Yesterday was like midsummer again, with temperatures soaring to a level not required in April, but doubtless much enjoyed by those who like the heat. I am an autumn person myself, appreciating cooler air with plenty of sunshine, particularly when the urge strikes to do a bit of digging in the garden. Physical exertion has never much appealed to me and the turning of the soil more than does it for me when trying to burn a few calories.
After assessing the state of my compost heap, I realised that all the valuable ingredients have either been fed to the porcupine or lugged off in bags to the local dump for composting there, so I have effectively given it all away. The solution is to stop feeding the porcupine and go back to using the Bokashi system of putting the kitchen scraps, bones included, in closed buckets which have taps at the bottom. An accelerator is added to break down the matter and soon a pungent 'tea' is available for dilution and adding to the garden, while the contents of the bucket are put into a hole in the ground and covered to decompose rapidly into rich soil.
This will take about 6 weeks, so I headed off to the dump to reclaim my grass clippings, leaves and other garden debris. Fortunately it has by now become part of an immense heap of decaying matter and for a mere R10 a bag (possibly 30kgs or more) I filled my boot to bring it home for further decomposition. I've put it behind the shed and added accelerator and a bit of water and looking forward to emptying them out in a few weeks' time.
I bought seedlings of cabbage, Swiss chard and bush beans, spreading freshly trimmed lavender around each plant to provide protection from the sun, and set the sprays to do their work, surrounding the entire area with a big square of snail bait - hopefully none will make it into the kraal. I'll let you know if anything flourishes!
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