November 2012 Summary

November has seen the chicken tractor make its final round for the season, preparing the last bed just in time for summer. By the end of this week I plan to have the last bed irrigated and filled with seedlings. Which is very exciting, and only one week behind my schedule.

I now no longer have to sleep in my sleeping bag next to the dinning room window as watch guard to the chickens. I had though gotten quite use to it, every night seemed like an adventure. Back in our big bed, Melanie as to work at keeping her limbs on her side of the bed now. The good news is that we still have four chooks. Either the fox decided to not return the moment I started sleeping in near proximity, or the sealed roof and paving stone skirt have been successful. I now just have to remember to close the hen house door at night.

The first two beds in the rotation, planted out at the beginning of spring, are going crazy! The soil is obviously really picking up in quality, and with no addition of fertilizer, I might add. Just waste organic material thrown to the chooks. These beds have just started delivering produce, making December looking like it is going to be a very prosperous one.

With an exciting summer ahead it takes the disappointment out of this months vegetable self-sufficiency score of 28%, down 9% from last month.

        Grown (g) Purchased (g) Grown %
Avocado               200          0%
Beans        405      1,680        19%
Beetroot     895      720          55%
Broccoli     230      395          37%
Basil                 20           0%
Bok Choy     35       100          26%
Capsicum              1,445        0%
Carrot                2,805        0%
Celery       470      400          54%
Cabbage      80                    100%
Cucumber              1,615        0%
Corn                 200          0%
Cauliflower  1,835                 100%
Eggplant              200          0%
Garlic                160          0%
Ginger                145          0%
Lettuce      705                   100%
Lentil                400          0%
Onion        20       2,335        1%
Parsley      160                   100%
Pea                   1,000        0%
Potato                4,060        0%
Pumpkin               1,280        0%
Rocket       60                    100%
Spring Onion          165          0%
Sweet Potato          535          0%
Spinach      100      200          33%
Silverbeet   1,265                 100%
Tomato                3,455        0%
Zucchini     630      1,900        25%
                     
Total        6,890    25,415       21%
Average                            28%

Total Time   13 person hours

How was November in your garden?