dear diary: 20th March - The Sydney Edible Garden Trail 2026

So the Sydney Edible Garden Trail starts tomorrow: weekend 1, day 1.

The new garden beds are in, filled, and planted out. The three new girls (long story behind that) are getting used to each other and being set up in the triangle coop down in the south-west yard. The back beds have been neatened up, and the paths mulched.

I'm so tired!

The garden beds are Water-Ups, and yes, it's possible to do wicking beds cheaply but I wanted the neatness, the squareness, and to find out how these ones worked.

They're not bad. I might have designed them slightly differently, but they're good and they seem solid. Will report back after a couple of seasons of weather and use! What works, what doesn't, what leaks, what degrades, what holds up!

I had a few friends assisting me in putting them together, clearing and levelling the ground, and fitting everything into place. Luckily we did, because assembling the first one was a job! By the time we got to the second one, one friend had learned enough that she worked out how to do it all by herself. Still, I'd recommend the group effort. More brains, more ideas, more thoughts.

We didn't get around to filling them – I didn't have the soil at the time and I'd only asked for their help until lunch. But it was a great morning, good company, solid workmanship, and practical people solving problems!

Need to do more group working bees. Or even social afternoons, where people can keep their hands busy and just hang out.

I filled the beds with a combination of the mulch that was delivered to my driveway (about 6 cubic metres of it), and the diggings out from the lower chook yard, which hasn't been dug out in...just about ever? Some pretty good quality chook scratchings there!

(Bonus: the guy who I got the mulch from was supposed to invoice me, but he hasn't so...free mulch? He probably saved on the tip fees.)

So it was mulch, chicken yard scratchings, then a layer of sieved compost into which the plants went.

I am indebted to the teenaged garden worker who helped shovel at least three to four of those cubes of mulch – a good kid, I've hired him before to help out. He's nearly adult now, and going to start his own business. Holy moly, they grow fast.

So far as I can tell I planted out:
CAULIFLOWER: Broccolo di Bassano
BROCCOLI: Aurora
BROCCOLI: Di Ciccio
CABBAGE: Savoy Verona Purple
SILVERBEET (Gerry from Crop Swap)
CAVOLO NERO (Gerry from Crop Swap)
BEETROOT (Detroit, various)
CABBAGE: Wombok

And some SNAKE BEANS, because the last ones did just so well, although now they have spidermites, and I really should have cut them down a week ago.

AND there's a WATERMELON hiding in the leaves! Along with a number of PUMPKINS. But pumpkins are old hat. Although one of them is a Very Cool Shape. We're going to have to start eating more pumpkins. Brett and Nici of Limestone Permaculture go through heaps of them, in salads and in soups and all kinds of things. Need to do more of those.

MANGOES are steady (and delicious), and so are the PERSIMMONS – maybe just a little underripe? But I like them on the softer side, while B1 likes them crunchy like an apple. Alas, the POMEGRANATE only had three fruit this year – one got eaten before it was ripe. The second got infected by fruit fly before I picked it. The third...is sitting on the tree, waiting for this weekend, after which it will get picked.

There's a few things waiting on the weekend to be picked other than the pomegranate– the last couple of mangoes, a cucumber or two, and I think some eggplants.

A solar battery should be installed by the end of next month. Possibly by the end of this month? One hopes so. And, damn, I need to tell the installer that we're going for the larger size. Also installed in a slightly different place to where we initially agreed.

That, or I'm going to have to move the watertank. That will be An Undertaking And A Half.

Anyway, tomorrow looms. I feel my garden isn't very impressive, but familiarity breeds contempt and comparisons only serve to make us bitter.

The goal for hosting a garden on the trail is to inspire others to growing even a little of their own food. We all need to ease ourselves off the utter dependence on the industrial food chain.

dear diary: 20th October and previous weeks

OBSERVATIONS:

I've been gone six weeks and the garden has changed...significantly.

For starters, I left in late winter, and returned mid-spring and EVERYTHING IS GROWING.

The weather has turned hot and dry, with a couple of temps at 35-40C. Unfortunately, the watering system in the back is leaking and I need to fix it before I can properly water the back. DAMMIT. I guess that might end up being a job for Saturday perhaps?

In the front triangle, the PERSIMMON has grown back super-thick and leafy, and I'm thinking it's going to need some trimming so it doesn't get too out of hand. It's shading the space where I was growing tomatoes and some pumpkins, thinking that it would take longer for the shade to hit. But no, apparently not. So both the CITRUS and the bed I had behind the STONE arein full shade.

