The mung bean bed was a spur of the moment thing that paid off. I had a bed dug at the mid levels and a pack of mung beans that had beetles, which I was using for sprouts for the chickens. So I took a handful of beans down and tossed them on.
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Sowing into no-dig beds
With another series of rain days forecast, it seems a good opportunity for sowing into no dig beds that I made a few weeks ago. We have been busy with visitors for that time, so yesterday was my first chance to get down and have a look at how the hay rows are doing.
Read MoreThree sisters at 10 weeks.
The Three Sisters are one of my experimental plots. Having the space and climate means that I can give things a try, and as I outlined in my previous update, the Three Sisters mix of maize, beans and melons is a technique that I have wondered about, which seems pretty neat and sustainable. The Red Aztec maize that I planted seemed to do well through our dry Spring, and I only watered it when it wilted. The rain finally came nearly 3 weeks ago, and here’s a photo of the…
Read MoreNo-dig beds: A trial.
No-dig beds are a great idea, incorporating easy establishment of new garden beds with minimal disturbance to the soil. Permaculture, intensive horticulture, organic gardening; there are plenty of techniques to follow in your garden, and a purist might decide on one, rigorously apply it, and actively defend or promote it. I’m more interested in what works, and if that means different techniques for different spots, then great.
Read MoreSunflowers for Christmas
They’ve had a season of mixed fortunes, but by a combination of hardiness and good fortune, the sunflower beds have made it through to flowering, and will be putting on a show for Christmas.
Read MoreMung beans – good and quick.
What do you plant when you’ve got to the end of your sowing list? Mung beans are a good way to fill a spare bed. I prepared a bed down at the main vegetable garden but didn’t have anything that urgently needed sowing. So on a whim I thought that mung beans out of the pantry might be a good summer crop.
Read MoreThe solar pump – technology to the rescue.
The solar pump at the dam has a story. When we first moved in and had a chat with the previous owner, they said to be careful with machinery down by the dam, as there are solar panels and a pump down there. So we pushed through the shoulder-high grass and eventually found a change of level underfoot. Beneath a thick layer of grass that had fallen over everything we eventually located panels, then the electrical control box, and to our surprise, when the grass was off the panels the…
Read MoreGrowing okra: another drought star.
I’m an okra growing novice. I have always liked it, and bought it when it looked good in the greengrocer, but I have never seen it growing and could possibly be the first in my family to try it. But so far I’m impressed with growing okra, as it’s stayed unwiltingly defiant through our dry spring.
Read MoreSeed saving – the spring crop.
Seed saving. It seems like everyone’s doing it, and it’s a good job for a warm and breezy Sunday afternoon. Today I got my saved seeds into ziplock bags, and it gave me new enthusiasm to get out sowing. While I think of seed saving as putting away seeds for next year, some crops like lettuce can be sowed back straight away.
Read MoreDig up, hoe back, rake over. Making a new garden bed
I’ve settled on a process for making new beds. I’ve tried a few ways, from no-dig, through hoeing, to digging, and for the new plots on the Mid-levels where the soil is deep, digging is definitely the way to go.
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