30 MARCH 2023
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Growing Beautiful Brassicas Horticulture author and along with Pete Little, hosts ‘At Home with The Gardening Gang’
8 - 10am live every Saturday on CoastFM96.3
cheralyn cheralyn.darcey Get planting your brassicas now and you can be enjoying the treats of winter at your place.
Bury the first two leaves when planting out as this will ensure greater stability of the growing plant. They need a sunny position in very deep, rich soil that is free draining. Watering needs to be regular to avoid loose heads and a nitrogen-rich general fertiliser is recommended. To harvest, cut the head from the plant and then score the stump of the plant twice in a cross about 1.5cm deep as this can encourage a supplementary growth of smaller cabbages.
Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) Most varieties can be planted from mid to late autumn. On the Coast, they are best The list of vegetables raised in seed trays and then belonging to the Brassica transplanted once about 10cm family is very long, but these in height. are probably the most common Make sure that watering is vegetables that most of us steady and even throughout consume regularly. growth until harvest as this will All of these vegetables are give you nicely formed heads. also often referred to as ‘super’ Keep nitrogen feeding low as foods because they contain you want the plant to focus on substances known as development of the head, not glycosylates. the leaves. These are what give them They do like a liquid feed their stronger flavour and aroma, but it is these that also Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. every fortnight as well. help inhibit the development of italica) Once the heads are reaching many cancer types as well as Like many vegetables, maturity, bend over the leaves reduce inflammation and Broccoli has lots of varieties and tie at the top to enclose. balance our stress responses. these days and this means you This will keep them white, Cabbage (Brassica oleracea can pretty much ensure year- clean and deter pests. round crops in our temperate Harvest by cutting head from var. capitata) plant once the size for variety Although there are lots of area. In saying that now is the time has been achieved or if you varieties, most really do best when cultivated now, in the for planting most, and you can notice separation of florets get those seeds into trays, so occurring. autumn. Keep up feed and watering of Sow into seed trays and then they are ready for the garden PLANT NAME POSITION once they reach the size PLANT NAME POSITION plant after harvest as this can transplant when around 8 to recommended by the variety. encourage additional smaller 10cm high. Flax 2P 4-6 Goldfussia 1P 12 They all love a warm position NZ heads. Water the trays well for a few Orange Trumpet Vine 3P 9-10 Grevillea 3P 3-4 days before transplanting and and lots of sun and though Parlour (Brassica Palm 3PSprouts 12 Groundcovers N4 free-draining soil is best, they Brussel then ensure they areGymea kept moist oleracea 4Pvar.gemmifera) 8 Lilly 3P 11do like to be kept a tad on the Paulownia after moving into place. for varieties that can PeaceLook Lilly out GH Outside Hebe 1P 11 moist side. Philodendron GH Outside
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and knowledge and answering our questions about the fungal kingdom of the Sydney region. $3 entry (with lucky door prize) A small selection of plants also on sale. Website - Austplants.com.au/Central-Coast-Events
GAR DENING PLANNER This week you could plant: culinary herbs, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrot, cauliflower, chicory, cress, endive, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mustard, onions, parsnips, peas, radishes, salsify, shallots, silverbeet, spinach, spring onions, swedes, turnips, ageratum, alyssum, calendula, candytuft, carnation, cineraria, columbine, coneflower, delphinium, dianthus, everlasting daisy, forget-me-not, foxglove, godetia, gypsophila, hollyhock, larkspur, linaria, lobelia, nemesia, nigella, pansy, polyanthus, poppy, primula, snapdragon, statice, stock, sweet pea, viola, wallflower
chinensis), brown mustard (Brassica juncea), collards (Brassica oleracea, variety acephala), kale (Brassica oleracea, variety acephala), kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea, variety gongylodes), turnip (Brassica rapa, variety rapa), horseradish (Armoracia rusticana), wasabi (Eutrema japonicum), watercress (Nasturtium officinale), white mustard (Sinapis alba), radish (Raphanus sativus), rock cress (genus Arabis), rocket (genus Sisymbrium) and even wasabi (Eutrema japonicum). Pest Control We love them and so do pests and this is one reason that I have suggested bringing up your seedlings in seed trays rather than planting them straight into the garden bed. This gives them a bit of a chance to develop. Having healthy soil and plants
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are the best defence against pests and disease but you might try also some clever companion planting. For brassicas, plant in some anise, thyme, pennyroyal and letting a healthy tomato plant or two stay in the plot can also help deter pests. Don’t water the actual plants but rather the soil and that goes for fertilisers as well as this will help keep diseases at bay. If you do have an infestation of insects, look for an organic preparation but perhaps one of the best ways is to simply sacrifice a few plants in a plot grown near the edge of your garden. Plant a couple of each in a small plot for the pests. Leave them undisturbed and you should see pests preferring to set up home there rather than your busy garden area.