The beds I planted have overgrown, and while things are surviving in there, nothing is really thriving, thanks to the heat and the lack of watering. B1 couldn't really manage it, which isn't surprising, and I didn't have the watering system properly set up, unfortunately.

Several of the grafts took, but some didn't.

The APRICOTS on the TWO STONE took, (the cherries did not)

The PLUMS on the PLUM took (the cherries did not) (I'm seeing a pattern with the cherries.)

Something that concerns me is a kind of fungus that seems to be growing out of the cambium layer of the tree – I think it's because the sealant stayed on too long – the full six weeks, instead of being taken off at three or four weeks. I've taken it all off now, but...we might have to wait and see if I've killed the trees entirely.

Next job is to trim down the scion trees, because they're entirely too vigourous right now.

Neither of the APRICOTS, nor the STONE fruit APRICOT, nor the FOUR-APPLE are flowering. Not at all. The GOLDEN DELICIOUS APPLE is flowering a little, and the GALA usually comes in late, but it's also not looking great. Don't think this is going to be a good year for apples, anyway...

Somewhat surprisingly the WHITE MULBERRY in the chook pen survived. It even has a little fruit on it. I should pick those off before they get much bigger.

The WHITE SAPOTE is almost dead, the BLACK SAPOTE is surviving. The ICE CREAM BEAN is comfortably in the fake barrel along with...another tree that I don't know.

Almost all the COFFEE seedlings dried out. And several of the LYCHEE trees are on the blink. B1 insists she watered them enough but I have my doubts.

I suspect the FIG strikings that I took have failed, but one of the branches from the BLACK GENOA that got worm eaten has survived and has a leaf on it.

PASSIONFRUIT vine is probably dead. KUMQUAT has survived, although isn't looking great.

MANGO has a bajillion little fruits on it, and I'm going to have to keep that one watered properly this summer. And that's going to be an effort and a half!

the GRAPE is doing wonderfully, thanks very much. I need to get some kind of a frame up so that we have a hope of growing it for shade, maybe? IDK. B1 and I are on two pages about that. She wants a shade that we can pull back (ie. Man-made mechanical), I'm for the grape in summer and bare in winter.

CHOOKS:

All seem healthy and laying (except Carambah, who has an implant and shouldn't be laying at all). Life rolls on without Dr. Kerry, and she's in the freezer awaiting the moment for burial. Also, a location.

Currently TRACTOR is on CREPE-APRICOT, should stay there until early November

COMPOST:

I thought it had dried out while I was away, but the temp in it was just under 'steady', and when I turned it on Tuesday 21st it was damp (but not moist) and most of the non-fibrous things had decomposed. I turned it and covered it with sacking.

Lawn guy came this afternoon, said it was okay mowing the leaves, but ended up leafblowing most of it to the edges of the garden. Oh well. I'm going to have to whip out the mower myself on Friday and give it a good going-over. Then use the leaves as mulch.

PREPARING:

I'm pretty much preparing for the Sydney Edible Garden Trail in March 2026. I want to showcase how much can be grown in a small space, and effectively using chickens.

That would mean I'd have the chooks on one of the tractor beds. And I need to make a decision about which one. My instincts say that the AVO-SHED would be best: it's a good visual, and it's difficult to grow things in there. So I need to do any growing in the AVO-SHED ASAP in the next six months with an eye to having the girls on it by early March

FORWARDTHOUGHTS:

AVO-SHED
thoughts: not a lot of sun happening here, things tend to grow badly when they grow at all now that the avo is next door. I wonder if some careful planting and feeding might do a better job now?
Perhaps try a ZUCCHINI, assorted BEANS and some LEAFY GREENS (SILVERBEET) – going to need to feed and water them hard.

CREPE - should be ready by early November
- plant the GLASS GEM CORN in this bed, with ZUCCHINI and TOMATO and BEANS

APPLE-CREPE
- BEANS, ZUCCHINI, TOMATO

PLUM-STONE

DRIVEWAY WICKING
- plant the COUNTRY GENTLEMEN CORN in this bed, in a triangle at the top left corner (around the watering pipe)
- CUCUMBER along the back edge
- SNAKE BEANS along the back edge
- BEETROOT and SILVERBEET spaced through the middle
- BUSH BEANS along the front

HARDWARE WORK:

1. Watering System

2. Garden seat

3. Take the TRIANGLE beds out and consolidate into a single bed

4. Make up the IBC bed on the porch

SEEDING:

So many things need planting, especially for the SEGT 2026, which is in March (I think).

