Session Notes: Planning your Autumn Garden

Garden bed preparation

If you already had veggies growing over summer, they may not be ready to come out in order to put the new season’s growth in. No matter – there is still plenty to do. You can start the winter veggies as seeds ready to plant out as seedlings when your summer crops are finished. Once you have removed the summer veggies, add some more organic matter to the soil in the form of composts and manures and a good dose of an organic fertiliser, such as blood and bone or Dynamic Lifter. Water it all in well and then wait for a couple of weeks for the soil to settle.
If you are planting in pots, choose veggie varieties suitable for container growing and buy the best quality potting mix you can afford. Plants will struggle in cheap potting mixes. Keep the pots watered well and in a position where they receive at least 5-6 hours of direct sunlight a day.

Easy winter crops to plant now

Plant Family	Easy Grow	Soil Preparation	Pest Problems	On-going Care
Brassica	Broccoli	Compost and/or cow manure or mushroom compost. Organic fertiliser	Snails, Cabbage White Moths, Earwigs	Feed with liquid organic fertiliser every two weeks
	Cabbage
	Kale
	Asian Greens
Herbs	Coriander	Compost and/or cow manure or mushroom compost. Organic fertiliser	Snails	Feed with liquid organic fertiliser every two weeks
	Parsley
	Dill
Leafy Vegetables	Lettuces	Compost and/or cow manure or mushroom compost. Organic fertiliser	Snails	Feed with liquid organic fertiliser every two weeks
	Silverbeet
	Spinach
	Rocket
Alliums	Garlic	Compost and/or cow manure or mushroom compost.	Black aphids	Plant in a well-drained bed. Be patient! Garlic and shallots may take up to 8-10 month to mature.
	Spring Onions
	Salad Onions
	Shallots
Legumes	Broad Beans	Compost and/or cow manure or mushroom compost. Organic fertiliser. Add lime before planting.	Snails when plants are small.	Provide stakes or trellis for tall growing varieties
Legumes	Snow Peas		Snails when plants are small.	Provide stakes or trellis for tall growing varieties
Root Vegetables	Carrots	Compost and/or cow manure or mushroom compost.		Plant by April before the soil cools down. Do not fertilise while growing.
	Radishes
	Beetroot