The weather was beautiful over the weekend.  I finally managed to spread manure over the garden beds and have completed covering about 1/3 of the entire vegetable garden with peastraw.  The last two days I’ve had a sore throat so haven’t finished preparing the garden for winter yet, but as soon as I am recovered I’ll be out there!


Each year at about this time, when I’ve removed all crops that are no longer producing, I fill 3 rubbish bins about 1/3 full with horse manure.  These are then filled with water and left over the winter.  I use the liquid as fertiliser throughout the spring and summer.  In autumn I mix the remaining solids with the liquid so that I have a slurry which I then spread on the beds with a bucket and a rake.  Once I’ve finished mulching, I’ll refill the bins with manure for use next spring and summer.


It’s been a great summer in the garden.  I’ve harvested so much since the end of November – 223kg! (and that’s not counting apples, pears, grapes, black boy peaches and onions).
The best crops over the summer have been:
Zucchini – 37kg from 2 plants
Tomatoes – 28kg (13kg green!)
Strawberries – 17kg
Raspberries – 6kg
Pumpkin (oil seed) – 21kg from 3 plants
Squash (butternut) – 31kg from 5 plants
Potatoes (jersey benne) – 15kg
Potatoes (van rosa) – 2kg (more to be harvested)
Potatoes (purple heart) – 3kg
Peans – 3kg
Peas – 2kg
Garlic – 3kg
Sweetcorn – 10kg
Cherries – 12kg
Carrots – 6kg (more to be harvested)
Broad beans – 4kg
Beetroot – 3kg (more to be harvested)
Beans – 3kg


We’ve bottled pears and black boy peaches; frozen pears, black boy peaches, quinces, peans, tomatoes and stewed apple; dried apples, pears and beans; made tomato sauce and green tomato chutney; and put apples into a fridge for long term storage. These apples are all absolutely perfect, not touching anything, in single layers on the wire fridge shelves. There are:
37 Splendour
23 Granny smith
28 Braeburn
18 Kidd’s orange red
That’s not counting the apples that had worm holes that are in the kitchen fridge for immediate eating! There are 3 bins full in there!