Great answer. Its the same for me, it feels right, for me. Its only been a year here with demeter preps, and I have observed significant change in the soil, and its reflected in the plants. Customer feedback reaffirms the results too. Im hooked
Hey mate keen to chat about this. I’m learning this stuff too, been working with Demeter preps for a bit now. Learning heaps about the soil and plants growing. My soil was really really average when I started now is growing heaps better produce. You really get a good measure of where your soil is at when you grow without nitrates on the crop etc. I just do green manuring no composting. So took a few goes to get the plants growing well! I’ve got a sandstone acre and an alluvial acre that was 4.4 ph when I started, on the same property, rented land too. They grow different veggies differently I e carrots grow better in the sandstone and are sweeter than in the flats. While leafy vegetables grow much better on the flats. Been a wonderful challenging learning experience and gonna keep going and growing for as long as possible. I’ve found in my sandstone garden the soil will need a longer rest between crops, it’s quite sandy so structure is harder to keep than the alluvial soil, for the time being anyhow. Thinking of dividing it into thirds. One gm, followed by a crop then s green manure with the next one direct drilled with a disc seeder so the ground can be undisturbed. I reckon the structure and fertility would really really build up in that time. How do you find growing on a small scale for a living down where you are.
When I say structure is harder to keep, I mean you have to be way more careful than usual. Timing speed what you use how many times you know what I mean. The structure is improving still. But is a totally different soil to the other one on the creek flats
Hey Tim,
Sounds like you’ve got a good system developing.
I find growing down here, exciting, challenging and frustrating, oh, and extremely rewarding!! Theres a lot of positives. Good dirt, good demand, and a distinct 4 seasons. plus the surf and national parks.
The key is finding your own groove with sales outlets, crops and capacity…the rest is easy ha!!