Garden Update December 2015!

What is happening in the garden…

The last full moon for the year has passed as we head towards the summer solstice, the dry mulch crunches under foot through the vineyard, where some edible summer volunteer plants are appearing like the purslane, sorrel, goosefoot and plantain/ribwort. The mulberry fruit have begun to ripen with their rich blood red juice staining our hands as they are harvested.

Pineapple sage, borage, calendula, fennel, parsley and coriander flowers are providing the nectar and pollen for our bees and providing a distraction for all the other little bugs as they prefer this rich food source rather than our vegetables. Tomatoes are chest height with beautiful trusses setting and beginning to ripen. Radish and beetroot that were heavily seeded are being thinned out with the tasty sprouts being used in the kitchen.

Globe artichoke are providing 6-8 flower heads per plant, and then being chopped back to ground level. New shoots will appear which can be divided and transplanted or left to provide a late harvest.

Asparagus have begun to throw out some fern like tops which means they are nearing the end of their harvest period, a hard cut back and a seaweed feed should get a few more weeks from them before they go to fern and begin to regenerate their root system for next year.Lemon grass loves the warm weather and their fresh green foliage is being harvested for herbal teas along with lemon verbena for use in the restaurant.

It is a good time to apply horn manure, make compost, transplant seedlings, pruning, wine racking and harvesting for storage from the 1st-6th and 23rd-31st of December. This is a descending or waning period and is influenced by the earth and water signs.  From the 7th-18th of December 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, tomatoes, 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