Tuesday December 1 2015 02:56 p.m.
Hello Gardeners,
well, December is here and no doubt you are counting down the days until the holidays and hopefully a bit of rest - some time in the garden would also be great.
December is a full on month for many of us, work can get a bit mental, deadlines are creeping up, Christmas is coming and we might find ourselves in the Warehouse shopping for crap we hope others will love! It’s a month where potentially the pace revs up a notch and there is a lot to do. Speaking of Christmas - every year I sell about 20 buckets to people who buy them as gifts for friends and family. So, if you know someone who is sending their hard earned food to the landfill - think Bokashi Boost!
And then there is the garden, ahhhhhh, gotta love the garden
Hopefully a source of calm, a place in which you may potter and regain some of that missing equilibrium. Don’t let your garden be yet another source of work - do what you can and try to be happy with that, rather than be tormented by what you think you should do! My lawn is a raggedy mess but the veges are singing, and the fruit is budding, happy times.
What’s going on in your garden in December?
We are harvesting, lettuce, beetroot, leeks, spring onions, and lots of leafy greens - spinach, silver beet and kale. Our new spuds are forming nicely, and the garlic is starting to fatten up.
The gorgeous broad bean
I am in love with the broad bean. Natures perfection, those fat green buds of life, nestled perfectly in their furry little pods. We are feasting on the little buggers now, and have gathered about 15kg of beans off about the same amount of plants.
Hot tip - if you have surplus beans - blanch them, squeeze off the outer skin and freeze these little guys. They are almost as delicious as they are when fresh.
What's next?
So the broad beans are happily stored, and the plants all pulled out. Into this real estate I have added a few buckets of Bokashi Boost fermented food. I have also added some blood and bone and sheep poo. Then I have covered with a 3 inch layer of mulch - unsprayed pea straw. Into this I have planted my next crops:
Sweet Corn, Beetroot, Peas, Broccoli (my family destroy broccoli) and a ton of leafy greens.
A word on leafy greens
My wife and I drink a green smoothie every morning, much to our friend’s disgust (some people have no taste).
However we swear by its healthy properties - more of this in my next blog….. But we grow lots of leafy greens and use silver beet to make a really nice salad base - just chop it nice and fine, add a dressing of Balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and some chopped tomatoes, spring onions and you're good to go… Ohhh yummmm...
Mulching (a strange word) - what does it mean?
Mulching is a great thing to do - go hard, and remember to always mulch thick (at least 3 inches, that's 75 mill.).
It's best to use dead organic material such as hay or pea straw.
Give it a good covering and it will allow the soil to stay moist and full of microbial life – right to the surface. It means you won't have to water as much, handy when those pesky water restrictions kick in (and they are coming).
A Rose by any other name (is still as beautiful)
Our roses are in full swing - pick them in the morning and they can last up to a week in the vase.
Remember to prune back roses and hydrangeas after flowering, to encourage blooms for the following season.
Water - the gardens favourite drink
Water is the lifeline of the vegetable garden in summer.
Plants are best watered in the morning or early evening, not during the searing heat of the day. Water deeply every few days rather than a little every day, as this encourages plants to develop a deeper root system that will help anchor more securely in the soil.
*&%+! Weeds
Try to pull weeds before they seed, and keep an eye out for aphids, whitefly, slugs, snails and caterpillars, and deal with them as soon as you see them.
What to sow in December
Beans, beetroot, capsicums, carrots, celery, courgettes, cucumbers, eggplants, leeks, lettuces, mesclun, mizuna, parsnips, radishes, rocket, silver beet, spinach, sweetcorn, tomatoes, chervil.
What to plant in December
Beans, beetroot, capsicums, chillies, courgettes, cucumbers, eggplants, mizuna, silver beet, spinach, sweetcorn, tomatoes, basil, coriander, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme.
Everyone loves Herbs
Plant fresh summer herbs like basil, chives, parsley and thyme - pop them in containers next to your back door so they are easily accessible (and ready to be used when you're cooking).
Happy Holidays everybody
Remember that healthy plants need healthy soil, and healthy soil needs healthy microbes.
Use Bokashi Boost as the simple easy way to supercharge your soil's life and watch the results in your garden this year.
1 Last Request
If you are in Nelson, you MUST come visit me on my stand at the Nelson Saturday Market and say g'day.
Take care of yourselves, your gardens and your families - & all the best for a good festive season.
Dougal
Official Bokashi Boost Santa