Home Harvest Booklet

Home Harvest booklet

Contacts

Banyule City Council

Address: 275 Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe, Vic 3079

Postal Address: PO Box 51, Ivanhoe, Vic 3079

Telephone: (03) 9490 4222 Fax: (03) 9499 9475

Email:

Banyule website

Nillumbik Shire Council

Address: Civic Drive, Greensborough, Vic 3088

Postal Address: PO Box 476, Greensborough, Vic 3088

Telephone: (03) 9433 3111 Fax: (03) 9433 3777

Email:

Nillumbik website

Manningham City Council

Address: 699 Doncaster Road, Doncaster, Vic 3108

Postal Address: PO Box 1, Doncaster, Vic 3108

Telephone: (03) 9840 9333 Fax: (03) 9848 3110

Email:

Manningham website

City of Whittlesea

Address: 25 Ferres Boulevard, South Morang, Vic 3752

Postal Address: Locked Bag 1, Bundoora MDC, Vic 3083

Telephone: (03) 9217 2170 Fax: (03) 9217 2111

Email:

Whittlesea website

Sustainable Gardening Australia (SGA)

Address: 6 Manningham Road West, Bulleen, Victoria 3105

Telephone: (03) 8850 3050 Fax: (03) 9852 1097

Email:

SGA website

This booklet was produced by Banyule City Council, Nillumbik Shire Council, City of Whittleseaand Manningham City Council.

Text by:Sustainable Gardening Australia.

Photographs by Gary Fox, Elaine Shallue, Mary Trigger, Felicity Gordon, Lisa Walton,Naina I Knoess, Ryan Young and Nillumbik Shire Council.

Printed onEcoStar recycled paper.

Printed in 2015.

Disclaimer: Although precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information,the publishers, authors and printers cannot accept responsibility for any claim, loss, damage orliability arising.© Sustainable Gardening Australia 2015

Contents

Contacts

Why Grow Your Own Produce?

A Home Food Garden

Organic Garden Systems

Planning

Building your food garden

Containers

Soil

Compost

Worm farming

Mulch

Watering

Planting

Planting technique

Annual planting guide for seedlings

Home grown favourites

Chickens

Community Networks

Local Food Connect

Permaculture

3000 acres

Community Gardens

Local Food

Wildlife friendly netting

Ratatouille

Why Grow YourOwn Produce?

The creation of local food systems is animportant step in the development of moresustainable communities. Home producegardens are an integral part of this process.

Home produce gardens provideindividuals and families with food that

can be grown successfully in the localsoil and climatic conditions
is seasonally appropriate and naturally ripened
uses less water, energy and chemical inputsthan crops grown in large scale monocultures
reduces food miles and eliminates energyassociated with packaging and transportation.

Home produce gardening can also bring:

increased physical and mental well being
improved diet and nutritional outcomes
a greater connection with the local communitythrough a common activity and purpose
support for and from local businesses
cost savings in a time of rising food prices.

Because it’s:

fun
healthy
educational
rewarding.

And it’s easy…….you just need:

a little knowledge
a lot of enthusiasm
some help along the way!

A Home FoodGarden

It doesn’t have to conform to any ‘system’ but youshould aim to design and manage your gardensustainably.

Choose natural and organic soil improvement regimes.
Create plant diversity to minimise pests and diseases.
Practice crop rotation and plant hygiene to prevent diseases.
Comply with local water regulations or capture rainfall onsite.
Prevent uncontrolled seed dispersal by wind, birds or animals.
Avoid water, chemicals or fertilisers from leaching off site.
Choose products that are sourced sustainably.

OrganicGardenSystems

Most home produce gardenersaim to grow healthy,nutritious food, without theuse of artificial chemicals andfertilisers.Generally home gardeners arenot purists and will toleratesome inputs that would notbe allowable in stringent‘certified’ organic operations.For truly organic gardeninginputs look for legitimatecertified organic symbols ongardening products.

