Mrs Evans is an avid gardener based in rural New Zealand. She is an advocate of food security, human health and well-being. Her background is BHlthSc (Psychology). She has been generously helping schools teach young children gardening skills and assists in developing their love for growing.
You may follow her on Instagram.
You may find her helpful Autumn planting tips below.
--------
Hi guys!
It's time to start thinking about how to prepare.
I've seen some fabulous harvests of fresh kai coming out of people's gardens, just awesome. The main thing to remember when prepping beds or pots/containers for a new crop is that we need to replace the vital nutrients used by plants to produce those summer yields. That old adage ' You get back what you put in' rings true here.
Some ideas that'll keep you harvesting are:
• Weed beds thoroughly.
• Top beds up with composts and mulch, including pots/containers; give back to your soil.
• You can use kitchen scraps (not citrus as many microbes do not like it) to fill mini trenches, cover back over with soil and plant straight on top of. The roots on hungry autumn and winter crops will be encouraged to grow towards the food source which will help establish a strong base for healthy growth.
• Make sure your soil is diverse by adding a range of inputs. If you rely heavily and repeadtedly on one type of input your soil will be lacking, and ultimately so will your harvest basket. You are after soil that is rich and diverse in life and nutrients, so your inputs have to be as well.
Remember: gardening is not a competition. Everyone's situations, knowledge, and resources are unique. When we compare ourselves negatively to others it can drive resentment and may mean we miss out on positive learning opportunities and relationships. This is especially relevant if you use social media. Instead, if we approach social media from a position of embracing learning it becomes a fabulous platform with a wide pool of knowledge, inspiration, and gorgeous people to learn from and grow with no matter their context. Just something to think on, particularly when online social connections can positively contribute to mental health during the current Covid landscape, where connecting face-to-face is challenging.
Autumn is my favourite season. The produce is still pumping, the colours of autumn are always striking, and it's cooler and kinder to work in.
Happy autumn gardening everyone!
Mrs Evans 🍂🍁🍂
@mrs.evans.garden