Currently

Currents galore this year. They need time to turn red then black, but these black currents are aplenty. 

Mitre 10

I had a voucher to Mitre 10 and spent it on some plants. Two types of dwarf beans, lettuce, orange cauliflower, kale, pumpkin, perpetual spinach, silverbeet, corn, Brusselssprouts. They are mostly in the patch and have survived the week. Some are pictured above. 

Weeding, weeding, weeding, finally the white turnips are showing signs of being white turnips.

Lettuces in

In the space where the radishes came out, in went lettuces and spinach. 

First harvest

Radishes. They only take a month or so. These ones taste great - but I'd like to taste some stronger ones. 

Purple cauliflower and marshmallow.

These were planted out onto the patch rather hurriedly... But they're in now. 

Sutherland Nursery

Time for a complete vege patch makeover. Spent a couple of hours with Jason Ross from Sutherland Nursery a few weeks ago. He came back with some ideas and went away to draw up plans to turn the back yard into a permaculture heaven.

Today we talked through those plans and I like what I hear. He has suggested an orchard with apple, plum, and pear trees at the bottom if the "Dell". He suggests terracing the bank. He has apricots in the front along with grapes across the front of the house and berries and currents in out if the way places.

The patch itself is to be made bigger, probably as much a 3 or 4 times it's current size and his already famous Dunedin planting guide will help get the right plants into the patch at the right time. 

Chickens are included - they've been missed. 

The plans are below. Jason claims copyright, but that was obscured when obscuring personal details in the image.

Onionion

Planted out the onions.  Yes, that's my feet in the photo. As I don't gave a photo editor on my phone they'll remain in shot. 

Planting Out

Into the patch went lettuce, spinach, and orange cauliflower. The weeds are coming in thick and fast and so some weeding was necessary first. I guess thus is because the patch wasn't weeded last year. 

Marshmallow...

Is there a jellybean plant?  There's a chocolate plant and a marshmallow plant!  This one seems to be doing well in the sun room. Time for larger pots.  Time to try them outside in the garden too. 

Fast Germination

Into a seed tray last weekend went 20 lettuce and 20 spinach seds. They have started to germinate already!

Threematoes

Moved three of the Moneymaker tomatoes from tiny pits into their final resting place. 

But, beforehand, spent the morning wirking with the North Eadt Valley Community Gardens. Planted leeks and carrot seeds. Harvested one leek and a handful of rhubarb.

Cucumber Couple

Moved the cucumbers into their final home, a large tub in the sun room. One should grow in each direction along a string, and hopefully fruit profusely. 

Spent much of the afternoon at the North East Valley Community Gardens. Had a wonderful time and met a lot if nice people. They have a Facebook group. 

Broccoli and Brussels

Out of trays and into the patch. It might be a but late but they're in. Spare broccoli went to the neighbour. Mine are at the back of the middle batch in the image.  Notice the weeds at the front of the brassica beds, probably due to good compost containing tons of invisible weeds seeds. 

The germination rate for the red sprouts was terrible. From 20 seeds only 4 made it to the patch, a couple were tiny, less than a centimeter and did not get into the patch. 

Remember when planting brassicas into the patch that they should be buried deep enough that the first cotyledon leaves should be just above the soil.  

Cabbage & Kohl Rabi

Out of the pot and into the patch. Any remaining seedlings went to the neighbour. 

Some Seeds Sorted.

Into the parch went the first found of seeds. This includes parsnips, carrots, radish, and turnips. Each is labeled with the type so that a comparison can be made between varieties. Only orange carrots this year, the colored ones can wait for another time. Red and white turnips, two varieties of radish and two varieties of parsnip (Yates and some from the garden club). 

Seed them went in

More seeds into trays. This time purple cauliflower, orange cauliflower, spinach, and moneymaker tomato. Also some cucumbers, which grow very well in the sun room in Dunedin. 

Germination station

The brassicas (front) are mostly doing well; the Brussels Sprouts are not. That's leeks and onions at the back, they have just germinated. In the middle is marshmallow which seems to have a relatively low germination rate. Hopefully we can get this lot into the patch in a week or two. 

Composting complete

Finally, sieving of the compost heap is complete and the beds are ready for planting. Spring had formally begun with a hail storm and so it's a good thing nothing is in the soil yet (except garlic). 

Germination

It really doesn't take long for brassicas to germinate. Only a few days. Now grow strong and healthy, little ones.

2013 has begun (albeit late)

Spent the day turning the soil in the verge patch. Sieved three barrow loads of compost and composted one of the three beds. More composting needed, soothe time with the sieve needed. 

The garlic had sprouted and they look strong and vigorous. 

Into seed trays went (2 days ago). Onion, leek, broccoli, kohlrabi, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts.