New Venue & Time for Future Meetings

Hi everyone

After meeting for many years at the wonderful Sweethearts Cafe, Eudlo, our group will be relocating to nearby Ilkley for future meetings. Thanks to current and past owners for your hospitality towards our group.

From Sunday, 7 June 2015, we will have a NEW VENUE and an earlier meeting time.  The new venue, kindly offered by our members, Roy and Jackie Gasson has plenty of cover (perfect for our hot summers and wet weather). There is plenty of space to meet and process seeds and plant material regardless of what our climate throws at us!

Please see the details below:

Time: 8.30am - 10.00am
Cost: Gold coin donation
Roy Gasson's Pottery Shed
145 Ilkley Road, Ilkley 4554
Sunshine Coast, Queensland

CLICK LINK for Google Map & Directions

Entrance to property from Ilkley Road, Ilkley

This is the parking area. Turn in the driveway and travel past the first little brick house
and park nose in to the right hand side.

Walk down the pathway to the pottery shed

Following is a list of the meeting dates for the rest of 2015.

Add them to your diary now:

Sunday 7 June - The Gassons will be providing refreshments and morning tea (covered by gold coin donation)
Sunday 5 July
Sunday 2 August
Sunday 6 September
Sunday 4 October
Sunday 1 November
Sunday 6 December

Safe Seedlings

If you don't have time to sow seeds and want to plant safe seedlings grown from organic or heirloom, seeds, there are some local organic seedlings suppliers. Try David at Yandina markets on Saturday mornings, Max Lindegger at Crystal Waters, the monthly Witta markets, Yandina Feed Barn and Kunara at Forest Glen. 

Please be wary of buying non-certified organic seedlings from nurseries or any other retail outlet. If you're not aware, many growers are raising seeds with neonicotinoids (insecticides) that are toxic to bees. If you inadvertently purchase these seedlings or plants, you may not only be contaminating your garden with chemicals but also be innocently killing the very pollinators you need to grow your crop successfully. 

Learn more in these articles:

• 4 Step Guide to Improving Pollination & Your Harvests: Part 1
• Protecting Bees from Neonicotinoid Insecticides in Your Garden

What to Plant in June

With cooler temperatures now upon us, it's time to make sure your winter crops are in. Lots of vegetables, herbs and flowers grow well at this time of year, without the greedy grasshoppers taking an unfair share!


Check out these guides for other ideas/tips:

Gardenate - Subtropical zone.

ABC Vegie Gardening Guide.

Aussie Organic Gardening.

Garden Visits

Lissa Clayton and our friends from Brisbane Local Food have also invited our members to join their free monthly garden visits at any time. It's a great opportunity to learn, swap seeds, cuttings and plant material as well as learn from each other and what grows well in SEQ. You may want to consider car pooling and bringing this up at each meeting to see if a group can enjoy the drive and visit together.

You can find out more about BLF Garden Visits here. The 2015 Calendar of upcoming gardens is also on their website. RSVP online.

June 13th Garden Visit is at Albany Creek

July 5th Garden Visit is at Deception Bay

August  30th Garden Visit is way over the other side of Brisbane at Ellen Grove

Sept 19th Garden Visit is at Brighton 

Hope to see you soon.

Growing Food & Seed Saving in a Dry Garden

The next 'Seedy Sunday' will be on 2 November from 10.30am - 12.00pm. Come join our table and enjoy meeting like-minded locals.

On the menu this month:

• processing, labelling and storing dill, coriander, lettuce, spring onion, mustard and rocket seeds.
• identifying drought-tolerant crops for seed saving.
• a variety of crops to plant now and how to prepare for them. 
• strategies for growing food crops in hot, dry weather.

Dill seeds ready for processing

Many leafy greens like tatsoi, baby spinach, mustard, some lettuces, coriander and rocket often bolt to seed, now warmer weather has arrived. Bring along any seeds you would like to process for the seed bank, especially if you have winter crops that have finished.

Just grab a paper bag and collect up any seed heads that are fully developed and turning brown. The seed pods should be full and ripe. 

