So today was another magnificent day and too nice not to do some more soil preparation!
Ive been reading some of the organic growing posts on ILGM.
I never realised a good organic garden needs BOTH a bacterial and a fungal compost pile. Luckily may own garden has a great supply.
So that meant another trip to the beach for more seaweed. Shredded and into the pile. Added heaps of dry leaf matter that’s along my back fence. Came across a couple of baby reptiles, of course I left them some. I can share Some partially composted wood chips from the front.
I added some blended manure and humid acid. I got some locally supplied Myco so added in some of that.
So I got this today. It’s a locally manufactured and sustainably sourced and made product. Unfortunately comes in these huge containers, but Ill do the rest of my garden (I have a large yard) and give my neighbours some. I will still have a stack of these.
Due to the covid restrictions, very hard to post some of this to people who might like some. So I’ll see how the grow goes, and maybe by then I can help people access some.
I think I’ll forgo compost tea, but maybe make some closer to flowering time.
Im beginning to think that a lot of people really do a lot of money on various amendments (although I certainly spent a bit) to overcome shorter growing seasons and a colder climate. We don’t have that problem here. We have warm weather starting in October, going right through to the end of March and into April. My babies will get plenty of warmth and sunlight, so I don’t want to be fighting a monster in my backyard!!
seabird guano and fish pellets. Ive also got some soybean meal which ill add closer to when I’m going to plant. ph sitting around 6.0 so but it has a little way to go yet. We have a great aversion here to adding lime to our soil. I’ll wait until it cooks a little more. Meantime the soil feels lovely and light.
Im going to have a little ceremony and bless the soil. I really want to nurture the spiritual connection here.
wow 4 solid days in the garden. I worked like a crazy woman, but the yard looks wonderful and best of all I have lots of natural light coming in! At the same time, it’s a private back yard, and for one to two plants, going to give the perfect environment.
I also finished the large compost pile. It’s a good metre cubed, and will be a mix of compost and mulch, and should be nice and ready for summer. It’s been heating up so far so good. I want to use a nutrient rich mulch at least 10 cm thick over the summer, with plenty for top up. A metre cubed means I can do the rest of the garden as well. I can also top dress underneath the mulch layer.
Then I noticed a lot of things in the garden needing my attention. Almost finished so I will have the other beds ready to plant lots of herbs and flowers to attract beneficial insects. Im going to wait to show the photos, but all in all should look amazing.
I made some LAB. In addition to fortnightly doses, Im going to do a fermented plant extract from cantaloupe and comfrey leaves for flowering. Got the comfrey growing so why not give it a go? I can make a tea with the fermented plant extract in, and add in a few other goodies at the same time. Or I’ll do one a couple of days after the other.
TBH I never had a clue how much hard work this was all going to be, but I seem to be really motivated for it.
Another month I’ll start my seeds. By then, the rest of the garden should be looking rather colourful too!
Going to go with this overall guide for the grow, because its good starting point but with room for flexibility. https://friendlyaussiebuds.com/growing-cannabis-australia/living-soil/
Haha I always go into slight overdrive. I hadn’t been spending much time in the garden because my knee is very arthritic and I need a new one basically. But, as I found out, I really missed being out in my garden.
its all a very fascinating science, made more complex by the fact that soil biology is fraught with variables that make for it that there are no hard and fast rules. A recipe that works for me where I live may not work for you and vice versa.
Im nott to hung up on getting ridiculous quantities though, which gives me a kind of freedom to experiment
So I made up my flowering tea mix today. For the veg period, Ill be following the chart, more or less, substituting worm castings, neem meal, soy meal etc, along with the kelp.
Here is the recipe I decided on. It’s a kind of mix based on what I saw on other threads, sites, and what I had.
1/4 cup worm castings
2 teaspoons molasses
1 tablespoon crustacean calcium mix
1 tablespoon malted barley
2 teaspoons seabird guano
1 tablespoon neem
1 teaspoon Rock dust
Pinch of Yucca powder
1 teaspoon humic acid
1/4 teaspoon fulvic acid
1/2 teaspoon Easy grow microbes
1 teaspoon seaweed
2 teaspoons kelp meal
This recipe for 10L then diluted in 10L once done.
