Don't harvest something you have just planted!

I had a bit of a slump in the garden - life took over, and I just never seemed to find the time to get out there.  This last weekend I found two and a half glorious free hours so I rushed around doing an amazing amount of gardening in that short time.  I have noticed cockroaches in the compost bin and think it must be because I have not been mixing it as often as before.  I think we are just about ready for a new bin - this one is collapsing, the next one will go against the back fence.   I am wondering about moving my lime tree out of the pot and into that space vacated by the bin.  That soil must be amazing by now, it seems silly not to use it for something.  I am still not a huge fan of fruit trees in pots.  It is called a patio lime so I imagine will be able to be kept small with pruning in the ground.
 The bottom section of the herb spiral is where I normally plant my parsley but this year I have parsley in odd pots around the garden and they seem to be doing well.

 When my friend who grows prize winning gerberas was thinning hers out and asked me if I wanted some I jumped at the chance.  I think the herb spiral will be perfect as it gets quite a bit of sun.  I also had a packet of zinnia seeds and those got scattered in the area where I have continually sown silverbeet which just does not seem to like my garden. That's OK really because silverbeet is not my most favorite vegetable anyway - so there!  I will just have flowers instead!.  I am calling the herb spiral overgrown, not weedy :)

 Half of the compost from the bottom of the bin was dug out and spread around the veggie patch - the cucumber vine was struggling with powdery mildew so that was ripped out and snow peas were planted on that trellis.

Another area was allocated to lettuces, and the corn area has now been cleared and broccoli tape was planted there. This is the tape I received from mrfothergills  - I am really liking the tape. I got a coir seed starting block and have found it really useful to sprinkle over seeds as I plant them.  It is nice and fine, and I only add water to the little bit I am going to use.  The rest stays compressed.

 I see MrFothergills also now have microgreens - that is what I really am doing in the garden this year with my bok choy and lettuces.  Planting them very thickly and then harvesting leaves at a very young age.  I find this way I get to the leaves before the bugs find them, or maybe they are confused by the quantity, but I am definitely harvesting more greens this way than I ever have before.  Happy me :)  I still have those grass seeds that I cannot use - please contact me if you want them.
 Now to explain the title of this post: My dear hubby is not much of a gardener, but he does wander through and pick up fallen passion-fruit, and pick the papayas as they get ripe.   At the markets I had purchased a sprouting choko as the lady told me it was the right time to plant.  She told me I had been planting them the wrong way and the way to do it was just to lay the choko into a slight depression and the roots would find their own way down. The last one must have rotted away in the ground. My little choko was carefully placed in the garden on Sunday, and Monday I came home to find it in the fruit basket - my hubby thought it had fallen from somewhere (I don't know where) and harvested it!  It is nicely tucked in again in its bed of mulch!


As I was admiring the huge gorgeous moon the other night I thought - oops!  I probably planted all my seeds at the wrong time!  Oh well I had to use my time when it became available so hopefully the plants grow and flourish anyway, despite my erratic gardening schedule.

Comments

  1. It all looks good. I see weeds as food for the compost :) love the choko story, I can imagine my husband doing the same!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liz,
      Very true - I let them wilt and die on the pathways first though.

      Delete
  2. Hubby was just trying to help.....still made me laugh though.
    You're so lucky that you can grow snow peas there. I love them and when I see them in the supermarket, the price is way high.
    Keeping my fingers crossed for you that your choko grows big and healthy and produces lots of chokos. My girlfriend's vine runs up into one of her mango trees and always has quite a few, and I can assure you that they taste great.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Virginia,
      very true - I got the OK from him before I posted this story! They really only grow if we have a cold winter and this one is turning out that way!

      Delete
  3. Great selection you have in your garden Gill. I also get cockroaches in my compost...didn't know what I was doing wrong.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sami,
      I find it is better if I stir often - I haven't had the time lately.

      Delete
  4. We didn't even see the supermoon and my choko is just starting to sprout... Note to self "tell Steve about the choko planting regime BEFORE you plant it!" ;)

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  5. Lucky you, getting all that help from your hubby :-) Loved the choko story!

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  6. Oh that is a cute story about the choko!!You should try it with some things from the supermarket , like a giant watermelon etc and see if it he brings those inside too.

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  7. Ha! I love the Choko harvesting that your husband did! I have one who does similar things!! - K xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. K,
      I suppose I know every inch and cannot imagine mistaking it, but he is not the gardener.

      Delete
  8. Love your blog your garden looks amazing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Milow,
      thank you - it gives me lots of pleasure

      Delete

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