Some people prefer to begin preparing the ground for planting immediately after Winter – perhaps even during late winter. For those who use No-Dig gardening methods leaving the job a few extra weeks is a good thing.

We had some leftover cardboard boxes from recently moving into our current residence so I put these to use by placing over the old weeds and growth that had a full winter to develop. These weeds will become feed for the vegetable plants as they die under the cardboard. I placed semi-composted grass clippings over the cardboard to weigh the cardboard boxes down and provide another food source for the plants. I finish this by placing the sprinkler over this prepared bed to wet and soften the cardboard and settle everything in place before planting

A couple of old hay bales that had been waterlogged will be used later as mulch as the plants establish.

On one vegetable bed I prepared last weekend I cut holes in the cardboard to plant some Lettuce plants which had been started in the hothouse a couple of months ago. The holes need only be a couple of inches square to allow easy planting of the Seedlings. The smaller the hole the better to prevent weeds coming through.

Plastic 2 litre soft drink bottles cut in half make excellent protective surrounds while the plants are establishing. These can be removed when the plants have doubled or tripled in size or become too large for the cover. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough soft drink bottles so made some mini hothouses using bamboo stakes and clear plastic bread bags.

When using no dig garden methods I rarely feed newly planted seedlings. The semi-composted grass clippings when watered will leach nutrient into the plants and I believe this is ample feed until the plants establish. When feeding is required I use either liquid vermicast, sheep manure that has been soaked in water or a commercially available liquid Organic plant food. When watering leaf vegetables such as lettuce with liquid manures water the ground not the plant to avoid trapping liquid manure in the heart of the plant as it develops.

Next weekend I will begin preparing a bed in a similar No-Dig fashion to plant tomatoes which will be planted during the first week in November (traditionally) after frosts have finished.

Article written by Eric J. Smith

To protect plants, covers are usually placed over each one individually until they have doubled or tripled in size. This is a good indication that the plant has established itself in its new environment and is likely to survive with the extremes outside of its protective surrounds. Plants that are not protected can suffer from stress associated with cold, wind, animals and insect pests.

What to use to protect small plants and seedlings?

Over the years I have used several different protective coverings over my vegetable seedlings. I have used anything from inverted buckets to old cans and tins. The downside of these types of coverings is the need to remove them every morning to let the light in and replace them before heavy winds or at night. These are not the most ideal options but they work when better options are temporarily not available.

The best covers for seedlings I have used are clear plastic soft drink/soda bottles that have been cut in half. Both the top and bottom of these bottles can be used. For the first few days the bottles can be placed over without any breathing holes. After a few days remove the lid from the top half of the bottle and place a couple of holes in the bottom half.

The second best option is to use plastic bread bags over 3 or 4 stakes or sticks which are placed around each plant. These bags can be lifted up from the base of the sticks a little at a time over a period of a couple of weeks until they are removed altogether.

Protective plant surrounds from the nursery, garden centre or store ?

There are commercially available plant covers on the market. These range from plastic bags like those used around trees in plantations to small plastic covers with built in venting systems. There are also mini tunnel style coverings designed for use over rows of plants. These work well but also take energy and chemicals to produce. If you do not have any recycled options available such as those listed above, buying these types of coverings may be an option for you.

Regardless of what you use for coverings it is important to monitor the temperature around the plant to prevent heat stress or major water loss.

Article written by Eric J. Smith

Applying pea straw to your vegetable garden can be as simple as spreading it around straight from the bale. However, there are a few techniques that can add value to the peastraw before distributing it around your veggies. Consider some of the following options to make the most out of your pea straw.

Soaking in water to increase water holding ability

Soaking pea-straw in water before using has a couple of beneficial uses. Increasing its water holding ability is perhaps the most important. Pea straw is baled dry and may take a while to begin retaining water under normal conditions. Soaking helps speed up this process. In addition to this, the liquid the straw is soaked in is an excellent fertiliser and conditioner to water your vegetable plants with.

Shredding with Sheep or Bovine manure

Shredding pea-straw requires a shredder or chipping machine with a flail type of shredding chamber. Small amounts should be fed into the shredder at a time to prevent it clogging up the unit. Sheep, Bovine or even horse manure can be shredded with the the pea straw. This can assist with preventing the peas straw from blocking the unit.

