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  • Kiaora,

    I'll be taking a practical Double Digging workshop on the 24th March from 1-3pm. DOuble digging is a great technique for preparing the soil, and growing big healthy plants, and is part of the bigger Biointensive gardening technique. You can register at the Tairawhiti Environment Centre crn of Roebuck and Leith Street. Hope to see you there : )

  • Thanks so much for the tips Bridge.  Haven't got compost area up and running get, thats on the to do list...  Will defnitely try some green manure crops too.  I have sown some things into trays but I really wanted to see if anything came up if I just put them straight in there as well...and most of them have - would be doing alot better if the dog didnt keep walking across the beds though!
  • hay darryl! hope springs treating you well, The tomato/potato pysllid is rampant all through gisborne and majorly effects the crops. We are working really hard this year to clean up the potatoes, as the pysllid also spreads viruses which are also effecting the potatoes.  the techniques we are using is to get the potaotes in the ground in august september to avoid the lifecycle of this pest. you have to be really careful though as potatoes hate the frosts and will die off if exposed. another thing we are trialling is diatomaceous earth made into a foliar spray, this is suppoed to deter the wee bliters. youll be surprised to learn that NZ is facing a critical position with the potatoes at the moment, and many of the heritage varities are being wiped out by this pest. many farmers are not bothering with them any more as it effects their crops so badly.
  • Hay Krissi, your setup looks really nice so far : ). I would reccomend getting some green manure crops in to help build up your soil health. Mustard is a good one, as is blue lupins which i like to grow in the garden over winter, you can then also use these crops for your compost, which is a must have in any home garden.when it comes to spring planting i find i get much better results sowing seed into trays then "pricking" the seedlings out into bigger trays and planting them when they are much bigger. this means you get more space in your garden for other things to grow, and also the germination of the seedlings is much stronger : ) pumpkins are a great summer crop to grow as you can plant them on the ends of your beds and they just take off all over the place. They are heavy feeders though so best to make sure they have lotsa nutrients....seaweed is great, as is calcium. all plants will grow much better with more calcium, and NZ soils are majorly lacking in calcium. vermicast from worm farms is also a fantastic soil conditioner : ).
  • looks good.  I think you're on to a winner there...
  • Here's our plan to beat the birds to the strawberries this summer ...2170542071?profile=RESIZE_1024x10242170542488?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024
  • Thanks! but it's definitely a work in progress. Not exactly green yet, although having mulch on the ground is a definite improvement on just mud.

    We've always had dubious results with potatoes too - and the birds always seem to get to the strawberrys first.  Might leave them for next year...definitely having tomatoes, and chillis.

  • Wow that looks great Krissi ! We've just got our strawberries in ( a bit late) and are seeing our asparagus starting to crop again. Asparagus is a perennial that takes 3 years or so to get into full swing - you need a permanent place for them in the garden. We're also giving potatoes a go again - we've had no luck for the last 2 years but are trying a new location/soil type and trying them in the ground rather than in tyre towers. Make sure you leave some space for tomatoes as well (even the cherry ones) - they grow well next to Basil. Good luck.
  • Here's the veg area of my garden - its a new house so everything has to be started from scratch.  Its looking a little sad at the moment!  I want to plant up the raised beds and also plant stuff around the lids of the septic tanks, round the water tank and also that trough which is a plant filter for the septic system.  So far i've put in raspberry and blackcurrant plants, and lettuce, spinach, carrots, basil, beans, coriander and spring onions from seed.  Definitely need more plants though.2170542121?profile=original The soil seems pretty good and its a very sunny warm spot so everything seems to be sprouting nicely.  I'm keen for any advice!

     

    I'm not sure what the bare fruit trees in the background are yet - rumour has it that theres a plum and a pear....which would be lovely.  Theres also Guava, tamarillo, lemon and grapefruit.

  • Hay gizzy peops, not sure how many people still head to this page or not, however if you are looking for any local advice on your garden or need some help then please do get in touch with me. Happy to help people gt their gardens sorted for the coming months and also share soil advice and ways in which to get your soil pumping full of goodness! Also have a few apple trees left on bare rootstocks if anyone is looking for apples...happy spring xx
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