Rain Rain Go Away...
- dom@urbanveg.com.au
- Feb 6, 2021
- 1 min read
All the rain in Sydney this year played havoc with tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, watermelon and other veggies planted in the ground.
A simple anti-mildew spray
Mix one teaspoon of bicarb soda and a few drops of dishwashing liquid into a litre of water, with a small splash of canola oil, and spray affected leaves in the cool of the morning. It shifts powdery mildew on tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini quickly. Repeat weekly through wet spells, and always water at the base — never over the leaves.
Why wicking beds have the edge in the wet
Because they irrigate from below, the surface of the soil stays relatively dry between downpours. That dry top layer is hostile to the fungal spores that cause mildew and to the slugs and snails that thrive in soggy in-ground beds. Add a good layer of mulch to stop rain splashing soil-borne spores up onto the lower leaves and your crops sail through a wet Sydney summer that flattens everyone else’s.
However, thankfully those veggies lucky enough to be grown in our carefully engineered, self watering wicking beds were irrigated from beneath, and helped between rainfall by the dry surface soil. And the snails weren't too happy at all!
These fortunate veggies need very little attention until it comes to the picking and cooking part!
The rich growing medium we set our beds up with gives healthy veggies season after season with minimal input and less irritation from pests and disease. Just water one a week, and mulch one a year!
Contact info@urbanveg.com.au to install your very own vegetable powerhouse!
#growyourown #wickingbeds #raisedbeds #sydneygardeners
