Hawthorn Garden Update - Week 10 & 11

Wow, oops I forgot to put an update up the week before, the fornight before, last...eek!  Oh well there's a huge amount to update you all on which is very exciting!

The snow peas are going mental, and flowering like crazy, and the broccoli has also started flowering which is great!  I have had to keep a watchful eye on the broccoli though as the grey wooly aphids have made a comeback and like munching in the new growth.  I have given them a good spray of EcoOil, and will continue to keep an eye on them to see whether they need another dose by next weekend.

The beetroots are also growing well.  The seedlings in the planter are growing and I have also taken the seedlings that have sprouted out of the hothouse to continue growing in a more natural environment.

And we have baby mushrooms!  It has taken, what, almost a month and a half, but we have the first signs of little white funghi in our shed!  So exciting :)
 

 All looking very green :)

 Almost ready to pick!

 Snow peas continue to grow and flower like mad.

 The first of the Broccoli!

 Beetroot are going well.  I have also planted the last three Kale seedlings to see how they go.  The companion planting herb containers are to be made this coming weekend - how cute are they!  Dan has made one as a test and I think it looks great!  It's just made from little offcuts that we had after making the timber containers.

 The worms are almost ready to be transported to another section of their Worm Cafe.  I'll leave them another week or two to demolish the last of the food in the bottom tray and then attempt to lure them into a new upper section.

 The baby mushrooms!  It looks like the plain button mushrooms have started growing which is very exciting :)

Hawthorn Garden Update - Week 8

Attack of the moths!  Having left the garden to fend for itself for a week (we have again had very cold and wet weather so not nice to be heading outside!), I managed to bypass checking for caterpillars and moths and found two big, plump specimens on the broccoli plants at home!  They have really had a go at two of the plants so here's hoping the plants will still do well and continue to grow.  It just means that I will need to keep a really good eye on the plants and squish as I see them.

The two containers - the peas are doing fantastically well!

Not exactly sure what these are!  Maybe droppings?  They were also on the new shoots toward the centre of the plant.

 Little villan on plant

So the Cabbage Moth apparently lays its eggs on the underside of leaves where they hatch and feed mostly on new growth.  These caterpillars are very well fed and are at least a couple of days old.  The best way to deal with them in a small garden is to spot the little villans yourself and kill them as you come across them, along with any eggs you find on the underside of the leaves.

I will have a look at the EcoOil as well and see whether it may help with the problem.  First things first, I have investigated whether companion planting might help the cause.  As a quick solution on Friday afternoon before we heade away I tied a bouquet of herbs to the stakes to ward off any of the moths over the weekend.  There weren't any eggs when we came back so I hope this might be a solution!  The other recommendation is to place crushed up egg shells around the plants.  Apparently this tricks the moths into believing that there are already a lot of moths hovering around the plants and they look for somewhere else to lay their eggs.  Will try that with the egg shells from breakfast this weekend!

 

The two little monsters - squashed!

A temporary solution - bouquet garni of mint, rosemary and sage

The last of the Spring Onions are well and truly ready to be planted!  Once we have constructed the final container this weekend they will be free of their black plastic pot.  The Parsley is also doing well, along with the last of the Kale, also to be planted into the container.  The Beetroot is yet to germinate but should do soon!

Having spent time on the weekend searching for resources on planting and sowing I thought it would be great to share some of my finds with you!  Below are a selection of web resources that I have found really helpful as a novice vegetable gardener.


The Veggie Guide is an interactive website produced by Gardening Australia that shows you what to plant when for your region. 


The Permaculture Research Institute website provides a wealth of knowledge and supports the sharing of knowledge and resources.  This Companion Planting Chart is a great resource for your organising your veggie garden.


The Backyard Gardeners Blog
A local Melbourne urban gardener sharing his experiences in his organic backyard garden.



Sustainable Self Sufficient Gardening
Research blog focussing on what influences the Melbourne community's ability to garden for self sufficiency in a sustainable manner - very interesting.


The Urban Vegetable Patch
An Australian blog focussing on veggie gardening in an urban environment.


Grow Harvest Cook
A gorgeous blog written by four talented Australian ladies.


The Cheap Vegetable Gardener
Thrifty ideas for growing your own veggies at home.


iGrowVeg
An excellent website for the beginner gardener.  Back to basics information on planning your vegetable garden, sowing and growing.