When to plant: For the sweetest and most tender leaves it’s best to plant and grow kale during the coolest months of the year. In the northern growing regions of Australia sow seeds of kale in early July. Those in the warm temperate and cooler climates should plant kale seeds or seedlings in autumn, winter or early spring.
How to plant: Seeds purchased from The Seed Collection, Ferntree Gully, Victoria
Bed/ soil preparation:
Leave legumes in soil at the end of the season, cover with manure and mulch before planting brassica.
50mm homemade compost
25mm cow manure
1/2 handful pelletised organic chicken manure
1/2 handful blood and bone
Dig through then cover with mulchLeave 1-2 weeks before sowing seeds.
Start the seedlings
Seeds raised by CG Members using Milkwood seed raising recipe:
• 2x compost
• 2x coir
• 1x worm castings
• 1x sand
Brassica seeds do not require pre-soaking.
Plant After 6 weeks
Push seeds into soil 2cm deep, cover with soil and firm gently. Water once then avoid watering until germination as seeds rot easily. Fertilise when transplanting with Charlie Carp Germinate 2-3 days
Depth & space:
Transplant in 4-5 weeks
Rows 30cm apart
Broccolini, 30cm apart
Kale, Baby Tuscan 15 cm apart
Kale, Black Toscana 20cm apart
Mustard Greens, Ethiopian 15cm apart.
Spigariello (leaf broccoli) 20 cm apart
Care: Choose a full sun position. Cold weather will produce the sweetest and most tender leaves.
Net to protect from White Cabbage Moth.
Once beans begins to flower, water fortnightly with seaweed solution or spray with Nutrisoil.
Harvest: You can begin harvesting kale when the leaves are about the size of your hand. Harvest the outer, lower leaves leaving the youngest leaves to grow for the next harvest.
Troubleshooting:
• Slugs and Snails - most likely to cause significant damage to young seedlings. Protect young plants by setting beer traps (saucers filled with beer) amongst seedlings or use snail & slug pellets.
• Caterpillars - the white flying adult cabbage moth (Plutella xylostella) and small cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae) they lay their eggs onto kale (and other brassica crops) and the small green caterpillars feed on the leaves. To control these pests; remove the caterpillars by hand regularly, use insect exclusion netting over your crops to keep the flying moths/butterflies out or spray infested plants with Insect spray.
• Aphids - aphids tend can attack the growing shoots of young or heat stressed kale plants. Keep the water up to kale during the warmer months and if needed remove some of the lower leaves to improve light and air circulation around the plants. Spray aphid infestations with Pyrethrum spray if needed.
• Fungal diseases - most likely to occur during hot and humid weather. To reduce the risk of fungal diseases, like powdery mildew, make sure your seedlings are given the right spacing and avoid overhead watering.
Varieties
Broccolini
Baby Tuscan kale
Black Toscana kale
Mustard Greens,
Ethiopian Spigariello (leaf broccoli)
When to plant: Plant in October - December
How to plant:
Start the seedlings
Lettuce seeds can also be sown into punnets or small pots and transplanted into the garden once large enough.
Fill clean punnets with seedling mix and sprinkle lettuce seeds onto the surface - cover them with 3mm of seedling mix and keep it moist until the seeds germinate.
Mist until germination 3-5 days later. Then keep drier, watering as needed early morning.
Give max sunshine. Once seedlings are 5-10cm tall they can be transplanted into your prepared garden soil.
Depth & space: Transplant into garden after 4-5 weeks 20cm apart, 5cm deep ensuring no air pocket remains.
Direct into soil
Lettuce seeds can be direct sown into prepared soil at any time of the year. Lightly sprinkle the seeds onto the soil surface and cover with 3mm of soil. Keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate. Once the seedlings are 5-10cm tall they can be thinned to the recommended spacing (check the instructions on the seed packet, as each variety will be slightly different).