21st -22nd and 27th - 28th
CORN – Country Gentleman, Glass Gem
CUCUMBER – Burpless
ZUCCHINI – black beauty
PUMPKIN – musquee du provence
ROCKMELON – zdenka's?

Also: SILVERBEET, SPINACHES, maybe WATER SPINACHES?

PLANTING OUT:

Nothing to plant out. Anything I seeded back in August is pretty much dead.

HARVEST

FEEDING:

Fed the potatoes shop potash. Or phosphate. Hm. I have a feeling it was phosphates.

Need to try actual wood ash from Sue's fireplace next time.

Found this advice about POTATOES on the internet:
Leaf mulch, compost, blood and bone, potatoes, compost, leaf mulch
planted in June
watered very regularly
fertilised halfway through growing season – potash

she had some really good potatoes in October after planting in June.

Was wondering if I could do the same from the August planting by December in the small vegepod on the path...

LET OPERATION POTATO COMMENCE!

PRUNING:

Honestly, everydamnthing in the garden needs pruning.

Dear Diary: 21st March - Equinoctal prepping for Winter

OBSERVATIONS:

Crazy hot Monday, rather warm Thursday, warm Friday

A lot of the brassicas I planted out last week died in the heatwave, but I have taken steps to try to ensure the remainder survive, watering them even in the middle of heatwaves and such...

CHOOKS:

Kerry is laying soft-shelled eggs. We're trying to up her calcium using yoghurt, egg shells, and various greens. We'll see how she goes. But, yeah. Might be time for her to take an implant.

COMPOST:

Haven't been making any. I want to turn the compost in the outer bay, just to make sure it's thoroughly decomposed, but haven't had the time or energy.

SEEDING:

The lines of CARROTS I planted out in the midst of the brassicas are going well.

I think I was going to plant something else but I don't remember what anymore.

PLANTING OUT:

Might have to plant out the rest of the BRASSICAS that I planted (the Sprouting BROCCOLI is the one that actually grew well.

HARVEST:

Picked the last of the PERSIMMONS. Uh. There were a few. Just a few... I dried the previous lot, and they're great for snacks!

Got one CAPSICUM (chocolate), and one CUCUMBER (pickle, bought from Bunnings, mostly succumbed to mildew although not as fast, in the APPLE-CREPE bed)

FEEDING:

Fed the BRASSICAS with seaweed solution and with the biogrow solution. Water for the next week, then another feeding, maybe.

I should feed the CORN with the biogro and seaweed solution. Also the CAPSICUM which has fruit growing on it.

PRUNING:

I'm going to need to do some serious work on the trees this year. Might need to borrow James' chainsaw again.

The PERSIMMON definitely needs a big prune, also possibly a top lop. Most things need a top lop, because they just sprout back.

I'm thinking about making some kind of 'dual espalier' for the neco-peach tree, to make it easier to harvest and net. Espalier is definitely an excellent way to do it...

DONE

I made a 'netting cage' for the BRASSICAS next to the DRIVEWAY. The issue there is mostly going to be one of watering, because the space dries out really fast. So getting enough water there is going to be the tricky part. But the netting cage should do something towards keeping the white butterfly moths off.

Now to do something like that for the backyard. Hm. I wonder if I could take the hoopsfrom the fruit trees and 'cross' them over the CREPE-APRICOT bed, although I'd need much better stakes for setting them in the ground... Might be better than my usual attempt?

THOUGHTS:

Thinking about digging up/cutting down the second white nectarine (that doesn't do as well, usually succumbs to mold) and replacing it with the APRICOT. But would that be too warm a place for it to fruit? IDEK.

Dear Diary: autumn harvests

OBSERVATIONS:

Nice cool weather, then suddenly a mad heatwave.

The CORN in the APPLE-CREPE is growing decently but not super-well. I think it may need a more steady water supply: that was what did it for the vegepod corn by the driveway. I haven't worked out how to do this from the water tank right now, but I guess I'm going to need to.

CHOOKS:

Looks like Haamyu has finally laid! We found a very long, oval-ish egg, along with the two from our regular Lockdown Ladies (Gladys and Kerry). Siyao does a slightly longer egg, and Goong does a perfect but petite egg. So we think it must be Haamyu,because she was feeling very 'full' a day or two ago and she seems to feel better now.

