Kembla Cherry Orchard Royalla: Seasonal maintenance                             starts from the ground up
​                                    (winter 2017)
 
Plant growth has slowed with the onset of winter, which is the perfect opportunity for gardeners to take stock, catch up, and carry out a range of maintenance tasks. Owner of Kembla Cherry Orchard in Royalla NSW, Martin Corby, focuses on soil health at his property during early winter, and also just before spring, to ensure his cherry trees produce a bumper crop the following season. In fact, Martin stresses that maintaining excellent plant nutrition and carrying out soil improvements at this time of year are critical to superior fruit quality and increased harvest potential.
 
Currently, Martin is in the process of applying a light covering of sawdust and animal manure (not chicken) in between tree rows before broadcast spraying a combination of: nitrogen rich products, trace elements, molasses, and kelp. These additions, along with the fallen leaves from the Cherry trees, are judiciously injected into the soil surface with a purpose-made aerator. The mix is geared towards feeding and encouraging soil life, as well as nourishing the nearby trees. Martin explained that kelp also reduces the impact of frost on crops and maintains active plant growth for longer periods than would otherwise be reached.
 
A green manure crop will then be sown to make the most of the revitalised soil life. Martin generally uses cereal rye, a hardy and vigorous crop that tolerates a range of conditions including cold temperatures. The crop will be chopped and dropped as a nutritious mulch just before spring. At this time, Martin will apply a second soil application of trace elements and soil microbe sustaining goodies.
 
Martin suggests a similar maintenance regime can be adopted in your own backyard, regardless of whether you are growing plants for your eyes or your stomach.
 
We also discussed a bunch of other interesting stuff, including:
 

• Ideal soil pH for availability of most nutrients and optimum plant growth is 6.4.
• Martin uses and recommends Kelway pH and moisture meter for monitoring nutrition and when to water. This tool is utilised by laboratories when analysing soil samples and isn’t exactly cheap, but what price does one put on efficiency and long term health of your plants? He also uses a Hanna EC meter, which is a useful indication of soil and water nutrient levels.

• Humic and Fulvic acid, constituents of broken down animal and plant materials, are essential to feed and sustain soil life. Fulvic acid, Humic acid, and Molybdenum aren’t generated in most Australian soils as they are depleted from over-farming and non-organic production practices.
• A microbe-rich soil means less fertilisers needed and more efficient nutrient uptake by plant roots - save money and the environment!
• Having a range of pasture plants growing provides a variety of nutrition to sustain soil life. This can be implemented in backyard garden situations to good affect.
• There is a real need for soil improvement products to be standardised and include nutrient analysis so that consumers know what they are getting. Currently, it really is a minefield and difficult to purchase with confidence and get value for money.

 

Applying fertiliser and trace elements with boom spray.

Sawdust is applied to the soil, along with other goodies, to feed soil life.

Kelway pH and moisture meter.