Get soil ready for winter veges

Plant now to enjoy winter broccoli. PICTURE / GETTY IMAGES

Autumn is the time for all vegetable gardeners to get your winter vegetables planted out to ensure your plantings get some good growth on before cooler winter temperatures arrive in a couple of months.
The fulfilment from harvesting and serving up plants from your own garden is impossible to describe.

Even if you have a small garden there are other good reasons to plant some winter vegetables; firstly for the freshness of the product and that you control what is sprayed on them, secondly the cost of vegetables, especially heads of broccoli and cauliflower, skyrockets during the winter months and this year they are already very high.
So often, when looking at reasons for plants succeeding or not, it comes back to the quality and condition of the soil. The vegetable garden can often leave newer gardeners puzzling why the first couple of plantings did well and subsequent crops have not. The reason is usually that while crops have grown and been harvested, nothing or little has been added back to the soil.

A gradual depletion of soil fertility and structure has occurred and crops may fail to produce the results they should second time round. If you feel your garden isn't producing as it should try adding organic matter such as poultry compost or mushroom compost.

Often a response is to throw some fertiliser around; while this helps, it is also important that both structure and fertility are addressed.

Different soil types have varying amount of natural reserves so will need different treatments. If your soil is light or sandy, the addition of compost or other organic matter will be essential to help hold moisture around the roots of your vegetables. Adding any type of organic material (such as compost and leaf litter) increases the 'life', or soil microbial activity in your soil.

Green crops
For those with areas of garden they are not planning to use during the winter months an option is to 'rest' a patch of soil and improve soil structure and fertility by growing a green crop.

A green crop can be dug back into the soil. It is a natural method of soil maintenance and will boost and replace lost nutrients. This will also encourage earthworms and other beneficial micro organisms to your garden.

For a successful green manure crop, simply apply the seeds at the recommended rates. Then in early spring before the plants flower (but while the stems are still soft and watery) dig your green manure back into the soil. After digging it in, it is best to leave the ground for up to three weeks before planting your next crop. This is essential with mustard. If you have access to it the addition of animal manure before digging it in will hasten the breakdown of your green manure. There are four main varieties of seed commonly used as green manure crops; lupins, barley, oats and mustard.

Lupin. This is a good one for maintenance of a soil's fertility. Recycling lost nutrients from your subsoil coupled with adding vast amounts of 'free nitrogen' which is readily available to your next crops. Sow at a rate of 25g per square metre, let the green crop grow for aabout 7-8 weeks, then dig in well. Although lupins can have a beautiful flower, to get the best from your green crop it should be dug into the soil when the stems are green and soft, before it flowers.

Barley. These produce a large mass of foliage and roots through the winter. They add both protein (nitrogen) and organic matter to the soil, in addition to strengthening your soil structure.

Mustard. This aids in the control of wireworm, nematodes, etc, which are often problems associated with root crops (for example; carrots and potatoes). Mustard also reduces the chances of any soil-borne diseases within 40 days of digging in. (Note; if club root is a problem don't plant brassica crops after mustard). Leave for 7-8 weeks then dig in well.

Lupin, mustard and grain mix. This green crop in particular is great as it helps with the prevention of wire worm and adds nitrogen and organic matter to your vegetable garden. Sow at about 35g per square metre, let it grow for 7-8 weeks, then dig well back into the ground.

About two weeks after a green drop has been dug in, the soil should then be re-dug before planting your new vegetables for great results.

If you have a smaller garden and would like year-round production then regular additions of some of any of these products will be much benefit.

Sheep pellets: Totally biodegradable natural plant food and contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potash plus trace elements. It is an excellent soil conditioner and will increase the water holding capacity and earthworm population of your soil. It is suitable as a base and side dressing for vegetables and is also a good additive to improve your home compost.

Yates Dynamic Lifter is another pelletised organic fertiliser and soil conditioner containing composted manure, blood and bone, fish meal and seaweed. These ingredients are great for vegetable beds. Apply prior to planting and then every six weeks during the growing season.

Liquid Fertiliser Ican Fast Food is a great quick releasing feed to give plants a quick boost and promote plant growth, flowering and fruiting.

Mushroom compost: This contains rotted straw and compost, also contains gypsum, blood and bone, lime. This will grow fantastic vegetables.

Poultry compost: A nutrient rich blend of well composted poultry manure and rotted sawdust. This will improve the soil structure and add nutrient to the garden, and ensure your flowers and veges are the envy of the neighbourhood!

Have a good week
Gareth Carter is general manager of Springvale Garden Centre