March 2015 (2)

Ecobed 2 is about to be stripped (apart from the strawberries) in preparation for a green manure mix of Pea, Oat and Vetch.  Its a pity about the Bonfire Salvias, they are at their best, but time marches on and I will be following the green manure with my first sowing of potatoes in an Ecobed.

Its that time of year when I move my vegetables to the next bed in the 4 bed rotation.  Bed 4 (above) is half full of the previous season's light feeder crops, and the other half is being prepared for legumes.

These carrots should have been sown in the new Ecobed (Ecobed 1), but it wasn't ready in time.  They were sown thinly but haven't been thinned again since then.  I will harvest these early and enjoy finger sized carrots pulled out in bunches so I can clear them in time for some peas in early spring.

I always grow a few flowers in each bed to brighten things up and attract a few beneficial insects.

The Ecobins have been moved to a new space behind (new) Ecobed 1.  I've decided not to clean them out this year, instead I will prepare them for peas as I would with a full size Ecobed.  I'm quite pleased with the crop of Red Bull's Horn Capsicum in the Ecobin at the far end.  Sowing them early has done the trick.  The first 4 bins have had mulch and plant debris removed and a thick layer of compost added.  These were then covered with sugar cane mulch and a protective layer of shadecloth to keep the blackbirds out.  I plan to sow climbing greenfeast peas in them next month.