Hello Everyone
No picking pictures this week for a change. Not because we didn’t pick, but thought we’d show you a few photos of some work during the week.
Seedling beds have to be prepared by slashing using the tractor then mowed. This ensures all the tall weeds are chopped as small as possible so they can be digested by the soil food web sequestering (adding) carbon & adding organic matter to the soil. Covering with weed mat stops secondary growth of weeds and retains moisture and allows micro organisms of the soil food web to thrive.
It is very hands on and hard work in the heat. Heavy machinery compacts and wrecks the soil so isn’t used. Six hours of this, city dwellers, and you can see why we call them ‘our workers!’
You can see the tall weeds here behind Josh. Here’s some of the hundreds of seedlings waiting to go in the beds.
The blood orange trees have to be limed and cleared of weeds. Lime is better for citrus than dolomite (magnesium) that we also use a lot for the soil here. We keep a collar of plastic water pipe around the little trunks to protect them when whipper snipping and mowing.
The raked up weeds go to a new compost to be mixed in. The next picture shows a nearby more mature compost about a year old, almost ready to use.
Homemade sand bags hold down the weed mat. Mowing around the citrus trees to clear final weeds before mulching.
Chris arrives with his juicy green parsley he grows for you and Neil with the tasty rich duck eggs.
Remember to get to Eveleigh or Taylor Square on Saturday morning nice and early before all the salad and greens and eggs and baby spinach and navels and all the produce sells out!
Have a healthy & happy week
Nancy
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