Start of my Winter Preparations

Its hard to believe that I am thinking winter already! The days are still very hot but this evening I did feel the slightest of chills in the air. Its actually quite refreshing and I am looking forward to the change of season.

On Sunday I wanted to get stuck into the garden and get a few beds ready for winter crops

So these unproductive marrow plants that were full of powdery mildew…

Became this sweet potato bed from the slips I had been growing on my kitchen counter

And this empty bed that use to have butternut squash

is now nicely composted and waiting for its new tenants. Not sure what to put here yet. I have planted a few rocket seeds in the holes of the blocks. Carrots and peas maybe? Salad greens? Garlic?

And this ugly, also unproductive strawberry bed…

is also ready for winter. I’m thinking cabbage, broccoli and collard greens

By removing the strawberry plants I think I might have found the source of my snail problem. Almost a cup of snails were found lurking beneath all those leaves. Needless to say my chickens had a feast!

 Meanwhile I still have a lot of summer crops still left growing around the garden

 Mielies (maize)

 Potatoes

 Peppers

 Brinjals (aubergine/eggplant)

 Butternut squash

I managed to harvest 5 butternuts (over 7kgs!) and still have at least 15 left that will be ready in the next few weeks. My most successful vegetable ever!