Garden Update June 2016
It is pruning time in the vineyard and the orchards as the wet weather gear gets dusted off for another season sloshing around in the mud. The winter solstice is upon us and our BD500 cow manure horn preparation has gone in the ground with 60kg of fresh cow manure placed in 230 cow horns. Our summer and winter clay horn preparation was dug out of the ground and is drying for storage, this preparation mediates between the forces of calcium (BD500) and silica (BD501). Ten sets of Biodynamic preparations have been rolled into compost balls and placed into our 200 cubic meters of compost that has been prepared from the winery waste material. This will undergo a thermal fermentation for a year and then be returned to the soils from which the minerals came.
White icicle, black, watermelon and red hail stone radish are being harvested daily and are great for strengthening the immune system against those winter colds. Lemons, orange and grape fruit trees have begun to be harvested adding their sweet citric juices to the dishes. Horse radish tops have browned off and harvesting the roots is taking plenty of digging with some roots over a meter long.
Asparagus beds are being dug up and the crowns divided for replanting in freshly composted beds, ready for their harvesting season from October to January.
Water cress, land cress, chard, kale, freckle lettuce and radicchio are supplying the leaf component to the menu as well as their particular flavour and nutrient density. Mizuna, tatsoi, oxalis, fennel, viola, coriander, nasturtium and rocket have been left to flower for their colour, flavour and to keep the birds and bees happy.
It is a good time to apply horn manure, make compost, transplant seedlings, pruning, wine racking and harvesting for storage from the 1st-5th and the 23rd-30th of June. This is a descending or waning period and is influenced by the earth and water signs. From the of 7th-19th of June 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… Lemons, orange, beetroot, radish, chard, kale, water cress, shallot, salad greens, herbs, edible flowers, horse radish.
If anyone has any queries in regards to the garden, please feel welcome to ask… Cheers, Jaimie