64kg of Pumpkins!

Scarecrow’s Log: 10:05:2009:

What’s happening in the garden?

With the threat of frosts looming fast we have harvested the rest of the pumpkin (etc.) crop. Of course the Black Ninja had to help…we weighed the pumpkins…they totalled 64kgs all grown in Wicking Beds.
That should keep us in pumpkin soup, scones, fruit cake/muffins/rock cakes for a while not to mention roast pumpkin…Doc’s talking about drying some too.

In the Main Veg Garden

Propagation:
Seeds:
Cleared and roughly hoed some patches around the garden for a few small grain beds.

• Kamut Wheat Triticum persicum went into a fenced area in the chook run. that wheat is described as “Very large kernel, 2 to 3 times the size of contemporary wheat. Ancient grain thought to have originated in the fertile crescent.” by Eden Seeds

• Spelt Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta was planted in the unused chook run on the Northern side of the block.

• Some Barley Hordeum vulgare was planted at the back of the old chicken house in the same run, that will get water runoff from a neighbour’s shed roof (that has no gutters) and plus from the chook house roof.

• Over in the Almond area chook run (but out of any chookies reach!) I’ve planted some Oats Avena sativa.

While I was in the Almond area the pumpkin Wicking Worm Bed was cleared and topped up with soaked coir, old sheep manure, bagged compost and mineral mix. I additionally popped in some new worms from the worm farm as I didn’t notice many when I cleared the bed. The bed still worked well producing by 40kgs of pumpkins by the summer. that bed was not protected from

birds during summer…maybe they stole some of my wormies.

I have planted Broad Beans in that bed Early faraway Pods and Coles Early Dwarf. As they grow the bed will be mulched.

Potting up and Planting out:

Planted out some Red Onion seedlings (sown at the end of February). These went into the Wicking Worm Bed by the chicken house where the Jumbo Pink Banana pumpkins grew. The area where they were planted in did not have anything added to the soil as the soil is rich suitable for onions. As that bed isn’t in full sun during winter we removed the shadecloth cover and I’ve planted some Celery and Silverbeet seedlings along the shady side with some added compost there.

I planted the onions as Peter Cundall (ABC’s Gardening Australia past presenter) recommends by laying them flat on the surface of a trench and just covered their roots with soil.
“Just bury the roots with a little soil and, believe it or not, within a week the whole lot are standing up. That’s how simple it is.” so Pete says.

New or Found in the Garden that week:

Weekly Harvest Tally:
Doesn’t include Greens fed to the chooks on a daily basis or herbs picked for use in the kitchen for cooking or tea making.
Carrots Atomic Red***120g
Pumpkin Queensland Blue***13115g
Pumpkin Sampson***38671g
Pumpkin Jumbo Pink Banana***11339g
Zucchini Tromboncino***1495g
Tomato Ida Gold***100g
Apples Golden Delicious***2906g

Plus a yummy mix of greens for soups/stirfries/salads…Kale, Lettuce, Watercress, Chives, Parsley, Soup Celery, Beetroot, Turnip and Swede Greens.

Plus 2 Eggs from the girls. I think we need some new girls!!

Thank you Doc for the yummy Mother’s Day Roast and Cheesecake and for making the porridge that wee hours…

[Source] Scarecrow