Garden Update

East Box  (Bean and Potato Neighbourhood)
The east box has kale and a crimson clover cover crop, in addition to the herbs at the south end.  We will probably not let the clover cover crop grow to maturity.  The plan is to plant pole beans in the north end, once it gets warm enough.  We will also plant a row of potatoes near where the beans will be.  Apparently beans and potatoes are excellent companions.  We will plant the seed potatoes soon, possibly this Wednesday, if the soil isn't too wet.  The idea is that when the potato stems pop out of the ground, it is warm enough to plant the beans.  I bought some Yukon Gold seed potatoes, and I also had some old sprouting purple potatoes that have been sitting in my kitchen for far too long.  Both of these types of potatoes are quite yummy, and sought after in food stores.

Another idea, if we want is to plant some snap peas, and have them climb a trellis.  If we do that, we should do it soon.  The idea will be to remove the peas at the same time that we plant the beans.

Centre Box (Tomato Neighbourhood)
The rye cover crop is now turned, and the apple trees have been transplanted to the big pots.  We will eventually put the apple trees in the ground, but I think they will be okay in the pots for one season.  The tomato seedlings are doing well, and were well watered in preparation for being alone over Easter.  When we plant the tomato seedlings depends on the temperature, and especially the soil temperature.  Even if the air gets warmer, the soil may stay cool for a while longer.  To help with this, I think we should put up the plastic cover over the centre box soon, in order to cause something of a greenhouse effect for the soil.  If we do this, I think we might be able to plant the tomatoes in two or three weeks. There are a number of things we can plant with the tomatoes, and we can discuss that later.

West Box (Garlic Neighbourhood)
The garlic seems to be doing well.  The broccoli seems to be ready to flower soon, and looks somewhat healthy.  Last week we removed the cauliflower crop since it was not looking healthy. The lettuce we planted seems happy in the soil, and is growing visibly every day.  In a few weeks, the cooking classes will be able to harvest fresh lettuce.  The chard we planted is still alive, and is probably developing its root system.  Once it gets warmer, I suspect it will start to grow quite quickly.

Compost Bins
Our compost bins are still maturing.  The north bin was hasn't been so happy lately, mostly since it stayed locked for a long time.  Parts of the waste got quite dry, which does not help the material decay. This week we put some fresh waste in the bin, which should give some food to the decomposers.  I also  put some dirt in the north bin, along with some dried leaves.  The idea is that the dirt contains worms and other decomposers.  The zone of dirt provides a comfortable location for the organisms before they venture out into the fresh waste.  I believe the leaf cover layer also provides a place for the worms to go when conditions below aren't ideal.

When we add new waste to the compost bins, I think it is important to bring down a shovel, and to pull back a hole in the compost into which the fresh waste will be deposited.  While you pull back the compost, you are also helping  to aerate the compost, preventing smelly anaerobic decomposition.  If we do this regularly, our compost pile will eventually come to life, and become more self-sufficient.

I don't think the compost in our bin is fully ready to be used in the garden, though I'll check it again in a couple of weeks.  If it isn't ready, that's okay.  We'll just wait until next year, and add a third bin.  In the mean time, I have bought some mushroom manure, and some sea-soil to mix into the soil.  If the weather is dry, we can put this into the soil this week.