Clearly, I have planting on the brain.
Let’s see – on Wednesday…
The morning was taken up with a SuperClinic appointment for my son Joe (old broken arm injury) and it had gone on a lot longer that expecteed. But when we got home we got stuck into the garden together. He threw down some more radish seeds in the gaps where we had harvested them the day before.
In the meantime I planted SPRING ONION and LEEK from seedlings and put in some SWEETCORN seeds directly in the ground. I had read on the Yates site about the Three Sisters - (http://www.yates.co.nz/vegetables/how-to/grow-the-three-sisters/)… corn, climbing beans and squash, being good companions and so I thought I would give it a go.
We had some SCARLET RUNNER BEANS that were showing signs of life from last years bulbs so it went down there between them and the CHILLIES (also from last years batch and of course a perennial). Chances are we won’t be able to put the squash in the space around it but at least two of the sisters will be helping each other out. I have also heard that corn is best planted in squares to help cross-pollination. I wasn’t actually able to set it up this way, but will try with the next lot I think.
On a note of success… it’s damned nice to see some produce this early on. RADISHES are a great quick win really. Although we had planted some in rows, some had also self-seeded from last years patch.
That night Lin and her daughter Abby put in some time and dug over the area on the other side of the SCARLET RUNNER BEANS, ready for the PEAS.
On to Thursday, Veronique (V) and Liz got stuck in again, this time planting the PEA seedlings into three rows, approximately 20 seedlings in each of three multi-pots we’d sown. They fit nicely into the space and in three rows. Hopefully the bamboo stakes that Lin’s hubby Bill has cut for us will be ready before the PEAS are too much bigger. Last thing we need is to plant fresh BAMBOO in our lovely patch.
Thanks to V’s coffee obsession, we also put COFFEE GROUNDS around the PEAS to stop the snails from attacking them. it didn’t even wash away when we turned the sprinklers on. You can see it in the photo – its the darker patches around the individual pea.
V had also bought around an ARTICHOKE in a pot, which we transplanted. I am soooooo looking forward to getting an artichoke from it. I’ve only ever had one in my life and from that vague memory am excited about the prospect of another.
CARROTS… why aren’t they taking off in this garden? It’s either getting washed away – in which case they can’t be far away – but more realistically the birds must be taking them. SO what to do. We discussed this with SARAH THE GARDENER when we saw her and she suggested making our own carrot tape out of TOILET PAPER and keeping it moist until they are germinated. Now no offence to Yates, but I do prefer the idea of pulling out my baby carrots to make room for the others to get large, so the seed tape that they are selling, with one seed perfectly spaced, just doesn’t cut it for me. So if you care to view the picture, we have four seed toilet paper tapes nicely germinating under plastic which gets a squeeze of the spray bottle now and then (I can even take them on holiday with me) and another three put on top of a mound with a little dirt on top… let’s see which option works best.
Talking of planting, I am once again baffled by the mysterious seedlings that are popping up in my trays.
Now, who can tell the difference at the seedling stage between lebanese cucumber, apple cucumber, zucchini, scallopini zucchini and gherkin. Either way the the success rate hasn’t been that great, two pots having done nothing at all… but please take a look at the picture above and tell me which is which…
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