Broccoli has been amazing this year. The main florets were huge and firm, but the part I particularly like is the regrowth, the smaller spears that happen after the main stalk. I think these are tastier than the main crop and the thin stems are so much sweeter! Brussel Sprouts this winter were however a flop. The chooks and guinea pigs have enjoyed them more thsan us!
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| Yummy new broccoli growth |
If you have not already done so, it is a great time to be preparing your kitchen garden for the onslaught of spring, mainly by giving it a spring clean and improving the soil for the areas set aside for the next batch of planting. By taking the plunge and doing this, it really inspires you to want to grow fantastic veggies for the new season.
I'm a big fan of home grown compost. Being a lazy composter, I save my compost for this time of year just for my veggie garden. It is very rich and very dark, has lots of worms through it (can someone enlighten me their thoughts as to how the worms appear?) Mixing this in with your existing veggie soil will help preserve moisture, encourage worms and improve the structure of the soil. If you do not have your own compost, depending on your existing soil and what you are intending to plant, it might be a thought to buy some from a landscape yard and incorporate it into your soil. Our local mob here does a wonderful 4 compost mix for me!
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| Rich black compost, full of worms and humous! |
Of course, apart from waiting for the frosts to clear for spring planting, there are the usuals that can still be planted on an on-going basis - remember to stagger your planting so you do not have an over-dose of a partcular variety at any particular time.
Vegetables for this climate that can still be planted now include.....: Artichoke (Jerusalem), Beetroot, Carrot, Celery, Chinese greens, Lettuce, Parsley, Parsnip, Radish, Potato, Silver beet, Spinach, leeks (and if you are brave, any slightly frost sensitive veggie such as cucumber, tomato, beans, etc, though I would wait for another few weeks!
