LILA'S  O R G A N I C   K I T C H E N    G A R D E N                SUSTAINABLE    EARTH    LIVING.   New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand.© 2007 
                         
                         

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 MY GARDEN CALENDAR                            
December 2008 JAN

The perfect soil for any vegetable garden is deep, friable and well drained and most importantly contains a high organic content {compost} once you have this in place you will have a sound basis for producing most of the food you require in your own back yard.

Organic matter is a great improver for both clay and sandy soils. Compost, manures, leaf mold, sawdust, straw, mulch from the compost bin, lawn clippings that have rotted  for a long time, sawdust, improve soil structure and thereby increase its water-holding capacity, aeration, and water infiltration. Once you have a lot of compost and manures in your garden then the micro-organisms do the rest, you may even attract compost worms

Lime can be sprinkled in the area, one handful per large step spread out like talcum powder every 6 months if possible - ensure you buy up some blood and bone, sheep pellets, put layer after layer on your garden area, however do not dig it in, you will disturb what worms you have, all you need to do is fork lightly in to the soil, don’t do what Grandfather used to do, dig great big trenches and turn the soil over with a great hefty shovel row upon row, once a year, turning big sods of soil  -  I am sure you understand what I am attempting to say here, that is totally not needed and can do more harm than good, light forking, hardly disturbing the soil to allow manures and mulch to enter into the soil is far more advantageous, then - once you have your soil prepared and ready to go, then there will never need to do any digging ever again, like lasagne, you are going to pile on the top new compost, new manure, new mulch, new scraps - however you are not going to dig.  

Esther Deans some years back produced a wonderful little book about no-dig gardens, if you get hold of one, read it and keep it, in fact many op shops have gardening books, which will teach you how to have a no dig garden.

Now to begin your compost making, once you learn how to make perfect compost and liquid manures -  you are off.

 compost making
 

 

 

 

Sow these seeds:

broad beans, herbs, leek, onion, Swede, turnip

Plant these this month::

beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, endive, lettuce, onion, parsley, shallots silver beet, spinach.

Fruit:

Plant berry fruits this month

MAY

Sow these seeds:

broad beans, cabbage, herbs, leek, onion

Plant these this month::

artichoke crowns, asparagus crowns, cabbage, cauliflower, endive, garlic cloves, horseradish pieces, onion, rhubarb crowns, spinach

JUNE

Sow these seeds:

broad bean, onion

Plant these this month::

artichoke tubers, asparagus crowns, cabbage, herbs, horseradish roots, rhubarb crowns

Fruit:

Prune early flowering stone fruits, apples, pears and plums, In cold districts protect citrus from frost.

JULY

Sow these seeds:

broad beans, lettuce, onion

Plant these this month::

artichoke tubers, asparagus crowns, cabbage, herbs, horseradish roots, leek, onion, rhubarb crowns

Fruit:

Treat trees that are affected  with curly leaf, Prune early flowering stone fruits, plant deciduous fruit trees.

AUGUST

Sow these seeds:

lettuce, peas, potatoes, rhubarb, silver beet, tomato

Plant these this month::

artichoke tubers, asparagus crowns, cabbage, horseradish roots, leek onion spinach, rhubarb crowns.

Fruit:

Plant citrus trees, Remove spent canes of loganberries,  Mulch strawberry plants

SEPTEMBER

Sow these seeds:

cabbage, lettuce, onion, silver beet

Plant these this month::

butternut, celery, endive, herbs, lettuce, onion, peas potato, radish, rhubarb, silver beet, tomato

Fruit:

Feed citrus trees, Prune and feed passion fruit vines, check apples and pears for coddling moth.

OCTOBER

Sow these seeds:

beans, beetroot, butternut, capsicum, carrot, celery, cucumber, egg plant, lettuce, onion, peas, pumpkin, radish, silver beet, sweet corn, tomato, zucchini.

Plant these this month::

capsicum, celery, cucumber, herbs, lettuce, rhubarb, silver beet, tomato, zucchini

Fruit:

Plant citrus trees, passion fruit and other climbers.

NOVEMBER

Sow these seeds:

beans, beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, capsicum, carrot celery, cucumber, endive, lettuce, onion, parsnip, peas, pumpkin, radish, sweet corn ,silver beet, zucchini.

Plant these this month::

beetroot, capsicum, celery, cucumber, endive, herbs, lettuce, pumpkin, silver beet, tomato, zucchini

Fruit:

Keep citrus trees well watered during the summer months.

DECEMBER

Sow these seeds:

beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, onion, parsnip, peas, radish sliver beet, Swede, turnip

Plant these this month::

beetroot, cabbage, capsicum, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, endive, lettuce onion, pumpkin, silver beet, sweet corn, zucchini.

Fruit:

check citrus trees for white wax scale, feed citrus trees and keep well watered.

  
GARDEN ALMANAC    
My Garden Photos    
What is  permaculture exactly - and why is it important?    
A-Z LIST OF VEGETABLES AND HERBS, WHEN AND HOW TO GROW THEM.    
   
   
compost making    
liquid fertilizers    
   
soil improvement    
   
 contact Lila     

 

    
   
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
         

 

          
         

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website created by  Lila Smith ©  DECEMBER 2007   New Plymouth,  Taranaki New Zealand