Planning

Do a siteanalysis

Identify thegarden’s:
sunny and shadyspots - these candiffer in winterand summer(remember mostproduce performsbest in full sun)
deciduous trees– yours and yourneighbours
sheltered areasand wind tunnels
micro-climates(local isolatedzone where theclimate differs fromthe surroundingarea) createdby buildings andexisting vegetation
site drainage andany water loggingareas
soil pH in differentareas of yourgarden
Think aboutthe physicallocation andease of accessto the producegarden.Should it:
be close to thehouse for gatheringvegetables, fruitand herbs whendesired?
include raisedgarden beds forolder people orthose with poorbacks?
have nearbystorage areasfor tools andequipment?
be close to thecompost heap orworm farm formanagingwaste andaccessing the endcompost?
include tanks forstoring rainwater?
include apropagating area?
Be realisticabout thelimitations ofyour garden size.Consider:
mixing inproduce plantswith ornamentalplantings
using containers,pots and hangingbaskets
incorporatingvertical plantingssuch as climbersand vines
using foodproducing hedgesor espaliered(formal pruning toincrease horizontalgrowth) trees alongwalls or instead
Decide if you want aparticular ‘style’ ofproduce garden e.g.

The formal kitchen garden.
The practical veggie patch.
The multi-level food forest.
The variety of containergardens.
The water efficiency ofwicking beds.Or you own unique style!

Startsmall...but planbig!

Be realisticand decidewhat youwould like toachieve thisyear, nextyear and inthe next fiveor 15 years.Identify yourlimitationswith regard totime, space,water andmoney. Turnany problemsinto solutions– know whatyou’ve got andaim to workwith it.

Buildingyour foodgarden

Decide whetheryou would like to:

create a dedicated gardenarea for long term use
modify your existing gardento include produce
start small with containersand pots… or a combination of all three!

Consider the depthof your beds.How deep the soil of yourproduce garden is will affectwhat you can grow. If the soil inyour veggie garden is 30cm deepyou can grow leafy produce,climbers, low growing bushesand dwarf fruit trees, but notroot vegetables or large fruittrees. If your soil depth is inexcess of 100cm you can growall types of home produce.

Raised Garden Beds

How to create one in 10 steps:

Locate on a level spot thatbenefits from full sun, asmost veggies like this best.
Consider pedestrian accessand whether the spot can beused permanently. Once full,moving the garden bed will bedifficult.
Mark out and form the walls,these should be at least 30cmhigh. You can use anythingincluding old rocks, sleepers,bricks, blocks or pavers.
If using timbers check out the sga websiteandsearch “sustainable timbers”.
If the garden bed has a base,ensure there are adequatedrainage holes.
Build a no-dig garden by firstlining with multiple layersof newspaper or cardboardbefore filling with compost/soil mix.
Stack alternating layers offine and coarse compostablematerials. For example,start with a layer of peastraw, then a layer of agedcow manure, a layer ofcompost, and repeat thelayers finishing with a thickcompost layer.
Planting can be done into thetop compost layer. Make asmall hole to fit the seedlingin and plant. Water in well.The plant will eventuallyestablish a strong rootsystem in its nutritional base.
Mulch around your seedlingswell with a straw-basedmulch and dig this into thesoil as it rots down, beforetopping the mulch up.
As the layers rot down, topup with more layers of agedmanure and compost.ExistingGarden Beds

If you decide that you want toconvert your existing gardenbeds into a veggie garden, thesoil should be improved wellbefore you start planting yourveggies. Traditionally, thisinvolves digging over the soil toabout 10cm and incorporatinga great deal of organic matter,like compost, at roughly a 3:1soil compost mix. Just don’tdo it when the soil is too wet;you’ll ruin the delicate structureof the soil, and end up with acompacted mess!Aged compost, worked lightlythrough the soil with a gardenfork and rake, will do wonders.If working with a heavy clay soil,dust gypsum over the surfaceof the soil (like icing sugar on acake) before adding compost.

Containers

Planting a productive potted plotis no different to getting going ina garden – it’s all about planning,position, potting mix, patienceand productivity.

Position

This is all about the best position,not just for your plants, but foryou as well. Almost all edibleplants will do best in a fullsun spot. Remember, this willvary considerably from winterto summer, but the beauty ofplanting in pots means you canmove them as required. Placeyour pots somewhere convenientfor you – the closer they are tothe house, the more likely theyare to be watered and eaten.If you have limited space why notconsider going up, rather thandown? There are many plantsthat can be grown in hangingand wall pots, and this is often an excellent solution for lightstarved courtyards, or thosespaces dominated by pets.

