Tracey Bool Garden Writer
  • Home
  • Photo Gallery
  • In The Garden
    • Permaculture >
      • Borage
      • Bringing in the Good Bugs
      • Building Beneficial Insect and Solitary Bee Accommodation in Your Garden
      • Comfrey My Garden Back to Life - Symphytum officinale
      • Climate Change Gardens
      • Growing Lucerne as a Green Manure Crop
      • Grown & Gathered by Matt & Lentil
      • Handy Link: ACT for Bees
      • Jerusalem Artichoke
      • Make Friends Using Companion Plants in Your Garden
      • Marigold
      • Pip: Australian Permaculture Magazine
      • Queensland Arrowroot
      • RetroSuburbia
      • The One Straw Revolution
      • The Weird and Wonderful World of Compost Brewing
      • Urban Homesteading Goulburn Mulwaree Library reference list
      • Yacon
    • Australian Native plants >
      • Bush Foods and a World of Wonder
      • Brachychiton populneus
      • Correa alba x pulchella 'Pink Pixie'
      • Correa pulchella 'Little Cate'
      • Correa pulchella ‘Ring A Ding Ding’
      • Eremophila racemosa
      • Grevillea iaspicula
      • Handy Link: Birds in Backyards
      • Lomatia myricoides
      • Lovely Locals
      • Lovely Winter Natives
      • Olive Pink: A Life in Flowers
      • Photographic Guide to Native Plants of the Australian Capital Territory
      • Plants of Goulburn Wetlands
      • Kembla Cherry Orchard: Seasonal Winter Maintenance
      • Poa labillardieri
      • Wahlenberia stricta
    • Fruit, Veggies & Herbs >
      • Flavour and More with Spaghetti Squash
      • Green Zebra Tomatoes
      • Grow. Food. Anywhere
      • Growing Blueberries
      • Growing Chillies in Pots
      • Growing, Eating and Enjoying Radish
      • Growing Garlic
      • Growing Passionfruit in Canberra
      • Leaf Curl and Codling Moth on Fruit Trees
      • Maintaining Blueberries
      • Mild Mannered Turnips
      • Preparing veggie seedlings for planting
      • Reaping the Harvest: Broad Beans
      • Pumpkin True Green Hubbard
      • Scented Geranium
      • Snowpea 'Oregon Sugar'
      • Summer Hardy Perennial Herbs
      • Summer Savory
      • The Seed Savers' Handbook
      • The Vegie Box
      • Tomato 'Honey Drop'
    • Garden Creation & Maintenance >
      • Australian Dreamscapes: The art of planting in gardens inspired by nature
      • Autumn in The Garden
      • Adhoc Gardening Tool Box
      • Bokashi Composting
      • Biofumigant Seed Crops
      • Canberra Soils
      • Carbon Storage in Urban Environments
      • Clay Seed Balls
      • Comfrey Tea
      • Composting
      • Cool Season Garden Bed Maintenance
      • Enliven the Senses with a Sensory Garden
      • Creating a Wildlife Friendly Garden: Reference List
      • Gardening Down-Under
      • Green Manure Crops
      • Growing and Maintaining Windbreaks
      • Handy Organic Sprays
      • Handy Tip: Plant Gazebo
      • Hardwood Cuttings
      • In the Garden: Re-potting Your Plants
      • Let There Be Light
      • Local Invention: Downpipe Garden
      • Maintaining Citrus During Winter
      • One Plant or Many: Creating Harmony in the Garden
      • Photography in the Garden
      • Plant Selection and Design Considerations
      • Protect Your Garden from Jack Frost this Winter
      • Save Time, Water and Money with No-Dig Gardening
      • Summer Pruning Fruit Trees
      • The Art of Pruning
      • The Key to Successful Seed Germination
      • Tree Borers
      • Tree Selection with Christine Rampling
