Mid-Winter Update

It's about time to give a quick update on some of the progress being made with the garden.

In the Vegetable Patches:
The first Snow Peas have started to set some pods, and in fact we had a small serve of them with lunch a couple of days ago. There are lots of flowers and little pods setting on the plants. Another small patch of Snow Peas has been planted, after I scrounged some old cyclone fencing and posts, to make their climbing frame.

The Asparagus crown that were split up and transplanted several weeks ago have sent up their first spear, so they have been covered with some more compost and soil to encourage longer spears. We may not get much from them this year as they establish themselves after transplanting. Hopefully those that were not moved will provide us with some good spears.

A perennials vegetable patch has been started, with Aparagus, Jerusalem Artichokes and Rhubarb being planted there. Some Globe Artichokes have also been planted near the Broad Bean patch. The Beans are continuing to grow well, and look like they will be in flower soon.

Some more Broccoli seedlings have been planted, this time in the wicking bed that has just had the Lettuce removed. I am hoping that this might make it easier to keep pests like earwigs (I think it was them than that wreaked havoc with the first young seedlings that went in) and cabbage moth caterpillars at bay.

The Spring Onion seedlings are growing well and some more seeds have been sown. One lot has been transplanted and another lot is being kept in the large planter box where they were sown.

To get an early start with some of the summer veggies we have bought a cheap and small greenhouse to help with propogation.

We met another gardener at the Port Augusta today, and he asked if we had Tomatos started yet. He said that he plants out his seedlings on 1st August, with plastic protection, and starts harvesting in November, with plants about 2m tall. That supplies him and neighbours with plenty of Tomatos. I planted some seeds a couple of days ago in the little greenhouse, so they won't be ready by 1st August, but hopefully I'll get some to plant out soon after that, and get an early start. Just have to keep the frost away.

I also have some Capsicum and Coriander seeds in the greenhouse. Hoping to get the same thing as the Tomatoes going with them.

Picked up more Australian Native Shrubs at the market, from the gardener mentioned above. And some chook, sheep and pig manure (from another seller) to help add nutrients to the compost and garden beds.

Some people think that Winter is a time to catch up on some of the maintenance jobs, but I'm finding that it can also be a busy time getting things started for Spring and Summer. There's still lots to do, like finishing pruning the Grape Vines that haven't been pruned in years.

And I haven't mentioned the weeds that are growing centimetres each day!!! Well I have now! But that won't help get rid of them.

eBay action resumed

The past 2 weeks has been a time for listing and managing items on eBay.

It's been the usual hassle trying to find the best way to save up a series of listings so that they can be fed on soon after each other, and in groups of similar items.

We've tried scheduling the listings but that increases the cost of each listing, or editing them at the time of listing. It is also easy to forget to reschedule some items and they get started when we don't want them to go.

Using Selling Manager Pro has helped a bit, but the Inventory system on there does not really suit sellers like us who have lots of slightly different items, and that requires a lot of editing. It also seems difficult to locate items already prepared.

So now it's time to try out

Fast, Simple, Reliable eBay Auction Tools

to see if that's going to work.

Will keep you posted!