Keep the patch Wrapped

This is the time of the year when it feels like not enough hours In the day, so much to do, seedlings to plant out seeds to sow, rows to weed and bugs to banish, all the while keeping the newbies warm and well protected. Q. How do you eat an elephant? A. Just one bite at a time. And that is how I am approaching my garden(s), in one corner I have babies growing into teenagers under the cover of plastic cloche(s), while my adult (plants) are tempted to fall to the prey of unwanted pests. So in a bid to keep everything growing and healthy, I have covered my brassica patch with bug net (image below). This works well, especially using the fitted cover because it fits perfectly over the bed and nothing can get in (at all). I have fashioned a cover out of insulnet for the corn as it is still too cold to leave unprotected, while the strawberries are adorned with bird net. I've worked too hard to even consider sharing a single strawberry with the birds. In another area, I am preparing a patch for kumara planting in a couple of weeks and will cover these new plants with insulnet also, as kumara need constant warmth to really thrive.

 

 My hot house is looking under control now that the first of my tomatoes and zucchini are well settled and ready to really take off, I have yellow sticky traps already hanging in wait for the inevitable white fly to turn up. I have also planted nasturtium in the hot house as it works well at keeping the bad guys off my plants while adding colour and attracting bees into our hot house. "Prevention is better than cure" Finally by adding a few companion plants to my patch I feel I have done almost everything in my power to get everything off to the best possible start.Marigolds and foxgloves are both great plants to grow amongst your veg. marigolds emit a scent that deters aphids while foxgloves have a strengthening effect on all plants close by. And planting anything blue of coarse naturally attracts the bees. So hopefully all is well that ends well.. for this week anyway.