It's time to sow crops that can take the heat. We'll be discussing some varieties and sharing experiences and growing strategies. 

'Salad Bowl Red' and 'Green' Lettuce Varieties are more heat tolerant

Trees that are in stress may be dropping leaves. Use these to build your soil.

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 November

If you are growing brassicas like kale or cabbage, you may find white cabbage butterflies and the diamondback butterflies laying eggs, with caterpillars taking their toll.

Using sacrificial trap crops (those that attract the butterflies to lay their eggs on) is one organic strategy that may help. I use nasturtiums for white cabbage butterflies but Asian cabbages like Bok Choy (Brassica rapa) are attractive to the diamondback butterflies. The idea is to check the leaves of your trap crop plants for eggs and remove before they pupate, ending the life cycle. Alternatively, plant Land Cress (Barbarea vulgaris). When the diamondback larva hatch, they eat the leaves, but die from the toxic natural plant chemicals (saponins).

Some grasshoppers are appearing. They are best removed by hand early morning when they are more docile. If you only have a small area with these crops growing, you may want to consider netting to exclude these visitors who take more than their fair share!

Grasshopper party on Sweet basil leaves

Time to plant summer crops but make sure your soil has moisture holding capacity or an irrigation system. In this dry weather, establishing seedlings can be a challenge. You may have to be a vigilant 'plant parent' for a few weeks until they are established.

Try putting in zucchini, beans, cucumbers, eggplant, capsicum, corn, pumpkin, basil, tomatoes and sweet potatoes. It's also a good time to prepare for turmeric, yams, yakon, galangal, arrowroot, taro, cassava and ginger that thrive in our humid, wet summer.

If you're growing food in containers, these are some dry season strategies to get the most from your crops in pots.

If you haven't already, make some bamboo tepees for climbers like beans, tomatoes and cucumber. Bamboo is a cheap sustainable material and easily to grow in our climate. Why not put in a clumping variety so you have your own building materials on hand?

Cucumber growing on bamboo tepee frames with repurposed baling twine

Consider what shade structures you are going to use in the coming months to protect your crops in the heat. Position tall potted plants to help shade vulnerable ones or start planting shady microclimates now.

What to Plant in November

Check out these sites 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

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

July Seedy Sunday - Winter Garden Activities

The next 'Seedy Sunday' will be on 6 July from 10.30am - 12.00pm. 

With cooler weather finally here, there are so many delicious crops we can be growing.

We'll be discussing:

• a variety of crops that enjoy winter temperatures. 
• ways to protect your vegetable garden from frost.
• growing fruit trees from seed.
• activities you can plan for over the next couple of months before spring. 

This is a time of year many of us prune deciduous trees while they are dormant. We'll talk about some of the ways to reuse prunings, fallen leaves, bark and other free organic matter to build a healthy soil. We'd love to hear your recycling ideas and tips too!

If you have some spare cuttings, seeds, surplus produce, questions or ideas to share please bring these along. We had an enjoyable meeting last month with everyone going home with freebies to plant or eat from other member's gardens.   

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 July

According to the moon calendar, we are now starting a cycle of prolific growth for above ground plants continuing through until 10 July - the ideal time to get stuck into Winter planting. Beans, peas, brassicas (like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, mustard and kale), leafy greens (like spinach, chard, rocket and lettuce) + many other vegies grow well at this time of year.

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

Read this article if you need help with identifying caterpillars attacking your plants - there are some helpful resources to help you work out the pests from the beneficial insects.

Do you need some ideas for organic solutions to get these naughty ladies under control in your garden? Cabbage white butterflies are awesome mothers and love big families - which means it can be the battle of Caterpillars vs Your Vegetables. Find out 13 ways to work with nature for more produce on your plate and sneaky integrated pest management strategies to try.

