We have moved to the Sunshine Coast near to Nambour

All the things that I learned in Brisbane about gardens, I am implementing here on The Sunshine Coast and some implementing of new things that are relevant to the situation here on the coast.

We have planted up a number of trees in our orchard. I have watering lines to each one though the tap is mostly off through the wet season.

 

Garden tips and experiences in Brisbane

What happened in the garden.  After 2019 we moved to the sunny coast

I am so happy about this new development in the garden. It has been over 4 weeks now and it is going very well. The seeds are coming up and the starting to look good. Other plants I have been able to harvest like spinach, spring onions, Leeks, Basel, parsley,  and soon beets.

I just built 7 wicking garden beds.

This was my process;

• Leveled the ground.
• Screwed together boards (2400 x 200 x 50) in the size and shape I wanted. I built this only 2 boards high (you may wish to go to 3). Using a spirit level level the structure within 20mm.
• Using long screws pin the levels together.

• Cover the screw heads with corflute so that there are no sharps.
• Lay corflute (plastic sheet) on the ground cut to size (+ 50mm on all sides) used a staple gun to keep it in place.
• Cut one piece of heavy duty builders plastic to fit in the box and go up the sides to the top edge.
• I then carefully lay in the plastic liner and stapled that on to the top. (temp fixing)
• Now insert a filler pipe into the box.(I use 90mm storm water pipe and an elbow that runs 2/3 the length of the box. Fix the pipe to the upper edge of the wall so that it won’t move when adding the wood chip and the soil.
• Next step is to fill the box. Using hard wood chip I half fill the box.
• Next step is to cut a fiber mat that will allow the water to pass through but not the soil the size of the box.

• Lay the fiber mat on top of the wood chip.
• Time to take a break and add water till the top of the chips are wet.
• Drill a hole the size of a piece of pipe as an overflow and insert the pipe under the mat.
• Now it is time to bring in the soil and fill in to the top of the box.

• Now just tidy up the box by stapling the plastic liner to the inside of the top edge and cutting of the excess.

If you take these steps your new garden is now ready to plant.

I added some sugar cane mulch on top of the soil to shade the soil, to protect from uv, and slow evaporation.

The Turmeric has flowered back in January and now the leaves are turning yellow. We will be harvesting this delicious and healthy food over the next week.

Our Soursop tree has given us its first fruit and what a big one it is. It was over a kilo. When it was ripe I picked it and prepared it for consumption. I did this by carefully removing the green skin. This leaves a white pulp with seeds similar to custard apple. I pressed the thick white creamy sap out of the pulp leaving a stringy white fibre not unlike cotton wool which in the most part I discarded. It was a tasty desert or snack.

Here is a photo of the fruit.

 

 

Our pumpkin has been going rampant out front, its a challenge to keep it confined. The good thing is that we have many more pumpkins coming on and we have already harvested 5.  Pumpkin and turmeric soup coming up mmm.