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Showing posts from 2018

I luv this 'self seeding' lark

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I've only been gardening for a few years now and I think I've become a 'wild and woolly' type, rather then a 'prim and trim' gardener. During the winter, this sprouting broccoli appeared in an unused section, between two piles of pruning that were destined for mulching. I bought and planted the seeds elsewhere a few years back, but it feels like free food ha ha. I'm leaving some sprouts to flower for next year. I was clearing some mustard and found this celery.   

Merry Christmas from me and the other vegetables

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Much wetter this year. Fungus is the new black.

Garlic Update...

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Half the crop was good enough to to cure The rest I'm giving away to neighbours, friends, and guess what my reli's are getting for Christmas presents! Last time I did garlic I dried it out on a mesh raised above the floor. This year I'm hanging it from the garage roof.

Longest day of the year: Garlic up and cucumbers down

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Dug the garlic up. Not as good as last time but better then a kick in the head.     Trying a new configuration with the cucumbers

Update on the tomatoes and zucs...

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Update on this post... A week later and I've now mulched everything. The tomatoes and zucchini seem to be bouncing back. Next step is to wait for those peas to die off and then plant some cucumbers.

Heading up to Christmas and got lots done this week...

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Scored my first bit o food for this summer. A lonely zucchini. I don't think I'm going to end up with a lot of produce this year. Everything has been very late. Maybe we'll get a long summer to make up for it? Had some more help this week and got a bit of infrastructure done. Prepped the area for the third garden bed out the front. Lined the driveway with more bird excavation minimisation. Finished off the third hole out the back and started filling it with green waste.     Moved a couple of flax plants from next to the house to the berm out the front.  The intention is for them to help in slowing down the wind that rips through the front garden Started cleaning jars for bottling.

Fish biz

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A mate has fishes the beach with a net and gives me the leftovers for the garden. I line the bottom of the hole with mulch, then dump in the fish, and finally a layer of coffee grounds. Use it if you got it!

Tomato and zuc update (or ok universe, it's on!)

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It's so bloody typical. I'm not even all that upset. Three days after dropping my plants in the ground, the wind hits Otaki. I’ve had these plants sitting in pots, hoping to wait it out. We get thumped regularly each year and it looked like the ‘big blow’ wasn’t going to happen this year. It's like the universe was waiting for me to do it! People all over town are reporting flattened gardens and wind scorched leaves.    My winter project this year is going to be more wind mitigation. Last year I planted these banksias to protect the apple trees out the back. Now it’s time to do something about the front garden. I'm pretty happy that I didn't get a chance to plant everything earlier in the week. This is my forth summer and the first that hasn’t been suffering a heat wave at this time of year. I haven't needed to hand water at all. The tanks I had installed have sat there un-drained.

Grape update Dec

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Update from this earlier post Plenty of leaves spreading across the patio.... ... but not a lot of fruit developing.

Update on useful verges Dec

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Update on 'verge planting'  The area outside my house now looks very 'meadow like' with these fuffy stalks. The neighbours little garden is going very well and she is encouraging the local kids to raid it for snacks.

Tomatoes and Zucs finally in the ground

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I've had these things siting in pots waiting for the weather to 'get it's shite together'. Looks like that's not going to happen so in they go.    I'm very happy with how dark and lustrous the soil looks. (Update: later this afternoon) Huge electrical storm dumped buckets onto the fresh planting. I stood in the window and watched over the plants, wondering if they were getting pummled to mush by the torrent. They seem to have survived.

Blueberry update Dec

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Got a few berries this year. Update to post here... The two bushes look like they are finally established and I'm hoping for a better crop next year.

Lemon Update Dec

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What is going on out there? Update of post from Nov I reckon it must be the heat and rain. Feels like I'm living in Singapore some days. Something is attacking my lemon hedge. Lot's of fruit but the leaves are curling and the ends of the stalks are dyeing off. Last week I hit them all with Neem and a copper solution.

Garlic update Dec

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Not happy. Rust has finally struck. Update from Oct post I've clipping off all the infected leaves and collecting them in the burner for disposal. Thinking of blasting it with copper solution.

Garden fence installation

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There is probably a proper name for it. The birds around here do a great job of hunting down slugs and snails. They also make a huge mess doing it.    This week, with some help from a visitor, I chopped up some shipping pallets with the chainsaw and built some fences to keep the dirt in the garden. Only real downside is hitting a hidden nail.    We dug a trench and shoved the slats in, back filling with soil.    A couple of years ago I built a fence for the lemons. The rain was washing the dirt onto the driveway. It was never meant to last forever and they are starting to rot. I'm pondering possibilities for something more durable as a replacement.

Why I've gone electric everything

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All the power tools on my property are battery driven. This is why... Less noise pollution With the bonus of more safety because ear protection isn’t necessary. The tool doesn't idle so when it's not doing something, it's off. Air pollution No fumes from from running it. Could use the chainsaw indoors with no issues if I wanted too. Fuel Don't need to fuss about mixing 2 stroke, and have never visited a petrol station to restock. As long as there is an electrical outlet somewhere it works. I had a cousin with a similar sized gas chainsaw. They both ran for about the same time. Tends to be lighter Motors can be placed in novel positions to improve balance. Simpler to service. No clutch, spark plugs, ripcord, etc. Less vibration I used a ICE line trimmer for half a day a couple of weeks back. When I finished I noticed the nerves in my hands were ‘fizzing’. Much easier to start no ripcord or starter motor. I've yet to come across a job the e