Garden Notes for the Family Vegetable Garden - September

 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.