More seeds to grow

Well the seeds I planted a week and a half ago, are doing well the Red Stem Welsh onions are just starting to emerge and I think I can see movement of the potting mix in the Spaghetti Squash, the lettuces are coming along nicely too now I just have to get my butt into gear and get some beds ready for them, I cant see them lasting too long in those pots. Oh and I have to remember they are there when I let the chooks out, I'm sure they once they found them there wouldn't be too much left.

Seeing that my order from Cornucopia Seeds arrived last week, very promptly I might add too, I will definitely be keeping them on my list.









So my second lot of planting involves:

• Tomato - San Marzano (x2)
• Tomato - Principe Borghese (x2)
• Tomato Rouge - DeMarmande (x2)
• Capsicum - Californian Wonder (x2)
• Chilli - Thai Hot (x2)
• Chilli - Long Thin Red Hot (x2)
• Lemon Balm (x4)
• Strawberry Spinach (x4)
• Kale - Red Russian (x4)
• Rosella (x4)
• Nasturtium (x4)

Sqweek Whistles for us!!

Yesterday it was a rather warm and windy day, so not the best of days for doing things outside, especially trying to hang out washing (including bed sheets) and get it to stay on the line. We did however with all the windy noise get blessed with hearing Squeek whistle. We had not heard him whistle since that day in the shop and we were starting to think that maybe we had been mistaken and that it was another bird that we had heard. DP had said during the week that he had heard someone whistling but when he went to look whoever it was stopped.

We think that it was mostly because it was a noisy day with all the wind around and seeing that where he had come from was quite noisy it might have been a bit too quiet for him.

I thought I would share his whistles with you. The whistle he does in the last clip I think is from an Indian ringneck parrot, which was in the aviary next to him in the shop, he has lots of whistles that he has obviously picked up from there because we haven't heard them before.

Cockatiels are putting on wieght!

Saturday has become "weigh day" here for the cockatiels. Since losing our Chicken I have been reading a lot about illnesses and how to see the first signs, because as prey animals they will hide any signs that they are sick because this would cause them to be an easy target. One of the best ways is to take note of their weight and if they start losing weight, 10% is something to worry about, then it is a good indication that something is wrong.

30th August (the day after we got Squeek)

Spooki: 79g Squeek: 64g

13th September

Spooki: 86g Squeek: 67g

According to what I have been able to find out the average weight of a cockatiel is 80g to 100g so I hope that Squeek is still growing and will get closer to the 80g mark, although maybe he might just be a little bird.

Squeek seems to be settling in nicely, he's getting to be a little fiesty the last few days but that may be because he has discovered his mirror (I have taken that out of his cage to see how that goes) or it might just be becays he is starting to come out of his shell, he was even thinking about whistling yesterday afternoon.

Wicking Boxes

This is the start of my wicking beds. I first saw the idea on Scarecrows Garden

The gerneral idea is that the bottom acts as a reservior and the water is "wicked" up to the root zone for the plants to use

Ok today I dropped in at the local IGA to pick up a few pieces and thought "ahh, they have broccoli on special and it is all nicely displayed on the shelf, what would broccoli come in......broccoli boxes......wicking beds...." so I asked the young guy who was stacking the banana shelf if they had any empty ones. so home I went with three broccoli boxes to turn into wicking beds, inspired.

I had looked into doing it last year and asked at the fruit and veg shop (where better to get broccoli boxes) and they would sell them to me for $2 each (empty that is too) surely word hasn't got out that fast and every one wants broccoli boxes for their wicking beds and the demand for them is overwhelming?

So after last years disappointing efforts of trying to produce food in the middle of summer on sandy soil, with water restrictions I thought maybe I would try something a bit different. Ohh and also being very disappointed with "Woolworths, the not so fresh people"s limp and overpriced lettuce, bok choy and the like, when I have seeds here that should grow perfectly with the right conditions.

I dont think I am ready to jump in to the inground systems, or should I say my diary and back are not ready. So I am thinking of something simple, using things I have around the house, buying as little as possible. Also I have come to think that there is a lot of "junk" around the place, so surely some of that would have to be useful, why else would I have kept it so its a bit of a challenge to myself.

Heres what I'm thinking so far, hole up the side to create the reservior, 10mm gravel in the bottom, cut PET bottle or milk container as the watering tubes, maybe a margarine container with the bottom cut out for the feeding station, so a lid can be used to give the worms "privacy". Then fill it with some potting mix I have in the shed. Should be pretty much FREE.

I have to think about what plants to use, I am thinking the ones that just wont make it in the beds, the high feed/water needing plants (the things that wilt the first in the garden) and also things that I can continuously harvest, like lettuce, bok choy, kale, herbs and other greens....hmmm thats the end of my list, surely there must be more?

Seedings Showing Growth

Some of the seedlings that I planted last week have started pop out of the potting mix maybe it is just a coincidence but these were planted in the leafy moon pase and that is generally what has popped up. Coincidence or proof that moon planting works??