33. SPINACH AND PEAS

Pea Flower

Today was serious planting day, it being new Moon. I must say I am not hard and fast on the moon planting business, but I have noticed that thing seem to transplant better and adapt quicker when planted at new Moon. I eventually planted the two cucumber seedlings I have been nursing like babies. They are rather hard to grow, need temperatures above 25 Cel. to germinate. My poor babies must now face the big bad world full of slugs and things all on their own.

There was a bit of a problem with a Bushbuck or two visiting the garden at night and munching away whole Spinach and trampling everything around it.  Riaan came up with a brilliant plan. You take some solar garden lamps and plant them near the spinach, the buck’s instincts won’t allow him near the light, I was skeptical, but it works! It does however not scare the porcupines, but they only dig holes looking for sweet Potatoes, which is only a problem if they destroy other plants in the process, which seldom happens. We have Sweet potatoes everywhere, so they are welcome to some.

The solar lamp with the Spinach

There are suddenly peaches everywhere, we don’t quite know what to do with it all, the birds are taking their share, that is for sure, we have managed to make a few bottles of Chutney. To be honest it was Seth and Claire that made the Chutney, on the solar cooker.  They also made the most amazing Pizza; Riaan will have to pull out all the stops tomorrow night.

Masters with a Pizza oven

I am sure I have mentioned that Niki and Kevan are experimenting with growing Oyster mushrooms, well it has been trial and error, but I am very glad to announce that they have harvested their first batch. This is very good news. This is creating an income for Niki and Kevan and the whole process takes place here. They are now even looking at growing their own spores. That is quite technical and you need a mini laboratory and everything must be sterile otherwise the spores die.  

We had fresh Oyster mushrooms on the Pizza…

The absolute basic way to grow Oyster mushrooms, no fancy equipment needed.

You will need:

1. Big IRON drum

2. Substrate - substrate is a material that mushrooms can grow and establish itself in, you       can buy all kinds of fancy stuff or you can just use what you have available, like gut some     long grass or use wood shavings. Bascially any dead plant material wil do.

3. Big fire

4. Peroxide

5. Gloves 

6. Bath or tub or other area that you can sterilize

7. Plastic bags (big, strong ones, see photo)

8. Syringe/injection needle

Last but not least, you need spores. You can buy them from various places.

Method:

Make a big fire

Fill the drum to half with water

let this water cook

add the subtrate 

boil into oblivion

Once the subtrate is sterilized, put on your gloves and drag the subtrate to the bath/tub you have already sterilized with peroxide. Also peroxide your gloves. You need a sterile environment.

In the sterile bath/tub, you stuff the subtrate into the plastic bags, nice and tight and close the bags.

Now you take the syringe and the spores (spores normally comes in a petri dish).

Suck some of the spores into the syringe and inject them into the bag with substrate.

Keep in a warm place and wait....

Kevan looking very happy with the first mushrooms

It is hard to believe, but we have been here for almost five months.