Garden Update November 2015

What is happening in the garden…

As a welcome November rain soaks into the soil, summer cover crops of beans, millet and sunflowers push their growth tips upwards towards the cosmos, a variety of squash will follow within a few weeks to make use of the understorey cover created by the sunflowers and beans. Broad beans have been harvested and the ute tray was full to the brim with 50kg prepared for use fresh and the rest dried for seed and to be milled for flour.

Mulberry trees have full leaf cover and the bright green and white tendril fruit begin to set for the Christmas harvest. Figs are beginning to form with their unique flower hidden inside the fruit skin. Pomegranate and quince are setting fruit and on the younger trees the fruit will be removed to encourage plant growth which will strengthen the trunk and branches to hold the crop better for the years to come. Feijoa and Chilean guava are flower and the petals of the feijoa are tasting amazing and to be used with desserts.

Native Blue Banded Bee

Tomatoes are at waist height and are being trained to 4 stems with growth tips from the nodules being removed to concentrate the energy and sugars into the fruit which is setting on the truss and being pollinated by our hardworking honey bees from our hives and an amazing native blue banded bee (Amegilla cingulate) which are solitary creatures that burrow into soil and soft stone. Capsicum are in full flower and green chilli are being harvested to add some fire and spice to life.

Spring planted crops of radish beetroot and salads have been harvested and the garden beds have received a rock dust mineral blend, potash from our burn pile and phosphorous from the burnt and crushed bones from the kitchen stocks, with a good dose of our beautiful compost raked through. A soil drench with our home made Ekihi effective micro-organism ferment is added. Biodynamic barrel compost with the addition of Oak bark preparation will be rhythmically stirred and applied. Oak bark preparation is high in carbon and calcium and will stabilise any soluble nitrogen in the soil that broad leaf weeds thrive on.

Biodynamic preparations of dandelion, chamomile, yarrow, oak bark and stinging nettle have finished curing in the earth over winter and have been exhumed and screened and carefully stored for use in our compost production. Valerian flowers are being harvested on flower days and fermented in distilled water for 7 days to be sprayed over the compost.

It is a good time to apply horn manure, make compost, transplant seedlings, pruning, wine racking and harvesting for storage from the 1st-8th and 25th-30th of November. This is a descending or waning period and is influenced by the earth and water signs.  From the 9th-20th of November it will be a good time to apply horn silica, plant seeds, graft and harvest for early consumption. This is an ascending or waxing period and is influenced by air or fire signs.

WE ARE CURRENTLY HARVESTING… Asparagus, capsicum, celery, beetroot, radish, chard, salad greens, water cress, herbs, edible flowers, horse radish, lemons.

If anyone has any queries in regards to the garden, please feel welcome to ask…  Cheers, Jaimie