Spring has Sprung - What to Plant Now!

The next 'Seedy Sunday' will be on 7 September from 10.30am - 12.00pm. Come join our table and enjoy meeting like-minded locals.

We'll be chatting about:

• a variety of crops to plant now and how to prepare for them. 
• rooting herbs from cuttings.
• the many uses for nasturtiums in a Permaculture kitchen garden. 

With the arrival of warm, sunny spring weather, it's an ideal time to start planting early, with warm season crops.

Many winter edibles will also be going to seed like the brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, tatsoi, mustard and mizuna). You can watch a video here or follow these instructions on how to process and save brassica seeds.

So grab a paper bag and collect up any seed heads that are fully developed and turning brown. If rain is forecast, timing your seed collecting is important. It's better to harvest the seed heads and let them dry under cover, than have them rot during days of rain. There are also some handy tips about the cabbage family here.

Tatsoi in flower - brings in the bees before the flower head produces seed.

If you haven't already got your compost ready, now's the time to boost it! You will need plenty in the months of high growth ahead. You can use:

• fallen leaves
• prunings/solarised weeds
• grass clippings as you start to mow more often
• fireplace ash if you've got some 
• kitchen scraps
• manure etc

If you have a worm farm, harvest some castings and use these to help get your compost active.

If you have some spare cuttings, seeds, surplus produce, questions or ideas to share please bring these along to our meeting.    

We love new faces so bring a friend or neighbour - perhaps someone who'd like some company or needs a little support in their garden. Our group welcomes beginners, visitors and people new to our community area. We also sow seeds of friendship when we are together.

Activities for September

The first grasshoppers may be appearing after overwintering, so consider exclusion netting if you want to keep your garden free of them.

Watch out for white cabbage butterflies (both large and small) that love the brassica family. They are still very active and lay eggs on the underside of leaves. Do a regular check before they hatch and do too much damage.

Fruit fly baits should be out early to minimise damage to susceptible crops.

Remember to deep water your vegetables and keep well mulched, as it's usually dry this month.

Sugar cane, lucerne and grassy hay are all good mulches

Plant some herbs like dill, rocket, coriander and basil as companion plants. Allow them to flower, rather than just harvesting for leaves. The bees and beneficial insects will love you for it. They help bring in predator insects to keep pest insects in balance in the months ahead.

Get some trellises ready for climbers like beans, tomatoes and cucumber.

Shade structures will be important very soon so think about what solutions you have on hand.

What to Plant in September

Check out these guides for tips and planting guides:

Gardenate - Subtropical zone.

ABC Vegie Gardening Guide.

Aussie Organic Gardening.

This month's Seed Savers Meeting

We meet at Sweethearts Cafe who offer us a large space to get together 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 meal, to support the cafe. They have a delicious local and 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! Hope to see you soon.

By Anne Gibson