March 2019 Kitchen Garden Guide

 

My garden has been blasted by winds from the north west and south west, drying everything out, no matter how much I water. I am rarely despondent about my garden but, after the fires and smoke and stresses  of January then the winds of February, all I can do is learn and implement some strategies for the future.

Lesson 1: Shelter

My cucumbers have thrived for several reasons and the first is that they are sheltered from all wind. They needed no extra water than normal and have produced a continuous supply of beautiful, healthy, crisp, Dragon’s Egg cucumbers for months. They are sheltered by a deep bank of shrubbery to the north and by being at the bottom of a slope, so that the westerlies just blew over the top and hit the trees on the other side.

Not only does the shrubbery provide wind shelter but, if you choose right, you will encourage beneficial insects and birds as well as healthy soil life. In this part of my garden the shrubbery is only about a metre high but very dense, allowing sun even as we move into autumn, but little wind.

In another area I planted out broccoli seedlings and, to save them from cabbage moths, I made a frame and covered it with white shadecloth. Co-incidentally, this heavy duty shadecloth also protected the seedlings from the daily blast of the westerlies that howled through my wire, boundary fence, along which my shrubbery is still very young. Those broccoli seedlings are now big and strong and dark green, compared with some of my unsheltered tomatoes only a few metres away that look miserable and copped the wind severely.

Lesson 2: The Soil

Long before I planted out the cucumbers, I densely sowed broad beans as a green manure crop, quite late, some time in early winter, after last year’s tomatoes had finished and been removed. In October when the broad beans were just starting to flower, I trampled them down with my feet so they were lying all in the same direction, then chopped them up with my spade. I threw over some biochar and sheep manure. I didn’t dig it all in but I did push my fork in and loosen the soil below, allowing some bits to fall through. Then I watered it all well, before covering with some rotting, wet, old hay and leaving it until early December when I dusted over some potash and planted the tiny cucumber seedlings. By this time every bit of the broad bean leaves and stalks  and roots (which I left in the soil) had been composted in situ by the soil life and the hay too was almost gone. The cucumbers grew like mad the minute they landed and never looked back. They grew so fast that I didn’t get a chance to mulch them but they soon provided their own soil cover as they spread. Nevertheless, they needed very little water all summer.

Another example of the importance of looking after the microbes and other soil life is the wind blasted tomatoes which, in December, before wind or smoke, produced fantastic, early, ripe tomatoes. This previously deep hay method bed was also the one where I planted tomatoes amongst some self-sown companion plants, such as calendulas, nasturtiums, garlic chives and sweet cicely. The tomatoes flowered and produced very early. Interestingly though, the plants did not grow very big but managed to support dense clusters of ripe tomatoes very low to the ground. Once the heat and smoke then winds arrived, these poor tomatoes suffered so my idea of having 3 separate tomato beds turned out to be a good one.

Garlic

The recent Koonya Garlic Festival has put garlic at the forefront of my mind and I will be preparing beds this week. What it comes down to is that, whatever garlic cultivars you choose to grow, the health of your soil microbes will determine how well the flavour develops. The growth of the bulb itself will be determined by soil and weather.

Garlic does not need a lot of fertility but it needs humus (well rotted organic matter) for the soil microbes to be well fed. Here is what I am going to do:

1.   Dig to a spade’s depth and loosen any clumps. This does not mean turning the soil. It means loosening and working it.

2.   Dig in plenty of aged sheep manure (I am saving my compost for brassicas and other greens as I don’t have enough for everything)

3.   Dig in a well known, pelletised seaweed, fish, humic acid and manure product available in large buckets.

4.   Really concentrate on improving the structure of the soil, with elbow and back grease!

5.   Mention was made of lactobacillus bacteria so I might dilute some kefir or pickle juice and pour it over!

6.   Water, mulch and leave, removing the mulch at planting time.

7.   Plant out at times according to what garlic you have.

 

The planting, harvest and storage times depend on the cultivars you grow. I will be planting my 3 cultivars from late March onwards. First is what is locally called Tassie Purple, which is a softneck and will be ready in about December. Next, in about May, I will plant 2 hard necks: Dungansky and a Creole. They will be dug late January or even February. These are the ones that grow the long, curly stalks called scapes, which make excellent pesto.

Sow in March	Plant out now
Beetroot Salsify Burdock Tas. swede Carrot Parsnip Spinach Broad beans Asian vegetables Spring and salad onions Coriander, pennyroyal, cress Take cuttings of Evergreen herbs such as rosemary and sage	Good sized European brassicas (it is too late for punnets)      Spring onions Chives Leeks Lettuce Spinach Celery Silver beet   Spring bulbs (ixias, daffodils etc) Water well.   Evergreen shrubs and trees (only after we get a good rain. Otherwise hold off until April)

February 2020 Kitchen Garden Guide

 

So much has happened, in Australia and the world, since my last kitchen garden guide in December. Last year at this time we were in the midst of the fires. More than ever, food security is at risk, making it imperative that communities grow whatever they can for themselves. Tasmania can produce most of what we need, starting in our back yards and those of our neighbours and friends and on the small farms we see dotted about on the hills and valleys of our beautiful state. Bush foods abound too and more and more plants are becoming available at everyday outlets and specialty nurseries, propagated in Tasmania, by Tasmanians, as it should be. We are so very fortunate; let’s make use of our situation and grow food for one another. Check out ‘Crop Swaps’ near you and online.