Large White Cabbage Butterfly caterpillars
Photo: www.loosha.nl - ginny@loosha.nl

QLD Garden Expo

The annual Queensland Garden Expo is on again this month from Friday 11 - Sunday 13 July at the Nambour Showgrounds. As always, it's a great place to learn with many free lectures and demonstrations on growing and cooking food crops, gardening, pruning, fruit trees and much more. You can find the programs for the 3 days on their website.

Our favourite place of course is the Giant Kitchen Garden - there's always an interesting display with many speakers sharing their passion on topics to help you learn and grow a productive food garden. This year I'll be speaking on the Sunday at 1.15pm on Micro Gardening: How to Intensively 'Farm' in Containers - Techniques for highly productive crops in pots. I'm looking forward to sharing many tips from my experiences in our climate.

What to Plant in July

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

June Seedy Sunday - Winter Planting

The next 'Seedy Sunday' will be on 1 June from 10.30am - 12.00pm. 

We'll be talking about Safe Seeds given the outcome in the landmark court case in Western Australia this week and how to protect our seed bank from GM contamination. We will also chat about winter crops to grow now. 

Bring a friend or neighbour, seeds/plant material to share or just come along to meet like-minded locals.

Activities for June

According to the moon calendar, there is an 11 day cycle of prolific growth for above ground plants starting 29 May - a good time to get stuck into Winter planting. Beans, peas, brassicas (like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, mustard and kale), leafy greens (like spinach, chard, rocket and lettuce) + many other vegies grow well at this time of year.

Rainbow chard

If you have cuttings to spare, please wrap the stems in some wet newspaper or paper towel to keep them fresh for longer.

What to Plant in June

Check out these guides for other ideas/tips:

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

May Seedy Sunday

The next 'Seedy Sunday' will be on 4 May from 10.30am - 12.00pm. 

It's also International Permaculture Day so no doubt plenty of discussion around this topic too. This year’s theme is: Reclaiming Food Freedom!

Everywhere new laws are being passed, supposedly for our benefit, which limit our right to healthy, nutritious food; from raw milk bans, to hidden GMOs, to the criminalising of seed saving. 

Bring a friend or neighbour, seeds/plant material to share or just come along to meet like-minded locals.

Activities for May

According to the moon calendar, there is an 11 day cycle of prolific growth for above ground plants from 3rd - 13th May - a good time to get stuck into Autumn planting.

Check which herbs or other plants in your garden may be ready for a prune back into shape. Take cuttings during this period for greater success.

Hardy herbs like Mother of Herbs (Five Spice Herb); peppermint, rose and citronella geraniums (all handy pest repellent herbs); rosemary, thyme and oregano all strike easily from cuttings.

Mother of Herbs - has a hairy stem & strikes easily in water or soil.

If you have cuttings to spare, please wrap the stems in some wet newspaper or paper towel to keep them fresh for longer.

Lettuces, leafy greens like chard, rocket, sorrel and spinach; brassicas (like cauliflower, broccoli, kale, cabbage); leeks; beans and garlic can all be planted now.

Don't forget about sowing your pea seeds. Here's a tutorial to help you get started growing peas.

Beginners, people new to the area and long distance visitors are all welcome.

What to Plant in May

Check out these guides for other ideas/tips:

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

Hot Dry Weather = More Seeds to Save

Our first Seedy Sunday meeting for 2014 is Sunday 2 February from 8.30am to 10.30am - bring a friend, seeds/plant material to share or just come along to meet like-minded locals.

Basil seeds can be harvested now - wait till brown and dry

2014 has started with hot summer temperatures and not as much rain as we would all like here in SE QLD. Many gardeners put down the tools, mulch well and turn to container gardens for essential herbs and vegies during these conditions ... waiting for rain and more moderate temps to return before starting autumn planting.

Still, summer affords us a bounty of many edible species putting on growth and going to seed. A great time for seed savers to collect, process and save for future planting.

So if vegies and herbs are bolting to flower and seed, grab your scissors, pen and a paper bag and become a treasure hunter in your garden to collect a bounty while available!

