March Honey Harvest

On 18/3/12 Adrian ran an Introduction to Bee Keeping session, using my hive. We harvested about 13-14kg of honey from the middle box (the hive was three boxes high). This is the last harvest for the season.


Just six seconds from the belly of the beast - the brood mainly resides in the bottom box.


We harvested six frames, five of which were full on both sides.



This is the bees cleaning up after the harvest. We put the empty frames and chopping board down by the hive and they quickly picked up all the left over honey and took it back into the hive.

Meanwhile, some pumpkins also need harvesting. Too high for the chooks luckily (good permaculture planning you see). We'll be eating pumpkin soup for the next few weeks.

Permablitzing in East Malvern

This was an excellent blitz we organised in E Malvern, mainly installing wick beds. Wick beds are like plant pots with a water reservoir at the bottom, from which plant roots draw up water.

The frame of the raised bed is lined with 200 micron builders plastic. Then a 50mm layer of scoria gravel or sand is shoveled in, which creates the reservoir.

Slotted agricultural pipe is embedded in the scoria. At one end it is joined to a right angle and half a metre of regular 50mm pvc pipe. This sticks up as the filler. A 20mm drain pipe is inserted through the frame and plastic at the level of the scoria, so the soil above doesn't get water logged.

Shade cloth is put on top of the scoria, enough to fold up the sides. Then 30cm plus of good soil/ compost is added on top as the growing medium.

Seila has done tests and says plants grow quicker and better in wick beds compared to their at grade companions. You can fill up the bottom with water, and leave it for a week. It is good to let them dry out between topping up - helps strengthen plant cell structures.

3.30pm and starting to look forward to a beer.

Nico also helped at the blitz. An Italian wine and vinegar maker staying in Australia for work. Think of him like a WWOOFER, he helped out with a few jobs at my house in exchange for food and board.

Fabulous Food for lunch of course