Garden Update - July 2013

This month I'm joining the Garden Share Collective, which was started last month by Lizzie from Strayed from the Table, to allow vege gardeners to share their successes and failures and generally encourage everyone to grow more of their own food organically.  This first month, I'll give a detailed update on everything that's growing in my garden, for anyone who hasn't been following for long.  I'll do my normal farm update on Tuesday as well.

If you've just joined me, welcome to my vege garden.  I recently wrote about gardening in our sub-tropical climate, so if you're wondering about the huge shade structure, that's for protecting the garden during our hot, humid summers.  At the moment though, the garden is full of brassicas, which grow best here in winter, and are suitably frost-proof.  The garden is about 12 m long by 5 m wide, and surrounded in chicken mesh to keep out the chickens and the bandicoots.  The garden has spilled out around the edges though, and into chicken territory.

a view down the length of the garden

chickens plotting their next attack

I live with my husband on eight acres of fairly infertile, weedy, rocky, steep land in Nanango, QLD.  We also keep chickens and cattle, which contribute to the garden their manure and help to eat the bugs and anything tasty they can find.  I also have a large compost and worm farm.  My husband and I own a larger block of land at Kumbia and we are currently relocating a house, and planning a larger garden and orchard/food forest using permaculture principles, but for now, I produce most of our veges from this garden.

the garden (I need to tidy up!)

Inside the chicken mesh, I have four garden beds, I also grow climbers up the fence and have lots of herbs in pots that I move in and out of the sun as necessary.

Bed 1: is currently planted with carrots, radishes, onions, leeks, swedes, turnips (and some stray lettuce).  Only the radishes are ready for harvest at the moment, they are nearly all gone actually, and I planted far too many because I never expected them to do so well.  I need to add some more carrot seed to make sure I get enough.

Bed 2: is mostly self-seeded brassicas (various asian greens, mustard, kale), also self-seeded parsley, dill, lettuce, some chilli bushes that just won't die, galangal (why did I plant it there?) and an unexpected potato plant.  And a giant nasturtium plant, that is enthusiastically trying to smother everything else, and needs regular trims.  Also garlic that didn't do much last year, so I just left it there and it regrew, we will see if it improves this season!

Bed 3: at one end is more self-seeded parsley.  And some onions that I tried to grow over summer.  And some leftover beetroot.  Also some kale bushes that are still growing from last winter!  And in the middle is a bit of a disaster because I used mulch from the pen in which we raised some baby chicks, and they didn't eat all their grain, so I have a lovely crop of wheat growing, with a few brassicas in amongst it.  I can't decide whether to weed it out or leave it as an accidental green manure crop.

Bed 4: there's a few cherry tomato and basil plants left, which will probably die in the first heavy frost.  On the other side, I've started peas and broad beans.  And there's a mini capsicum in there too, not sure if it will survive until next summer, but its worth a try.

Around the edges: I still have some Poor Man's Beans growing, which the cattle love, and is also great for compost as soon as I get a chance to pull it all down.  On the other side of the gate, there's the remains of climbing beans and tromboncino, which I'm waiting to collect seed from.

Along the back: sweet potato is growing well and I'm not sure when to harvest it, I'm just keeping an eye on it to see how it likes the frost.  I also have blackberries and raspberries, can't wait for their first fruiting season this coming summer!  I also have chicken health herbs - wormwood, tansy and rue.  And lots of arrowroot for shade in summer, which should die back in the frost, I also cut most of it to go into the compost, along with the comfrey.  I have one surviving paw paw tree, which always flowers but never quite gets a chance to grow any fruit before it dies back in the frost!  And some lavender.

In pots: I keep most of my herbs in pots, so they can't escape and take over!  I have mint, peppermint, oregano, thyme, winter tarragon, lemon grass, ginger, turmeric, sage and yarrow.  I use most of these to make my own herbal teas, as well as in cooking.  I also have soapwort (for making detergent).  I am looking forward to collecting more herbs in our next bigger garden.  I also have a dwarf lime and a dwarf lemon in pots.  They are fruiting ok, but I think they will do better when I can plant them out in the dirt.

a sample harvest basket

tromboncino nearly ready to harvest for seed

Over the month I expect to save some tromboncino and bean seeds, keep harvesting the last of the radishes, and lots of green leaves and herbs.  The peas might get started if its not too cold for them, or maybe some of the green tomatoes will ripen!  I need to plant some more carrot and celery seeds.  And I need to pull all the Poor Man's Beans off the fence to let more light into the garden (it grows back each spring).

How is your garden going?  What are you harvesting and what are your plans for the month?