Child of the Planet

Well, if I was a god fearing man, I’d be cursing him/her/it because it rained on Friday. It’s now Monday and it’s still raining, so I guess I now have to call it, ‘garlic fortnight’. I can plant the garlic this week and still be ahead of the curve for a change. The ‘venerable old gardener’ I was talking to last week reckons seven days in the fridge for garlic, and that it doesn't mind fresh horse shit, so just before the rain set in this morning I collected a trailer load

But while there was some gaping gaps in the cover, I got a chance to collect some ripe tomatoes. Before and after     Found this little guy doing his eco pest reduction bit, under the covers Click here if you don't see the video above

Finally some actual garlic action. I spent the morning volunteering down at the local wood recycling initiative. Afternoon was spent sorting and prepping the garlic for planting tomorrow. All the large nice looking cloves have been extracted and It all goes into the fridge overnight to cool which helps stimulate the sprouting.

I need mulch, lots of mulch. To that end, I’m pruning the Banksia that has grown way too tall for our suburban ideal. Before...     After…     The Stihl was kept running all afternoon, munching through the leafy branches. A neighbour pruned his pohutukawa and those also went into the heap. He is very happy to score a bit more winter sun on his house. I have some bags of oak leaves that I’ve collected, so fed them through the mulcher too.

Time to plant the garlic Today I scooped off the top layer of mulch on the garden bed, and deposited it in a compost cube. Added coffee grounds and ash as I filled the box Digging through the bed to remove weeds and grass tendrils.

Kutzall and Arbortech tools this week Click here if you don't see the video above

...and this is a bit early compared to my last couple of years here. I’ve noticed that the birds are being a bit aggressive with their nesting. The sparrows usually try to nest in my roof during the spring. This is the first time I’ve heard them bashing their heads against the roofing steel in the autumn. Wonder if this is an indicator for a harsh winter? That said, I love this ‘winter garden’ concept ( read here ). Looking forward to scoffing the longer gestating beetroot and carrots. The cooler weather means less pests, and the plants are much less inclined to ‘bolt to seed’. The first planting is doing very well. It’s already feeding me as the spinach and bok choy pretty much sprang out of the soil. Second planting had much more beetroot and Japanese radish. The third planting was a few red cabbages and the first leaves are poking up out of the soil. I’m seeing a few ripening tomatoes under the plastic.

Kutzall carbide burrs for my rotary tool. Click here if you don’t see the video above

Latest tour in 360. Click here if you don't see the video above

  I planted my tomatoes very late this year ( read here ) They seem to be doing really well, with lots of fruit appearing. I’ve decided to see if despite the cooling weather, I can get something to ripen. In a ‘first’ for me, I’ve obtained some greenhouse grade plastic sheeting and I’ve thrown it ove the tomato plants. If it’s a hot day, I open up the ends to get a bit of fresh air running through. Click here if you don’t see the video above