Composting with green grass clippings

Peastraw is a great additive in a compost heap as a carbon source. Mixed in layers with fresh green grass clippings, pea straw breaks down quickly providing a rich semi composted mulch perfect for use on a Vegetable garden. Fresh and green grass clippings will help speed up the composting process. Making a mulching compost like this would not include typical household scraps etc. which will take longer to decompose. Another option is to add a layer of pea straw on the garden bed and cover this with fresh green lawn clippings. Leave this for a week or 2 before planting out your seedlings. This time delay is important to reduce the level of heat build up from the grass as it begins to decompose.

As this years mulch breaks down around the plants it is becoming the media in which next seasons veggies will be planted while encouraging beneficial insects, worms and bacteria.

Article written by Eric J. Smith

A short list of suitable foliar sprays is below. This list is in no way complete but is a short list of the items I have used over the years and found to work the best.

Manure

Most manures (with the exception of fresh poultry manure) can be soaked in water to make a foliar spray. These concentrated manure emulsions need to be diluted before applying with either a watering can or spraying unit.

Seaweed

Fresh seaweed collected from the beach can make an excellent foliar spray. Seaweed should be rinsed and partially composted prior to soaking in water. Seaweed should be soaked for several weeks to ensure a quality liquid concentrate which can then be diluted before application with a watering can or sprayer.

Compost

Compost made from household scraps will make an excellent foliar spray when soaked in water. Compost has already began to breakdown which means it will not need soaking for more than 24 hours before diluting and applying with a watering can. Spray units could also be used but ensure the mixture has been well strained to remove any contaminants which may block the spray nozzle of the applicator.

Plant Teas

Plant teas can range from Old weeds, Lawn clippings, Pea straw and basically anything green which has been soaked and fermented in water. Some specific plants when soaked make excellent pest control sprays as well as a source of nutrient.

Urine

Urine has long been known for its benefit to Lemons and other Citrus trees. Urine is a high source of ammonia which makes it an ideal foliar spray. Urine should be first left to stand for a week or so before using on plants. I wouldn’t use it it for leafy or hearting vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage or Brussels sprouts, though this is a personal choice and there is no specific reason not to.

Vermicast

Vermicast or worm castings can be soaked in water and used as a general foliar spray, fertiliser and plant or soil conditioner.

Commercially available Liquid Fertilisers

Brand names differ from country to country but several liquid fertilisers and foliar sprays are available. In Australia brand names such as Seasol and Charlie Carp are common and are an excellent choice for a natural plant and soil conditioner. These preparations should be mixed according to the specifications on the product packaging and applied according to the directions.

Article written by Eric J. Smith

Feeding can be increased after a couple of weeks and could include a light mulching of sheep manure or aged and pulverised bovine or horse manure. After the seedlings have further developed mulching with aged grass hay, pea straw or barley/wheat straw will provide more nutrient over time as well as adding organic matter to the soil for future plantings.

There are many organic alternatives to modern synthetic fertilisers. Plants growing in the wild naturally find food from their surrounds. Plants will also adapt over time to the feed supply they have available to them.

Local Nurseries, Farmers Markets or Local Country Newspaper Advertisers will have a good supply of Natural fertiliser options for you to use on your vegetable garden. Natural unprocessed options such as animal manures, vermicast and compost will be at the top of your list but also consider prepared concentrates such as Liquid Sea Weed preparations, Fish emulsions, Pelleted chicken manure or similar options commercially available.

Depending on you locality brand names to consider include – Dynamic Lifter, Seasol and Charlie Carp. These commercially available options may also be Certified Organic or have similar options that are Certified to Organic specifications.

If you do not have access to these types of fertilisers you could consider a few alternative options.

Pea Straw Tea

Pea Straw tea can be made by soaking Pea Straw in a bucket of water for up to a couple of weeks. The water or “Tea” can then be used as a liquid feed. This tea should be used at least weekly as an alternative to regular watering. After soaking the Pea Straw can be added to the compost heap.

Lawn Clipping Tea

Similar to Pea Straw Tea, Lawn Clipping tea is another alternative solution to purchasing organic fertilisers. Soak lawn clippings the same as Pea Straw. The solution may develop an odour but this will not reduce the quality of the tea – increase its value more likely. This will typically be a stronger solution compared to Pea straw tea (the fresher the grass the stronger the tea) so it should be diluted and applied with a watering can once every couple of weeks. After soaking, the lawn clippings can be added to the compost heap.

Article written by Eric J. Smith

The size of your chicken tractor will ultimately depend on the size of your yard and the number of chickens you have. I have seen largest chicken tractors that required a tractor to pull around a paddock down to a small chicken tractor that could hold around 4 to 6 chickens and was ideal for an average size suburban back yard.

