Garden Notes for the Family Vegetable Garden - August

August

Starting out in the Family Vegetable Garden

August is a good time to prepare the ground for the coming season if you haven’t already done so.  Whether you are creating a new garden from lawn or a bit of paddock, working with an existing bed or an old patch, aim to make a beautiful, practical vegetable garden.  It will not only feed your family but look good all year round.  Think of the traditional cottage garden where vegetables, herbs, soft fruit bushes and fruit trees exist happily alongside shrubs, roses and perennials. You don’t need to choose between a flower garden and food garden – you can have both!

When choosing your site think shelter, aspect, soil, drainage and access. If you are turning your backyard – or front yard for that matter- into a garden you are going to want to plan some structure to keep it looking good all year round.  I have often worked with a traditional raised potager type garden which I find works well. Essentially you divide your plot into 4 rectangular beds with a central focus, surrounded by a path and then a deep border for small fruit trees and climbing plants.

Jobs for this Month.

Cultivate: Mark out new beds and if not too wet dig over ground to prepare for spring planting. Add blood & bone, lime, potash where needed and continue to incorporate animal manure and organic material to build up soil. Dig in any green crops as they will take 5-6 weeks  to rot down before planting. Still time to sow green crops in beds not in use till later (eg tomato bed)

Prepare: Seed potatoes are in the stores now so start “chitting” them. Use old egg cartons, sit each potato on end and put on in cool light space.  Another option is to plant now but protect young growth from frost when it emerges.

Sow: It’s still too early for outdoor sowing but you can start off in seed trays in a warm spot. Lettuce, cauli, cabbage, silverbeet, brussel sprouts, peas, broad beans, Later in the month: onions, beetroot, leeks, parsnips turnips, parsley,

Plant; Cabbage, Cauli, Rhubarb, Asparagus, Shallots, Garlic, Artichokes, Strawberries,