Getting ready for the new season
I have spent time out in the garden the last two weekends, and everything is looking much tidier now. . The asian greens I planted in the boxes seem to be doing ok and in fact are just loving all the rain. The taller box is waiting to have tomatoes planted in there. Since I have bacterial wilt in the soil regular tomatoes have to be planted in potting mix.
The coffee tree came out a couple of weeks ago since it was getting diseases and generally taking up too much room. The green peppercorn vine has been happily taking over the whole area during the wet season while nobody was watching, so that got a very severe cutting back. It supposedly only fruits on new growth and I see a few peppercorns, so once those are harvested it will get even more of a prune.
That opened up this area quite a bit and I have planted corn behind the compost bin (the soil is lovely there!) and trombocino squash against the fence. Cucumbers against the trellis.
The little greenhouse has some seedlings I have started. - yellow cherry tomatoes, tatsoi.
I then cleared out the center bed, and added compost and lime. I have not limed for quite a few seasons, and assume it probably needs lime since compost is my main soil amendment. The soil looks lovely and loose and friable and filled with earthworms. In a couple of weeks I will direct plant beetroot, silverbeet and kale into this space. The turmeric can stay there and only be dug up if I need the space for something else.
I planted out a few assorted greens into the empty boxes. Parsley and warrigal greens.
My ginger didn't really do so well this year and I think I should plant something else there, but it is a bit shady. I might try some cherry tomatoes anyway just because that area has never had tomatoes. I have pruned the barbadoes cherry down so that it is just one branch thickness so that might give the area enough light.
I love this time of year, with all the planning and planting, and best of all the temperature has dropped ever so slightly and it is downright pleasant out in the garden these days!
The little greenhouse has some seedlings I have started. - yellow cherry tomatoes, tatsoi.
I then cleared out the center bed, and added compost and lime. I have not limed for quite a few seasons, and assume it probably needs lime since compost is my main soil amendment. The soil looks lovely and loose and friable and filled with earthworms. In a couple of weeks I will direct plant beetroot, silverbeet and kale into this space. The turmeric can stay there and only be dug up if I need the space for something else.
My ginger didn't really do so well this year and I think I should plant something else there, but it is a bit shady. I might try some cherry tomatoes anyway just because that area has never had tomatoes. I have pruned the barbadoes cherry down so that it is just one branch thickness so that might give the area enough light.
I love this time of year, with all the planning and planting, and best of all the temperature has dropped ever so slightly and it is downright pleasant out in the garden these days!
There's always plenty to do in the garden Gill!
ReplyDeleteThat is true Sami, and once I get out there I can stay out for the whole day!
DeleteLoved seeing photos of your garden:) It's downright pleasant out in the garden here, too. I love this Autumn weather with it's cooler mornings and crisp evenings and temps under 30C. I've rejuvenated my main veg patch and have been working on smaller areas too. The first seedlings are in (kale, silverbeet, perpetual spinach) and more will follow soon. Today, I'm planting out some snow peas into hanging baskets where they can climb across a bit of old wire mesh my hubby has rigged up for me. This worked well last year. Then some lettuce and more clumping leeks. It's a beautiful and busy time in the garden. Meg:)
ReplyDeleteOh Meg I love that idea of the snow peas hanging down - I tried to do that with passionfruit, but my structure was too weak so it all slowly folded down :(. I love hanging produce and looking forward to seeing if the trombocino grow here. Snow peas like it a little colder than we normally have here, but with such a cold start I might give them a try.
DeleteIt's interesting. You are starting into your cooler season, we are starting our warmer season but we are both planning and planting. In Ontario we have to wait a couple more weeks before we really get into the garden but it's always nice to start a few things on the windowsill in anticipation of the warmth.
ReplyDeleteYes Jenny the only time we can grow "normal" vegetables is in our winter, which is not really winter at all by anyone elses standards!
DeleteThe gardens up north always look so lush. We had 8C this morning here on the Darling Downs so winter isn't all that far away and the frosts it brings as well so we have to be careful what we plant. However, the ginger and turmeric is growing really well and the warrigal greens are growing like weeds. We still have a few cucumbers and one zucchini plant decided to take off after the rain from TC Debbie which was only a few inches not like on the coast.
ReplyDeleteNanna Chel,
DeleteOooh that sounds cold! I find plants really love to be watered with the rain! I am hoping my timing was good and that my little seedlings get some decent rainfall to start them off.