After a fallow summer, the VEGEPOD has been edge-composted, and is being planted out with GINGER, TUMERIC (gold and black), and some unknown rhizomes - hopefully GALANGAL.
Also: CARROTS (purple dragon), SPRING ONIONS, and 6-7 BEETROOT (golden detroit).
WEATHER:
Rain, but had a heatwave on the weekend - 37C and sunny!
RAIN
Light sprinkles, not seeping into the soil
CHOOKS:
Shan and Coldie have been to the vet. Shan has swelling and got a new implant. Coldie has lumps inside her. Vet will drain both on Wednesday, and advise further from there.
OSBERVATIONS
Spiders.
PREPARATION:
VEGEPOD - did some 'edge composting' with comfrey
PLANTING
VEGEPOD - planted GINGER (probably), BLACK TURMERIC, YELLOW TURMERIC, and something else that might be GALANGAL (can hope)
VEGEPOD - CARROTS (purple dragon), SPRING ONIONS, and 6 BEETROOT (golden detroit)
RIPENING
CUCUMBERS, AVOCADOS, TOMATOES (the ones around the front, anyway)
HARVEST
earlier on in March, picked the APPLES and stored them.
CUCUMBERS - 3 hanging from the vine that's growing up the peach tree
AVOCADOS - might pick one and see how it ripens - except we have so many avos in the fridge right now!
PRUNING
everything needs pruning; need to talk to the Mormon youths volunteering about a date and time for them to come by and help
THOUGHTS
I planted some tomatoes late - about three or four varieties, including BLUE SMURF, AMETHYST CREAM, and a couple of others that I don't remember right now. Hopefully they produce at least two tomatoes - one that I can eat for flavour and one that I can save for seeds.
Windows are supposed to be done today, which means clearing around the house. Cement bricks to go down to the south-west corner, I think. I may need some time and assistance to sort out/throw out stuff in the shed so that there's space for more things. (Also, putting things that we don't use on freecycle.)
Lawn was done today - they came at 10:30 and were done by 11:30. Whirlwind. We have a bin full of lawn clippings - have to tip that in with the chooks in the next day.
Some local JW youths are offering gardening services free of charge. I'm tempted to ask them to come by and pull up the long runner grass in the backyard, then lay down woodchips and start planting the groundcover for the 'back lawn'. Could possibly ask for their help in cutting the steel down to bed-size.
Need to ask W's help to not only move things, but maybe also sort through the 'resource centre' - all those metal sheets and PVC pipes. Gotta work out where to store them. Under the house? It's a bit of mess down there, and crowded to boot.
If I was going to work out an under-house storage, the primary need would be to make it vermin-proof.
The rats are back. DAMMIT.
Winter this year, need to think about how to enrich the soil for the next season, even as planting/growing for this one.
GARLIC and slow ONIONs - small vegepod 1
GINGER - polystyrene box (maybe one of the black council boxes?)
POTATOES - box (black council box?)
CARROTS, LEEKS, SPRING ONIONS - small vegepod 2?
CABBAGES & CAULIS (maybe in TRIANGLE BED): buy a fine netting (Diggers)
APPLE-CREPE:
currently: CORN & BEANS
follow up: BROAD BEANS
CREPE-APRICOT
currently: TOMATOES & PEANUTS
follow up: green vegies (SILVERBEET)
then BRASSICAS
APRICOT-AVO
currently: TOMATOES
follow up: return to grass/path/lawn - use the 'lilypad' netting stuff? It grows like crazy but also seems to be pulled up pretty easily - look it up for advantages/disadvantages...
