The Organic Home Garden

Just an update on what is fresh in the organic garden this week!

Lot’s of lovely rain has stirred things along and so we are enjoying the benefits of that.

Beans are still going strong and the eggplant defies all logic and also pushing out stacks of fruit. Bok Choy and parsley going strong and the turnips are yummy!

I cannot believe the number of capsicums that are still growing despite it being so cool but we don’t mind. Found a red one today!

I mowed the lawn this week, first time in 4 weeks – I love this new Sir Walter – and had to mow around lettuce that are springing up through the lawn! Beats the normal weeds you get in lawns.

Pests In the Organic Garden

First sign of a real pest this week. Aphids on the roses.

I normally deal with them by wiping them off with my hand. If they get very thick we use a garlic spray to discourage them. I usually don’t over react at this early start to the winter since the ladybugs need food and these few aphids will give them a feed.

The roses should be going dormant by now so if we lose a few leaves or flowers it does not matter. I need to keep the ladybirds in my garden over winter so that they can make a start in the spring as things warm up. If I go and hammer the aphids too much the ladybirds may leave for greener pastures.

Organic gardening is about balance in the garden between the bugs and the gardeners friends the predators. We put up with a few bugs knowing that in the long run balance is more important than 100% productivity.
I also now have the personal experience of several years organic gardening of seeing less bugs the more I follow the principles of balance.

Until next week
John the organic gardener.

The weather in Perth is just perfect for the organic gardener this week – I cannot believe it is winter. Sunny days with a strong heat in the sun and cool nights (around 5oC). Everything is leaping out of the ground almost.
The ornamental plum has dropped it’s leaves and the Mulberry tree is looking a lot thinner so we are in the next season for sure.

Organic Harvest

Todays pick which I shared with Jess and the neighbour Nick. He loves stir fry so I gave him a stir fry in the bag. Capsicum, eggplant, bok choy, beans.

I am having a huge success with the beans this year. Picked over 2 kilograms of beans so far this week from a garden bed that’s 2m squared. I have half a dozen lettuce in there as well as 12 leeks fighting their way up through the leaves of the beans. My idea is that the beans will dump a tonne of nitrogen into the bed and the leaks will suck it up and grow faster than usual.

The cauliflower is responding to the colder nights – having doubled in size in the last week already. My sister has the hearts forming on hers (but Albany is much colder than here at night!). She is using a dwarf variety this year since they form quicker than the larger ones. I may second plant a few next weekend if I get a chance.

A House becomes a Home

I have just returned from Jessica and Jon’s new home. I say home since now it is no longer just a house being built but now has the signs of a home. They are both a little stunned still – “This is it – we are in the house!”
They think it may take a few weeks to get used to the being in the house!

Jessica has also started planning the landscaping and showed me a plan today. Organic vegetable gardens here, water tank there, fruit trees there and lawn……… that’s my girl! I expect to be there this week painting the last few rooms and then digging the reticulation pipes in and conduit for the controllers. I love working on clean blocks that are sandy and flat!

I drove Jess to the local theatre on the way home since she is doing the dress rehearsal for “Little Shop of Horrors” I think it’s rather appropriate to finish my Blog today with thoughts of a plant eating people – I wonder if the blood can be considered organic blood?

Until next week
May all your veges be as green as mine!

John