Care: Lettuce can be grown in your garden year round - many varieties will happily grow in the coldest months of winter and survive frost. Mulch around your lettuce plants to suppress weeds and retain moisture
Harvest: Loose leaf and cos style lettuces can be harvested leaf by leaf as you need them. Most of these are ready to begin harvesting about 6 weeks from planting. Don’t remove more than 50% of the leaf growth at any one time, so the plant can continue to thrive. Remove the outer leaves only and leave the inner ones to continue growing.
Troubleshooting:
• Slugs and Snails will cause significant damage to lettuce at all stages of its growth. Protect your lettuce crop by setting beer traps (saucers filled with beer) or use snail & slug pellets
Varieties
Cos lettuce. A winter loving, elongated lettuce that does form a heart but can still have its outer leaves harvested leaf by leaf.
Loose leaf lettuces like butterleaf or oakleaf - These lettuces don’t form a tight head and can be harvested leaf by leaf as needed. They are also some of the fastest growing lettuces.
When to plant: March to June (Fava beans)
Source seeds www.perthhillsveggieco.com.au
How to plant: Start the seedlings
Tolerates warmer weather than Italian broccoli.
Depth & space:
Plant into well prepared soil, a half strength manure/compost tea fortnightly is ideal. Seaweed solution at planting time will ensure good root development.
Sow directly into garden position 5cm apart, thinned to 10cm apart when 10 cm tall. Sow every few weeks for succession.
Care: Asian greens have shallow roots and will need frequent watering, especially in hot and/or windy weather. Keep area well-mulched and test soil moisture regularly. Subsurface irrigation will work best for all greens, so consider a system.
Asian greens all love full sun, except in parts of Australia with very hot summers. In these hot spots, part shade is fine, so consider using some other plants, like beans and sweet corn, as ‘living shade’. Or erect a shade tent.
Keep soil moist at all times - a thick layer of mulch helps.
Feed fortnightly with a liquid fertiliser.
Cover with netting to protect from white cabbage moth. Spray
- 2 tab canola oil
- 1 tab liquid soap
- 1/2 teas chilli & garlic powder
- 2 cups warm water
- Spray liberally & often
Harvest in 10-12 weeks
Troubleshooting:
• Snails are the biggest pest of Asian Greens (as are slugs to a lesser extent). Deter them with coffee grounds spread around your patch – snails hate it! Failing that, set up a beer trap.
Varieties
Pak choi Bok choi
Chinese cabbage
Tatsoi or Kailon (Chinese broccoli)
Suitable Companions: Beans, beetroot, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, marjoram, peas and strawberries.
Unsuitable Companions: Parsley.
When to plant: Grow all year round in all climates, but avoid winter if you have heavy frosts.
How to plant:
Start the seedlings
Sow radish seeds thinly about 5mm deep in rows 15-25cm apart. Keep moist, but not soggy while the seeds germinate - which will take only 5-8 days. Seedlings can be thinned to 2-5cm apart as they grow. Re-sow radish seeds every 2-4 weeks for a continuous supply.
Broadcast seeds directly into a 1m square in garden which has a prepared sowing medium, (2.5cm bricklaying sand laid across it, turned to 7.5cm and then this soil screened with 1cm wire mesh. Keep 1 bucketful of sand to topdress after sowing seeds)
Care: Choose a full sun position in your garden or grow in pots Improve the soil before planting by adding compost
Harvest: 4-6 weeks after sowing - depending on the variety
Troubleshooting:
• Slugs and Snails will cause significant damage to radish leaves and the top of the root that is exposed. Protect your radish crop by setting beer traps (saucers filled with beer) or use snail & slug pellets.
Varieties
Red Baron (red)
French Breakfast (red with white tip; 5 cm long)
Watermelon (red inside with white outside)
White Icicle (white, 10 cm long)
Companion planting: Because radish grows so quickly they are a great crop to inter-plant between longer-growing crops like tomatoes, carrots, beans, corn and cucumber.