It’s the 8th day of Winter today, and my broad bean seedlings were flopping and flapping and generally letting me know that they would appreciate a little bit of structure to cling to.  Gee, galvanised and steel trellises are expensive, aren’t they!?  Up to about $30 each.  Dont tell my broad beans this, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to invest that much in their immediate needs.  So, I adopted an alternative in the form of some narrow plastic stakes about 1200mm long, and lovingly placed the beans out into the weak and intermittent winter sunshine.  The garlic plants are thriving in the grow area, and I see no immediate need to move them.  I’ve sowed some more seeds:  wasabi and a cool looking Spanish black radish, and I also have some perpetual spinach which I will sow tomorrow after they have an overnight soak.

The seed notes for each are as follows:
 - Wasabi:  sow late winter until mid autumn.  Keep moist.  Sow every 3 weeks.  Plant seedlings 20cm apart.  Germination in 5-10 days.  Fertilise with high nitrogen fertiliser like Seasol every 2 weeks.
 - Black radish:  Sow spring-autumn in compost or manured soil.  Show direct 5mm deep and water in well.  Thin to 7cm apart.  Germination in 5-14 days.  Harvest 20-40 days.  Requires plenty of water.  Avoid nitrogen fertilisers.
 - Spinach:  Sow spring-autumn.  Soak seeds for 8 hours.  Sow direct or into pots, 12 mm deep.  Thin to 10cm apart.  Germination in 5-10 days.  Water with Seasol every 2 weeks.

We’ve made a few changes here over the past few years.  Hopefully these photos will show a little of that.

​Garden Notes - Germination action!

I noticed 2 days ago (so, nine days after sowing) that some of the garlic and broad beans have shoosted.  This morning there were 10 broad beans shoots and  5 garlics.  I noticed also that the jiffy pots had been disturbed and there is what appears to be wallaby scats near the disturbance - so I will need to be conscious of protecting my seedlings in coming weeks.

I had a bit of a thought about planting the red onions when (if) they emerge from the jiffy plugs.  I have a heap of fire bricks stacked under the house, from which I could construct a small raised bed for onions.  More to follow.

​Beautiful autumn ANZAC Day.  Light breeze, cloudless sky, 18°C.  I snapped a quite nice photo of our eucalypt leave and seed pods which I thought reflected the ANZAC vibe.  
We missed the parkrun mob this morning having stayed in Devonport last night.  Back to town just as the morning service ended and a visit to West Park Grove Nursery for some bits and pieces.

Garden Notes

First seeds / bulbs of the year planted in the under-deck grow space.  
Broad beans:  12 seeds sowed directly into 3 mid sized pots.  Seed notes say germination expected in 5-10 days.  Once germinated, fertilise until flowering begins.  I intend putting some climbing frames over them once they germinate.
Garlic:  10 cloves planted into two rectangular plant boxes.  Seed notes say the plant should emerge within 14-21 days.  Fertilise regularly before the Spring equinox, but not after!  Harvest when 4-5 leaves remain on the plant.  Avoid water one week before harvest.  Cure in a warm, shaded spot.
Red onion seeds:  30 seeds into 30 jiffy pots.  Seed notes say seeds should germinate in 14 days.  When transferring to beds, prepare soil with organic matter and manure.

​Other Concoctions

Today I chopped 8 apples and put them in my fermenting jar with 5 tablespoons of raw sugar and topped it over with water.  The theory of apple cider vinegar making says that the apples should be removed after about 2 weeks, and the remaining solution left to ferment for another 4 weeks or so, stirring every few days, before bottling.  The flavour of the ACV will develop as long as it is left in the fermenter.  When content with the flavour, whack it into bottles and store in a cool pantry or refrigerate.  It should last a year.

​A lovely autumn day on the coast, after a week or so of strong westerlies and about 8mm of rain in a few days.  
Coffee under the gazebo at about 8am.  I thought I spied the silhouette of a large-ish sailing boat well out towards the horizon, but it was grey and featureless in the morning distance.  If I was right about what I saw, it was a good sized vessel.
I missed seeing and hearing the park runners go along the bike track because I had gotten away earlier than them to get to the veggie shed for some provisions, but I did pass the entire field on the way back into town to head to Woollies for stage 2 of the provisioning run.
Back on the deck, the usual collection of wattlebirds, wrens, honeyeaters, lorikeets and finches were flitting in and out of the trees.  We had a visit from a couple of lesser-seen avian friends:  a Grey Butcherbird and a European Goldfinch.  The Butcherbird nearly tricked me into believing he was a wattlebird, but he definitely had a darker outfit and a prominent beak compared to the wattlebird.  Unfortunately, he did not offer to sing for me.
Later in the afternoon an armada of wave skis paddled past, with inflatable dinghies as outriders.  I suspect the surf club had sent some novice paddlers out to clock up some kilometres.
My under-deck greenhouse is now set up and ready to host some plants.  I have some red onion seeds, garlic bulbs and broad bean seeds ready for planting - but more of that to follow in coming days.