Planning

Containers look best whenthey’re grouped together, withpots of all different shapes andsizes closely clustered. It has agreater visual impact, cuts downon watering and creates somemini biodiversity. Group plantsthat require similar levels ofwatering together, bearing inmind that plants in terracottapots will dry out a bit faster thanothers.

Potting Mix

When planting productivepots, the growing medium isincredibly important, but thehot tip here is not to use gardensoil in pots! Healthy gardensoil contains a fantastic mix ofmicrobes, bacteria, fungi andworms which are great in thegarden, but generally don’tperform that well in containers.

Garden soil in pots can drainpoorly and tends to break downquickly.Use a certified organic pottingmix. Good organic potting mixeswill break down over time, soyou will need to refresh the potswith new potting mix every sooften.

Mulch the tops of all pots with astraw-based mulch to slow downwater loss and prevent weedinfestation.

Soil

Soil is, without question, themost important element in yourfood garden. Without it, nothingwill grow. So, first things first,get to know your soil!Ideally, soil should have amixture of mineral particles,air, water and a small (butimportant) portion of organicmatter and living critters.

Greatveggie growing soil should havea mixture of large and smallparticles, be crumbly to touch,dark brown in colour and retainsome moisture.Invest in your soil. The first,and possibly most importantpurchase should be a soil pHtesting kit. Readily availablefrom good garden centres andhardware stores, pH test kitswill let you know how “acidic” or“alkaline” your soil is.

Nutrientsessential to healthy plantgrowth are all available, at thecorrect amounts, within a pHrange of 6.5 – 7.5. If the pH istoo low (acidic), it can be raisedwith Dolomite of Lime. If the pHis too high (alkaline), it can belowered with sulphur.In addition to this, some veggiesand herbs have a fairly specificpH range in which they will dobest, and it is always best to test the soil to know if you areon the right track.

One pH testkit should last years, just don’tforget to test regularly, and indifferent areas of the patch.Keeping soil healthy is anongoing process, and thisis especially important inproductive gardens.

As yourincredible edibles grow, theyremove nutrients from the soil,which need to be replenishedfairly regularly using compostsand organic fertilisers.

Understand your soil history

If you are struggling to growhealthy plants you mightconsider having your soiltested at a governmentapproved laboratory.Visit thenata websitefor a listof approved laboratories.

Fertilisers

Australian soils are naturallylow in nutrients. Vegetablesand fruit usually require largeamounts of soil nutrientsfor optimum growth. This isparticularly true for annualcrops. Existing soil nutrientscan be made more availableby regulating the soil pH.Additional nutrients can bemade available by feeding thesoil – not the plants.

Before the autumn and springgrowing periods, apply organicslow release pelletised fertiliser.During the growing periodmost food producing plants willbenefit from supplementaryfertilisers applied fortnightly.Choose an organic liquidfertiliser such as worm tea,seaweed solution or fishemulsions.

You can also makeyour own compost teas fromsome homemade compost ordried animal manures.Avoid synthetic fertilisers; theseoften have synthetic nitrogenand heavy metals. The saltcontent can also burn youngseedlings.

Compost

Compost is what organicmaterial turns into when it hasbeen broken down. Compostingyour food scraps, grass andgarden clippings (organics) canprovide you with an excellentsource of free garden food andsoil improver. Compost canbe made at home or is readilyavailable commercially.

Aged animal manures andvermicompost (worm castings)are rich in nutrients and areexcellent for use in the home vegetable garden. Compostdoes not have to be dug into thesoil. Unless the soil needs to beimproved, the compost can belaid on top. Mulch layers willalso break down over time to addnutrients to the soil.Composting organics is one ofthe best things you can do inyour garden – as well as creatinggreat fertiliser, it reducesgreenhouse gases, saves waterand reduces your waste.

Add to your compost:

Fruit and veggie scraps
Coffee grounds
Tea bags
Herbs
Leaves
Egg shells – crushed
Pizza containers
Egg cartons
Vacuum cleaner dust
Onion – outer skin
Finely chopped citrus peel
Grass clippings– thin layers 3 to 4cm
Chopped prunings
Weeds– not bulbs or seed heads
Shredded newspapers

Keep out of your compost:

Meat and fish scraps
Animal droppings
Large citrus peel
Onion
Bleached or glossy office paper

Many local councils holdcommunity workshops oncomposting and worm farmingand sell compost bins, turners,worm farms and kitchenfermentation kits.Contact your local council or visittheir website to find out more.

