Stage One

Working with a small area, considered carefully our needs and how to maximise and have each stage provide a multi function.

Began by digging out the grass in an area roughly 2 x 4 meters, removed topsoil and worms from roots, fed the grass to chook to finish off recycling.

Selected position for food trees and tipped some potash from the fire place into the soil where trees would be going, seeded balance of area with mung bean legumes, and placed over the top a light mulch of sugar cane. We are vegetarians and eat sprout beans regularly so hoping to get a small crop from the mung beans.

Planted three fruit trees in this area, Feigoa, nectarine and an avocado tree (a second avocado tree was planted in an adjoining bed to provide a year long supply of avocadoes).

The soil was fairly good, a little heavy with clay as we dug deeper. I took a small bucket of earth from the chook pen that is beautiful soil teeming with worms and placed a bucket in each of the holes. Mulched with torn comfrey leaves and watered in with diluted worm juice.  A happy introduction for the fruit trees.

After placing an order for a dozen varieties of vegetable seeds with Green Harvest, have spent the balance of this week clearing out plants to allow more light and to make use of the chook pen fence for climbing vegetables. I am not removing any cuttings from the property, simply cutting and dropping on the ground.

I have already a flourishing worm compost community with an established worm farm in a bathtub under my stairs and more recently two worm towers in the garden beds adjoining the aforementioned post lawn area. These two worm towers (made from plastic pipe with holes drilled into the sides) are fed mainly from the offerings of our two dogs, I also feed them vegetable scraps.

Some successes to note: New Zealand spinach seems to love this climate (sub tropical), growing prolifically. It has a sweet crisp taste and looks and taste gorgeous in stir fries and salads.

Plans will be to build a timber seat in the middle of the trees planted and place a further worm bin underneath it that will help support the vitality and life of the soil. This area is opposite the yoga studio and will be a pleasant place to sit next to the small pond. I will be growing kang kong in the pond which has a diverse insect population with dragonflies often resting in the sun on the rocks. Will be inviting some frogs to the area over the next few weeks.

Shall keep you posted,

Namaste,

Megan