Mulching Your Container Garden

Mulching Your Container Garden

Worm farming for beginners

Worm farming for beginners

Organic Soil for Containers

Organic Soil for Containers

Spring time is nearly here

Its a lovely spring day and I have been out in the garden at last. I bought a small greenhouse during the winter and have some seedlings growing there now. Tomatoes and chilli peppers are sprouting well and I also have some very healthy looking beetroot seedlings. My winter crops are just about over. I have to say that I have been disappointed with my broccoli. the heads have been very small. I think I will have to have another look at things to do to improve the size. I have also planted cucumbers and water melons in the greenhouse beds because my plastic cover will keep things very huimid in there during the summer. No sign of them yet but they have only been there for a week or so. This afternoon I will plant some borlotti beans in the garden bed. Hopefully the garden is sheltered enough to miss any late frosts

Winter is coming in and there is less to do in the garden. I have raked up the leaves from the big trees and prepared a leaf mulch for next year. Easy enough to do, I just ran the lawnmower over the piles of leaves and emptied the catcher into black rubbish sacks. I added some water to the leaves and tied the sacks with flax. Then I made some holes with a stick and left them to rot down.
I have made a couple of new beds and prepared them with compost and last year's leaf mulch. I also planted some peas which I don't expect will have much fruit with the weather cooling like it has been but will provide a green manure base for the veges I grow there in the spring.
For the winter I have planted lots of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and silver beet. And this seems to be doing very well.
I have had a couple of feeds from my spinach and this morning I picked another dozen tomatoes. Probably the last of the tomatoes I think but I have had a good run from them and I am pleased that they have done so well in what has been a poor year for tomatoes for many people I have spoken to.
Amazingly I am still picking one or two strawberries! However there was a frost this morning down on the flat nearby so although I didn't get it yet here on the hill I expect that I will soon, so they will go to sleep.
I have a pot full of parsley that I planted from my own seeds at the beginning of autumn and although it's not big enough to harvest yet it will do me good for the spring. I still have lots of seeds that I will plant by the patio in the spring in the hope that it will keep the sand flies away. Not sure if that will work but I read an old gardening book that recommended it so here's hoping.

Organically growing...

a community! I went to the Sustainable Home and Garden Show in Paraparaumu on Saturday. I was pleasantly surprised that the show seemed to be well organised and that there were a huge amount of people who were willing to give information rather than just try to sell something. I have made some great contacts and have been asked along to something called a Seedy Sunday in a couple of weeks to exchange seeds and ideas with other like minded organic growers. Of course I picked up a few freebies such as seeds, sprouts, eco light bulb and some information about various organic and sustainable groupings. It pleased me to realise how many people in our district were obviously interested in a more sustainable lifestyle. And of course the weather came to the party with a beautiful autumn Kapiti day.
In my own garden I have planted out most of my cabbage, broccoli, Chinese cabbage and spinach seedlings now and I am hoping for a bit more sun to ensure that I can get some beans in for the spring. Looks good today so maybe when I get home from work. Although with daylight saving I am not sure what time it will get dark.
Happy gardening

Autumnal days

The sun is out but it's not too hot. The passion fruit from next door's vines have come through my fence and are dropping their fruit on my side. It would be a shame not to eat them so I had one on my cornflakes this morning. Yum. My basil is growing really well so I will harvest some this afternoon and make up a pesto to eat with a little pasta and a nicely chilled chardonnay.
My poor old lemon tree which I hacked into, and nearly killed, several years ago has really responded well to my organic treatments of coffee, manure and wormcasts plus a monthly spraying with seaweed tea. It now has more lemons than I can remember it ever having before and of course they are in different stages so hopefully I won't get a glut all at once.
Tomatoes are still ripening and the pumpkins are still swelling. My seedling greens look healthy and hopefully will be strong enough to withstand the frost when it comes, probably in about 6 weeks or so.
Unbelievably I am still picking strawberries almost every day. This has definitely been my best ever year for them - I reckon that manure base and regular feeding has been perfect for them.