Good life
2024-05-13T09:28:43+10:00
Although winter may be too cold for some vegetables, there's still lots to do in the edible garden! ABC Gardening Australia presenter Hannah Moloney shares some seasonal tips.
Living mulches
Creeping groundcover plants are great to use as living mulches in perennial gardens and beneath and around edible trees. They can smother the soil to reduce evaporation, slow weeds, help stabilise steep slopes, attract beneficial insects, improve soil health, and even provide food for you! Some popular options are nasturtiums, white clover, Warrigal greens, pigface, mints, creeping yarrow and pennyroyal. Just remember to ruthlessly cut them back if they’re threatening to down your main crop – they will bounce back!
How to plant garlic
It’s time to plant your garlic! Source chemical-free cloves and choose the biggest and healthiest ones to plant. Pre-soak them overnight in a diluted seaweed solution to give them the best start. Lay them on your garden bed, about 10cm apart – I use my fist as a measuring tool – with 20–30cm between each row to ensure good airflow and make it easy to weed. In cool temperate climates, consider not mulching, as it attracts slugs and snails in our cool, wet winters. Instead, leave the soil exposed to the sun to receive as much heat as possible. If you have trouble with birds (or a puppy dog, like we do) scratching or digging up a freshly planted bed, cover it with shadecloth or chicken wire weighed down on the corners with bricks. Remove this once the garlic has poked its head up and is about 5cm tall. In tropical climates, you’ll have more success with spring onions, chives and tropical shallots (Allium ascalonicum).
Dividing globe artichoke
This stunning perennial plant has edible flower buds and can be grown in most Australian climates. The best time to divide the offsets is in autumn or early winter, when they have young, fresh leaves growing. Use a sharp spade to slice the offsets apart. You’ll be able to clearly see where to slice, as each offset has its own cluster of leaves. Prune off some of the leaves, then pop the plants straight back into the garden or nurse them in pots to plant later.
For more advice from our vegie-growing experts, get the June issue of ABC Gardening Australia magazine – out now!
Photos by Natalie Mendham