I have seen several chicken tractor domes made for use in association with mandala gardens used in Permaculture and by Organic & Natural Farmers and Gardeners. These domes are rotated around a mandala design usually every 2 weeks after which vegetables are planted directly in the soil the chickens have nicely prepared. No weed spraying, digging or additional ground preparation required. There are several websites available with information on these.

Domes have been traditionally made with bamboo, thin lengths of milled timber or thin straight branches. The most common and lightest material used these days is three quarter inch PVC or one inch Poly pipe which can be connected with various joiners available. Wire is then fitted over these dome frames to keep the chickens enclosed. Protective coverings such as old tarps or similar can be used to protect the chickens from the elements of heat during the day and rain or other harsh weather.

Other variations of chicken tractors can be made using timber with wire covering. Sheet wire often referred to as Weld mesh can also be used with or without a steel or timber frame. Commercially available units built like this are available and can be seen in many good organic gardening magazines or online.

Wheels on chicken tractors is a must have (except perhaps for chicken domes). Wheels can be a permanent fixture or designed to attach when the unit needs to be moved. The type of wheels you use will depend on the size of your chicken tractor. Simple wheels like those on your push lawn mower, to wheels used on wheel barrows are ideal. Commercially available chicken tractors are likely to come with pre-attached or are easy to attach yourself.

When considering using a chicken tractor to keep your vegetable garden clean, organic and naturally fertilised, look at the size of your yard and consider your options based on the circumstances you have to work with.

Article written by Eric J. Smith

It’s a good idea to plan ahead by a few months before beginning to plant your new garden out. This allows time for ground preparation and eradication of any weeds, grass or other plant matter.

One of the best ways to eradicate weeds is by simply covering the area with black plastic or multiple layers of cardboard, newspaper or other material to block out the sun. All plants need both water and sunlight to grow so removing one of these elements will suppress weed growth. Cardboard and newspaper are my preferred choice because these will break down in the soil. The ink on newspaper is a concern to many using organic methods but compared to chemical herbicide alternatives it’s probably the best of the worst.

Once you have the area covered and assuming you are using newspaper or cardboard as weed suppressant, you can begin adding organic matter over the cardboard. Layers of fresh lawn clipping, dry leaves, old hay and compost can be added up to around 30cm over the entire area. This can be added over time or immediately if you have ample organic matter lying around.

You may choose to add edging around your vegetable bed before adding organic matter or simply build up a mound to plant directly into. I prefer to use and edging when using the method described in this article.

More newspaper and cardboard can be added on top of the bed once established to help suppress weeds while waiting to plant out. If planting seedlings could simply just make a hole in this paper, and plant directly into the rich organic matter you added to the bed.

Some of the best plants to grow as your first crop on a new garden bed include Legumes, such as peas and beans. Deep rooting vegetables such as Potatoes, Carrots, Parsnips and some varieties of radish are a good Choice if you expect the soil you are building up is excessively compact. These deep-rooting vegetables will help penetrate the soil beneath the organic matter, which will be moist from the regular watering of the garden bed.

After your first crop is harvested you will need to dig this bed over to a good spade depth. This will bring the soil up from under the bed mixing it with the organic matter. Your New Vegetable bed is now established and ready for future planting’s.

Digging in more compost or manure between crops will keep the soil well conditioned and fertile.

Vegetables are mostly annual plants, meaning they are grown and harvested within a twelve-month period. Most are typically harvested within a two to four month growth cycle. This is a quick growing phase, which can make mulching seem not worth pursuing. But there are benefits to the current crop and future crops.

• Mulching vegetables helps prevent water loss, which benefits the soil, soil organisms and the crop.

• As mulches break down they add additional organic matter to the soil, feeding current crops while supporting soil organisms. This organic matter is available to future crops.

• Soil erosion is a problem faced by large-scale farmers but can also be an issue in smaller home gardens. Mulching helps prevent this by keeping the soil covered and away from the elements.

• Mulching slows the growth of weeds making maintenance of your vegetable garden physically easier and is less time consuming.

• Mulching vegetables makes harvesting a cleaner job. Many vegetables are due to be harvested when the weather begins to cool down. Harvesting can be a messy job.

Now you know a few of the benefits of mulching, so what do you use to mulch?

• Vegetable gardens can benefit from Lucerne Hay mulch, which can be available as chaff for easier spreading around plants.

