Revamping the Vegie Beds
Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 08:00PM Healthy plants need soil buzzing with life and fertility! We find a great way to improve the soil in our veggie beds after a big harvest, is to use a technique similar to no dig gardening – building up layers of different materials that break down together to form rich, luscious soil. Improved yields, less problems with pests and diseases, and watching the worm population explode are amongst the rewards!
Last weekend we set about ‘revamping’ two of our five circular veggie beds. We used whatever materials we had on hand, and picked up some free horse manure from the local horse stables at Kembla Grange. Here’s what we did:
- Cleared most of the vegetation in the beds (we left just a few tomatoes as they were still going strong, and we could easily work around them) and gave the bed a good watering
- Scattered half a bucket of trace minerals plus the contents from our compost bin and worm farm. This was then watered with diluted liquid seaweed
- Spread the horse poo and again watered with diluted liquid seaweed
- Spread some mulch on top (chopped down comfrey, lucerne and lemon grass etc)from around the vegie beds)
Just a few days later, when we poked a trowel into the revamped beds, there were worms and lots of other little soil building critters going mad – just what we want to see! We’ll leave all of this new goodness to break down for a few weeks, before planting them out – and then enjoy watch our little autumn seedlings jump to life!
Reader Comments (5)
Your gardens look productive and healthy, just what I would expect with all that organic matter. I hope you have abundant harvests.
Thanks Rhonda, your place looks fantastic too. Wishing you abundant harvests also :)
Hi Guys,
Your garden is looking really great. Im off down to my allotment tomorrow. I have done the same as you guys have barrowed a heap of compost and added blood and bone into it. I hope it does the trick. Did you see the story on 60 min last night about how there is trend going towards people growing there own vegies and how much food is processed. Was very interesting. YOu can check it out online on the 60 min web site. thanks for the heads up about the coming car boot type sale that will be running. That will be good to go to.
Cheers
Donna.
Looking great guys, it will no doubt form a wonderful basis for the growing of your new vegies :)
I Love the pictures...your garden looks great!
Renee
gardendesk.com