As we pass the magical moment of the spring equinox which just so happens to be same day as daylight saving, we need to prepare for the inevitable. The garden will grow this season.
The rain may have delayed play for a time but, we’ve had no significant rain for over a week now and the soil is almost dry enough to dig over and weed. This is normally my least favourite chore in the garden, but as it is no longer cold and yucky outside it might be quite pleasant. So this will be my plan for the coming days.
But the behind the scenes preparations have been going on for months with the seedlings in the greenhouse. Irrespective of if the garden has been weeded or not – just so long as it is ready on time, the greenhouse has been a hive of activity with seeds being sown in succession, delightful seedlings emerging from what seems like barren soil, and transplanting… loads of transplanting… You can check it all out here with great tips on knowing when to transplant and how to do it here:
Come again soon – I’ve got a mountain of weeding to do.
Sarah the Gardener : o)
Hi, I believe Blood & Bone contains high levels of Cadmium which is a heavy metal toxin & therefore not good in vege gardens & farmland. Comes from the organs added to Blood & Bone. Cadmium has also affected growing areas in NZ from fert added? & made land unusable. Source- RadioNZ science slot recently. Cheers
Hi Kieran. I had heard vaguely similar things before, so I decided to look up the RNZ link and contact my preferred supplier Yates to ask their opinion on this issue.
They do not think the Blood and Bone adds to the problem as an analysis done on their Thrive Natural Blood and Bone meal product showed this contained 0.02 ppm (parts per million) of cadmium, which is really low.
So I have no problems whatsoever using this product.
Thanks for drawing it to my attention so now I am confident I am making informed choices about what I use in my garden. Cheers Sarah : o)
feeling more than a little envious of your seedlings 🙂 x
I feel like your summer whizzed passed. One moment Northern people were sowing seeds and the next moment they’re pulling out spend crops! This year has gone very fast indeed! : o)
Remember when you didn’t have a greenhouse? What a pleasure they are! We are just working our way into autumn and (sigh!) frost, so watching your babies will have to suffice for the next 3 months until I can begin to sow my own seeds again.
Gosh I know – I wouldn’t be without mine now. I hope our season is much better than last year, it has been officially documented as a wetter than normal year. : o)
Can you tell me where you purchased your potting tidy tray? Having trouble finding one in NZ
Hi Colleen – I picked it up on special at the warehouse a few years ago. I just did a quick online check and can’t seem to find any here in NZ – maybe you could order one from overseas? Cheers Sarah : o)
I got a stainless steel shower tray from the recycle centre and got a handy man to cut of the front bit. I suppose you could do it with a plastic one too. It works a treat.
Ah, spring. As you prepare to plant, we’re putting the garden to bed for the autumn months ahead. It descends slowly here in San Jose, but the smell, the breeze, the rustling of the trees, are all unmistakable. I’m looking forward to watching your garden grow.
Hi Alys. I do like autumn for the way it feels, but there is something special about spring because of what happens in this season – the start of something wonderful. : o)
Spring is magical!
Hey Sarah gosh you are game growing brassicas in summer .. I hate sharing them with the white butterfly
Hi Julie. I think I must be fortunate as I haven’t had an uncontrollable problem with them… so far! My winter ones didn’t come to anything because the soil was constantly too wet. I’m going to pull them out and pretend it never happened! : o)