Autumn is the time to plant out a vegetable garden
Racheal Pascoe: “If you’ve ever wanted to grow veggies in the hinterland now’s the perfect time.”
Veggie patch on your to do list?
Hinterland Homesteading Column with Racheal Pascoe
After waiting all summer long, feeding beds up with manure, mulching and longing for this time … it is finally here ... all the gardeners can start to plant out their veggie patches! You can feel the change in seasons, the mornings are cooler and the days are getting shorter.
It is the time to plant almost anything you want to eat including broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, silver beet, carrots, beetroot, onions, potatoes, beans, leeks, radish, cabbage etc… let’s get cracking!
Seedlings or seeds?
If you are going to head to the shops to buy seedlings, look out for the strongest, healthiest ones. This way the plants get a good start. I like to buy seedlings from the markets when I can, as they are more suited to our local area. Buying at a local hardware store can mean buying seedlings which were started further away in possibly a different climate. Buying a few punnets of seedlings can be a pretty expensive way to get started. I know, I have done it time and time again but maybe you could think about saving some seeds at the end of this season?
The very best way to go is to have your own little stash of seeds which you have saved from last season. For example, last winter we grew delicious broccoli and really enjoyed it. I let one plant go to seed, bagged the seed head at the end of the season to save the seeds, so this year we have hundreds of seeds from the same tasty stock.
You can bag the seed heads with those white fine mesh fruit and veggie bags that the grocery stores sell for putting fruit in. I always have a few on hand. The mesh is perfect for collecting tiny seeds. Seed saving is by far the most economical way to grow food. Sharing and swapping seeds with other gardeners then allows you to have a great variety which you know all grow well in your area.
It is important to know that not all seeds you save will be viable. This is because some seeds/plants have been genetically modified, which means that you can enjoy this crop but not save seeds for next season. This is horrifying for gardeners as you have spent your money and it will only grow for one season. The big companies are endeavouring to control our food (that is another entire column for another day), but you can make a difference… when buying seedlings or seeds, choose the heirloom/heritage ones. These are seeds that will allow you to keep the seeds for generations.
Fluffing up
It is a good idea to fluff up each bed just prior to planting to loosen the dirt. You do not need to turn it all over and disturb everything but rather make it easier for tiny roots to find their way. After all the rain we have had, sometimes the top of the soil has become a hard surface.
When planting small seedlings, it is easy to plant them too closely together. Have a read of the label to see what the size of the adult plant will be. Then you can give them enough room to grow and it will reduce the risk of disease later down the track.
Pro tip – carrots do not transfer well. Once they are up, they really don’t like to be disturbed, so don’t bother buying the punnets of carrots and then wonder why you didn’t have any luck. Start with seeds in place where they will remain.
Try a new fruit/veggie this season
Each season I like to try growing something that we haven’t grown before. One year it was loofah and they grow wonderfully here on the Sunshine Coast. I could open a loofah shop with all the loofahs we have grown! Ha. Another year it was cucamelons, which are tiny little cucumber like fruit which are terrific snacks for lunchboxes. They grow on a fine vine and are super easy to have and great givers. Last season I tried to grow heritage rockmelons and it was a big flop. In my defence we have had a lot of rain and they just were longing for sunshine. I will have another go in spring/summer.
I hope you are excited about getting your veggie patch filled. It is a wonderful feeling to see food growing and even better to serve some to your family for dinner. Happy gardening everyone!