The Winter Veggie Garden

The Winter Veggie Garden brings many benefits and the cooler days allow us to spread out the watering of the veggie garden. It is best to water for a good duration, less regularly than the other way round as deep watering encourages the roots of your crop to grow deeper into the soil therefore accessing more nutrients and stable moisture levels.

 If you managed to plant out crops in Autumn you should be reaping the fruits of your labour by now and eyeing off some things that are still not quite ready to harvest. zucchini, squash, beetroot, cabbage and beans should all be providing you with plenty for the kitchen along with passionfruit ready for that Sunday lunchtime pavlova.

If you are looking for seedlings to plant through the winter months then take a look at our Vegetable Garden eBooklet. This Subtropical climate zone specific booklet provides you will lots and lots of great information including a monthly planting calendar. Sometimes just a little guidance is all we need to be successful and we have compiled all the information you will need to grow healthy produce for you & your family. Even in a small area you can be very productive and by working with others around you, you can all grow something different and exchange when the harvest is ready. 

 

 Regular fertilizing is essential to maximize plant health and the size of your crop. Whether you choose to use a commercial fertilizer, compost, worm juice or a combination of all remember that getting the application rate right is important.

Don’t forget to cover your broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage & sugarloaf with some fine netting to protect them from the cabbage moth.

 

Storing Pumpkins.

If you’re growing pumpkins you should have harvested some by now and we wanted to give you a tip on preparing them for storage so you have them through the winter months. When the pumpkin has reached its full size (or a good size for you) and is starting to colour it can be picked. They do say leave them on the vine until the stem dies off but if you are contending with marsupials (take a look at our Facebook video) then picking them is a better option. 

 By placing picked pumpkins in the full sun, you will harden the skin to ensure it has a good shelf life through the winter. Rotating the pumpkin every day so that the whole surface is exposed to the sun is imperative and it may be that you will need to keep them safe at night away from any of those naughty, hungry critters. Once they have been fully sunned over a couple of weeks they can be stored in a dry, cool spot until you are ready to use them. Just remember to turn them over now and then to ensure built up moisture doesn’t cause rot.

With some regular rainfall and more of these beautiful clear days your veggie garden will be rewarding you right to the end of the season.

Enjoy and remember to start planning for spring by considering what plants would have finished producing, crop rotation and the utilization of other areas of the garden to increase your ability to grow beautiful, healthy produce for your family. 

If you need some support getting started then our Online Garden Consultation Service will point you in the right direction.