Last night after work we finally got our wine barrels planted out. My husband divided a bag of organic compost and a bag of alpaca poo between the 4 barrels. I went through the alpaca poo to pull out bits of grass that must have gotten into it when it was being shoveled out of paddocks. Then Scott mixed it all through and planted the trees! We have 2 varieties of olive, a Eureka lemon, and a small bay tree. We also moved our two potted limes here (I top-dressed them with a bit of alpaca poo). I gave the olives and lemon a bit of a hair cut too. I don’t know why, but I’m quite nervous of pruning them. I whack away at shrubs quite liberally, however I guess I’m so eager for these little guys to grow and fruit that I hate to chop them back. But I know it’s for the best!
I took photos this morning, but it’s all looking a bit messy at the moment. By the time we finished last night and I’d watered everything in it was after dark, so there is messy soil and prunings everywhere. Plus the herb bed needs mulching.
This weekend:
- We’re having 3 metres of gum bark mulch delivered.
- We’ll be cleaning out our linen cabinet and putting down old sheets as weed mat in areas that won’t be planted out (around the raised garden beds and around where the berry patch will be). Them the gum bark mulch will be put on top of this.
- Scott emptied the cardboard recycling bin at his office. We’ll be spreading alpaca poo around the raspberries, mulberry, cherry, future apple beds, berry patch, and under our apricots. We’ll also be spreading some blood and bone around the lemon and lime (and probably some alpaca poo). We’ll water all these areas, then cardboard will go on top and straw mulch on top of that. Food and weed suppression! Lots of work, but hopefully healthier for the plants (the mulch and things breaking down) and easier for us (the weed killing) in the long run.
- Hopefully we can also get some sleepers around the berry patch. Then we’ll need to order in some soil for this area and plant those berries!