June 'Seedy Sunday' & Winter Planting

At the next 'Seedy Sunday' (2nd June from 8.30am - 10.30am), Winter planting continues so come along and share any surplus produce, seeds or cuttings that are growing well in your garden at this time of year. It's a great way for everyone to grow their garden for free. If the weather is kind and not wet or humid, we'll process more seeds to share/swap.

If you can't make it this Sunday, I'll be presenting a Grow Your Garden for Free: Propagating & Seed Saving Workshop from 9.00am - 11.00am at Cotton Tree Community Gardens, 2 Fifth St, Cotton Tree on Saturday 22 June. You're welcome to book for $5 and join in.

Taking cuttings is one way to grow your garden for free

Winter Planting 

According to the Moon Calendar, 5-6 and 26-27 June are ideal times to sow seeds or seedlings for your root crops this month. Get your above ground crops like lettuce, peas, a variety of herbs, dwarf beans, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Asian greens, cabbage, chard and silver beet planted between the 11th and 21st June as this is the time when the high sap run produces strong growth. It's also an ideal time to take cuttings, sow your flowers, divide plants and liquid fertilise your crops.

Beetroot seedlings ready for planting

You can prepare your soil and garden now for planting by adding more organic matter like compost, rock minerals and mulch. After heavy rains, many nutrients leach and leafy greens need plenty of nitrogen so ensure you top up your garden with organic soil conditioners or blood and bone to replenish your soil.

Sweethearts Cafe provides a relaxed informal atmosphere where we can enjoy a social and learning experience, sharing local knowledge and building resilience into our gardens at the same time. Plus they have delicious local and organic food and coffee.

What to Bring on the Day (if you can!)

If you have any seeds or plant material to share, please feel free to bring this along. We'll have our seed bank and some local seeds to process (weather permitting). To enable more hands-on activity, it would be helpful if you could please bring any of the following:

• any spare shallow trays or plates (this enables us to sort and blow off chaff)
• sieves & strainers (kitchen sieves of any size are useful to remove chaff from seeds)
• teaspoons (for measuring into bags)
• pastry or artist brushes (for brushing away chaff from seed)

Tray and sieve - tools you can use to seed save at home

The more of these materials we have, the more engaged people can get involved in the various stages of seed processing. Bring a recycled plastic bag/newspaper to take plant material home.

Sweethearts Cafe offer us a large space to meet for free (saving us a hall hire fee so no cost to you) but as a business are in effect hiring out that area to us for a couple of hours. So as a courtesy please remember to at the very least order a tea/coffee or a yummy breakfast, to support the cafe. They have a delicious local & organic menu. Visit their website for more info @ http://www.sweetheartscafe.com.au/aboutus.html.

Venue: 2 Anzac Street (cnr Rosebed Street), Eudlo.

FREE to attend so bring a friend and carpool!

By Anne Gibson