After all that WINTER weather and (I hope) lots of eating WINTER veggies I think it’s safe to say we all long for our SPRING and SUMMER veggie garden. The life and the colours it brings, balancing out the WINTER. However, did you know that SUMMER SOILS are made during the WINTER, and WINTER SOILS are made during the SUMMER? Let me explain a likkle as to why. MICROBES.
Microbes play a MASSIVE role in converting and conditioning your soil for the upcoming season. These awesome guys and gals come forward and work their magic to transform the soil, ready for transition. Preparing the ECOLOGY/MICROHERD and signalling to get ready for the next season of growth.
Winter is usually the slowest time of year for Annuals. However, Perennials should still be trodding along nicely to fill the gaps during the OFF SEASON.
To get your garden primed and ready for SPRING/SUMMER, there are a few things that will help you and more importantly, your garden, get up and growing following a cold and wet WINTER..
Below are some tips to make the most of your SPRING garden.
- Clear ALL BEDS completely and refresh your soil with a good mix of ORGANIC COMPOST (and manures if you use them – SUBURBAN FARMER PRACTICES VEGANIC/STOCKFREE GARDENING), ROCK DUST, LIME, MULCHES etc and leave it to breath a few weeks before planting in to. Layer them- DO NOT TILL. Also ensure you keep the soil moist, particularly if your winter rains have suddenly dried up.
- This is also the best time to test SOIL pH levels with a simple test kit and also SOIL STRUCTURE via the JAM JAR TEST. This will show you what your current pH is – amending via quick amendments I do not advise as SUBURBAN FARMER USES THE MICROHERD/SOIL LIFE TO DO THIS OVER THE YEAR- but for thise tht do, either DOLOMATIC LIME (contains calcium and magnesium) to RAISE the pH level more ALKALINE, or ELEMENTAL SULPHUR or PEAT MOSS to LOWER the pH level more ACIDIC dependant on the crops needs. DO OT SO THIS PRE-WINTER as the SULPHUR becomes SULPHURIC ACID when wet. CONSIDER THE MICROHERD.
- STAGGER PLANT/SUCCESSION PLANT and INTERPLANT. So you get both quick producing veggies and those that will take longer to be ready for harvest. Maximizing your SOIL SPACE. Plant smaller amounts of SEEDLINGS every few weeks to ensure a steady supply, instead of a whole heapa seedlings all at once. Leaving you with a gap in planting and your soil/bed.
- Keep up regular weeding, yes it is everyone’s least favourite job BUT one the most important. I leave my weeds to grow all year round, but I CULL BEFORE FLOWER SETTING as to not set seed and throw the BALANCE out. Some weeds are a hinderance as they can CHOKE OUT, STEAL NUTRIENTS, LIGHT, SPACE, TIME from your other crops. GREEN MANURING and BIOFUMAGATION are great reasons to FALLOW CROP and LEAVE THE WEEDS IN. Each weed TELLS A SOIL STORY. So look at the weeds inna your area, and assess why and what they are doing inna your garden.
- Grow from seed now, keeping them inside under a sunny window sill or HEAT PAD will ensure greater results. Start SEEDLINGS a month before PROPOSED PLANTING to allow the SEEDLINGS to be at their strongest and HARDENED before going outside into the natural, unprotected elements. Always use QUALITY SEED STOCK with HIGH GERMINATION RATES. There are heaps of seed sellers with extremely low germination rates and high costs. Do your research and by seed stock that is ACCLIMATISED TO YOUR LOCATION. DO NOT BUY SEEDS FROM OUT OF STATE. BUY LOCAL and again do your RESEARCH.
Then sit back with a fizzy drink made from BUTTERFLY PEA’S, LEMON VERBENA AND LEMONADE, then simply and LOVINGLY enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of your labour with your NEIGHBOURS.
INFINITE LOVE FROM RAS MARK SUBURBAN FARMER.