• Pea Straw makes excellent vegetable garden mulch. It’s great around Brassica’s such as Cabbage, Cauliflower and Broccoli.

• Wheat and Barley Straw is also excellent garden mulch. Like Lucerne, it is also available as chaff.

• Organic Grass hay, is my favourite option as it is loose, easily laid, can be added in “bricks” or fluffed up. It is freely available in my area and is generally well priced. Some people prefer not to use it due to the presence of grass and other seeds, but I find they are not a major issue when used in conjunction with lawn clippings or other green matter between crops.

Mulches are usually available from you local garden centre or can be purchased directly from farmers if you live in a country area. Old season mulches are ideal. You could also use mulch collected from stables or other farm sheds using hay or straw as bedding material.

Eating food fresh and raw is the best way of ensuring maximum nutrient value and growing your own organically ensures you know what has been added to the plants during the growth cycle.

There are many vegetables that make excellent salad leaves and are commonly used for this purpose. Some plants like beetroot, spinach and Bok Choy can be picked young then left for the remaining leaves to develop for use in cooked dishes. The leaves of beetroot can also be cooked.

Growing in a hothouse is a perfect option for young salad leaves because they are picked young. A hothouse helps to protect them becoming excessively dirty and protects them from pests and disease and makes picking easy. Punnet holding tubs (usually holds around eight punnets) are ideal for growing young salad greens in.

A good quality organic potting mix should be used or you can make your own potting media.

Some of the best salad greens to grow yourself are:

Rocket
Rocket is a great salad green adding texture and a mild tang to your salad. Rocket grows relatively quickly in most environments.

Beetroot
Beetroot leaves are a good source of nutrients and taste great in salads. They also add colour and a rustic look to typically green salads.

Spinach
A good source of Iron and other Nutrients. Spinach is one of those vegetables often not thought of for use in salads but they are a great addition.

Pea tendrils
I must admit I was surprised to once eat a salad with Pea tendrils. I had never considered them an option or even edible. Pea tendrils are of course the young shoots of peas picked from the tips of the plant. They should not be overlooked for adding a great taste to salads.

Bok Choy
Bok Choy (or Chinese Cabbage) is increasing in popularity around the world. The young leaves of the Bok Choy are excellent in salads. Bok Choy is a member of the Brassica family.

Lettuce
Lettuce forms the base of most salads. Loose-leaf varieties are best for salads with the curly leaved varieties being the best pick. Of course other types of lettuce including healthy varieties are also ideal.

All of these can grow well in a hothouse environment as well as directly in the garden. If the long term intention with beetroot is to harvest it as a root vegetable it should be planted directly in the ground. Young leaves grown in the ground should be given an extra wash before using in salads.

Soil preparation is the most important factor when growing carrots. As deep-rooted vegetables they require soft loamy soil that does not have any rocks, lumps or foreign materials in as these may cause misshapen carrots or stunted growth.

Organically grown Carrots are beneficial to the soil as they can help to build a soil as they grow. Even with stunted growth the soil is being broken up as the roots of the carrot grow.

A rotary hoe is an ideal tool for preparing the soil for planting carrots. It will help break up the soil creating a quality medium suitable for the growth of carrots. If you do not have a rotary hoe you can still use traditional digging methods but dig in ample amounts of quality organic compost and manures.

After preparing the soil it should be raked over level and small rows scribed in the soil about 2cm (about an inch) deep. Each row should be at least 20cm apart – 30cm would be better to allow for weeding and harvesting. Sticks should be placed at each end of the rows to mark where each row is. Otherwise you will not know where the seeds are until they begin to shoot.

Carrot seed is about 1mm wide and approx 2 or 3 mm long. Sow seeds by pinching several seeds between the thumb and finger and sprinkling across each row. When each row has been sown gently push the soil over the hole before moving on to the next row. I will occasionally using a mixture of potting mix and coco peat (50:50 mix) to back fill the rows depending on the coarseness of the soil they are sown in.

After all rows have been planted water in well. If you have dogs, cats or problems with wild birds, you may want to consider a bird netting frame over the garden bed until the seeds have sprouted. Animals have a magical sense of discovering exactly where you do not want them to scratch.

If your soil is well prepared and contains ample organic matter you will not need to add any nutrient until the plants have fully emerged. After this a weekly watering with diluted liquid rabbit manure or liquid worm castings will provide most of the required nutrient.

The carrots should be thinned out and used as they grow. This will leave room for the rest to develop to their full size and will prevent strangling from being too close.

Regular watering is also essential during dry weather.