18th May 2020 / Prue Fletcher: How to Create an Edible Garden for Winter

As the age-old saying goes, 'let food be thy medicine' and what better time than now to start growing some of your own!

Autumn is the opportune time to plant all of the veggies, herbs and leafy greens that will be due for harvest come the winter months. The veggies and herbs included in this list are by no means everything that's available for you to plant, however they are a considered list chosen to be particularly good for the health of our immune system. Something we all should have top of mind as we approach the dreaded Flu season.

So, if you're stuck on where to begin or just need a bit of a refresher course, here is a basic plan to help get you on your way!

It All Starts With the Soil

If you're starting from scratch, give your local nursey a call and they'll be more than happy to set you up with what you need.

Our friends at Acorn Nursery have a wonderful Veggie Garden Starter Pack available for purchase to help get you up and running!

If you're an old hat at planting already, pull out any plants from Summer that have finished producing, top up your garden beds with at least 100mm of new potting mix or compost and add in some organic fertilizer such as blood and bone or dynamic lifter.

And lastly, for the 'perfect soil prep', adding in a layer of compost or worm castings will encourage good soil structure and nutrient development as well as the overall improvements of the water-holding capacity and living soil biology.

Where to Buy Seedlings

When it comes to buying seeds, ordering online from small businesses is a great way to navigate the current social distancing requirements. There are plenty of options available, however, a few good local ones to support can be found via:

• Acorn Nursery, Surrey Hills
• Little Veggie Patch Co, Northcote
• The Greenery, Templestowe

Planting & Maturation

Make sure you follow the planting instructions on each individual seedling packet. Full sun exposure during the cooler months is considered fine for all of the seedlings listed below and at the very least six hours per day is required for a good, quick harvest.

Be mindful not to use the entire contents of your seedling packet in the first planting, as it's a good idea to keep succession planting over several weeks, allowing your produce to last over a longer period of time.

Just as the climate cools in winter, so too does the soil, which is when germination will reduce or stop altogether. By this point, you will be harvesting only what's readily available and preparing to seed again for the Spring.

Make sure you tend to the soil regularly, ensuring it's kept damp by using a watering can or the gentle spray feature on your hose. Adding in some seaweed extract or similar product at this time will only benefit newly planted seedlings.

And, just like the planting instructions, pay attention to the maturation of each seedling. A great way to keep track is to set a calendar reminder on your phone for when they should be ready for harvest!

Goodluck!