We tackled a big task this week: completely renovating our largest raised garden bed. We had this idea a month or so ago, that the dwarf nectarine which we were growing in a large pot, might do better in this bed, whilst also providing some shade to other plants in the summer.
We thought we could also put the cumquat (also in a pot) into this bed: citrus shade is not very dense so the other herbs we grow here won't be struggling for light. This bed is on the west so can get quite hot. We have a shade sail (50%) which we put over it during the height of summer.
We want bigger crops from both of these trees , but do not want either of them in the ground where they might get too big. As our weather has been quite mild, we were worried the nectarine would start new leaves soon, so we needed to get on to it!
The bed got a spa treatment: home made compost, rock minerals, fertiliser, mushroom compost and mulch. I had all of the ingredients already here, apart from the mushroom compost which was recommended for the worms, so I guess it cost about $10 to do this bed, plus about $2 for the plastic pot saucers we are using for the tower lids.
DH had been taken with the idea of providing each tree with a 'worm tower" and to this end, went and chatted up a young neighbour who has been doing the most monster renovation on his place. DH had noticed a large diameter plastic pipe in the rubbish pile, which he thought would do nicely for the worm towers. The neighbour was happy to pass it on.
DH drilled holes all down the sides, then we buried them up to their necks near each tree. With some mushroom compost and food scraps in the bottom, we added our own compost worms. These will escape via the holes to do their magic in the beds, but return to the towers for the food we provide. As it is a raised bed which sits on a concrete pad that was here when we bought the house, the worms won't escape further into the garden. There is one worm tower near each tree, providing wonderful food for them.
One of DH's friends has given us more worms, so we can add more towers around the garden. The only trouble will be that I now have 4 compost bins and two worm towers and one worm farm, all needing vegetable matter! I may have to turn to my neighbours for food scraps soon.
The Drylands Permaculture farm is north of here, in the drier and hotter Geraldton area. I have bought Yilgarn seeds from them before. I appreciate the way their seeds are adapted to our growing conditions -if they survive in Geraldton they should be good here.
I have some lovely new varieties to try:
Asparagus Peas
East Indian Clove basil
White Flowering Catnip
Laos Tiger Green Stripe Eggplant
Palestinian Za'atar;
and Dongara Long white apple cucumber.
As a result of the renovated garden bed, I have now two large pots for my summer tomatoes. Wouldn't it be great if I actually got a glut of tomatoes this year?
We are planning a really good spring/summer season.
1 comment:
You are very organized.
I should think about what to plant in winter....
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