The chickens are on lay! OK. I know that is not great English, but I have the 1967 Herman’s Hermits’ hit ‘No milk today’ in my head and it all just worked (… in my head!) 😛 But in contrast to the mood of the song, there is nothing forlorn about the back yard, the chickens, … Continue reading
… yes folks! It’s harvest day! It’s a balmy (?) 28 degrees in Woody Point but because of the 68% humidity it feels like at least 30 degrees. So today, after our regular Saturday morning date of bike ride, coffee and backgammon, we donned hats and sunscreen and insect repellant and headed for the patch! … Continue reading
…we have had a small disaster Well Dear Reader…it has been a while since my last post, as well…things were going along swimmingly. The plants in the system were thriving, we had tried out different growing arrangements, tried new vegetables and herbs in the grow beds (and NFT) and continued to marvel at the rate of … Continue reading
…and it’s surprisingly abundant Every other week I get to be ‘chief cook and bottle washer’ in the garden as my better half undertakes tasks away from home: improving the world, one person at a a time 🙂 So, in my meanderings today I took some snaps of the veggies and the system. We have … Continue reading
Turning flower-pots into castles The fish have been doing quite well. Although we are still experiencing some losses with the Barramundi, the Jade Perch are just going from strength to strength. When we asked the opinion of the supplier what he would stock three tanks with, he replied: ‘Jade Perch, Jade Perch and Jade Perch’. … Continue reading
Getting some expert advice So yesterday we visited the local pet store to get some fish-friendly pH Down…you know, the one for aquariums and not for hydroponic systems (sulphuric vs phosphoric). OK, so we have not identified that dosing the system with phosphoric was a contributing factor to the ongoing malaise of the Barramundi, but … Continue reading
things are coming up corny! (Note: you may think these titles are a lot crazy…try living with this stuff inside your head 24/7!) The soil garden (AKA the primary veggie garden) is ticking away nicely. In our first year we didn’t get a lot out of it, but it was a time of experimentation and … Continue reading
…and hope for balance and harmony Everything seems to be going OK with the aquaponics system. I think we have hit the aphids on the head, although I do have a rather awesome batch of Tomato Nightshade Tea ready and waiting if new troops arrive (faint echoes of evil laughing…). We have been happily watching … Continue reading
Documenting the early days OK…so it is an obsession, and I admit it. But in the words of my lovely man and co-creator of our backyard experiment: “You can’t manage what you can’t measure”. And so measure we do…and photograph…and document…and…well…you get the picture! (At this juncture I may as well admit to running a … Continue reading
A full complement of fish It’s been only three weeks since the IBCs (Intermediate Bulk Containers) arrived—all eight of them on the back of a truck. These metal crated plastic cube-like structures have a carrying capacity of around 1,000 litres each. We have put four to water collection from our lovely big tin roof, and … Continue reading
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