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Started off the day shredding the raspberry canes so that they'll compost down quicker.
Decided that I'll pop down to the plot later on in the afternoon when it's a bit cooler as it was pretty warm.
Remember that I said that because of the lack of rain there were no grass cuttings to mulch with so I bought a bale of straw?
Well the Compost Fairy dropped off eight bags of grass clippings. Not that I'm complaining. But not going down earlier meant that I could take them down today.
As I still had several bags of manure to move to the manure bay as well as these eight bags plus the two bags of shreddings from this morning, a bag of kitchen trimmings and a bokashi bucket in addition to a few bags of other stuff on the plot to empty todays activities consisted of a lot of hauling stuff about.
Barrowed the manure and shredding bags to the Heart of Darkness and topped up the compost and manure bins.
As I was emptying the bags that had been sitting on the plot I noticed that one of them had what looked like yacon rhizomes which, despite spending a couple of months sitting unwatered in the hot, dry sun, were putting up shoots and trying their best to grow so I popped them into a space in one of the beds.
Mulched more of the beds. I've about 3 beds left to mulch and 2 bags of grass so it's come in handy.
Curiously I've 2 brassica beds planted at the same time - 1 mulched with grass when planted and 1 unmulched. The mulched one has no slug damage whilst the unmulched one has been feasted on by the slimy so and so's.
Hypothesis number 1 - whilst slug a eats brassicas they also eat dead and decaying plant matter. The unmulched bed had no decaying plant matter so the slugs went straight to the plants however the mulched bed had plenty of dead and decaying grass to distract them first.
Hypothesis number 2 - the mulched bed retained water better so the plants there were less stressed. The unmulched bed was open to the drying sun so these plants became stressed and the stressed plants were more attractive to the slugs.
Hypothesis number 3 - the mulched bed provides a better environment for slug predators such as centipedes.
Hypothesis number 4 - slugs actually don't like moving through mulch.
Hypothesis number 5 - just plain lucky, but don't worry they'll be along soon.
As the sun dipped behind the trees lighting the sky with a warm orange glow, the air resonating with the calls of the parakeets and the rustle of the breeze through the bamboo, I stood there watering the manure pile thinking that it didn't stink that bad.
Decided to go home when it started to rain. That lasted long enough for me to feel one drop.
Compost Fairy had been. This time he cut through my tyre with a grinder.
Decided that I'll pop down to the plot later on in the afternoon when it's a bit cooler as it was pretty warm.
Remember that I said that because of the lack of rain there were no grass cuttings to mulch with so I bought a bale of straw?
Well the Compost Fairy dropped off eight bags of grass clippings. Not that I'm complaining. But not going down earlier meant that I could take them down today.
As I still had several bags of manure to move to the manure bay as well as these eight bags plus the two bags of shreddings from this morning, a bag of kitchen trimmings and a bokashi bucket in addition to a few bags of other stuff on the plot to empty todays activities consisted of a lot of hauling stuff about.
Barrowed the manure and shredding bags to the Heart of Darkness and topped up the compost and manure bins.
As I was emptying the bags that had been sitting on the plot I noticed that one of them had what looked like yacon rhizomes which, despite spending a couple of months sitting unwatered in the hot, dry sun, were putting up shoots and trying their best to grow so I popped them into a space in one of the beds.
Mulched more of the beds. I've about 3 beds left to mulch and 2 bags of grass so it's come in handy.
Curiously I've 2 brassica beds planted at the same time - 1 mulched with grass when planted and 1 unmulched. The mulched one has no slug damage whilst the unmulched one has been feasted on by the slimy so and so's.
Hypothesis number 1 - whilst slug a eats brassicas they also eat dead and decaying plant matter. The unmulched bed had no decaying plant matter so the slugs went straight to the plants however the mulched bed had plenty of dead and decaying grass to distract them first.
Hypothesis number 2 - the mulched bed retained water better so the plants there were less stressed. The unmulched bed was open to the drying sun so these plants became stressed and the stressed plants were more attractive to the slugs.
Hypothesis number 3 - the mulched bed provides a better environment for slug predators such as centipedes.
Hypothesis number 4 - slugs actually don't like moving through mulch.
Hypothesis number 5 - just plain lucky, but don't worry they'll be along soon.
As the sun dipped behind the trees lighting the sky with a warm orange glow, the air resonating with the calls of the parakeets and the rustle of the breeze through the bamboo, I stood there watering the manure pile thinking that it didn't stink that bad.
Decided to go home when it started to rain. That lasted long enough for me to feel one drop.
Compost Fairy had been. This time he cut through my tyre with a grinder.
). Awaited rain. Rain failed to show up. Looked on Penellype's radar link. Town appears to have a rain deflector as big showers approaching and splitting around us. Everyone else is wet apart from us. Now hoping said brassicas are OK until tomorrow's promised rain, and hoping promises are delivered.
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