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 breakfast, 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

December Seedy Sunday - Seed, Plant & Crop Swap

The last 'Seedy Sunday' for 2013 will be on 1 December from 8.30am - 10.30am. We take a break in January and meet again on Sunday 2 February - same time, same place.

In the spirit of giving at this time of year, the idea this month is to celebrate the friendships we've made and share or swap something from our gardens with each other.  We'll also chat about surviving summer in the sub-tropics. What can we grow easily despite the heat, wet, storms, hail and greedy grasshoppers? Have a think about your summer garden and share your experiences - this is sure to prove enlightening, entertaining and helpful!

Come along for a fun social morning and bring something to share – here are some ideas:

• a bunch of herbs or surplus produce 
• a friend or neighbour!
• a tip, design idea, technique, plant, recipe, book, website, course, business or resource you’ve found helpful (jot it down on a piece of paper)
• some seeds or a few cuttings that are growing well in your garden (there must be a herb or plant that needs a haircut right?!)

• photos of your garden to inspire us 
• your garden journal, Permaculture design or site map for your property
• a bulb or seedling
• a quick demo or plant profile on something you love growing
• a local supplier where you source your garden needs 
• something that has inspired you (e.g. you may have joined a community garden or been involved in a project that helped you learn)
• Or think up something else you'd like to share! 

NOTE: If bringing something fresh like herbs or cuttings, please wrap the stems in some wet newspaper or paper towel.

If you’re new, just come and tell us about your garden – we enjoy listening to what others are doing or plan to do. It’s a great way for everyone to learn, grow their garden for free, meet your neighbours or network and connect with like-minded members in the community – we’ve formed some wonderful friendships this way. If the weather is kind and not wet or humid, we’ll process more seeds to share/swap.

As usual, at our meeting we'll be discussing what to grow in your garden right now - the challenges and successes plus sharing seeds from our seed bank.

Beginners, people new to the area and long distance visitors are all welcome.

What to Plant in December

While we all have different microclimates in our gardens, there are always some general guidelines on what we can plant during this time of year. Basil, climbing and dwarf beans,  beetroot, capsicum, chives, chillis, cucumber, ginger, lettuce, mustard greens, pumpkin, radish, melons, silverbeet, zucchini, tomato and corn are just some of the edibles good to plant now.

Check out these guides for other ideas/tips:

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 breakfast, 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

November Seedy Sunday - Growing Food in Hot Weather

The next 'Seedy Sunday' will be on 3 November from 8.30am - 10.30am. With a little recent rain and warmer temperatures, it's time to think about what to grow during the coming hotter months of the year and what crops to plant now.

At our meeting we'll be discussing what to grow in your garden right now - the challenges and successes plus a seed swap as usual. It's a great place to network, meet your neighbours and like-minded locals in our community plus pick up tips and plant material.

You're welcome to come along and share any surplus produce, seeds or cuttings that are growing well in your garden at this time of year or just soak up local knowledge to learn what to grow and how to seed save. Beginners, people new to the area and long distance visitors are all welcome.

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.

What to do now in the garden:

There is always a cycle of life in the garden and when some crops are no longer suitable to grow because they can't take the heat, there are always other sun worshippers that will thrive in our climate conditions.

Many lettuces and greens will have flower heads and seeds forming so it's a good time to save those or get planting some of our favourite summer crops like tomatoes, pumpkins, zucchini, cucumber, ginger, turmeric, capsicum, eggplant, sweet potato, sweet corn, snake beans and melons.

Sweet potato can be propagated from the tuber or by vine cuttings.

What to Plant in November

While we all have different microclimates in our gardens, there are always some general guidelines on what we can plant during this time of year. Check out these guides for what to plant now:

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 breakfast, 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

October Seedy Sunday & What to Plant Now

The next 'Seedy Sunday' will be on 6 October from 8.30am - 10.30am. With very warm 'Spring' days here (feeling more like Summer) and cool nights, there are many crops suitable for sowing as seeds or seedlings. Late winter crops and those finding it too hot (such as some lettuces, mustard and rocket) likely have seed heads ready for collection in the garden.

