The vegetables discussed in this section for one reason or another have particular appeal for those wishing to be more sustainable this may be due to:
1. hardiness
2. high yield
3. ease of culture, or,
4. versatility.
As far as possible all vegetables mentioned will have some measure of all of these. Even so vegetables do well one area and not in others and vegetable
gardening is not for the complete idiot. (I know, I used to be a vegetable gardening idiot, planting sweet peas and expecting to get a feed off them!) so you will probably want to get some of the gardening books mentioned in the recommended library list on htis site. These go into far more detail than is possible here, and my intention is to cover areas handy to know if you want to grow your own veggies.Specific notes on saving seeds of these vegetables is given with each entry but also refer to the general notes on seed storing and testing in another article.
BEANS - FRENCH( Dwarf or climbing )
Climate - Warm weather crop only, they are frost tender.
Soil - should be well drained & well manured with lime added
Culture - Sow 40mm deep and hill when seedlings emerge, they will require, mulching in hot weather.
Required for a family of 4 - dwarf:4 metres of row
- climbing:2 metres of row
Seed - let pods dry on vine and then shell .
Notes - Beans are legumes so they return nitrogen to the soil.
BEANS - BROAD
Climate - Cool weather only .
Soil - Rich, well drained and well limed .
Culture - Sow 50mm deep in rows 60-75 cm apart do not use nitrogenous fertilizers (Eg chicken manure) or leaf growth will be favoured instead of pods.
Required for a family of 4: 5 to 6 metres of row .
Seed - Let dry on vine then shell .
Notes - As for beans (dwarf & climbing) .
BEETROOT
Climate - Adaptable to most Australian climates but may run to seed if sown out of season. It is a warm season crop.
Soil - Rich, loose, well drained soil to allow root development.
Culture - Sow seed "clusters" 12mm deep (soak a few hours before sowing) and mulch lightly with grass clippings etc.thin seedlings to 7-10cm apart. The beets grow above ground so do not cover when cultivating if you do so to kill weeds.
Required for family of 4: 2-3 metres of row .
Seed - Beetroot is biennial (flower & set seed in the second year) so keep best specimens over winter. They will then send up seed bearing branches. Cut off when two thirds of the seeds are dry, allow to dry fully and thresh seed off heads.
Notes - The green leafy tops are also edible as a green vegetable.
BROCCOLI
Climate - Adaptable to Australian climates with a cool winter, it is a cool season crop.
Soil - Well manured with plenty of nitrogen, well drained.
Culture - Sow seeds in punnets and transfer into a garden bed when 7-10cm high. It responds well to applications of nitrogenous fertiliser.
Required for a family of 4: 9-12 plants.
Seed - Allow the broccoli heads to grow past harvest and run up to flowers. The flowers also attract predatory wasps to the garden. When the flowers are fertilized they form pods. Cut when pods are almost dry and dry in a sheltered area then thresh out seeds.
Notes - Once the initial large head is cut others will form at the sides.
CABBAGE
Climate - Will grow in most Australian climates and can be grown all year around in cool or temperate areas.
Soil - Rich well drained well manured.
Culture - Sow direct or into punnets, thin to 40cm to 75cm apart depending on variety. Very susceptible to white cabbage butterfly and cabbage moth so dust with derris powder regularly or use Dipel spray.
Required for a family 4: 9-12 plants .
Seed - Cabbage is biennial and different varieties cross pollinate. Towards the end of winter cut heads into 4 to ease strain on emerging flower stalk. When pods are formed allow to go yellow then cut from stalk and allow to fully dry and thresh out seeds.
CARROTS
Climate: Can be grown in most climate areas of Australia, all year round in temperate and warm areas.
Soils: Deep sandy or deep heavy soils to allow formation of good sized roots. Avoid excess nitrogen or the leafy tops will be luxuriant and root growth poor.
Culture: Direct sow into well prepared seed bed and cover with a light covering of soil. Tamp down to ensure good soil/seed contact and cover with hessian or some other moisture retaining material. Remove when germination has started. Sow thickly then pick largest roots first and allow smaller ones to grow.
Required for a family of 4: 4 to 6 metres of row .
Seed: Carrot is biennial, it will send up feathery umbels the second year on which flowers and seed will form. Allow the seed to semi-dry then hang in a dry airy place until fully dry. Thresh out seeds.
CUCUMBER
Climate: Cucumber is a warm season vegetable but can be adapted to most Australian climate zones.
Soils - Must be well prepared, manured and well drained. It must be warm (20oC+) to ensure germination.
Culture: Sow 4-5 seeds into depressions in the soil to direct water to the roots. Grow over a trellis to save space and give better fruit.
Required for a family of 4: 4 to 6 plants.
Seed: Let the earliest, most well formed fruit ripen on the vine.Harvest then cut the cucumber open and scrape out the seeds. Ferment in water for 5 days. Wash out seed and sun dry.
LETTUCE
Climate: Lettuce is a cool or temperate crop. They tend to run to seed in hot summers.
Soil: Requires well drained, well manured soil with plenty of nitrogen.
Culture: Sow into punnets or a well prepared seed bed 6mm deep, thin out or transplant to 10-15 cm apart.
