New tomato bed ready

I prepared the new bed that I will be planting tomatoes in next April after the wet season ends.
I had this extra "wheelie bin" and half filled it with some leftover mulch, then kept topping it up with garden clippings, seaweed etc.  I did not mix it like I do the other compost.  It just showed the difference that mixing makes as the top part had not composted much at all.  Also this bin is not open at the bottom. The uncomposted bits went deep into this pit, covered by the richer black gold that I found on the bottom of the bin.  I have a sheet of plywood submersed so that I  have an access path in front of the tomato bed.  I found this worked really well to tip the bin over onto its side and use the lid to support a bucket that I kept filling up and transporting to different parts of the garden.  The other bin next to it has leaf mould, which is busy maturing. 

I also used some of the rich black compost to build up around some of my ginger plants.
I also added a layer to the top of my compost bin.  This might add some extra little goodies to the mix.
The jicama is starting to flower - it seems earlier than last year - good, maybe I will get some large tubers.

I read somewhere that you should remove the flowers and pods so that the plant will form bigger tubers.  It is probably a good idea to do that anyway as the flowers and pods are poisonous.

Now I have an empty wheelie bin.  When I go to collect my free mulch in a couple of weeks time I will fill it up with mulch. That will be handy to have on hand. I think it works better as a mulch container than a compost bin.

Comments

  1. looks like it will be a nice place with great soil for your tomatoes!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. thanks Wendy, and I am so glad that this time I prepared the bed well in advnace of when I will need it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's neat to see someone else putting in their tomato beds right when mine are giving up the ghost. I'm in full daydream/planning mode right now for next season!

    I'd love it if you'd consider submitting your ginger post to the new blog carnival I'm hosting. A lot of people don't know that growing their own ginger is as easy as planting the rhizomes from the grocery. Here's the link to the carnival:

    http://www.appalachianfeet.com/2010/11/12/how-to-join-the-new-blog-carnival-called-how-to-find-great-plants/

    ReplyDelete

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