Got that Veggie Patch ready yet?

Hi Folks.

Got that veggie patch ready yet? Winter will come. I am over this summer and like a lot of people, ready to start planting! Talked to a couple who shared their ideas with me about this.

David and Deb of Bluff Point are interested in sustainability and permaculture. Their veggie plot out the back has been build up over the last few years from impoverished soil.

All this summer it has lain free of plants, but the chooks and Muscovy ducks have been allowed in to clean up all the bugs and fertilize the soil. House scraps, tree prunings and some dynamic lifter have been added to the soil as the poultry do their stuff. Heaps of shredded paper from the office is spread out along with cardboard which is soaked and the chickens go to work on it ripping it apart! They have found that by letting the garden lay for a year or more and allowing the chickens in they will clean up all the bugs and it will stay that way for some time.

This year’s planting will be mostly vegetables. David said herbs will go in as well. In a permaculture set up plants are generally grown in layers. Citrus, mango and grapes make the upper layer. Last year they had a lot of success allowing tomatoes to grow up among the citrus trees which acted as a trellis.

The grape vine loses its leaves in the winter allowing sunlight to come on the garden and the trellis for the grapes can be used by veggies like beans etc. Their garden is small but sufficient to support them with fresh produce in season and David said they like experimenting with this concept.

Looking through notes from the water corporation I came across some good ideas for improving sandy soil for those of us who haven’t yet done that and I will quote;

‘another great way to improve the water and nutrient holding capacity of sandy soils is to add mineral amendments. Common soil amendments include Spongolite Zeolite and Bentonite clay, and a one-off addition of these minerals will permanently change the structure of the soil. When adding an amendment, ensure to thoroughly mix it with the top 250 mm to 300 mm of soil. That is about a foot in imperial measurements.’


Footnote. I strongly recommend you check with an agronomist before mixing soils, or at best consult with a gardening centre. Good soil can be created using animal manure, worked into the ground over time

Kind Regards

Stan Maley

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