I finally dealt with the weevil-infested chook seeds. A giant sack of them that was basically riddled. To the point where the dead piled up thick enough that you can barely see the tile underneath. Maybe I can now start sorting that corner of the porch?

PREPARING:

Set up a garden bed under the frangipani, but it's not very deep. I really do need to get a mattock and dig the soil up properly, to give vegies a decent chance.

Planning to put a garden bed in between the APPLE ESPALIER and the DUAL STONE, although the watering will, again, be a problem. May need a sister's help.

Netting over the seedlings to protect them from brassica moth.

SEEDING:

Planted out a bunch of other BRASSICAS about a week ago: CABBAGE: golden acre, red acre. MUSTARD GREENS yukina Savoy. BROCCOLI sprouting (home seed) – all of them have geminated, CAULIFLOWER macerata greens.

I have a feeling at least some of the failed ones should probably be grown later in the season. But I'm too busy trying to work out what should be planted when.

PLANTING OUT:

The various BRASSICAS have been planted out. Note: leaving them in the seedling tray for another couple of weeks helped them grow that much more sturdy before planting out. Unfortunately, I planted them out right before a heatwave weekend, so...we'll see how many of them survive! BROCCOLI is Monty F1, CAULIFLOWER is F1 Serenity, and maybe one CAULIFLOWER Snowball

HARVEST:

PERSIMMONS are still going. The ones that are under the netting are ripening so much slower – and also growing so much larger than the ones that came before. It's kind of amazing.

Have finished harvesting APPLES: the last of the golden delicious, and they are huge!Dark spots on the skin appear to be like some kind of spore that rubs off with a cloth. I have no idea what and should go look it up.

The POMEGRANATES were amazing this year. I got at least twenty of them, and turned about 8-10 of them into pomegranate molasses. Used it for basting goose with a little left over and it was amazing.

Otherwise, there are two PUMPKINS (galeax d'eysine) and a handful of RASPBERRIES – I think they're the autumn canes, not the spring ones. We seem to have more Autumn canes than spring ones. A TOMATO here and there. A couple of EGGPLANTS, a CUCUMBER, but not that much.

FEEDING:

The big thing right now is watering. All the seedlings need seasol, especially the BRASSICAS in the DRIVEWAY bed.

PRUNING:

I can get the garden guy to do the pruning, but the chipping is going to be a different matter. I wonder who up and down the street might have an electric/petrol chipper... That, or working out who can do some electrical/motor repairs...

THOUGHTS:

What if, for planting, I set up envelopes by month? JANUARY – roots, fruits, leaves FEBRUARY – roots fruits leaves, etc. And then ALL YEAR or something like that? IDK. Maybe it needs to be more carefullly managed than that.

Planting mixed seeds in a tray of soil, then planting that out seems to work pretty well for things like lettuce and beetroot – those have been doing well. Not sure about the onions. I have yet to manage some good onions that I didn't have to leave for two years to get to a decent size.

Plans for Saturday

I have the minister's teenage son coming around to help me do some work on Saturday afternoon. A young strong back, I hope! I remember him as slim and sweet-faced, but that was when he was 13 and boys change a lot as they grow. Anyway.

Prep

• dig up galangal out of lounge room vegepod
• acquire chainsaw/lopper
• acquire wooden pallets
• spray Slasher weedkiller under frangipani

plans for front lounge bed/tunnel

• dig trench for sugarcane
• chop up sugarcane for planting
• plant sugarcane & galangal

plans for chook yard

• take out sunflower branches
• rake up chook deep litter
• dig up fig, put in black box
• make platform for chook feeder
• dig hole for mulberry along boundary line
• dig hole for kumquat along fenceline (inside)
• (dig hole for apricot, lychee, apple along outside fenceline, staggered with kumquat)

plans for fruit trees

• trim dual stone fruit down significantly
• dig out dead apricot

other things

• chip all the waste
• make a compost

No idea if I'll get it all done - I only have him for a couple of hours, but going to give it a red hot go!

Dear Diary: 14th March 2024

OBSERVATIONS & WEATHER:

A few rainy days going forth, I was planning to get a bunch of seedlings in but didn't manage to do so.
Edit: I put a bunch more in just this afternoon in 10-minute spaces of time.

CHOOKS:

Goong is broody. Again. Everyone is laying, just a little irregularly. The chooks are about due for another alpha-miting so they're not putting all their energy into fighting the little buggers off.
Edit: alpha-mited the water

COMPOST:

Sieved about a black box of compost, dumped on the LOWER TRIANGLE bed.

