Sheet mulching suppresses weeds, retains soil moisture and keeps the soil warm. A blanket for the soil.
Tag Archives: Sustainable
Today John the farmer is sheet mulching his broad beans.
Posted in ORGANIC PRODUCE
Tagged Bio-degradable, Eco-friendly, Organic farming, Plants, Recycling, Sustainable, vegetables, water-wise
Today John the Farmer planted up Tomato + Sweet basil seedlings.
Plant a guild of tomatoes, basil and marigolds for a flavorful and pest-free crop.
You know it’s going to rain when these cacti flower.
Today John the farmer is harvesting broad beans.
Fava beans can be stored frozen. Splice them in half, then remove the tough skin.
Boil rapidly for about a minute so they turn dark green.
Plunge them into iced water. Drain.
Pat them dry, then freeze !
Posted in ORGANIC PRODUCE
Tagged Organic produce, Recipes, Slow food, Spring, Sustainable, vegetables
Kei apple, Dovyalis caffra. Featured tree at Towerkop Nursery.
Bonsai of the kei apple. An evergreen tree up to about 3-5 m in nature. Native to South africa. Bears yellow fruit which is edible if not somewhat tart. Grown as a hedge it forms an impenetrable barrier because of it’s fierce thorns.
Birds subsequently build nests in it’s protective thicket of thorns.
Today John the Farmer is saving seeds of Marigold !
Tagetes patula is native to Guatumala and Mexico. The flowers are used to add to poultry feed to intensify the color of egg yolk. The essential oil is used in perfumery. It is also used as a pesticide, grown alongside vegetables to fumigate for nematodes. It is used as a saffron-like spice.
The bright flowers of Marigold are also used in the festival of the Day of the Dead in Mexico. They are said to guide the spirits of the departed to their friends and loved ones.
Today John the farmer planted up winter seedlings.
Today I am planting up kale, wasabi mustard, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, parsley and spinach for sale at Towerkop Nursery.
Posted in ORGANIC PRODUCE
Tagged herbs, Organic farming, Plants, Sustainable, vegetables
Today John the farmer is sheet mulching !
A Good use for Bad news…Today john the farmer is using newspaper to sheet mulch an area of the allotment !
Sheet mulching prevents weeds from coming up and retains the moisture in the soil.
A layer of well rotted biomass from the compost heap holds the newsprint down and prevents the paper from drying out.
I intend planting a ground cover of Sour fig (Carpobrotus) by making small holes in the newspaper and sticking the cuttings into them.
Update on the mulching and subsequent planting..
The fig tree raised bed is planted with sunflowers, gazanias and gem squash.
The trellis contains Jasmine, Aloe ciliaris and an epiphyte cactus.
Below it rambles a butternut squash.
Posted in ORGANIC PRODUCE
Tagged Bio-degradable, Eco-friendly, Organic farming, Recycling, Sustainable, water-wise
Today John the farmer is doing Hugelkultur !
Hugelkultur or hill culture is simply growing what you want on hills or mounds created out of rough biomass to improve the soil, increase drainage and at the same time prevent the soil from drying out.
I added a galvanized wire mesh tube or cylinder which i plan to use as a trellis for climbing plants.
The middle of the tube will filled with garden clippings, kitchen waste and leaves to create a ‘wormhole’.
The wormhole will concentrate earthworm activity from where they will spread out to the rest of the mound.
I must say this Hugelkultur method really works ! Three months later and all the veggies I put into the mound are reaady for harvest..The beans that I sowed must still climb the trellis but I am ready to replace most of the veggies with the summer seedlings.
Posted in ORGANIC PRODUCE
Tagged Africa, Bio-degradable, Eco-friendly, organic, Organic farming, Organic produce, Sustainable
Towerkop Nursery 