Gardening Tips

Gardener!

Gardening Tips

May In The Vegie Patch + Greenhouse

BY KATH IRVINE

As the vegie garden missions slow down, get into a bit of compost making. Make as much as you can for your spring gardens – there’s nothing more satisfying! Then when all the doing is done, segue into a bit of garden dreaming. Are you putting in new beds or trees this winter? Where will they go? For the best outcome, spend a bit of time pondering.

Sow

Direct sow

Greencrops – lupins, broadbeans, phacelia, wheat, oats, mustard or barley. Kings Seeds Autumn Manure Mix is awesome. Grow as many greencrops as you can fit.
Corn salad and miners lettuce – sweet little winter/ spring cut and come again greens. Sow them once, let them self seed and have winter greens every year.
Coriander and rocket may need to be undercover (ie in the greenhouse or on a porch) if temperatures get too cold at yours. Whereever they are going – direct sow for best results.
Mizuna is a super handy, easy, cold hardy green to sow now and let self seed ever after.
Calendula and poppies

Tray Sow

Globe Artichokes, spring onions, red or brown onions
A mixture of brassicas. Even though growth slows right down from now in its still well worth it to keep planting brassicas.
Peas into toliet rolls or plug trays
A mixture of salad greens

Direct or Tray Sow

These are the super flexible seeds that can go either way – let the temperatures and conditions of your soil guide you. If unsure, do some of each and you’ll soon see what works best.

Broadbeans
Spinach, coriander and beetroot can be direct sown in the greenhouse as the weather and soils cool. Though they all handle cooler soil, they grow faster and therefore sweeter in the warmth.
Good companions like calendula, poppies, cornflowers, larkspur and sweetpeas (must have sweetpeas!)

Transplant

Broadbeans, peas, beetroot
Salad greens. Choose varieties with a preference for cool like Little Gem, Drunken Women Fringed Head or Rouge d’Hiver. Cos, buttercrunch and sald bowl types do well. All my saladings will be planted in the greenhouse from now in.
Endive
Loads of leafy greens like kale, silverbeet, perpetual beet or chard
Brassicas for winter eating
Garlic, spring onions, red onions or brown onions
Celery – either outside or in the greenhouse
Companion flowers like stock, larkspur, cornflower and primula to keep your spirits up and beneficial insects fed.

Regular + Odd Jobs

Cover the ground – fill every spare space with crops, greencrops, herbs, flowers or at the very least mulch everything. For a strong worm count, protection from cold, wind + rain and to help slow weed growth down, cover your soil.