Your easy guide to growing from seed

MOST VEGETABLES ARE ANNUAL PLANTS, GROWING EASILY EACH YEAR FROM SEEDUndoubtedly one of the easiest and best ways to start a vegie garden, a little bit of seed goes a long way, helping gardeners to plan and plant a steady supply of produce throughout the entire year.

Why seed?

VEGETABLE CROPS ARE SEASONAL 2. WARM SEASON CROPS1. COOL SEASON CROPS

COOL SEASON CROPS can be sown and grown in a cool soil. These plants are generally frost-hardy and don’t mind the fluctuation in temperatures prevalent from autumn to spring.

WARM SEASON CROPS can be sown and grown in a warm soil. Traditionally these plants are grown from spring to autumn in southern areas, or year round in humid regions.

Seed is sown directly into the garden soil in rows. This method is most commonly used for root crops including beetroot, carrot, parsnip, turnip, swede and radish, crops that run to seed quickly such as lettuce and coriander, vine crops including pumpkin, squash and zucchini, as well as corn, peas, beans, silverbeet and spinach.

Cover with soil and water in well. Keep the soil moist to the touch until seedlings emerge.

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Sow seeds carefully, then cover with a fine layer of seed raising mix.

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Transplant into the garden when they have grown their second set of leaves. Protect from snails and slugs.

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Protect young seedlings from pests such as slugs and snails. Thin if necessary and water and fertilise as required.

4Prepare the soil by raking and adding compost and decomposed manure.

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Fill your punnet or pot to the brim with seed raising mix.

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Water again. Place in a well lit position and water regularly.

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Create a channel or row. Sow seed twice as deep as the seed is wide.

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Firm down the surface and water well.2

Prick seedlings out after 2-4 weeks and transplant into punnets with only 4-8 plants per punnet.

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Some seed is best sown in punnets because the seed is a little more specific about its germination, such as capsicum, tomatoes and chilli which require a warmer soil to germinate successfully. Seeds that should also be sown in punnets prior to transplanting out into the garden include eggplant, capsicum and spring onions.

Two methods for seed sowing 1. DIRECT

2. PUNNETS

SPACING YOUR VEGETABLE SEEDS AND SEEDLINGSSeed should be spaced to allow optimal room for growth. This prevents contorted root crops and allows all vegies access to the nutrients they need for successful growth.

PLANT SPACE HARVESTBeans 15cm 9-19 wks

Broad Beans 20cm 15 wks

Beetroot 10cm 7-20 wks

Broccoli 60cm 6-10 wks

Brussels Sprouts 50cm 20-25 wks

Cabbage 30cm 14-22 wks

Capsicum 50cm 11-18 wks

Carrot 10cm 8-18 wks

Cauliflower 20cm 18-25 wks

Celery 20cm 21-24 wks

Chilli 50cm 8 wks

Chives 10cm 12 wks

Corn 20cm 11-14 wks

Cucumber 70cm 7-9 wks

Eggplant 50cm 9-15 wks

Fennel 30cm 14-15 wks

Kale 30cm 7-15 wks

Leek 10cm 12-20 wks

Lettuce 20cm 5-11 wks

PLANT SPACE HARVESTOnion 10cm 18 wks

Parsley 25cm 25 wks

Parsnip 10cm 10-19 wks

Peas 15cm 9-15 wks

Potato 40cm 15-20 wks

Pumpkin 2m 15-20 wks

Radish 5cm 4-8 wks

Rockmelon 1m 7-9 wks

Silverbeet 25cm 8 wks

Spinach 30cm 5-10 wks

Spring Onion 5cm 9-15 wks

Squash 70cm 7-17 wks

Swede 10cm 8-12 wks

Thyme 25cm 24 wks

Tomato 1m 11-14 wks

Turnip 5cm 7-11 wks

Watermelon 1m 10-20 wks

Zucchini 70cm 6-10 wks

Starting your vegie patchCHOOSE A SUITABLE SITEFull sun for 4–6 hours per day is preferable so consider sun movement and the shade of nearby trees. Keep close to your kitchen and water.

SEED OR SEEDLINGSGrowing from seed is simple and the cheapest way to get growing. Some seeds should be sown directly (straight in to the soil). Others should be started in a propagation unit and planted out as seedlings. See our website for more seed sowing tips.

WATERVegetable gardens need regular watering. Water in the morning or more regularly if days are hot and dry. An irrigation system is the perfect way to water the soil and not the foliage, ensuring your plants stay healthy and well hydrated. Fortnightly applications of seaweed solution also helps to keep plants healthy and your harvest abundant.

PREPARE THE SITEMark out the area for your garden bed. Remove the grass or turf by cutting through the lawn in easy-to-remove squares, then relocate or place upside down to compost. Fork over the soil and improve with well rotted compost, rockdust and pelletised fertiliser.

PROTECT FROM PESTSBoth seed and seedlings are susceptible to attack from pests. Protect with snail and slug pellets, diatomaceous earth, cloches or vegetable netting.

ENJOY!

SNAIL & SLUG PELLETS

ROCKDUST

SOW/PLANT DIRECT IN SOIL SOW IN PUNNETS SOW IN PUNNETS TO POT ON

GROW WHAT YOU LIKE TO EATIt may sound obvious, but so many people grow things that they think they should grow, rather than growing what they usually eat. Your staples are your go to when starting a vegie patch – then expand from there.