Rocket going to flower - seed pods form after flowers drop

How to Grow Rocket

You're welcome to come along and share any surplus produce, seeds or cuttings that are growing well in your garden at this time of year or just soak up local knowledge to learn what to grow and how to seed save. Beginners, people new to the area and long distance visitors are all welcome.

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.

What to do now in the garden:

The mild spring conditions over the past few weeks opened a window of opportunity to harvest seeds for saving and sow early spring crops. With warmer weather definitely here and typical hot wet (and sometimes very dry) summers, it's time to think about what crops you are going to grow and which are all in the 'too hard' basket!

Subtropical summers can make being outdoors both uncomfortable and often fruitless for many gardeners with an increase in hungry pests gobbling more of your grub than you do. Rather than sweating it out fighting nature, you may want to consider the benefits of growing at least some of your crops in containers. They offer you an easy, low-maintenance and low-energy alternative to garden beds.

Having your crops in portable planters over spring/summer also means you can move them in/out of the sun, heavy downpours, storms and super hot weather to reduce stress. They are far less likely to have greedy grasshoppers, fruit flies and other pest insects visit and you can easily net them for low cost.

If you haven't already, here are some things to do in your garden:

• Add a thick layer of mulch to all your garden beds and around fruit trees to retain moisture, reduce the need to water as frequently, prevent weeds and feed your soil.
• Sow cover crops or green manures if you decide you don't want to grow in a particular garden bed (a kind of living mulch you can chop and add organic matter back into your soil). Or try growing low maintenance sweet potatoes that provide a heavy green cover over the bed while providing you with nutritious food.
• Plant spring and summer flowers to attract beneficial insects so the good bug populations in your garden will keep the predator:pest balance in check as the weather warms up.
• Add a bird bath to your garden if you don't have one and make fresh water available daily. The birds will be attracted to bathe and drink and as a bonus help manage your pest insects by having a free feed.

• With grass and plants growing faster as the weather warms up, there will be more nitrogen-rich plant material to build your compost so add these to your compost system and create this valuable resource for your garden.
• As needed, replenish your soil with organic fertilisers, minerals, compost and organic matter.
• Tip prune your herbs regularly and start some cuttings for extra plants to grow or swap/share.

What to Plant in October

While we all have different microclimates in our gardens, there are always some general guidelines on what we can plant during this time of year. Check out these guides for what to plant now:

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 breakfast, 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

‘Seedy Sunday’ & Spring Planting

The next 'Seedy Sunday' will focus on Spring Planting on 1 September from 8.30am - 10.30am. Warmer days and cool nights are a perfect time to plant many early spring crops and harvest the last of winter seeds from the garden.

Nasturtiums - sow to attract beneficial insects and many other uses

How to Grow and Use Nasturtiums

Come along and share any surplus produce, seeds or cuttings that are growing well in your garden at this time of year or just soak up local knowledge to learn what to grow and how to seed save. Beginners, people new to the area and long distance visitors are all welcome.

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.

There will also be a few members of Permaculture Noosa Seed Savers bringing along their Seed Bank and their "bulk"/unpackaged seeds to exchange. Maria (the co-ordinator) will be happy to discuss how their group operates and how all the members have an opportunity to make a contribution. She is keen to pick up a few ideas from the group at Eudlo so it would be great if you could be there for shared knowledge and reciprocal seed sharing.

What to do now in the garden:

The relatively mild conditions of spring and early summer allow us to grow a wide variety of vegetable, herb and fruiting crops. To maximise an abundant production in your home garden, take advantage of this time of year to sow seeds and seedlings as soon as you can before pests and inclement weather make summer gardening difficult.

• Plant flowers to bring in beneficial insects so your good bug populations are in your garden to keep the predator:pest balance in check as the weather warms up.
• Top up bird baths and provide nesting materials for birds so they will visit your garden and help manage your pest insects by having a free feed.
• Add organic fertilisers, minerals, compost and organic matter to build your soils and plenty of mulch to retain moisture.
• Give your leafy green crops a foliar spray of diluted seaweed in the early morning to boost their growth.
• Tip prune any herbs that need a haircut and start some cuttings for extra plants to grow or swap/share.
• Heavily mulch any unused garden beds to prevent weeds until you are ready to plant out.

