Winter planting and transplanting

 

With the days getting cold and muddy and the moon going down it’s time to think about all those earthy roots in the garden. Living where we do with limited water, we have a lot of space that we can’t use for veggies until the rain has set in, and not just a little bit of rain to get things started but a few good soaking rains that mean the soil is wet through and through.

Our lower veggie beds that have been dry all summer have been prepared over autumn for this planting with composts built directly on them. Our last compost shower heap was also ready to be spread, so with the help of our woofers this went down to the veggie beds as well. Rock dust and blood and bone was added before planting to give added trace elements phosphorus and calcium.

Two days after the full moon a good crop of garlic and onions went in, next the

asparagus was dug, divided and transplanted leaving a beautiful bed ready for potatoes. We interplanted our  new asparagus crop with broad beans (a fabulous winter growing bean) that can be cut down and dropped for added nitrogen once they start to flower.

We’ll be dividing Bana grass so it can be moved from the garden to the paddocks, lemon grass, artichokes, edible canna (arrowroot), comfrey……..ah yes think winter gardening think division, think plant roots being wet when dug up and wet when planted, think of the waning moon’s effect on roots and get ready to get wet and muddy.