Vegetable gardening 101

Contents:
1. Understanding climate
2. Where to plant your vegetables
3. When to plant your vegetables
4. Improving the soil
5. Make the bed
6. Vegetable gardening in pots
7. Feed your vegies
8. Pests and diseases

Understanding climate

Australia has a number of different climates zones, including tropical, subtropical, arid, warm temperate and cold temperate. The sowing schedules in these different climates sometimes overlap but often look nothing alike. For example, Tassie gardeners experience an almost total slow-down in the winter months, which is exactly when their counterparts in Cairns, Darwin and other areas across northern Australia, gear up for an action-packed planting fest. Before starting a vegie garden, research the needs of the plants you wish to grow, and the best environmental conditions for them to thrive. Some plants will simply never do well in our climate, and while it can be fun to give something a go, they’ll need extra attention. Choosing climate-compatible varieties puts you on the front foot from the start.

Plenty of fruit and vegetables can be grown in any climate with the right conditions. See Hannah Moloney’s tips for growing leafy greens, tomatoes and pumpkins in any climate, here.

You can also create microclimates to improve your growing success. Microclimates are small areas on your property that are slightly warmer, cooler, wetter, drier or more sheltered than the broader climate of your region. They can be created by implementing cold frames, greenhouses, shade and windbreaks. Think outside the square when deciding on where to grow produce plants – sometimes, dotting them throughout the garden can be the most practical solution.

Where to plant your vegetables

Most edible plants prefer at least six hours of full sun per day. That can be hard to find in some backyards, with surrounding buildings and trees shading the area for a large part of the day. Thankfully, some edible plants are relatively shade tolerant and will provide a return in those spots that receive less than optimal sun hours, dappled light or even full shade. Discover a few shade-tolerant edibles, here.

When to plant your vegetables

Timing is everything when it comes to vegetable growing – different vegies require different periods for sowing seed, transplanting seedlings and harvesting. For example, in non-tropical climates zucchini and pumpkin are planted in spring, while coriander, parsnip and broad beans grow well through the cool months.

Improving the soil

One of the crucial first steps when vegetable gardening is sorting out your soil. Soil assessment is vital, and there’s a simple way to work out whether your soil is sand, clay or – the gardener’s jackpot – loam. Visit ABC Gardening Australia to see Tino Carnevale test for a perfect ball of loamy soil. Test a few spots around your garden, as soils can vary over a relatively small area. Once you know what you have, you can make amendments, if needed. For advice on improving your soil, read here.

Make the bed

There are many ways to build a new vegie bed, and each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Here are five approaches to consider when starting a vegetable patch from scratch:

1. Clear and cultivate: In-ground beds are the original approach to starting a new vegie patch. It’s relatively low cost but can be hard work.
2. No-dig: This method is about adding various materials (straw, grass clippings, compost, manure, etc) in layers on the ground, with the last layer being compost and/or soil. There’s no need to first remove any grass or till the soil. This method is quicker and easier than in-ground beds but requires a lot of compost.
3. Raised bed: Prefabricated raised beds (and DIY kits) look great and come in many shapes and sizes. They’re commonly made from timber or steel and are easy to set up. They require a lot of soil.
4. Containers: With a few pots and some premium potting mix, you can set up a vegie garden in seconds on a balcony, deck or courtyard – even a rooftop. If you ever need to move, you can take your vegies with you, however container gardens can dry out quickly.
5. Wicking bed: This water efficient option works on the principle of capillary action, with a water reservoir at the base where moisture is drawn from into the growing medium.

For more details of each approach, read here.

Vegetable gardening in pots

You don’t need acreage (or even a garden!) to grow fresh produce; plenty of plants grow well in pots.

The greatest advantage of growing potted produce is the ability to control the growing conditions. When it gets too hot, cold, windy or wet, you can move the pot to a more favourable position.

Big pots are best for vegetable gardening; you need something at least 30–40cm wide to grow most veg. The potting mix needs to be rich in organic matter and nutrients, just like the soil in your vegie patch. You can find special vegie blends available at your local garden centre, or you can use a regular potting mix and boost it yourself (see here). Add some controlled-release fertiliser to your pots and give them an additional feed of liquid fertiliser once a fortnight. When it comes to watering, you need to keep the mix moist so check the pots daily to see if they need a little top-up. Unless it’s a hot day, and you want plants to have access to a bit more water, don’t leave the pots sitting in a saucer of water as it can rot the roots. Never use garden soil as it ‘behaves’ differently in a pot – either draining too quickly or not fast enough, or becoming hydrophobic.

Feed your vegies

Your new-season vegie seedlings will appreciate a regular feed. It doesn’t take long, and it rewards you with terrific results. Dilute liquid fertiliser concentrate in a watering can – there are lots of suitable products in organic and synthetic forms – and pour over the foliage and root zone of your plants. They’ll quickly take up these ready-to-absorb nutrients and put them to good use. Treat them once a fortnight, or mix your product at half strength and give your plants a weekly dose.

For a guide to different fertilisers, read here.

Patch pests and diseases

You’re not the only one that loves munching on fresh fruit and veg – there are plenty of pests that do too. They may attack the leaves, fruit or even roots of plants and many target specific vegies. Here are some common pests and diseases to look out for when vegetable gardening:

• Snail and slugs: these pests can wreak havoc on seedlings, destroying them in one sitting.
• Fruit fly: Fruit fly can be a serious problem for fruits, including apple, pear, stone fruit, loquat, feijoa, passionfruit, capsicum, tomato and pomegranate.
• Cabbage caterpillar: Caterpillars can get into your cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and other brassica crops.
• Aphids: These sap-sucking pests focus their feeding on new growth. They can be found on a huge range of fruit and vegies, including stone fruit, citrus, lettuce, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower and kale.
• Whitefly: Another sap-sucking insect that can cause a lot of damage to plants.
• Powdery mildew: Powdery mildew is a common fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants. It loves humid conditions, and you will often see it in late-summer gardens affecting grapes, apples and members of the cucumber family.

Text by Phil Dudman, Hannah Moloney and Loren Desbruslais