Week 4 continued…
This week saw an exciting growth spurt in my seedlings and also in the garden.
Glancing around my tomatoes this week I notice that my small Roma Tomatoes have many baby fruits on them. They are so cute and I can’t wait to harvest these. Looks like I’m going to get quite a few off just one plant. Check them out.
The corn (multicoloured!) is starting to develop a tassel on each plant. Pretty sure this isn’t a good thing, as they are probably only about 60cm high at the moment. Apparently this can occur when they are stressed or nutrient deficient, but still can produce good corn crops, so……. assuming that they’ll be okay I’ll increase the watering, fertilisation and spend a bit more time on my soil preparation next time I plant corn.
Nice tassel, but a bit too soon mate!
First harvest has brought out some radishes, and baby spinach which went down really well. The explosion of flavour from fresh vegies is remarkable,. Not to mention the immense satisfaction I get from lovingly producing my own food. (And I mean lovingly! One of my clients joked that I should setup a deck chair out the back to watch them grow. Haha Jenny. Very funny. I already have a hammock, why wouldn’t I just use that?) Now just waiting for the red carrots to grow so I can eat them… Aaarrghh!
Zucchini, Rockmelon, Sage, Capsicum and Parsley have arrived – finally. You all know how patient I am when it comes to plants. 2 weeks felt like an eternity and I am so happy that these have graced me with their presence. Most will be ready to be planted in the garden in the next few weeks, but some of the smaller seedlings might have to be patient and keep growing.
I’ve promised Pat and Gab a Rockmelon each, as I wasn’t expecting a 100% germination rate and still need to leave room for other yummies to be planted.
Impressive germination rates for most of my seedlings actually. The rate is well above what is written on the back of the seed packets, so I feel like my first attempt at full on vegie gardening has started with a success. The fact that they are not all dead, rather the opposite – thriving in fact, is enthralling for me, the first time gardener.
I’m hoping to be able to use companion planting and home made natural remedies for pests. The marigolds are pretty, but not only that, as a pest food they’re working so well, I’m a complete believer. See how they’ve left my tomatoes but have attacked my sacrificial marigolds?
This brings me to weeding. This can also go for planting too. I’ve noticed a lot of people coming into the studio with sore hamstrings, calves, backs and shoulders from weeding. Well, here’s my take on it.
I spend about 5 minutes per week on weeding. Sometimes all at once, but mostly every second day I just have a quick squiz and pull the big one’s I see. Really takes two minutes max. So, realising I have to weed often so they don’t over run the garden, I thought a little more on those bigger jobs, like weeding an out of control vegie garden or back yard grass area.
I’ve come up with the fact, that hands and knees are best. Being in what we in Pilates call ‘four point position’ is a great way to keep your back, hips and even neck happy. Saves all of those sore calves and hamstrings too. If your knees are particularly sensitive, or if you get sore knees when gardening or sore knees from weeding, you might need to get a kneeling mat, which is simply a piece of foam that will cushion your knees from the hard surface below.
If you can’t get down to the ground due to:
- Fear of not being able to get back up
- Knowing you can do it but it hurts or knowing you will ‘pay for it later’
- Or if you feel like you will lose your balance *You should COME AND SEE ME. These problems are 100% fixable.*
Over the years I’ve heard of people really aggravating their back by sitting on their bums and weeding. Not a good position to be in.
Also, squatting like if you were using a squat toilet. Not as bad for the back, but if you have a limited range of movement in your hips or a stiff lumbar spine – of which we ALL should have because really the lower back is not meant to move much at all – then this can be loading up your discs in your back immensely. Try the four point, or call me so I can help you achieve it.
Now, to keep those blasted weeds away….
***
I strongly believe that mistakes are opportunities for learning, and, as long as you don’t repeat the mistakes too often – but instead learn from them, that they are in fact good for you!
Here is what I’ve learned so far.
Lessons:
1. Keep corn well watered when they are planted, and ensure soil is prepped before planting to include the nutrients they need to avoid the tassels from forming too soon.
2. Accidentally forgetting to tie off the tomatoes to their stakes and only remembering when there are high winds about, is not good. Oops. A lucky save during the last storm could’ve turned very nasty…
3. Pruning tomatoes is a thing. Yup. I only just learnt this. Getting rid of the ‘suckers’ produces a better tomato plant aka bigger, better and beastier fruit!
4. Companion planting works. My tomato leaves were being eaten until I planted Marigold’s next to them. Sacrificial plants are kicking butt. Totally will look into companion planting more…
5. Mulching is important to allow good drainage and save water from pooling on the top of soil. Am starting to mulch now.
6. Tomatoes can be indeterminate or determinate. I’ve got indeterminate toms (as are most heirlooms) so they keep producing throughout the season and can grow to around 6 feet. Determinate toms grow smaller and the fruit comes around the same time – all at once. Good for sauces but not so good if you want them fresh for salads.
7. Pumpkins have excellent germination rates. So, when your significant other decides to de-seed a pumpkin out in the garden, expect 14 pumpkins to pop up in Spring!
This is the 13th, that was used as a ‘test’ to see if it would grow amongst thriving Kikuyu without any human watering. It would seem as though it will.
This is the 14th.
That I’ve found.
So far.
Mel out.