If your pea crops are finished, allow some pods to ripen and save seeds for next season

What to Plant in September

According to Green Harvest's Spring Sowing & Planting guide:

Early spring is a good time to plant perennial food plants such as yacon, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, water chestnuts, ginger, turmeric, galangal and chokos. Potatoes can be planted into well-mulched beds; only use certified seed potatoes to avoid introducing damaging viral diseases to your garden.

Sow seeds or plant seedlings of herbs such as basil, coriander, cress, borage, catnip, chamomile, chives, dill, lemon balm, sweet marjoram, Mexican tarragon, peppermint and sage. Vietnamese balm can be sown now.

Plant flower seedlings and sow seeds of sweet alice, cosmos, marigolds, phlox, salvia, nasturtiums, sunflowers, snapdragons, Queen Anne’s lace, verbena and statice. 

Fresh green and dried brown nasturtium seeds - time to harvest/sow

In subtropical areas, sow vegetable seed or plant seedlings of broccoli, corn, celeriac, Chinese cabbage, capsicum, carrots, parsnip, cabbage, silverbeet, lettuce, radish, rosella, beetroot, rocket, tomatoes, eggplant and spring onions; all these can be planted now. Plant carrots and parsnips from seed only; root vegetables should not be transplanted.

After all danger of frost has passed, plant out corn, cucumbers, capsicum, cape gooseberries, eggplant, okra, zucchini, rosella, squash, watermelon, tomatillo and tomatoes. Soil temperatures need to be around 20°C to germinate seeds of warm season vegetables. To check, see if pumpkin seeds are germinating by themselves from old compost; if so, then the soil is warm enough. Sow larger seeds such as beans, pumpkins, melons and corn directly in the ground. Remember that corn is wind-pollinated and needs to be grown in a block, not a row, for pollination to be effective.

September is an ideal time to plant many crops in your garden from seeds or seedlings. If you want to raise seeds, sow in seed trays or small pots to transplant out when your seedlings have been sun hardened.

Check out Gardenate's calendar or the Gardening Australia Vegie Guide to learn more about what you can start sowing or planting out now and into October.

During September, the 1st, 2nd, 22nd and 23rd are ideal days to sow all your root crops according to the Moon Calendar.

Plant your above ground crops like lettuce, silverbeet, rocket and celery from 7th - 17th September as this is the time when the high sap run will produce strong foliage growth. It's also an ideal time to take cuttings, sow your flowers, divide plants and liquid fertilise your crops.

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 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! Hope to see you soon.

By Anne Gibson

August 'Seedy Sunday' & What to Plant Now

The next 'Seedy Sunday' meeting is on 4th August from 8.30am - 10.30am. With the weather warming up and more like spring than winter, there are plenty of options for planting crops for an early spring harvest.

August is a good time to start raising basil seeds

Come along and share any surplus produce, seeds or cuttings that are growing well in your garden at this time of year and connect with other locals in your community to learn more about growing food crops in our subtropical climate.

What to Plant in August/September

August is an ideal time to plant many crops in your garden from seeds or seedlings. If you want to raise seeds, now is a good time to sow in seed trays or small pots to transplant out when the warmer weather arrives and your seedlings have been sun hardened.

Check out Gardenate's calendar or the Gardening Australia Vegie Guide to learn more about what you can start sowing or planting out now and into September.

During August, the 3rd, 4th, 24th and 25th are ideal days to sow all your root crops according to the Moon Calendar.

Plant your above ground crops like lettuce, silverbeet, rocket and celery from 9th - 19th August as this is the time when the high sap run will produce strong foliage growth. It's also an ideal time to take cuttings, sow your flowers, divide plants and liquid fertilise your crops.

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 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! Hope to see you soon.

By Anne Gibson