PREPARING:

LOWER TRIANGLE has been covered with chopped bits, bought-compost, and home-compost. This is in prep for...GARLIC, I think. I hope! (I thought I ordered some, but I can't find a record of it and nothing seems to be arriving.)

FRANGIPANI GRASS needs slasher weedkiller on it. Should have done before the rain. (Should have done everything before the rain. ARGH.)

SEEDS:

I received a bunch of winter leafy greens from Digger, haven't planted them out. I planted out a bunch of BEETROOT, SPRING ONION, SPINACH, and I think even KALE seeds the other week, and most of them have germinated and are little sprouty things.

Have the seeds from the Giant Pumpkin Of Longlast and will be sowing them next summer.

PLANTING OUT:

BEETROOT, ONION, SPRING ONION, SPINACH – planting some of these out in the APPLE-CREPE (and I think some in the CREPE-APRICOT, but I think those have died).

WASABI – into a small self-watering pot, I think, at least at first

LOTUS – various pots without holes so they can grow.

HARVEST:

Too late to get the last of the BASIL, but it was purchased, not grown from seed. It lasted all summer and gave us a solid crop, and a supply of BASIL, so I'll say it was a success.

FEEDING:

Should feed the CORN in the CREPE-APRICOT. I'm sure I have some chook manure somwhere.

PRUNING:

Once again, it is late summer/early autumn, and everything needs pruning. It's such a pain. I need to look into a chainsaw or lopper.

The cliveas between the CHERRY and the DONUT PEACH need thinning out. They're beautiful and huge but rather too much.

THOUGHTS:

Need to work out how to manage the chook yard. Needs something that can take a bit of extra nitrogen, particularly along the northern line of the fence. The fig tree isn't doing well because it has too much TO DO

• clear out the pond
• pull TOMATOES and hang in shed
• sow random BRASSICAS (leafy greens) in AVO-SHED
• slasher weedkiller on the Frangipani grass
• pH test the new soil (due to go in the persimmon/dual stone bed) for the GARLIC
• plant FAKE GALANGALalong gutterline in front of house

Dear Diary: 20th March

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.

diary: rain rain rain yet more rain

CHOOKS

I think there's a few mites who've come back. Once the weather clears sufficiently, I'll give the coop another spray, along with the triangle coop and the small shelter. I might leave the bottom tray off the chook roost since, according to Hannah from Goodlife Permaculture, the chooks don't need it - and her chooks are down in Tassie where they do get occasional snows.

But putting together a new coop is a priority, just as soon as I manage to gather the pieces, and the weather is decent enough to build the damn thing. Hopefully before next spring.

PRUNING & PREPARING

Trimmed down the picket fence bushes; they're going to need a whole lot more trimming. And maybe I'd be better off going at them with an articulated saw instead over the winter.

Going to need to make a decision about the passionfruit and where I should be encouraging it to grow. I have fencing, I just haven't set it up and I'm debating if I want to. If that's the place to be doing it.

Raspberries need tying up and fencing in. I should put a hook into that fence, suitable for binding up the canes, because they just end up crawling everywhere. Also, probably no autumn berries this year, dash it.

Was planning to do edge composting re: Limestone Permaculture around the bathtub garden. It just feels so bloody COLD right now!

SEED SAVING & PLANTING

I found a leek that has seeds, so that's seed saving. I used the leeks in a kedgeree - still have the green leaves, need to make a potato and leek soup. It'll use up some of the chicken stock in the freezer anyway.

I might end up planting my garlic in mid-April; now I have to work out where...

Otherwise, I haven't planted out my brassicas at all. I don't know where to put them since the beds I was planning for are all overgrown with pumpkin and melon and sweet potato vines. Need to plan that one better next time!

Garlic: planting guide at FB: I have Spanish Roja (Creole, possibly Rocambole), Rojo de Castro (Creole) Valiant (Turban), and Monaro Purple(Turban)

Glass Gem Corn seed saving: I saved a lot of seed and was originally planning to share it at the crop swap at Eden Gardens on the 3rd, but that's been cancelled. ARGH.

RIPENING

I have five pumpkins that have finally pollinated and are steadily growing. at least one appears to be a butternut, but the other three are likely sugar pumpkins. The pumpkins are always late in my garden, I don't know why. I'd really like an early pumpkin for storing.

I don't know about 'ripening' but the hops have flowered, but not very well.

The ginger is waterlogged and on the verge of rotting. I pulled out a piece yesterday, and it was sodden, but seems to be drying off quite nicely.