Freezing and storage capabilities of crops are important too. Peas, beans, blackberries, raspberries and currants all freeze beautifully, so can be planted in abundance. Potatoes, onions and pumpkins all dry store well. However, root vegetables are best harvested fresh from the garden, and while they will store well in the soil for a few weeks, it is best to pick them at their peak before they run to seed or become woody, so these should be planted consecutively, one metre at a time, about three weeks apart.

Herbs are really worthwhile inclusions in the vegie garden because they add so much flavour and complexity to dishes as well as companion planting benefits and garden diversity with interesting scents, foliage textures, colours and flowers.

Edible flowers are also worth including, if you have space. Not only do they add interest to dishes, they’re also lovely frozen into ice cubes and will help to encourage beneficial insects into your garden.

Perennial vegetables are great value plants offering an extended harvest for years to come. Asparagus, globe artichokes, Jerusalem artichokes and rhubarb are all reliable perennial vegetables and popular additions to the vegetable patch.

What to grow STAGGER SOWING Some crops routinely take a certain amount of weeks to harvest. These should be sown successively to keep up an adequate supply of produce. For example, sow one metre of carrots, lettuce and beetroot every three weeks to provide ample harvest for your kitchen.

BULK HARVEST There are some crops with a short harvest window which should be preserved to extend their use throughout the year. Beans, peas, tomatoes and cabbages are popular crops suitable for preserving in jars, blanching and freezing or even pickling.

YOU CAN GROW INDOORS TOO! Don’t forget the value of sprouts and mushrooms. These crops are highly nutritious, grow quickly in as little as seven days and can be grown inside your home on the sink or kitchen bench.

Crop rotation

VITAL TO THE ONGOING SUCCESS OF YOUR VEGIE GARDENCrop rotation stops the build up of pests and diseases in the soil and helps to maximise the nutrient uptake of your crops.

There are many different approaches to crop rotation and we recommend this simple 4-bed system.

BED 1 BED 2 BED 3 BED 4Season 1 Green manure Root crops Fruiting crops Leafy crops

Season 2 Leafy crops Green manure Root crops Fruiting crops

Season 3 Fruiting crops Leafy crops Green manure Root crops

Season 4 Root crops Fruiting crops Leafy crops Green manure

Each bed follows the same process. Each new season, the crops all move on one position so after four seasons, all the beds have had all four crops grown in them.

The green manure adds bulky organic matter to the soil, increasing the nitrogen and carbon levels of the soil as it breaks down.

Leafy crops follow on in the rotation, as they require high levels of nitrogen to grow lush, leafy growth. Plants in this group include lettuce, watercress, herbs and silverbeet.

Next comes the fruiting crops which include tomatoes, zucchini, beans and peas. These plants need less nitrogen but lots of potassium, essential for flower and fruit formation.

Finally, the root crops finish the cycle because they prefer an impoverished soil. They will happily grow in a bed which has had the majority of nutrients used up by previous crops.

Crop rotation

GREEN MANURES increase nitrogen in the soil. Peas can also be grown during this phase.

FRUITING CROPS like tomatoes, eggplant, capsicum, pumpkins, peans, beans and zucchini which need phosphorus to flower and fruit.

LEAFY CROPS like Asian greens, lettuce and brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower & kale) need high levels of nitrogen.

ROOT CROPS like carrots, parsnip, beetroot and radishes which thrive in nutrient depleted soils.

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GROUP 1

GROUP 3

GROUP 2

GROUP 4

HEALTHY SOIL IS CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR VEGETABLE GARDENPlants use nutrients and resources from the soil to grow, subsequently removing them from the soil. As food is harvested, these nutrients are removed completely, so it is vital that we replace this on a continual cycle.

Soil texture is classified into three main groups: clay, sand and silt. Each has its own merits and disadvantages, but all types will benefit greatly from the addition of organic matter, like homemade compost and well-rotted manures, both incorporated into the soil and applied as a mulch, like lucerne or sugar cane mulch.

Allowing space for either a composting system, or where space is restricted, a worm farm, should be fundamental to your vegie garden design. This element can also occupy that shady corner where most productive plants will not thrive. The potential cost saving of making your own compost will soon outweigh any capital outlay and this also creates a closed loop system for your food garden.

Also essential for soil fertility are the wide range of organisms that live in it, such as beneficial fungi, bacteria, microscopic insects as well as visible ones, like earthworms and beetles. All these organisms break down the organic matter to produce humus, a dark coloured, sticky substance that builds good soil structure, helps retain water and stores and releases essential nutrients.

Compost and soil nutritionCHOOSE A PLACEIdeal compost area is a dry, shady spot near a water source, with dimensions of 3 x 3 x 3 feet.

ADD WATER AS NEEDEDMake sure the pile stays moist, but not too wet (it should feel like a damp sponge).

KEEP THINGS MOVINGTurn your compost mixture to add air to the mix. This helps speed up the composting process.

ADD THE INGREDIENTSAdd ingredients that are rich in carbon (brown materials) and rich in nitrogen (green materials). Make sure large materials are chopped or shredded.

WAIT A WHILEWhen the compost gives off heat and becomes dry, brown and crumbly, it’s fully cooked and ready to be fed to the garden.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT diggers.com.au