      • Winter Maintenance and Preparing for Spring
      • Yates Nature’s Way Citrus & Ornamental
    • On The Forage Trail >
      • Chickweed
      • Fat Hen
      • Foods of the Forest: Canada
      • Fruits of the Forest, On a Roadside Near You
      • Native Raspberry
      • On the Bush Food Trail: Annual Celery
      • On the Bush Food Trail: Warrigal Greens
      • Purple Salsify
      • Shepherd’s Purse
      • Sticky Weed
      • The Overlooked Bounty - Free Food
      • In Season Now: Purple Salsify
    • Ornamental Plants >
      • Arbutus unedo
      • Growing Ferns in Cool Climates
      • Growing Indoor Plants
      • Indispensable: Rosemary
      • Loropetalum chinense 'Burgundy'
      • Pineapple Sage
      • Plants of Nepal
      • Root Nurture Grow: The Essential Guide to Propagating and Sharing Houseplants
      • Taxodium distichum
    • People & Places >
      • A Garden for all Seasons with Deb & Adrian
      • Ainslie Urban Farm
      • An Interesting Mix at Majura Vineyard
      • Aquaponics and Natural Beekeeping in Suburbia with Karen Dahl
      • Be Enchanted at VizArchie
      • Botanical Artist Cheryl Hodges
      • Cacti and Succulent Extravaganza
      • Canberra City Farm
      • Canberra Environment Centre: A whole lot more
      • Community Gardens Abroad
      • Crookwell Seed Potatoes
      • Edna Walling
      • Good Life Permaculture
      • Gardens on the Move with Barbara
      • Gardens to Visit in Vancouver BC
      • Goulburn Community Garden
      • Goulburn Wetlands: A transformed space for the Community
      • Handy Resource for Eating Seasonally in Canberra
      • Historic Calthorpes' House
      • Historic Kentgrove Goulburn
      • Kembla Cherry Orchard Royalla NSW
      • Lanyon Homestead
      • Melliodora Permaculture Gardens
      • Parkesbourne Produce
      • National Bonsai and Penjing Collection NAC
      • Out and About in Namadgi
      • Permaculture Systems with Organic Gardener Christine
      • Plants, Bees, Veggies and a Preserving Wonderland
      • Revered Bonsai Artist Tony Tickle Visits Canberra National Arboretum
      • Richard and Pheap's Garden
      • Royal Sydney Botanic Gardens
      • Roogulli Garden
      • Shona's Garden
      • STEP into Canberra's Local Plant Space
      • Suburban Permaculture at its Best
      • The Crisp Galleries
      • The Honeysmith
      • Think Global Act Local with Global Worming
      • Veg Engenders Community on Roseglen Farm
      • Village Life in Nepal
      • Westbourne Woods Arboretum
      • World Class Homeleigh Grove Olives
      • Wynlen House Farm
    • Preserving the Harvest >
      • Preserving Rhubarb
      • Preserving the Harvest
      • Rosehip Tea and Cordial
  • Recipes
    • Baba Ganoush
    • Barbara's Passionfruit Muffins
    • Chocolate & Feijoa Muffins
    • Curly Fries Slinky Style
    • Double Choc & Raspberry Muffins
    • Growing and Eating Globe Artichokes
    • Luscious Berry Ice Cream
    • Mediterranean Roast Vegetables
    • Quince Jelly
    • Rhubarb Chutney
    • Seasonal Garden Salad with Bocconcini and Sourdough Bread
    • Spicy Apple Muffins
    • Tabouleh-inspired Barley Salad
    • Warm Tomato Salad
    • Spicy Pumpkin Soup
  • Fact Sheets
    • Building and Maintaining Insect Hotels in Your Garden
    • Gardening in Pots
    • Preserving the Harvest
    • Propagation: New Plants from Old
    • The Art of Pruning
    • The No-Dig Garden
    • The Wonderful World of Composting
    • Veggie Gardening Basics
  • Resources
  • About
  • Contact