Seems early lol but I thought if anyone like the idea of this recipe they can try it! This is going to be the only tea Im going to brew for any time. The rest of the ones will just get stirred for a bit in some pond water!
I’ll do the LAB plant extract a couple of days after. For anyone interested, comfrey is dead easy and fast growing. makes a great fertiliser and especially high in potassium and many other things. The other principle is using a plant for your stage of the grow. For veg plants, choose any fast growing plants with nice tender shoots on them. You can use anything in the garden you have on hand, or sprout some alfalfa. For flowering/fruiting, thats why Im using comfrey and I may make some for veg as well. I’ll add in some cantaloupe since I like it and its also high in potassium Banana flowers would be great if you have access to them.
I followed Garrigan’s recipe for LAB but its also on the link I posted. Im just adding the plant extract since its not a whole arm and a leg to do it. I just used powdered milk and it worked out great.
It was another magic day today so working away at all this garden. I took some photos. It looks a bit bare on account of all the hard pruning/weeding and clearing but come summer it will be grown considerably. Now I have some sunshine for my babies and flowers. I want to also put in more edible herbs, great for beneficial insects as well as food
These are the 2 compost piles. one is finished compost which now is rich and done. The fungal pile has maybe another month to go.
The larger pile has already dropped by around 25%.
Of course I didn’t take before pictures so its impossible to see just how much I have managed to achieve. When I first moved here, there was nothing out the back except a pile of sand. I think making that into a garden has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done
here’s another photo of the pond
What a beautiful garden oasis you have created. Your hard work really shows. I love working in my backyard garden. It is so peaceful and relaxing. Thank you for the photos and sharing your joy.
Its neem meal. Ive added some to the soil as its also a good fertiliser. It’s also used as a top dressing to help with predators.
Yes its also called Neem Cake, but its the same thing essentially
Thanks again YingYang., I’ve been fighting the battle against spider mites again so I’m gonna get some Neem meal coming. Looking locally first but will probly need to order.
If you can get some yarrow plants, cosmos, also coriander (cilantro) these plants will attract lacewings and ladybugs. I got some ladybug lures to help attract them to my yard, and also put in an insect hotel.
It’s kind of a bit of a long game when attacking beneficial insects. So this year maybe won’t work as well, but, as the time goes by, if you create the right environment for them, then they will come. All these plants grow quite readily from seed and since you have a greenhouse, you can grow them in there well into the fall.
Check out your local nursery for any punnets, or small plants of these, they grow pretty quickly so that should help your babies along. those are the common suggestions but any plant that has an umbrel shaped flower is something beneficial insects like. You can also have the benefit of some pretty flowers and yummy kitchen herbs. https://www.groworganic.com/products/predalure-ladybug-lureThe more multi pronged you can make organic pest control, the more success you will have.
PS you can also make a good bug food with equal parts whey protein, brewers yeast and brown sugar. Try sprinkling this around your plants and you should have lacewings and ladybugs in no time!
Thanks again for your suggestions YingYang! I have the spider mites under control for now but know another breakout could be just around the corner. I do have some companion plants in the greenhouse but not many. Nasturtiums, basil, dill, lavender, marigolds and peppermint. I also have cosmos and garlic chives in my yard close by. My bride wants me to put in an herb garden. She loves to cook with fresh herbs and I love to eat so we make a good team, haha. It’s too hot here to start new plants right now. We call it the dog days of summer as we’re at or approaching degrees F every day. Anyway sorry I’m rambling on again. I very much appreciate your help and suggestions. Happy gardening
Some partially composted wood chips from the front.
mites under control for now but know another breakout could be just around the corner. I do have some companion plants in the greenhouse but not many. Nasturtiums, basil, dill, lavender, marigolds and peppermint. I also have cosmos and garlic chives in my yard close by. My bride wants me to put in an herb garden. She loves to cook with fresh herbs and I love to eat so we make a good team, 
haha. It’s too hot here to start new plants right now. We call it the dog days of summer as we’re at or approaching 
degrees F every day. Anyway sorry I’m rambling on again. I very much appreciate your help and suggestions. Happy gardening