Having hired a rotary hoe last spring and removing all of the sheaok roots strangling our inherited vegetable patch, we thought that we had cracked the dry soil issue. At the end of the summer though we found the trusty sheoaks and their spaghetti roots had returned to the vegetable patch and we were back where we had begun. Also that fact that at times we had to irrigate with saline bore water down there pointed a big finger to the fact that it just wasn’t the right spot. We gave it a go though.
So, this spring we decided to abandon that vegetable patch and make it a general orchard area instead, which is currently a work in progress.
In the meantime, we spent a Sunday siting and building our new vegetable bed which can be seen below. In a few weeks time we have a week off work which will see the planting of the new patch taking place.
In terms of siting this one, we think this has the classic attributes of a promising patch:-
a) handy to the kitchen for that last minute tomato or okra
b) west facing – morning and late late afternoon summer sun
c) rainwater supply
d) a nice view of the summer sunsets over the sea to make growing and harvesting just that bit more special
Being quite near gum trees we might have to compete with a few intrusive roots in future, but it will be nothing compared to the sheoak situation.
I also had today off work this week which I spent planting seeds for the site.
Sown in trays (listed in order of germination)
-10 days
Radish (Long Scarlet)
Italian tomatoes
Broccoli
Cabbage (Sugarloaf)
10+ days
Capsicum pepper
Aubergine/eggplant
Okra (please grow, this is so hard to buy here and I miss it!)
Radicchio (Palia Rossa)
Chilli Pepper
Carrot (Early Nantes)
Beetroot (Detroit Red Globe)
Pak Choi
and for good luck …
Sunflowers (to attract the birds away from the vegetables)
Echinacea
to be sown direct ….
Silverbeet
Pumpkin (Golden nugget)
Mini sweet corn
Courgette/Zucchini (yellow variety)
Climbing beans (purple king)
Climbing peas
Chinese snow peas
Online (Californian Red)
Lettuce (Lollo Rossa)
Lettuce (Green Mignonette)
Lettuce (Green Cos)