Storms, seeds and dividing artichokes.
Posted on | March 8, 2010 | 3 Comments
Melbourne (and Victoria) has just come through a huge storm event. Some say it’s the worst storm in 100 years. Hailstones the size of tennis balls have created havoc in some suburbs. On top of the usual destruction, Veggie Patches everywhere have been decimated. Luckily, it hailed here for a very short period of time, so the Veggie Patch is fine.
Leading up to the storm I was in a frenzy of seed saving. The weather had been so deliciously dry, that’s seed storage was a cinch. The night before the storm I was up to my ears in fluffy lettuce seeds, bulky beans, ricocheting rocket seed and various flower varieties. After much sifting, sneezing and tossing of seed in the air to blow away the chaff, I stored quite a bit of dry seed in cosy envelopes for spring sowing.
I also managed to top dress a bed for autumn planting in the Veggie Patch. A lovely patch 2 m x 1 m was manured, scattered with rock dust and lightly mulched. I was really hoping for drenching rain to really penetrate the soil. Well it took 24 hours but it rained with a vengeance. All that is left to me to do, is to install my spiral drip watering system (which I hope not to use), throw in a few seeds and sit back and watch it grow.
I’ve also been out dividing up my artichoke plants. They really were losing their vigour after so many years in one spot. So far I’ve managed to divide up two clumps into eight plants. Bonus! I reckon I’ve got another two or three clumps to divide, so that should give me a good number of plants and some tasty edibles in spring.
Are you busy in the Veggie Patch? What you are up to?
Please feel free to click on the comments link and leave me a message.
Tags: bean seeds > dividing artichokes > globe artichokes > hail storm > lettuce seed > Melbourne weather > planting artichokes > rocket seed > seed saving
Veg Patch Fiscal/Horticultural Year Ledger Sheet June 21 2009 – June 21 2010
Posted on | February 21, 2010 | 2 Comments
Winter Solstice June 21 2009 to Winter Solstice June 21 2010
___________________________________
Summary as of 21 Feb 2010:
Costs : approx $800
Harvest est to date : $325
Current Balance =approx $475.00 debit.
___________________________________
COSTS:
$ 28.50 ; Seed Potatoes – 3 varieties – $7.50 each plus $6 postage
$328.50 ; Pea Straw (19 bales @ $12 to $15 per bale) and Fertilizer Total(One bag @ $8) $300
$352.50 : Mushroom compost – half a Metre = $25 Total
$412.50 : Seeds and postage from seed company $60
$511.00 : 11 bales @ $9 each of canola straw for no dig beds and mulching. $99.
$541.00 : 35 KG bag of organic chicken pellet manure $30
$591.00 : 1 Meter mushroom compost @ $50 per meter
$641.00 : Sundry seeds etc.. $50
$701.00 : 20kg bag of rock dust. $60
$726.00 : 1/2 m of mushroom compost at $25
$779.00 : 1/2 m of mushroom compost at $50
$790.00 : misc seeds etc..
Total Costs To Date: $800 approx
This figure does not include any structural purchases such as stakes or plastic for cloches.
___________________________________
Harvest Est Worth:
These figures are based on the amount consumed by two people. Prices are calculated according to local non -organic produce prices in the local supermarkets in the Dandenong Ranges. Produce that is not consumed or is given away, is not taken into consideration, because we would not normally buy it and give it away.
In the case of produce that is brought in bunches like spring onions or basil. We eat these every day and I calculate how long one bunch would last and price the harvest that way. So even though we only harvest a couple of basil leaves every day, we would normally buy a bunch for at least $2.50 and throw it away when it goes stale.
Pumpkins Potimarron: 10 @ $3 each $30
Beetroot : 13 @ $5
Spinach : 14 bunches@ $2 each $28
Zucchini Tromboncino : 8 large – 4kg $14
Squash button : 73 approx 3kg @ $8 kg $24
Potatoes : 11kg @ $5 kg $55
Tomatoes : 1.6 kg $4
Cucumber : 18 @$1 each $18
Red Onions $10
Spring onions $1pw for 14 weeks $14
Lettuce $2.50pw for 14 weeks $35
Rocket $1pw for 14 weeks $14
Basil $2.50pw for 14 weeks $35
Garlic 50 bulbs : $11
Total Harvest to date : $325
___________________________________
Woods Sherbrooke Kitchen Garden Comes Alive
Posted on | January 26, 2010 | 1 Comment
Well the rains came and it poured. Then the sun came and it shone down, but not too hot….and so the seeds sprouted and they started to grow with a passion. Here are some pictures. The first is of a bed planted with heritage beans and the second of a bed with various brassica, coriander and spinach varieties.
Germination is pretty good here, with only a few spots where the lines are broken. Pictured are mizuna, rocket, coriander, red boc choi and brocolini.
Tags: asian greens > brassica > brocolini. > coriander > corriander > kitchen garden > mizuna > red boc choi > rocket > rocquette > spinach varieties > vege patch > Vegetable garden > veggie garden > Woods Sherbrooke
Dig It Sites
Search by Category
Search
What I'm Doing...
- The veggie patch is drying out big time. I thinks I've lost my beautiful crop of leeks. Looks like cornflakes for winter again. 1 week ago
- DDU-Flowerscape: Leucadendron - Flower shaped folliage http://digitdownunder.com/flowers/?p=420 1 week ago
- DDU Garden What's Up: Hey Mr Frog - would you like flies with that? http://digitdownunder.com/whatsup/?p=888 1 week ago
- More updates...
Powered by Twitter Tools
Translator
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| By N2H | |||||
Join our Community
Register to join the Dig It Down Under Community here and receive all the benefits of membership as well as the newsletter.Click here to register.
Benefits include free downloads every month as mentioned in each episode and discounts on products sold in the My Fab Store - Gifts for Garden Lovers.
Garden Products
Follow Dig It Down Under
About The Podcast
This page is part of the site for the Dig It Down Under Gardening Podcast. Riley Jordan is the host of the show.
Every month there is a new free mp3 audio episode which features gardening stories, interviews and garden reviews.
© 2008-2009 Sun50 Pty Ltd All Rights Reserved
The contents of this site are copyright. Please email Riley for permission to reproduce any of the content from the Dig It Down Under site.