Required for a family of 4: 9 to 12 plants per sowing.
Seed: If left in the garden to become over-mature they will send up a seed head. The seeds are carried by the wind similar to dandelion seeds so a close eye must be kept on them for maturity.
ONION
Climate: Cool or temperate crop only.Some varieties may bolt to seed if sown out of season.
Soil: Moist, fertile well drained soil with plenty of organic matter.
Culture: Can be direct sown or into punnets but I sow them into polystyrene veggie boxes first filled with a layer of grass clippings or other herbage and then covered by a layer of seed raising mix and I sow the onion seed into that usually in April. when they have germinated and are growing strongly in September, I plant them out into the veggie patch in rows.. The bulbs grow at the soil surface so do not hill up after they form. They are a long growing crop taking 24-32 weeks to maturity. When mature pull and leave in the sun to cure (dry out) for a few days.
Required for a family of 4: 4 to 6 metres of row.
Seed: Onions are biennial. The second year a flower stalk is sent up with a ball-like flower head on top. When the upper part of the stalk yellows cut the flower head and dry in a protected area. If left too long on the plant the seed pods can burst and some seed will be lost. Thresh the small black seeds from the head when dry.
PEAS
Climate: Peas are a cold season crop.
Soil: Heavy or light soils are equally as good but must be well drained. It should also be limed.
Culture: Direct sow 4cm deep 3 to 5 cm apart into rows. Better yields result even from dwarf varieties if given a trellis to climb on.
Required for a family of 4: Climbing :1-3 metres of row
: Dwarf 3-5 metres of row .
Seed: Allow pods to dry out on vine then shell out seeds and allow to fully dry in an airy place.
Notes: Peas are leguminous and so return nitrogen to the soil.
POTATOES
Climate: Warm season only, they are very susceptible to frost and also can tend to rot in very wet weather.
Soil: Should be deep, well drained but moist with plenty of organic matter and manures as potatoes are heavy feeders.
Culture: To maximise yield for space potatoes can be sown into layer of soil in a tyre, 205 litre drum or potato cube (Which is the subject of another article). As the plant grows more soil (and/or tyres) are added until the drum is full (or a height of 3-4 tyres is reached). When the plant dies off the soil is tipped out and the potatoes harvested.
Required for a family of 4: 50 to 60 plants.
Seed: Only sound, firm, small tubers should be stored for seed.
PUMPKIN (BUSH)
Climate: As for cucumbers .
Soil: As for cucumbers .
Culture: Similar to cucumbers. The fruit should be harvested after the bush dies for maximum flavour and keeping quality.
Required for a family of 4: 3 to 6 plants .
Seed: Allow the pumpkins to mature then scrape out and dry seed.
RADISH
Climate: Suitable for sowing all year round in all climate areas.
Soil: Suitable for most soils.
Culture: Sow in a similar manner to carrots in row 15-20cm apart , thin when the seedling reaches second leaf stage. Water regularly. Harvest roots regularly as they toughen with age.
Required for a family of 4: 1 metre of row with successive sowings.
Seed: Choose plants which bolt to seed late. When pods become dry they should be cut, air dried and threshed to remove seeds.
RHUBARB
Climate: Will tolerate most climates.
Soil: Rhubarb is a perennial, cropping for 3-4 years so a separate , well drained , manure rich bed should be used.
Culture: Can be grown from seed by sowing seeds in clumps 50cm apart. Gradually thin back to best seedling at each clump. They can also be grown from crowns or sets by breaking up established plants in late winter to early spring. Each winter compost or animal manure should be forked in around the plants.
Required for a family of 4: 12 to 15 plants.
Seed: The seed is produced on a stalk which arises from the centre of the plant. It is stripped from the stalk by hand when it is dry.
SILVER BEET (SWISS CHARD)
Climate: It is adaptable to most Australian climate areas.
Soil: Should be well drained and rich in high nitrogen and organic matter.
Culture: Can be raised in punnets or direct sown 12mm deep , cover with compost and water well. Thin to 30 to 40cm apart when seedlings reach 10cm high.
Required for a family of 4: 12 to 15 plants.
Seed: As for beetroot.
TOMATO
Climate: They are suitable for all climate areas but are a warm season crop only, being very frost tender.
Soil: Tomatoes will grow on light or heavy soils but must have good drainage.
Culture: Can be sown in punnets or direct 50-60cm apart most varieties should be staked but grow better if a wire mesh cylinder 1 metre in diameter is placed around each plant. Phosphorous should be provided (Eg by blood and bone or wood ash) to ensure good fruit production.
Required for a family of 4: 12 to 15 plants.
Seed:Choose the most healthy , well formed fruits and allow to become over ripe.Pick the fruit , slice it open and scrape out the seeds. Mix seeds and gunge with water and allow to ferment for 2 or 3 days then pass through a sieve to retain seeds. Air dry on paper towel.
TURNIP
Climate: Turnips are a cold season crop.
Soil: As for carrots.
Culture: As for carrots.
Required for a family of 4: 3 to 5 metres of row.
Seed: As for cabbage.
This is pretty basic stuff, but for lots more detail see grow-your-own-vegetable-garden.com in the link section
