A busy Sunday

Sunday is my typical busy garden day, or morning rather, I try to have everything done before 10am as it gets way too hot. This Sunday saw lots going on.

Firstly I cut my green manure (or rather grumbles got in there with the lawn mower and cut it for me) and then I got stuck into it with the mattock and stirred it all up. It was great to see the original layers of cardboard that were placed directly on the ground where virtually fully decomposed. The next layer of hay was breaking down nicely as well.

I then added lime and a bag of 5 in 1 (seen as I don't have manure in my compost) and transfered my entire pile of ready to use (almost) compost to this garden, and then turned it all again with the fork. (back? what back... no, its not aching at all..... )

So here is is, all freshly turned and looking nice. It'll sit for another couple of weeks, until the seeds I planted yesterday are germinated and grown large enough to transplant. I would like to mulch it next weekend if I can.

The seeds I have put down are broccoli, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, cucumber and onions. We've never tried onions before. I grow shallots, but onions take something like 30 weeks to mature, so it will be a slow but interesting crop.

Last weeks beans have sprouted, well one row of them anyways. There was a second row, but only the odd shoot so far. That's ok, no doubt they are up today, if I went out to check.

My only zucchini is still hanging in there and growing nicely. I think it should be ready to pick by the weekend, if not before.
And my first cucumber is coming along as well. We have got a couple of little new babies come out this week as well.
This one got tangled in the chicken wire on the trellis, but it should be ok, I'll just have to check it regularly so it doesn't get trapped.
And finally our radish. The leaves are being dined on by caterpillars and grasshoppers by the looks of it. However they still seem to be growing heartily. Only thing is, none of us like them. As far as I'm concerned they taste like dirt and onion, they do nothing for me whatsoever. Grumbles spat his out and the kids where horrified at the fact I tried to feed them something so foul. Lucky Gramps (my Dad) loves them, so will send him a bundle when they are ready.

One other thing I have discovered this weekend while doing some research. The little beetle I thought to be lady bugs, the ones that are a 'good bugs' and eat the bad guys (like aphids), well the beetles I have are in fact bloody well leaf eating beetles! No wonder they were doing so much damage to the leaves they were living on!! I have learned lady bugs only have 18 spots, where as the sort I have in fact have 28 spots. So it's a beetle catching I must go over the next few afternoons and see if we can cull their population. This should be fun, and will at least provide a topic for Chickens show and tell at school this week (gotta think positive).