Autumn

I'm sure there must be loads of things to do in the garden just now, but I'm not finding anything at all. The veg patch is turned, ready for new plantings. The compost heap continues to break down. The new replanted tomato plants continue to grow. And the grass has not needed cut since last time as there has been no rain since September.
I've only had to throw some water on the plant pots every other day.
I do have new seedlings coming up - two different types of tree, the names of which I can't remember, have young seedlings in pots, but they are still only at the first leaf stage.
I have some lovely Christmas cactus in flower, but the shortened daylight hours is sending almost everything else off to sleep for the Winter. Growth has slowed down, leaves have changed colour and dropped.
I've just obtained some seed pods from the Pandorea jasminoides climbing bush that grows over a neighbour's fence, and they will require planted soon.

New Compost Heap

Making your own compost is so important here in Spain, because the soil is terrible. It's cloggy and lumpy and full and stones, and CAL which I think is limestone but I could be wrong. The water is full of CAL too. Really hard and horrible tasting - though the addition of chlorine may be responsible for the taste, I'm not too sure.

I've got little heaps going all over the garden, but there is never enough rain to break it down. My best success so far is the stuff I had in old household bins, with circulation holes drilled in the sides, and water added by hose every other day.

I did at first try digging holes in the ground, but it made it really hard work to get to later.

The other day, I nailed three wooden pallets together, lined them with cardboard, and put chicken wire and black plastic over the front area. I'm sure this is going to be a great composter, and it has loads more space than the bins ever did.

I've also got earthworms in the garden. Not many, and I'm not sure where they came from, but I'm hoping they will move into my new compost heap and multiply, because they are great for breaking up and improving soil, and their casts alone make great fertiliser.

Winter Tomatoes?

I had started a new compost heap in an old palm tree tub. Then I threw some used compost on top of the remains from the kitchen, to stop the dogs getting to it. Then early September we got some rain, and next thing I knew I had melons and tomatoes growing in the tub. The other day, I lifted 6 of the tomato plants out and replanted them in a sheltered part of the garden. They seemed a bit big for transplanting, being at least 1 foot tall, and it is now early November which has just GOT to be too late for them. Or is it?
I'll let you know.....

Seed Tip

I grow a lot of things from seed, and not just from shop-bought seed.
When I store unused seed, I store it in the vegetable box at the bottom of the fridge where it will keep forever it seems. Also, a lot of fresh seed prefer a period of 'coldness' before planting, imitating winter, after which I have learned that they grow much quicker than they would normally and the germination rate is higher.
So, don't throw out that unused seed, store it!

Zingiber officinale

Ginger is also very easy to grow from shop bought produce. Simply plant a piece of it in compost in a large pot in a sheltered and shaded part of the garden, and in a few weeks you should be rewarded with the green tip of a new shoot coming up.

This area is subtropical and ginger is commercially grown in tropical areas which are not only hot and sunny, but wet.

Ginger needs a lot of water especially during its growing period.

Plant a shop bought rhizome with 'eyes' in early spring, and when the foliage dies down in autumn, dig the plant up and you have fresh ginger to dry and use during the following year.

Punica granatum

Pomegranates grow in the wild locally, though I believe the fruit is pretty sour. They are easy to grow from seed which is obtainable through the fruit, simply rinse or suck off the juice surrounding the seed, dry for a few days, and plant in a pot filled with compost to the depth of the seed. Germination takes from a few days to a few weeks, just be patient and keep the soil moist (I find it easier to just bung the seeds into damp compost in a plastic bag, seal and keep in a light place but out of direct sunlight).
I have a LOT of plants now, because I was unaware of the phenonemol germination rate. It must be near 100%.
I have some I grew last year that are about 3 feet tall now. They grow into tall bushes but can be trained into single stemmed trees, although you will have to spent a lot of time removing all the suckers they throw up from around the base.
They are self fertile so one plant is enough for fruit.
Plants grown from seed do not grow 'true', so there is every chance the plant will not be like the parent. It may have inferior fruit. Or it may have superior fruit. If the latter is the case, they can then be propagated by cuttings.
Inferior fruiting varieties can be used as rootstock onto which a cutting from superior stock can be grafted.
The pomegranate is deciduous and can also be grown as an ornamental as it's leaves vary in colour from deep red to green, to yellow, changing as the age of the leaf changes. It has spikes so can be used as hedging to keep out unwanted intruders. Just trim it into shape. It is drought-tolerant, likes alkaline soil and most can tolerate light frost. Some have been known to survive temperatures of -10C.
My two year old pomegranates are throwing out their first flowers which are a very attractive deep orangey/red. I wonder why no-one told them the normal time of year to flower is early spring, not autumn!
Perhaps they are confused because they are not from local produce, their parent having been bought in Tesco.

Animals!

Thanks dogs and cats! One of you has eaten and ripped up the one papaya plant that was growing directly in the garden. Of course, I really blame your male owner who obviously can't keep you under control when you enter the garden to shit everywhere.