The first shoots of garlic are coming through at last (planted 1 June). No sign of the elephant garlic, sown at the same time, yet. There’s even the tip of an asparagus spear appearing above the mulch.
The broad beans are doing well too. The seeds I sowed mid-May managed to avoid getting eaten by mice or rotting in the ground. I’ve mulched them with a fine mulch from my shredder, to reduce weeding. I’ll do the same with the garlic once all the shoots are through.
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- broad beans early July
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- garlic shoots early July
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- mulched garlic early August
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- broad beans early september
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- bean support mid September
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- garlic in late September
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- broad beans early November
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- broad beans late November
I knew the chooks were laying with the days starting to lengthen but I had to confine them to their run for three days before they decided to lay an egg in the right place. They’ve been roaming around freely and no doubt have stashes of eggs in all sort of places. Rodriguez the rooster is looking very fine and has started hopping over the fence into the vegetable garden. A habit I am keen to nip in the bud and another reason to get them out of the habit of roaming so far.
Rhubarb and silverbeet are staples at the moment so I’ve made silverbeet, feta and pine nut triangles and rhubarb gingerbread.
Any suggestions of getting chickens to stay in the hen house. We have three that are escapologists and flew off on day one and now refuse to come home to sleep prefering to nest in a gorse tree close by. I’m over chasing them in the bush and frightening them to death even when it’s gone dark and they should be more docile.
I clip the eight flight feathers on one wing of each chook annually (after they moult) but they are still pretty mobile. Mine have a big run and when I let them out to roam I scatter some scratch feed (wheat, maize or scraps) where I want them to go. It isn’t fool proof but they seem much more likely to stay where the food is.
I hope you don’t mind that I’ve added this site to my blog. I really love reading your entries as I’m now tackling my first garden – ever! I may make it to having chickens one day but the plants will do for now. I’ve been rather naughty and not put my garlic in til now…place your bets please! *giggles*