Spring planting

Spring has arrived and the mound has been undergoing some major renovations.

The ditches around the top mound have all been re-dug - the first layer of compost (that was originally cardboard and leaves and whatever else slid down the sides of the mound into the ditches) was heaped back on top of the mound- the black sand just thrown to the side. Each ditch was relined with heavy cardboard, newspaper and seaweed.

Each mound was re-fertilized (blood'n'bone and dynamic lifter dissolved in a watering can), and the back mound that didn't have much growing in it was "re-mounded" with broken-down horse manure, seaweed, newspaper and re-planted.

A bed of lettuce that been randomly planted from seed was actually growing too prolifically and thick, so a bit of lettuce thinning went on- planted into the back mound and under the mandarin tree. All the broccoli, boy choy, pak choy, lettuce, rocket and cauliflower had started to go to seed, and everything was very water stressed. We trimmed, harvested, plucked, soaked, fertilised and ate our way through a week of mound renovations.

The only pest problem seeds to be aphids (I think) on the broccoli.

The passionfruit vine is large, green and seeking new areas to climb, but unfortunately not flowering yet.... my hopes for passionfruit at christmas are diminishing.

The new 'end' mound has been planted with corn - we didn't have time to do the full job of layering soil, manure, seaweed, fertiliser, cardboard, lucerne and straw - so it was simply seeds pushed into the composted horse manure pile (had been under cardboard and plastic for 6 months).

As my home-grown seedlings aren't ready yet, we opted for some early shop bought ones - two varieties of tomato, celery and capscuim - these were the vegies that seemed to need the most time last year, and that were not quite ready by christmas.

In the seedlings we've gone organic, heritage varieties again- though from a few difference suppliers (GreenPatch, Eden Seeds and Select Organic) - okra, eggplant, zuccihini, rockmelon, coriander, capscuim, tomato (red cherry currant and grosse lisse), apple lemon cucumbers, pumpkin (seeds saved from last year)- we have lettuce seeds still and the italian spinach is still growing strong. The beetroots are starting to be ready for harvesting now, and the green leaves with the red centre stalk are colourful in a salad.

I've remembered to rotate the beds - but given that everything was so mixed in it is a bit tricky. What I will definately do this year is plant in 'groups' - I've found it much easier for harvesting when there are 3 or more of the same plant in a row or clump - still mixed in around other plants but when they are too randomly spread out it is hard to find what I want to collect- and even harder to send someone else to the mound to grab a few handfuls of this or that!

Photos to follow