Drastic measures

Slugs have eaten almost all of my six new broccoli plants and nibbled quite a bit of my six new cabbage plants. Now I recall why I was so keen on kale - the slugs don't like it much.



I even thought I would go for slug bait. But Favourite Handyman vetoed that, pointing out that our daughter still likes to eat many things from the garden. So I broke open a bottle of our favourite beer from the fridge and set up some killer drowning stations this afternoon. Usually I wait until someone leaves beer at our place which we don't like the taste of, or one of us falls asleep with the children leaving a half started bottle of beer on the bench overnight.



Brighid and I set off to buy some rocket seed from the garden centre. We seem to have used the last packet up. The only option was one remaining packet of organic rocket seed - $6.70!



$6.70!



For one small packet of something which self seeds more often than many of us would like once summer arrives...



I think it is time I started collecting rocket seed. But for the moment, even at the princely sum of $6.70 per packet, it is still worth it to me. I have rocket in my fish and carrot and avocado and flax seed oil breakfast every morning. Since I've been having this yummy and satisfying breakfast, I no longer crave toast by mid-morning as I used to.



So I have sown some rocket seed in between some of my garlic bulbs. I also sowed some calendula seeds amongst my brassicas. In another experiment, I have sown some florence fennel seeds in the raised spot up the top of the section which is reserved in the longer run for pumpkins. If they grow within three months like the NZ Gardener claimed, then I will be eating them before I plant out the pumpkin seedlings.



My kale is running to seed. The leaves still seem to taste fine. So this year I have done better than last year at successional planting for winter eating - rare is the day in the last month that we have not eaten kale or silver beet from our garden. With the effect of shorter and slightly warmer days, I realise I have to plan better for late winter/early spring eating. Leeks and purple sprouting broccoli spring to mind as options. Any other suggestions?


My aunt told me once about having a tunnel or glass house with the chooks living in one end and them warming up the entire structure for winter growing. I am itching to try this. If I can just get a bamboo tunnel house built this summer, then I could be running this experiment next year.

Comments

Gill said…
That chookhouse/glasshouse combo has always made sense to me but we've never got around to making it happen. It is warm and smelly in our glasshouse that is housing the chooks at the moment! I'm sure the idea would work brilliantly. I wouldn't pretend that my garden planning was any good this last summer but parsnips, spinach, peas (nearly ready), brassicas, leeks, celery and salad greens do well here at this time of year. Also I have so many grapefruit and eggs that I don't know what to do with them. Asparagus though has to be the BEST early spring vege in my book. And corriander (YUM) seems to like the cold.
Sandra said…
ah yes, celery has been another success here. I should sow some seed for another batch. What time of year did you plant your coriander? I have grown it on the windowsill in winter - should do that again. I will keep trying peas - they just rot here in spring. I need to set up a covered house with windbreak sides for water control. How many hens do you have Gill? I am getting thrre each day atm (3 hens). I want to upgrade to five hens next year and have enough to give eggs to the foodbank.

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