Back On Track

Scarecrow’s Log: 29:03:2009:

Bed 3: Brassicas

What’s happening in the garden?

The Costata Romanesco Zucchini has been removed from Bed 1 as the humid weather the storms brought last week saw it succumb to powdery mildew. As it was at the end of it’s season removal was the easiest treatment.
The bed has been topped up with some mushroom compost with a dose of Dolomite and Fecondo slow release fertilizer, which is produced locally.
This will give me room to plant the last of the Green Goliath Broccoli and as the Rockmelons ripen these too will go and I will plant some Broad Beans in the center of the bed.

Net curtains by hose hoops now cover all three beds

to keep the poor bugs out!

In the Dog Pen Garden I’ve cleared a new ‘in-ground’ bed. Shaped it into a keyhole bed, added compost and mulched it. that weekend I built curtain covers by it considering I have some brassicas to go into it. that area has many tiny grasshoppers that devastate most of the greens I plant there.

While I was stirring the mulch up I noticed a few slaters and bugs so I employed old Blackie to help…her payment was some fresh juicy Dandelion leaves she found in the herb patch!
I don’t mind her rates of pay!

Propagation:
Potting up and Planting out:

Snow Peas - Roi de Carouby have been planted by the back gate to climb the trellis there. I added mushroom compost and mulched the with organic sugar cane mulch.
Potted up cuttings of Santolina, Rosemary and Pigfaces.

Cuttings/Division:
I’m busily taking cuttings and dividing plants up before winter

Pink Violets Viola odorata rosea are very popular at the markets.

Dusty Miller Senecio cineraria
This drought hardy plant, useful to brighten a dark corner,
is additionally popular at the markets.

New in the Garden that week:

Doc recently bought me one of those cute little hot house shelf thingys…I wasn’t too certain about how useful it would be but I’ve noticed them popping up on other blogs (like Peggy’s by at Organic Growing Pains) and they do look useful.

After we assembled it (without the plastic as yet) I must confess it looks sturdier than I thought and should become very useful for some seed raising I’m about to start!
So thank you Doc!

Weekly Harvest Tally:
Doesn’t include Greens fed to the chooks or herbs picked for use in the kitchen for cooking or tea making.

Carrot Atomic Red***56g
Cucumber Lemon***871g
*Greens Stirfry Mix***111g
Pumpkin Jumbo Pink Banana***5kg
Rockmelon***1670g
Tomato Ida Gold***56g
Zucchini Costata Romanesco***1970g
Zucchini Black***931g
Zucchini Tromboncino***1562g
Pears William***375g

Total to term (since Dec 01 08)***117.4Kg

Further grazing on Grapes (and a bag frozen) and Red Fuji Apples.

Plus a yummy mix of greens for salads…Lettuce, Watercress, Lebanese Watercress, Chives, Parsley, Gotu Kola.
*The Greens Stirfry Mix included Red Kale, Beetroot leaves, Radicchio, Kang Kong, Lebanese Watercress, Celpar, Purple Basil and Garlic Chives.

Plus 14 Eggs from the girls.

***For those interested in Moon Planting the Cosmic Gardener has posted an Australian April Moon Guide on her blog Here
And check out the Gardenate site for what to plant in April…be certain to set your zone (Aust,NZ or UK) at the top of the page!

[Source] Scarecrow