Garden Update August 2016

As the sunrise moves south on the horizon, the daylight hours increase and throughout the vineyard inter-row the barley, oats, wheat and broad beans begin their reproductive cycle in the form of a flower full of nectar and pollen attracting the busy bees for pollination. Pomegranate, figs, quince and roses are beginning to push new shoots relying on stored sugars for their growth until there is enough leaf surface to photosynthesize.

It is time to prepare the soils for the summer crops of tomatoes, aubergine, zucchini, cucumber and okra that have been seeded in the greenhouse. Biodynamic Compost and rock minerals followed by a soil drench will be applied to the garden beds ready for a spring planting. Fresh straw mulch is being applied to all the beds to retain all that beautiful rain that has moistened the soil.

Dandelion has begun to flower and their bright yellow flower are picked as they begin to open in the morning, they are dried and stored for the making of BD506 preparation next autumn. The first 40kg of 2016 barrel compost has completed forming a colloidal humus and will be harvested for use in the gardens and vineyard, as a soil drench and foliar spray.

WE ARE CURRENTLY HARVESTING… Lemons, orange, grapefruit, beetroot, fennel, radish, radicchio, chard, kale, water cress, shallot, spring onion, salad leaf, herbs, edible flowers, horse radish.

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