This time I'm going to try 'Searles 5 in 1' and see what results I get from it. For now with the odd shower of rain and high summer temps I'm getting a lot of crusting of my red volcanic loamy soil which resists watering and dries out very quickly, so I need to keep up a good supply of organic matter and mulch.
This, along with other parts of the veggie garden, is the proposed recipient of todays treatment. This is a savoy cabbage I planted from seed about 3 weeks ago. The soil has been leached of most of its organic content and does not hold moisture very well.
A close up. Dry crusty soil leeched of most of its organic matter.
Three large handful's of Searles 5 in 1 spread about a half sq mtr around the cabbage.
Light forked into the top soil.
Now lets see what happens over the next few weeks.
Just a footnote on Searls 5 in 1. I'm not keen on using it but my main objection is on price. It cost me $11.50 for this bag and while it will cover a lot of my veggies I find it defeats the purpose of growing my own veggies in order to save money. But without a car and with the recent heavy rain we've had to endure this is , for now, my best option.
Cheers
Stewart
4 comments:
Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. I am the same way with herbicides and a few patches of oxalis. I just dab it on carefully. It is the only way to cope. I am impressed with your determination and resilience to keep going, Stewart. Keep up the good work!
You should aim to get your own compost bin some time Stewart! I should too! I really want one, I just don't have one out of pure laziness... besides I give all the scraps to the chooks now.
What sort of mulch do you use? I usually get cane mulch but its totally a rip off.. I need to find a farmer around here that sells good quality lucern at a good price : )
Try No Dig
The method used in this type of garden is quite simple, layers of material are placed on top of the ground and seedlings are planted with a handful of soil. The materials needed would be found on most farms: Old hay, straw, newspapers, manure and some fertiliser such as blood and bone are all that is needed. If the ground is very hard or rocky it is advisable to put down a thick layer of old hay (about 20cm) first and then build your layers up from there, kitchen scraps can be incorporated into the mixed layers alternating with manure, spoilt hay blood and bone etc.
It is advisable to water it all as you go along and top it with wet overlapped newspapers and a layer of old straw to keep it all in place. Holes are punched into the paper through the straw and the seedlings planted with a handful of soil. No weeding required. This method also requires less water as the mulch is extremely water retentive. Most vegetables thrive in this method. Crops that need seed to be sown directly into the soil such as carrots and onions could be planted in a conventional patch on their own.
Try No Dig
The method used in this type of garden is quite simple, layers of material are placed on top of the ground and seedlings are planted with a handful of soil. The materials needed would be found on most farms: Old hay, straw, newspapers, manure and some fertiliser such as blood and bone are all that is needed. If the ground is very hard or rocky it is advisable to put down a thick layer of old hay (about 20cm) first and then build your layers up from there, kitchen scraps can be incorporated into the mixed layers alternating with manure, spoilt hay blood and bone etc.
It is advisable to water it all as you go along and top it with wet overlapped newspapers and a layer of old straw to keep it all in place. Holes are punched into the paper through the straw and the seedlings planted with a handful of soil. No weeding required. This method also requires less water as the mulch is extremely water retentive. Most vegetables thrive in this method. Crops that need seed to be sown directly into the soil such as carrots and onions could be planted in a conventional patch on their own.
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