Potting up seedlings

Locally grown seedlings are a great investment. Mostly, those at the Cygnet market and other markets are grown from seed saved in Tasmania, for Tasmanian conditions. If you, like me, quickly run out of space to plant out winter crops, in the middle of the summer vegetable garden, then transplanting punnet seedlings into individual pots is my suggestion. Brassicas are quite happy to grow this way for quite a while but you will need to pot them up again, into bigger pots, along the way. It is easy to protect them from the cabbage moth, with a wire basket and lace curtain from the tip shop. I use a cheap, basic potting mix to which I add some blood and bone and SeaMungus.

Greenhouse materials

I have a tiny, old, lean-to greenhouse attached to the eastern side of my house. It has proven to be excellent in several ways.

1.   The sides are made of a heavy duty, greenish solarweave film, which lets in lots of light but no direct sun, so everywhere in the greenhouse is brilliantly light but nothing gets burnt or overheated, even on the hottest day.

2.   Being a lean-to, it is quite low on the eastern side so the sun comes through the sloping, plastic roof for quite a while. This is old, floppy plastic film, that also is not clear. It works perfectly but if starting again, I would use coreflute, for longevity.

3.   On the northern and southern ends there are louvre windows, which I keep open most of the year. The door is also on the southern side. A wire screen door would be nice, so animals can’t get in even when the main door is open.

4.   An old brick wall runs in a U shape, along both sides of where I walk in and centre path is also brick. This holds some heat and keeps everything tidy on the raised beds. Instead of soil beds, I would prefer staggered shelves as it really is not necessary to actually grow vegetables for their whole life, in a greenhouse in Tasmania. I use it to start things off, to protect plants from the wind and for cuttings etc. I do, however, grow 6 large pots of basil in there and I have a sticky, nicotiana plant which catches aphids and white fly, growing in the ground. In winter, I bring some pots in, for frost protection, for example ornamental ginger.

5.   The greenhouse sticks out from the house on the northern side and gets many hours of low, winter sun. This is perfect. It is important to look at the angle of the sun from the horizon here, because 43 degrees south brings the sun very low in winter.

6.   The western side is the wall of the house so the greenhouse is totally shaded, but still very light in summer, in the afternoon.

Pear and cherry slug

If you see tiny little black ‘worms’ on the leaves of your pears, cherries, quinces and even plums and the leaves are turning brown and crisp, you have this slug. A simple control is to spray the entire tree with a mist of water then throw ash all over it. Do this a couple of times and they will be desiccated. Try to stand up-wind!

Managing wind

Fruit trees: Quince fruit seems to stay on despite summer wind, as do plums, apples, olives and Kentish cherries. Contrary to what you hear, citrus also seem to thrive on my verandah and in my garden despite the wind. Young trees bearing fruit will snap off in the wind so staking is necessary. I espalier my Bramley apple as the fruit are way too big and prolific for the branches. This means that the trellis takes the weight of the fruit and far fewer seem to drop off. If you live in a very windy area, I recommend you espalier the perimeter of your garden with fruit trees, all the way around. Actually this is a wonderful, practical and beautiful way to grow fruit and is common in many English and French gardens.

Tomatoes: When I plant my tomatoes out, I push in next to each one a tall, steel, twisty pole (available at Shiploads). As the tomato grows, the pole is shaped perfectly so the new tomato growth can be wound around the pole. Then I make circular,wire cages 720mm diameter and as high as you can buy the stiff, 50mm hole roll. 1200mm is good here, 1500mm would be lovely. Mine are only 900mm and is adequate. I bought a 30m roll. It is excellent quality and will last forever.

 

 

 

 

 

Seeds to sow in Feb. Broccoli raab Kale Beetroot Shungiku Lettuce Asian greens (late Feb.) Carrots Spinach & silver beet Spring onions Leeks Hakurei turnips Tas. swedes Parsnips Radishes Seeds to save in Feb Lettuce Shungiku Calendular marigolds

Plant out /pot up now, yes now Brussel sprouts Cauliflower Broccoli – regular, sprouting and raab Salad vegetables Leeks   Jobs for February Plant, feed or move citrus Summer prune stone fruits Prepare beds for autumn plantings Save seeds for next spring Mulch with wet straw/silage Give flowering veg a dose of potash   Preserve, cook, nourish

December 2020 Kitchen Garden Guide

 Everywhere I turn, weeds are happily springing up faster than I can deal with them. Certainly, many are edible. I make nettle tea, nettle soup and nettle pesto, for example. Many can be fed to the chooks, if your chooks are not as fussy as mine, who are not interested in chickweed or fat hen, despite their names suggesting otherwise. Most weeds make excellent compost or thrown down in garden paths (if collected before seeding) to rot away and improve fertility right there. The paths throughout my vegetable garden in spring are made up entirely of discarded weeds, trodden down by me, day by day, until, eventually, they become lovely compost, which I scoop up onto the beds after a few months.