Methods of Composting

Compost binsoperate as a closed systemrestricting vermin access and thereforeallowing kitchen scraps to be added. In addition,compost bins are compact and preferable ifspace is limited. Place your compost bin in asunny position to assist breakdown, and onsoil so that liquid drains well and worms canenter the bin to aid composting. Keep moistbut not too wet. The compost should be ready inthree to six months.

A compost heap is an open system thatrequires more space and will attract verminif kitchen scraps are added. A system of baysare constructed with the material forked fromone to the other as it breaks down. The heapneeds to be a minimum of one cubic metre inorder to generate enough heat to breakdownefficiently. Garden cuttings, lawn clippingsand manures are added to the heap in layersto assist decomposition. The heap shouldgenerate enough heat to compostin three to six weeks.

Kitchen fermentation kits are speciallydesigned bench kits that are a convenientway to compost kitchen waste. These kits arefermentation systems that break down waste tonutrient rich soil conditioner for your garden.The air tight system works when you sprinklea handful of the manufacturer’s rice husk andwheat bran, that has been infused with microorganismsover a layer of kitchen waste whichthen begins to breakdown. The fermentedproduct then needs to be dug into soil.

Making Compost IsEasy With Two Bins

The best compost is made when the amount ofgreen material (nitrogen rich) and brown material(carbon rich) are balanced in a ratio of 1:2.

Examples of green material:

Food scraps
Fresh grass clippings
Manure
Tea bags
Coffee grounds

Examples of brown material:

Dry leaves
Straw
Shredded paper
Dried grass

Bin 1

For each bucket of greenmaterial, add 2 or 3 of brownmaterial. Store a bag of brownmaterial in easy reach so youdon’t forget.

Water the brown layer andgive the heap a stir.
When the bin is full leave thecontents to break down andstart on Bin 2.
Once a week stir with a fork orcompost turning tool; checkfor moisture and add wateroccasionally.

Bin 2

Start the whole process again.
By the time Bin 2 is full, thecompost in Bin 1 should beready to use.

Common compost problems

Why is mycompost…

Left with half decomposedlumps?

Adding smaller pieces to thebin/heap should ensure that itall decomposes evenly. Avoidavocado seeds, pineapple tops,twigs and other woody itemsunless they can be crushed orchopped before adding.

Smelly?

Either: Too much green materialand not enough brown material.Add a layer of brown material suchas dry leaves and straw.Or: Make sure you aiddecomposition by using a gardenfork and turn over the bin/heap occasionally (maybe oncea week) to introduce more air.This prevents anaerobic bacteriafrom taking over and producingthe bad smells. In a compost binyou can add lengths of holeyirrigation pipe to increaseaeration.

Crawling with antsand slaters?

The heap is too dry. Add asprinkling of water or less drymatter. Ants and slaters arenot harmful; however they doindicate that your compost willnot decompose fast enough.

Attracting flies?

If you see tiny flies (Drosophila spp.)every time you open the lid,rest assured that they are therebecause they enjoy the contentsof your bin/heap, especially if youhave been adding fruit peelings.Add a blanket cover to thecontents of your bin/heap, suchas hessian sacking or carpet feltunderlay.

Visited by rats or mice?

Meat scraps and fish bonesare best avoided since they doencourage vermin, especiallyover summer. Rats and miceenter the bin by diggingunderneath, so fasten a pieceof fine mesh wire under the binbefore commencing.

How do I know when mycompost is ready to use?

It should look like rich,brown, moist soil and itshould not smell offensive.

Worm farming

Worm farms are a great way to reduce theamount of food waste you put in your garbagebin. They’re ideal for people who mainly disposeof food scraps such as people living in flats orhouses with small backyards.You should start your farm with a minimumof 1,000 Red Wrigglers or Tiger Worms. Theseare different from your regular garden worms,in that they only eat food scraps and producerich, inexpensive garden fertiliser, called wormcastings and worm tea.Worms and worm farms can be purchased fromgarden centres, councils and direct from localworm suppliers.

Food – when starting yourworm farm, worms may take afew weeks to start eating andslowly build up their appetite.If you are adding more foodthan the worms can eat yourworm farm may become smellyas the food rots. Be sure tomonitor and adjust the amountof food you are giving yourworms. If your worm farm isattracting rats and mice you areadding the wrong foods such asmeat and bread.