Phone: 4362 2236 24 Burns Road, Ourimbah (at the M1 intersection)
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Hibiscus N 11 Photinia N 18-20 Hydrangia N14 Pittosporum 3P 20-21 Ixora 1P 17-18 Plumbago 1P 14 Jacaranda 4P 3 Polygala N 17 Jasmine 3P 9-10 Paw 3P- 10.30am 3 Create a BilbyKangaroo Sanctuary Saturday 1st April - Ponytail KariongGH EcoOutside Garden Potato Vine 3P 9+10 Kentia Palm 3P 12 Using collage with Eco Artist people, Protea 3P 06$15/child or $10/ Lavender 2P 7 Rachel Bunney for kids and young Rhaphiolepsis 02 sanctuary child for 2 or more. Accompanying a safe3Pcosy Leptospermum 3P 20-21adult free. We will be making GH Outside Lilly Pilly 3P 17-19 for your own Easter Bilby by bringing and finding organic Rhoeo materials and talking about Rosemary 2P 02 Liriopeand GH what they like to eat. bilbies, their habitat Spirea 1P 9-10 Lomandra GH + 4P 27-30 Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/beloved-bilbies-1-april-2023 Syzygium 3P 17-19 Loropetalum N05 Tibouchina 4P 21-24Community Magnolia 4P 17, N 17 Plant Sale and Permaculture Talk - Saturday 1st April - Wildplant Tiger Grass 4P 15 Melaleuca 3P 21 Nursery, Loop Road, Ourimbah. Tricolour N 3 Michelia M 15-17 Community Environment Network April4P Plant Viburnum 1+2Sale and learn Monstera GH Outside (CEN) invite you to come to their about the principles of NPermaculture with Permaculture Central YuccaCoast. 2P 1 Plant Sale 9am – Mop Top 21 12pm, Permaculture talkN –5-710am. For more information: cen.org.au Murraya Myoporum 4 The Fungal Kingdom -N1:30pm for a 2pm start, Saturday 8th April - Phillip House, 21 Nandina N 10 Old Penang Road, Kariong Native Frangipani 4P 10 Anna Durkin willNSW share herBush work1Pas12a Citizen Scientist in this field, educating us with her skill Xmas
be planted in autumn, (which is the majority) and sow into seed trays. They are not fond of root disturbance so you might like to chance sowing into their final destination, if not, water well the days before popping them out of their trays. You will need a sheltered position that is sunny and a very rich, free-draining soil for these lovelies. While your seeds are germinating, let’s check the soil quality in their final position. It needs to be rich in organic matter, so add if needed and requires a pH of around 7. If lower, then add lime as per instructions. Once you have planted out your brussels sprouts, feed with a nitrogen rich fertiliser, but once sprouts have begun to form, back off on the nitrogen. They love steady watering so don’t let them dry out. To harvest, cut off mature sprouts with a sharp small knife. There are so many brilliant brassicas to explore and discover other than ‘the big four’ above and some of the others you might consider for your garden include: bok choy (Brassica rapa, variety
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Feeding should be regular and keep the nitrogen levels low in your selected feed as you want more florets not more leaves. Harvest as per variety by cutting the head and leaving as much stem as possible so that additional supplementary heads can form. Keep feeding so this can occur.
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