Learning from Weeds

Weeds are also a source of information about your garden. I recently listened to a podcast by Nicole Masters about the information held in weeds. She said “….Millions of seeds land on the soil surface. It is the soil conditions that influence which seeds germinate and thrive….” Some weeds, such as that pesky, sheep sorrel, will germinate only in acid soils. If you have it coming up everywhere, then try adding lime. Thistles will practically push up through concrete, and compacted soils are no barrier to them but they dislike loose, friable soil. Other weeds prefer a soil low in fungal activity, yet others thrive where there is too much nitrogen or not much. The internet is brimming with information on deciphering weeds and by learning about weeds in your garden, you will be learning about your soil and be able to make adjustments to help your garden grow more and the weeds less.

Growing Basil

Unpredictable and tricky until you find what works, basil is loved by everyone! Here is what I have discovered works for me: I sow in trays in December, only the large leaf varieties such as Genovese and Lettuce Leaf which grow fast in our climate and have fabulous flavour. The seeds take a while to germinate so be patient, keep the soil damp but not wet. Once germinated, water with a weak seaweed solution until they are big enough to transplant. I put several plants into each 20cm pot with a rich potting mix and keep them in my little green house, as they hate the cold. I like to have 6 pots, some sown early Dec. and some later. They don’t mind a bit of shade as long as it is nice and warm and if you live somewhere consistently warmer than my place they may be fine outside. Don’t overwater and do pick regularly.

Irrigation

This is the one thing that so many people get into trouble with. Hand watering is great for pots, seeds, seedlings and in times of infrequent watering. It is a pleasant morning or evening past-time but not the best way to irrigate a whole garden.

Tomatoes do not like wet leaves so they are best served by what I call finger drippers – more like a cross between a dripper and a spray, with coarse droplets radiating out like fingers to about 10 -15cms in diameter. These can easily be seen and have removable caps which can be easy screwed in or out to adjust the flow. I place one finger dripper between every tomato plant. If you followed my instructions last month then your tomatoes will be about 1m apart. These finger drippers are easily plugged into a run of 13mm black poly pipe. I put a click fitting on the end and connect my hose to this once a week for 1 hour. The water will soak in, the tomato roots will find it and grow nice and deep, where the even temperature and moisture will make for happy plants.

That far down, the soil will stay moist enough for at least a week, especially if you use a thick mulch. So, I will be giving my tomatoes deep watering once a week; not next to the trunk, but out about 30cms, preferably on 2 sides (between the tomato plants). Shallow, frequent watering, on the other hand, will ensure that your plants have a shallow root system, susceptible to the stresses of constant heating and cooling, and will grow a wonderful canopy of leaves, with little fruit, before succumbing to some disease!

Wind

Oh November and early December, how you batter my seedlings and developing fruit! A cold wind and days of showers are bad for tomatoes and any young seedlings, especially if the soil is bare and cold. To protect from the wind I surround the whole bed with walls of lace curtains from the tip shop. Lace curtains are a much under-utilised resource as they are also fabulous over any small or creeping plants, like cucumbers, to provide shelter but still let the light through. I use wire crates, often discarded from freezers etc, which I get from the tip shops. One edge of a lace curtain can be tucked under one side of a crate and a row of crates holds up the curtains from touching the plants, then the far edge can be tucked under the last crate. I also cut up curtains and just use a piece over one crate. Wire crates on their own keep birds off lettuce etc. I put a brick on top too, if possums or wallabies are around.

Summer seeds

Look out for the Cygnet Seed Library in the New Year, which will be offering a small range of dependable seeds, perfect for sowing in summer. All seeds have been grown by local volunteers and will be free 😊 More info will be on our facebook page soon. Everyone is welcome to join us.

 

 

December Jobs	January Jobs
Sow seeds: beans, zucchini, cucumbers, basil, carrots, celery, lettuce, leeks, parsley, sunflowers, radish, parsnip, pumpkin, chicory. SOW WINTER VEG too (Brussel sprouts etc).	Sow seeds: Lots of winter veg benefit from early summer sowing so they reach a good size to plant out in autumn: fennel, Brussel sprouts, red cabbage, leeks, kale, beetroot.
Plant out: corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin, other veg seedlings, potatoes, potted herbs, flowers etc Basil: keep in greenhouse in good sized pots with rich soil and water well but allow to drain well before watering again.   Fill in spaces with flowers, comfrey, daisies, herbs and love.	Dec and Jan: -      Mulch vegetable garden well, preferably with old hay or old silage. -      Mulch fruit trees well, preferably with bark chips -      Feed food garden with seaweed solution for pest resistance and fish emulsion or home made worm brews. -      Harvest and enjoy!