You have a veritable warehouse of potential stuff out there! Looks like a full time job to maintain.
I've only got a strip about 6 metres by 1.5 (postage stamp yard) and I'm super happy that I can grow four chilli plants to feed my hot sauce addiction. I just posted on someone else's thread that I've gotten 1.2KG out of those four plants over the last few weekends, and they show no sign of stopping!
I haven't watered them in over a week, and they're probably due for some fertiliser soon.... I just wing it, no theory. Any tips on how to maximise chilli yields? :D
I was so annoyed that I didn't plant chilli before I left for Tassie. I am addicted to making hot sauce too - I do a fermented version. We may have spoken about it before.
My chilli always have had most success in the wicking beds, so in my experience, water helps, and I think they like very fertile soil so topping up with compost or fertilizer (I do comfrey and broad leaf weeds and nettles rotted down in water) seems to help.
My last hot sauce was made with jalapeno from the Feed Me Surfcoast shop (it gets excess food destined for landfill and you pay by donation). In the absence of carrot or celery I fermented them with beetroot and spring onion. It's not bad but I reckon I'll add some raspberry to it as I think it'll lift the beetroot a little.
I love garlic heavy hot sauce. Spring onion sounds like a good addition, and easy to grow, too :)
I've got some liquid seaweed fertiliser. They tend to also enjoy the odd banana peel chopped up. (From when I had one in a pot at my old house - the chilli, not the banana)
As for full time job, yeah it takes a bit but we have good systems. Because we are high energy people we can get a massive amount done in a morning of a weekend when things need digging, weeding, pulling out, pruning. But we made a pact that we garden for half an hour every day at least four days a week. That actually keeps the time you garden down, believe it or not. It's a pleasure to walk round, water, snip a branch or two, pick a few weeds, plant seeds, turn the compost - and that way it doesn't build up so massively. This year Jamie's promised to help more which makes it easier.
Was thinking of downsizing but I really have realized that I've always loved a garden and cannot imagine not tending one. It'd be interesting doing it on a suburban block I guess - mini small holdings are a thing after all - but whilst I'm fit enough I may as well keep it up.
Very suburban here. I too have tried the 10-15 mins a day routine, but with the oppressive heat (and choosing to go to gym in the evening, I am confronted with weeds and grass regrowth that is just too challenging or intimidating to chop down in one go.)
I can't wait for winter.