Judy and Chris’s Plot

Plot Preparation

Dug out all the weeds (and the limestone!) . Added horse and sheep manure and Blood and Bone. Watered seedlings in with Seasol. Added water crystals when planting. Following another plot holders lead, we used plastic milk containers as green houses for seedlings.

Plot Planning

Began a 4 rotating bed system in September with the spring planting based on Peter Cundalls plot (see Gardening Australia website)

Watering and Rescue

Learnt lots from Matt from Van Loon’s Garden Centre about being water wise. Pea straw as mulch and bales as a wind break worked really well.

Harvested all root veg before the very hot days – to save water and make plot manageable in heat.

Rigged up shade out of old white sheets and stakes on those 45 deg days. Managed to salvage tomatoes and zucchinis.

Beetroot – planted seedlings 1^st March, picked 1^st beetroots end April

Second punnet of seedlings planted 23rd September. Harvest from 1^st Dec until mid January. Delicious roasted or grated raw in a salad sandwich.

Silverbeet – planted seedlings (Van Loons) 1^st March, began harvest end of March and continuously until end August. Lots to give away.

Parsley – planted seedlings of Curly Leaf and Italian 1^st March, began harvest end March and continuously until August

Chives – planted clumps from home – 1^st March, harvested over several months

Spring Onions – Planted 1st March, harvested continuously from April until August – a few at a time. Planted more seedlings on13th September and again in early February.

Leeks -planted seedlings 1^st March, began harvest 1^st July

Snow Peas – sowed seeds (Yates Chinese Snow Peas) mid March and late March, harvest 10^th July- end August. Next seeds planted on trellis on 19^th September – this crop not as prolific.

Carrots – sowed seeds Nantes organic – Fothergills on 2^nd May– no success

Planted more seeds on 13th September and some on seed tape, began harvesting baby carrots 22 Dec until end Jan. Didn’t thin the seedlings.

Garlic – planted bulbs in mid March, harvested in November. Used organic garlic cloves from Elvis Parsley and some Russian garlic given to me by a friend. Each clove formed a clump. Harvested about 40 clumps which, after drying in a cardboard box, I plaited and have stored in the garage on a frame. Delicious roasted whole with zucchinis, peppers and onions.

Coriander – sowed seeds (Mr Fothergill Organic Coriander for Leaf) 1^st June, began harvest July until September. Plenty to give away.

Potatoes - Seed potatoes from Diggers - 8 Desiree, 8 Pink Eye. Sprinkle of Potash at planting and again after plants appeared. Covered with compost and pea straw. Mounded up as they grew. January – progressively dug up Desiree spuds as needed. 26^th Jan – Dug up Pink Eye – some green due to light getting in. Need more mounding next year. Stored in cardboard box with layers of newspaper between. (Planted 8 Nicola at home in old rubbish bins with holes drilled in the bottom. Some potatoes but not as successful as those in the plot in size or quantity.)

Rhubarb – planted a crown given to me by a friend in August, harvesting stems in January and continuously.

Bush Beans – seeds (Yates Dwarf stringless Pioneer Beans)sown 23^rd September into plot. Not as successful as sowing in punnet and transplanting into milk container. (Sowed 8 seeds in punnet every few weeks and had a continuous supply of beans at home )

Zucchini- 9^th November – planted a punnet of Gold Rush zucchinis- 2 per hole. Used potash. Hugely productive through January and February. Delicious barbequed with garlic olive oil.

Tomatoes – bought a punnet of red and yellow cherry tomatoes from Van Loons on 9^th October which I potted up into 6 inch pots. Staked plants but did not prune, foliage provides fruit protection on hot days. Pinch of potash, Seasol as growing. Planted them out on 1^st November. Lots of pea straw. Started to harvest after Christmas and continuously over Jan and Feb. Very productive.

Capsicums – not a success. Overrun by rampant tomatoes, burnt on the hot days. Sacrificed to save water.

(Grew a bush tomato plant from Van Loons at home which was very productive. Will grow more next year in pots as no staking required and good in the wind).