A New Garden Year in the Kitchen Garden
September
is officially the start of spring although it is still a while before the
garden warms up enough to germinate our vegetable crops. You can get round this by sowing most things
into punnets and keeping indoors in a warm spot until ready for planting. Observation is important as each garden is
different depending on climate and where they are sited. Keep your journal
handy to note when the signs of spring emerge so you can build up a picture
from year to year. The clue for sowing
straight into the ground is when the weeds start germinating!
Start
succession sowing of most vegetables.
Better to sow little and often to account for unforeseen weather events
or animal damage (chooks, cows, etc). Sow some now then the next lot 3-4 weeks
later. It will also extend your season so you can eat them for a longer period
of time. You may be able to sneak in another
row of cool-loving peas early in the month before it gets too warm and if you
get a row of early potatoes in now they should be ready for Christmas. Watch for frosts on any young potato growth
though. The exceptions for planting now
are beans such as French or bush, and dwarf beans as they require more warmth.
Watch for the emergence of your perennial runner beans to know when the time is
right. All heat loving plants such as
tomato, pumpkins, capsicums etc are better to wait until warmer as well but get
the beds prepared for them with plenty of compost and manure. Sow under cover.
There
is plenty to keep you busy this month making sure you fertilise and manure your
perennial crops such as asparagus, rhubarb and strawberries. Start the year
weed free and plan to keep on top of them.
Jobs for this Month
Sow
direct into warm spot: Brussel Sprouts, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, potatoes, onions,
lettuce, peas, parsley, turnips,
Sow
indoors in trays for planting out later: leeks, celery, corn, beans, pumpkin,
courgetters, cucumber, tomatoes,
Plant:
Potatoes, cabbages, caulis, lettuces, parsley, silverbeet
Cultivate:
keep asparagus plots clear of weeds and start applying liquid fertilizer once new growth appears. Keep
hoeing soil between rows to keep weeds down of mulch between rows. Check you
have support for broad beans.
