My vegetable garden is something of a mess at the moment.
Well, let’s be honest here, our entire yard is a bit of a mess at the moment.
And when I say ‘a bit of a mess’, you can probably take out the first three words and the sentence would be more accurate.
What is supposed to be the vege garden is an area about 6 x 3 metres (this is a wild guess, I actually have no idea and am not going outside to measure it in the dark) that is fenced off from Sleepydog.
In the past we have successfully grown pumpkins, corn, potatoes and tomatoes. Oh, and zucchinis. Did I mention zucchinis?
We have also successfully cultivated a crop of oxalis, aka soursob, which is a beast to get rid of and which I am almost ready to declare the victor in our five-year battle.
I decided that I needed more space to grow different kinds of veges, because the ones we grew over spring and summer took up pretty much all of the vege patch, despite the oxalis.
So I set up a couple of plastic squares (which are starting to fall apart), supported with bricks, with the intention of growing smaller, more compact veges like lettuce, cauliflower and broccoli, alternated with peas and beans and maybe some onions, spring onions and garlic.
This is working to a limited extent, although Sleepydog has no concept of keeping off any designated areas (the reason for the fenced off garden in the first place).
But now I’ve decided that the whole area where the squares are is going to be part of my master vege garden plan. As I’ve developed it, the non-vege parts have become harder to mow, and it makes more sense to rip all of the ‘lawn’ out and use it as well, because the left over space isn’t big enough for any other use.
Today I finished the task I started the other day of digging out the first corner of this space. I’m thinking since it’s the southern-most point of the space it would make most sense to use this for tall or climbing veges, so I’m going to start with peas to climb up a trellis.
According to Gardenate I can plant snow peas right now, so that’s what I’ll be doing tomorrow. I’m hoping I can convince Juniordwarf to help out too, now that he’s planted his purple carrot seeds.
I’ve decided I just need to get out there and plant something. Ideally I’d have worked out a crop rotation plan and a sowing schedule before I did anything, but I know me, and I know if I waited to get all that organised, I’d still be sitting here this time next year wondering what I was going to do.
So in the interests of keeping the space filled instead of leaving it bare and prone to the soil being washed away or filling back up with weeds (which I’m sure it will do anyway), or all the nutrients being leeched out of it, tomorrow we plant.
The plan can come later.
Or never.
If you're trying to dig out the oxalis you'll never get rid of it. Every time you pull some up, see those little white nodules clinging to the roots? There are many more of them and most break off as you pull, staying in the ground to regrow. Oxalis needs to be poisoned. it's the only way.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the rest of the patch, expansion is good, plans can always be sorted later, when you find something wouldgrow better in another spot perhaps.
No, it's evil evil stuff. I thought about poisoning it, but am a bit reluctant since it's the food garden & am bit concerned about any residues in the soil. I thought about resting the whole area for a year or two and just cutting it down every time it grows - apparently that weakens it & eventually kills it, but it takes a lot of time. Probably just as long as to poison and make sure the residue is gone!
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