                            Veggie Gardening Basics


Growing your own veggies is a fun and rewarding pastime, regardless of your green-thumbed prowess or how much space you have. What’s more, homegrown produce is packed full of nutrition and eliminates costly food miles – a big tick for the environment.
 
The following hints will help get you started on your veggie growing adventures:

Soil testing
Firstly, investigate your soil’s strengths and limitations by carrying out:
  • Soil pH testing - Soil pH measures the relative acidity & alkalinity of a soil and has a direct impact on nutrient availability. A Manutec soil pH testing kit is an accurate and low-cost way of determining soil pH https://www.manutec.com.au/fertiliser-division/. Adjustments to soil pH can be made using products such as Dolomite lime and ammonium sulphate.
  • Soil drainage testing – On your proposed planting site, dig multiple holes 30cm wide and 30cm deep, ensuring the edges are straight. Fill the holes with water and leave to drain overnight. The following morning, re-fill the holes and measure the water level using a builder’s tape measure and straight edge over the hole. Continue to measure the water levels hourly until the holes are empty.
To work out the average drainage rate, divide the volume of water drained by the number of hours taken. The optimum rate is 50mm per hour but slightly more or less than this is acceptable. Improvements can be made by adding organic matter, raising bed heights, or installing sub-surface drainage.
  • Soil texture analysis using the jar method – Collect several samples of soil from a minimum 10cm depth, scraping away the mulch beforehand. Place samples on a sheet of paper, removing any organic matter and crushing any lumps. ¼ fill straight-sided jars with the samples, before ¾ filling them with water. Add a few drops of detergent, screw the lids on firmly and shake well. Observe the samples over 1 to 2 days as they settle into distinct layers of sand (bottom), silt (middle) and clay (top). 
To calculate the percentage of each layer and identify your soil type using the USDA soil textural triangle (readily available online), divide the depth of each layer by the total soil depth, multiplying by 100.
 
Soil cultivation and improvements
  • Carefully cultivate the topsoil without turning it to preserve its delicate structure and distinct layers. The subsoil can be aerated using a sturdy garden fork but avoid overworking it as you will compromise drainage.
  • Incorporate approximately 1/3 organic matter into the soil’s surface, such as homemade compost or processed cow manure. It is important that any additions are well aged to avoid burning sensitive plant roots.
 
Mulch
  • Using organic mulches such as Lucerne hay, straw, or ‘chop and drop’ green manure crops, are ideal for growing veggies as they improve soil fertility and structure and help maintain moisture levels.
  • Aim for a depth of 2cm during winter to still let in warmth from the sun, and 5-8cm during summer, to help keep the soil cool.
  • Avoid mulching against plant stems to prevent humidity related pest & disease problems.
 
Fertiliser
  • Using both fast and slow-release forms of fertiliser satisfies both the immediate and long-term nutritional needs of your veggies.
  • Fertiliser ‘teas’ such as those made from worm castings or compost are excellent, as they contain a diverse range of nutrients and valuable microbes.
  • Organic fertilisers are ideal as they promote soil biodiversity and healthy, resilient plants.
 
Water
  • A reliable supply of water is essential for veggies to prosper and produce a bumper harvest.
  • During the hotter months, water early in the morning or in the evening once it has cooled, to reduce evaporation and prevent burning plant foliage.
  • Water if the soil is dry more than 2cm below the surface. Don’t wait until your veggies are visibly wilting before watering.
 
Handy Tips
  • Try succession planting to save room – this is when you grow multiple crops together which are different heights and have varied growth rates.
  • Grow a variety of crops to ensure you always get a harvest.
  • Practice crop rotation of different plant families, to break pest and disease cycles and maintain optimum soil fertility.
  • Save your own seed to secure desired plant traits and save you money.
  • Pots should be filled with premium standard potting mix. Around 10% quality organic matter can be added when growing productive crops. Avoid using garden soils in pots as they become compacted and poorly drained.
  • No room to garden? Consider joining your local community garden or foraging for edible weeds (do your research first).
  • Think big and start small – gain experience and learn by your mistakes.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.