We have had the most amazingly warm April this year and the impact has been seen in the garden.
You may recall the planting of my seedlings around the start of April, well these are the same plants after this warm Autumn period. The warm moist soil has nurtured my little babies and they have raced after the sunlight like crazy. The result is far more production in the garden this month than I expected.
Just Add Some GERMS
I also tried a new product this month – I added some germs to the soil. These are bacteria that are normally found in the soil and are concentrated into a granule form to add to composts and garden beds. I added several bags of organic manure and a measure of the germs with seaweed extract. Well stand back and keep your head down! The response in the soil has been amazing.
I dug a bed tonight to plant out my snow peas. Well the soil is so nice you could eat it! I exaggerate, but the structure of the soil and it’s colour are just perfect. I have dug the bed over once more and redressed the hay mulch. I have a new set of seedlings growing in the germination tray and these will go into this bed in a few weeks time.
I have more onions, cauliflower, English spinach and spring onion. These will follow up the first planting and give me a nice steady supply through the winter and into spring.
Organic Vegetables in April
The beans I planted earlier in the month – behind the capsicum – which we are still picking (more green less red, now since the sun is not as strong). These beans are flowering and a few have tiny beans forming already – I love fresh baby beans so I will be picking very soon. Just imagine them lightly steamed and served with a mixture of garlic butter or a light olive oil. …..mmmmmm.
Carrots, spring onions, beetroot, onions.
Silverbeet and lettuce and onions.
Cauliflowers, English spinach, turnips and beetroot.
My dwarf apple tree has held on to two apples – Pinkabelle is the variety – the apples are looking about normal size and one shows a hint of orange so maybe they are starting to ripen. A few leaves are dropping (well it is autumn) and I hope to be eating my own apples next month.
Mint in a pot so that it does not takeover the garden! This is old fashioned mint, I also have a spearmint variety in another pot.
The second bean crop which was planted two weeks after the first ones. Spacing out the plantings gives you a more constant supply instead of a huge bumper crop – not that I have trouble giving them away – neighbours and friends are frequent recipients of my organic surplus.
