Soil Preparation

This week turned out to be a week of soil preparation (and not so much garlic planting).
Having started with pretty typical acidic Australia soil, I've been put a moderate amount of lime onto the beds each Spring and Autumn. This is gradually bringing the acidity levels down and thus making the soil better able to store and release nutrients.
Rather than adding a large amount in one go, I've been spinning it out over several seasons to allow the soil to adjust and develop more gradually. After this addition, i'm expecting that I'll only need to add a small "maintenance" amount each year. The difference in growth has been noticeable this year as we've crossed a threshold!
We also built a compost heap which we'll use in spring. According to biodynamic practices, the first six weeks, when the compost should get hot, is the break down stage. The following few months, which is often left out, is the building back up stage. It is during this second stage that additional goodies are developed in the compost heap.