Hello Everyone
The cold doesn’t just trigger off the wattle! The cold gets rid of unwanted caterpillars of course but it also speeds up the flowering process because of the cold, damp nights contrasting with the warm days. The cold, (Bureau of Meteorology says the coldest for 17 years), got the Cimi de Rapa flowering quickly so that’s why the couple of weeks wait for the next lot to be ready!
It also enhances the flavour of the blood oranges which make this years debut at the markets this Saturday in Taylor Square & Eveleigh. Get there early & don’t miss out.
This week the seedlings have been planted out by everyone, Louise& Flora from France, Josh Serkan & Steve, our stalwarts, in the beds made last week and new beds next to them are getting the irrigation in.
You can see Steve and Josh laying the t-tape in the furrows, joining it on to the poly pipe which feeds water down from the tank. They check for leaks before the rich compost is trickled into the furrow and then soil is raked over, which you could see in the photos last week. I managed to catch the t-tape laying on camera this week, as I often miss it as they are quick off the mark!
We try and reuse the t-tape but it does get bad leaks and then has to be thrown away. T-tape isn’t that sturdy, it has irrigation holes all along it at the regular intervals that fit with the seedlings so water can trickle directly onto the seedlings roots and not evaporate. Also it means water doesn’t get to weeds you don’t want. Pulling out the tape when the plants are over therefore often causes tears.
The cold also brings out the colour in the darker leaves of the plants, like the elk, mustard & purple kale.
The sun dries off the overnight damp dew in the morning. They glisten before that!!
Josh is picking weeds for the Horta mix. The vetch is going beserk! Must love the present weather and its the right time of the year for it!
Have a happy healthy week.
Nancy
Recent Comments