Wow, so tomorrow ends Spring Challange 2023, and as usual we are only just finished the beginning.
Flowers were my second big win this spring. The amount of flowers for bees, sacrificial plants, nematodes control, and plants that will bring preditor insects and create a safe place. More can be done here and research is needed to help out the bumble bee population.
The biggest win for me though is the soil health. Microbes, airation, moisture control and fungal activity are at the best I have ever had and I know, after this season and the winter regeneration, next year will be even beter. This is just the start of a new soil health chapter wher we look after the soil and the soil will look after the plants.
The second biggest lesson was about seeds. There are a few here. Seed misslabeling and dodgy sellers are real. I am one who cheats nature with artificial lights, heat pads, humidity controlled cupboards, but don't like risk. The chilli world is a dodgy place with seeds from other countries being smuggled in.. I have lots of time to spare when it comes to keeping our agriculture safe! I learnt a lot more thanks to Sarah about garden escapees! I also learned the value of saving our own seeds and easy ways of isolation. I also learned about parthenogentics and parthenocarpic seeds. Sadly they are no good for saving as seeds produced are sterile.
The biggest lesson. Sterile used raising mix, in sterile condition sis great for raising seedlings. But... They are very easily attacked. Looking back at my tomato disaster that on transplanting day led to destruction of them all and a restart from the beginning. The problem was space. As they moved to the greenhouse and were on the shelves, the back leaves would touch the cover which got wet from condensation, and with the humidity and warmth of the day, the leaves and stem closest to the cover stayed warm and damp... Perfect for a fungal growth to run rampant.
On a update not, Kumara are reaching the trellis so will be climbing now. Soon we will be harvesting leaves. I am worried that the bought slops are not orange as the stems are a reddish purple and not the green that my home grown slips are, which are definatley orange.
Happy Friday for tomorrow everyone!
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