The soil, if you can call it that, in our yard is compacted, lacking any hummus and is, I think more subsoil than soil, hence making built up gardens. I reckon when they developed this subdivision 10 years ago, they removed all the topsoil and sold it – rotters!
My husband kindly built me a raised garden bed, about 8 m's long and 1 m wide. We filled in with "super soil", purchased from a local garden supply business - it is terrible and I'm not at all impressed with it and certainly won't be buying it again. I think it has too much clay in it, as it forms a crust on the top that water does not penetrate. Certain plants will grow in it, like spring onions, beans, cucumber and tomatoes, but not much else. I have been digging in mulch, compost and animal manure and predict I will have to add a lot more of that to make it into a "good" soil.
I grew Blue Lake and Purple King climbing beans along with Snake (or yard long) beans. Unfortunately black aphids decided they loved the snake beans and as I'm not a fan of using sprays on the food I am going to eat, gave up the battle and ended up pulling them out. I'll try again later with them, but grow them up a trellis instead of a teepee structure this time.
The next raised garden I am developing I have been putting grass clippings, shredded paper, hedge trimmings, animal manure and bagged compost into, in layers and now I’m letting it settle before topping it off with more bagged compost and garden soil before planting into it. I’ll have to keep topping it up after each crop until the decomposition of all the grass clippings etc finishes.
I’ve also started a “lasagna” vegetable bed in another area that used to have an above ground pool in it (previous owners of the property). I drenched the soil with water, then put down two layers of heavy cardboard, soaked that and put animal manure, mushroom and normal compost on it, a layer of rotted grass clippings and then lucerne mulch. Pete (husband) isn’t keen on me converting that area to a permanent vegetable garden as it is right by our outdoor sitting area and he has plans for it – a fire pit and such like. Although why we need a fire pit to sit around on the tropical Sunshine Coast beats me! I’d much prefer putting in an in-ground pool.
My husband kindly built me a raised garden bed, about 8 m's long and 1 m wide. We filled in with "super soil", purchased from a local garden supply business - it is terrible and I'm not at all impressed with it and certainly won't be buying it again. I think it has too much clay in it, as it forms a crust on the top that water does not penetrate. Certain plants will grow in it, like spring onions, beans, cucumber and tomatoes, but not much else. I have been digging in mulch, compost and animal manure and predict I will have to add a lot more of that to make it into a "good" soil.
I grew Blue Lake and Purple King climbing beans along with Snake (or yard long) beans. Unfortunately black aphids decided they loved the snake beans and as I'm not a fan of using sprays on the food I am going to eat, gave up the battle and ended up pulling them out. I'll try again later with them, but grow them up a trellis instead of a teepee structure this time.
I’ve also started a “lasagna” vegetable bed in another area that used to have an above ground pool in it (previous owners of the property). I drenched the soil with water, then put down two layers of heavy cardboard, soaked that and put animal manure, mushroom and normal compost on it, a layer of rotted grass clippings and then lucerne mulch. Pete (husband) isn’t keen on me converting that area to a permanent vegetable garden as it is right by our outdoor sitting area and he has plans for it – a fire pit and such like. Although why we need a fire pit to sit around on the tropical Sunshine Coast beats me! I’d much prefer putting in an in-ground pool.
The Banana Passionfruit is finally flowering, however they don't seem to be getting pollinated, so I will have to get out with a little paint brush and give them some assistance. I did find two small developing fruit peeking out from dying flowers - success. This is a fruit from my childhood in NZ. It brings back many happy memories of time spent with Uncle Rob, stopping on the side of the rode to pick banana passionfruit on our way to Kai Iwi Beach, and climbing up onto the ute shed where a vine grew all over it to gorge on the delicious smelling fruit – summer scents! Amazing how a scent or sight can take you back to childhood, a person or memory in less than a blink of the eye.
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