Autumn is good time of the year to mulch the garden. A mulch is a layer of garden compost or well rotted manure (usually around 5 cm deep) that is applied evenly across vegetable and ornamental beds and is used to feed and replenish the soil at the end of the growing season.
Before applying a mulch it is important to weed the bed, and also to check that the soil is moist. We have had so much rain lately that there is no problem with our soil moisture levels, but generally you do not want to apply a mulch to dry ground. Last Sunday we prepared the tropical border for an autumn mulch by cutting back the canna lilies to about 5cm above the ground. This week we will cover them with a mulch and this will feed them for next year but will also insulate the roots / rhizomes and give them some protection against winter cold.
As we clear out of the vegetable beds, removing old tomato and bean plants, we are also mulching these beds and then sowing a green manure, in this case field beans. These beans look very similar to broad beans, (because they are a close relative) and they are similarly very cold tolerant. If you are wondering what field beans look like, have a look at the squash bed next to the heritage wall where some are sprouting.
Other benefits of mulches are that they suppress weeds, insulate the soil and once sown with a green manure, the active roots of living plants protect the soil from erosion and keep the soil biologically active throughout the winter.
We will be harvesting our medlars this week and we are hoping for some dry weather in which to do this!
Medlar (Mespilus germanica) is a fruit from the Rose (Rosaceae) family closely related to apple and pears and they produce edible fruits that are something of an acquired taste and are tart if eaten raw, but make pleasantly flavoured jellies or desserts and can be used for making wine.
When the medlars are ready to be harvested (like so many other fruits) you will know this by the fact that the stalks part easily from the tree. Once harvested they need to be left to soften or ‘blet’ before eating raw. We will need to briefly dip the stalks in a strong salt solution to prevent rotting, then store in trays, making sure the fruits are not touching, eye downwards, in a cool, dark, frost-free place for two or three weeks until the flesh becomes soft and brown but not rotten. Then we can eat them or use them for other culinary purposes.
