Cover Your Arse, Learn to Grow Your Own

• By: admin
• On: 11/01/2008 12:07:15
• In: Eco Jabber
• Comments: 0

During my preliminary Peak Oil investigations I came across an interesting site called Lawns To Gardens (http://www.lawnstogardens.com). It inspired me to start fixing up my own little patch of dirt to become viable to produce food. Growing up in the country I recall how my grandfather had a fantastic veggie plot with loads of different food plants including peas, tomatoes, rhubarb and heaps of others. I really regret now not paying more attention to how my grandfather did it because now I have to learn about it from scratch.

The first thing I did was to get the “ok” from my wife to convert a corner of the garden into a veggie plot. Surprising easy, as she hates those spiky palm trees that flourish in the garden as much as I do.

The next was to fix up the soil. The palms had been sucking all the goodness out of this soil for years and it was never going to sustain any quality of vegetable plant. With my trusty mattock and plenty of elbow grease, I dug loads of horse poo and lawn clippings through the soil, watered it and left it to compost down.

During this time I also constructed a 3-bay compost heap that would also serve to produce a steady stream of “organic soil conditioner” for future garden beds.

After a few weeks of watering and more digging, I sprinkled some marigold seeds into the garden too. I read they are good companion plants for veggies and repel many pests.

After a couple of months, the heap was producing good quality compost that I also dug through other gardens at the front of our house.

The first thing I noticed was that pumpkin vines were sprouting anywhere I put the stuff. I wasn’t planning on growing pumpkins but the fact that they were growing so vigorously meant that I must be doing something right. Same went for tomatoes and capsicums. They just seemed to sprout up anywhere and everywhere. All I do now is stick a stake down and keep the water up to them.

I was forced to pick our first pumpkin slightly prematurely… actually the dog picked it for us when she decided to dig a hole through the main stem of the vine.
I knew it was on the cards but at least it is an edible size.

I’ve now got strawberries, a mango tree, 2 avocado trees and herbs growing in the front garden. The neighbours think I’m nuts and “gone Greek” for converting the front of my house into a veggie plot, but it makes for a great talking point.