Step 1. Plan Your Crops: Choose vegetables that thrive in cooler temperatures, see our what to sow now guide or browse our Autumn selection. I find it useful to sketch out my garden beds on paper and figure out what will go where before I start planting, If you are short on space opt for climbing pea varieties such as our beautiful purple podded or golden peas that are as ornamental as they are tasty.
Step 2. Clear the Area: Remove weeds and any remains of summer crops and add them to your compost. If you have grown legumes over the summer just dig them back into the soil, the root systems will put valuable nitrogen into the soil to feed the winter crops. Not all your summer crops have to go Chilli, Capsicum and eggplants may stop producing over the winter months but in warmer winters they will survive and spring back into action when the temperatures rise again, I prune them back and plant around them if the plant is healthy.
Step 3. Add the magic ingredient - Organic matter, this is any material that was once living, or come from a living being and includes leaf litter, food scraps, compost, worm castings, mulch, lawn clippings and animal manures. Organic matter is ESSENTIAL to productive gardening soil. It provides nutrients for plants, improves the structure of the soil, holds moisture, and provides food for earthworms and microorganisms which further improve soil fertility and structure. The organic matter provides the food for the soil food web and in turn feeds the plants. Enrich the soil by adding aged compost, aged manure, or worm castings. This will improve soil structure, provide nutrients, and enhance microbial activity. I gently scratch or shallowly fork in compost and manure, avoiding breaking up the soil structure too much so to conserve the soils microbiome.
Spacing and Layout: Space plants and rows to allow for adequate growth however I usually plant a little closer than most guides recommend avoiding wasted space and room for weeds. Interplant slow growing crops such as leeks or cauliflowers with fast crops of radish, salad or Bok choy to make the most of the ground space whist the other crop is maturing.
Water. Don’t forget seeds and small seedling will need more regular and consistent watering than larger plants and you may not be able to rely on winter rains to keep your crops going.
Mulching: Apply a layer of mulch to conserve moisture, regulate soil temperature, and reduce weed growth.
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