turned to new spot and planted out with a fruit tree.
Yesterday: making Compost#1 to burn off weeds and fill in the gap between Bed#2 and Bed#3. Will become Potato Heaven.
Today: turn Bed#4 north ver to burn off weeds to the north. Will become Asparagus City.

composts and other things

Eggbox seedlings are doing okay - at least, the tomatoes and zucchini and one of the watermelons are:

All those little seedlings? Tomatoes. Different types - from the black russian to the yellow pears - but tomatoes. None of the chillis. None of the eggplant. None of the capsicum. ARGH. I can't work out how to get the eggplant or capsicum seeds to germinate, but I'm going to try again. This time with really fine seed-raising mix (sand and sifted cow manure), and making sure that the seeds don't dry out.

Like the corn, both the sunflowers and the bean seeds are happily germinating away. I'm tempted to try peas, but I think they're supposed to be for later in the season?

I did end up buying a bunch of seedlings from Big Hardware Chain Of Doom. Not ideal. But I need a kickstart this year due to delayed planting. And the compost heaps are going great guns, so I have plenty of space for planting things.

You can see the two newest compost piles in the background: one covered with heshen, the other one just covered with straw. They're both still warm, so composting is happening, although they're cooling down a little. I'll turn Bed #3 and plant it out with various seedlings on Sunday night or Monday evening.

Another look at the compost heaps - with a better glance at Bed #1.

As you can see, the corn has really taken off, and is going to need a handful of vermicast per stalk before long. Except the worms aren't doing a particularly good job of making vermicast right now. It's a bit frustrating.

Maybe blending up the food before feeding it to the worms is the best way to go?