HARVEST

The taro plants have gone beserk. Seriously beserk. I'm probably going to have to cook some of it at some point. Trying to work out what I can make with it. Taro chips looks like a possibility.

NOTES

The Crop Swap that was planned for this weekend at Eden Gardens has been cancelled. ARGH. All the things I was hoping to swap are now defunct.

I had plans to pick up a wooden wardrobe for pumpkin and melon and potato storage but that's kind of fallen by the wayside due to no energy and no room.

late March

Life is kicking my ass again. As usual. I'm in the middle of the PDC with Limestone and it's really good. I'm not sure it's teaching me anything I didn't know, but it's reinforcing what I already did, and giving me the opportunity to see, think, reorient, and reassess my own permaculture methods and

CHOOKS

Seem a lot happier since the red mites problem was dealt with. Now I just have to clean out the underpart of their coop. And build them a new coop.

PRUNING & PREPARING

Pruned down the Dual Plum and 4-Apple, the Dual Plum needs a bit more work. And I need something to chip the damn branches with. Haven't quite gotten my chipper blades sorted out yet.

PLANTING

Haven't planted anything, although the PLUM-STONE is ready for it.

POLLINATION & RIPENING

Driveway pumpkins and melons are actually growing and flowering now, might get a couple of late ones. Need to remember to mark the pumpkin seeds as 'LATE' because it never takes off until late summer.

HARVEST

CORN - Country Gentleman type, I think.

NOTES

A Crop Swap on the first weekend in April, I believe. Eden Gardens. Could be good...
Lemongrass
comfrey
glass gem corn seeds
banana pups
turmeric (orange)
pineapple sage/mexican tarragon
mulberry

Dear Diary: quiet week

It seems La Nina is going to hang around for a couple of months - probably until May. By the time it moves on, then we're likely to have hit 'winter' in Sydney, which is...rain and grey days and temps under 20C... So they say the first good stretch of clear days is unlikely to be until around August.

That's a fair clip away. Guess we'll be dealing with mould growing on everything in the house for a while yet.

CHOOKS

I need to put a roof on the far chook pen, give them somewhere dryish in the rain. It won't hold out in the full blown downpour that we've been having, but it seems that this damp and rainy is going to go on for months.

I sprayed the coop with Coopex (permethrin) and while I'm quite satisfied with the results (omg, all the mites, holy cow) it's a little daunting to realise just how bad the mite problem was. It's also made me resolve to never do another wooden coop. Metal coops/sheds all the way from hereon in! I should probably spray the small triangle coop, too. The main issue with the permethrin is that apparently it doesn't break down which...is a bit worrying!

PLANNING for PLANTING

Garlic
Onions
carrots
beetroot
leeks
broccoli
potatoes

I haven't actually done any winter prep. Been too busy trying to manage the bug situation.

PRUNING AND SPRAYING

Majorly carved down the DUAL PLUM and the 4-APPLE, but I think the DONUT PEACH still needs work and possibly the AVOCADO. There's a 'chipper day' up in Westleigh where you can take your branches for chipping and even get the chips back. I kind of wish they had one like Ryde council does, which is where you put out your stuff for chipping and they bring the chipping machine around and give you the chips back. So much more convenient. I have a lot of material to get chipped...

Going to need a decent break in the weather to get the copper sulfate and lime sulfate spraying done.

HARVEST

A few tomatoes, nice and big, if not pretty.

NOTES

the rain steady drumming on the roof above my head...

With all the floods up and down the east coast of Australia, I'm fine, my family's fine, all the friends I know in the hardest hit areas are alive and well and their houses have been spared.

I give grateful thanks for that providence.

Doesn't change that a lot of other people are now stuck without homes, many of them without hope, and they're not getting much encouragement or hope or leadership from the parties in power who believe in hauling oneself up by one's own bootstraps, never mind if you're barefoot.

Mostly, at my place, it's rain. Endless rain - and it may be May, or even later, before we see a significant break in the weather. But all I need is a few days between downpours and I think I can manage this.

Right now, the watertank is 95-100% full and keeps getting filled.

In between storms I'm pumping the excess into this bin.

And in the bottom of the bin is a pump that's pumping the water up to the 'triangle orchard/garden':

It's complicated and not a great way to do it, but the bin is there anyway to deal with the runoff from the eaves (the gutter above it has something in it that blocks the rain; this has been a problem for two years. And the water goes into the garden and the soil absorbs it. I'll take it.