Seed planting monthly planner Each season is different and ideal planting times vary with the locality

so there can be few hard and fast rules. Also different varieties of a particular type of vegetable (eg. tomatoes) may grow better than others at different times of the year.

Planting method J . F . M Beans- Broad D * . * . * " Bush (AF) D - . . " Climbing (AF) D * . * . Beetroot Dt * . . Broccoli T * . * . Brussels Sprouts T * . * . Cabbage T * . * . Capsicums (TAF) T . . Carrots D * . * .Cauliflower T * . * . Celery T * . * . * Celeriac E * . . Corn-Sweet (AF) Dt - . . " Other (AF) Dt . . Cucumber (AF) Dt . . Kale T * . * . Kohl Rabi Dt * . * . Leeks E * . * . * Lettuce (Hearting)T * . * . * " non hearting) T * . * . * Mizuna E * . * . * Onion Odourless E . . " Long Keeping E . . " Spring E * . * . * Pak Choy Dt * . * . * Parsley T * . * . * Parsnip D * . * . Peas D * . * . Pumpkin (AF) D . . Radish D * . * . * Rockmelon (AF) Dt . . Silverbeet E * . * . * Spinach E . . * Swede D * . * . Tomato (TAF) T . . Turnip D * . * . Watermelon (AF) Dt . . Wong Bok E . * . * Zucchini (AF) Dt - . . * (AF) (TAF) EV LV

. A . M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . . - . . . . - . . . . G . G . * . G . * .G* . . . * .G. G . . * . G . . . . . . . * . * . . . - . . * . G . . . . . . . . . * . * . .

. J . J . A . . . * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - . . . G . G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . G . G . G . G . G . G . * .G* . * . * . * . * . * .G- .G- . * . . . . . G . * . . . * . . - . * . . . . . . * . . . . . . * . G . * . * . . . * . .EVG. G . . . * . . . . - . - . * . . .

Pollinating Group . S . O . N . D . * . - . - . .EV . * . * . * . . . * . * . * . . * . * . * . * . A . . . . . B . . . . * . B . - . - . - . - . B . G . . . . . * . * . * . * . . . . . . B . - . - . - . - . C . * . * . * . * . C . . * . * . - . D . . * . * . - . D . G . * . * . * . . * . * . * . * . B . * . * . * . * . B . . * . * . * . . * . * . * . * . . * . * . * . * . . * . * . * . * . . * . * . - . . E . * . - . . . E . * . * . * . * . . . . . . F . * . * . * . * . . * . * . * . * . . * . - . - . - . . - . * . - . . G . * . * . * . * . . . * . * . . . * . * . * . * . A . - . . . . . * . * . * . * . . G .G- . * .LV . . * . * . * . * . F . . * . * . . . * . * . * . * .F? . G . * . * . * . G

Ideal planting time OK but not necessarily ideal Plant after frosts are over Start seedlings in a warm, protected situation and transplant after frosts Plant early varieties only. Plant late varieties.

Start in glass house, under clear plastic or with some means of raising temperature in that month. EVG Start early varieties under glass. An upturned aquarium or simple glass or clear plastic covered frame getting plenty of sun can be very effective. Planting guide- D=direct, T=transplant, E=either, Dt Best direct but can be transplanted with care. If you intend saving seedAll vegie types in a pollination group may cross with others in the same group but shouldn't cross with any that aren't in that group. Eg. All those in the B group (Cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli, kale and kohl rabi) may cross with one another but shouldn't cross with any not in the B group. It is recommended that cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli and brussels sprouts best be grown for a March transplanting as the cabbage white butterfly will become less active as the season cools down. If these vegies are transplanted in Feb/early March they should need minimal pest management and if planted much later won't grow to a reasonable size before winter slows growth. Some notes on transplanting- Root crops like radishes, turnips, beetroots and in particular, carrots and parsnips don't readily transplant. With these it can cause misshapen and forked roots. Producing seedlings for transplanting can be a one or two stage process. Seeds can be planted in punnets or even densely planted in soil to be transplanted when they are large enough. This is one process from planting to transplanting. If leeks and onions are to be transplanted then this may be the best way to go about it. Seeds can also be singly (or 2 or 3 with the intention of removing all but one) planted into pots and grown until large enough to be transplanted into the garden. Beetroot, beans, peas, corn, cucumbers, rockmelon, watermelon and zucchinis should be grown this way if it was intended to transplant them. The best reading material I have found on "two stage" propagating and transplanting vegie seedlings is "The Permaculture Home Garden" by Linda Woodrow. Seeds are started in a seed raising mixture and gently transplanted into pots when the second set of leaves start to appear. Linda's seed raising mix is"half medium-grade river sand, half old cow pats mowed to a fine powder. Fine river sand or sharp builders sand is not suitable. to make the mixture, spread the cow pats on a patch of short grass and, with the mower set low and the grass catcher on, mow over them, reducing them to the texture of shredded coconut. Mix 50-50 by volume with sand." The potting mix has to be more nutrient rich than the seed raising mix, the seed has its own store of nutrients which it soon uses up. Linda Woodrow uses 1/3 sand, 1/3 worm castings, 1/3 mature compost. I use a compost and sand mixture (about 2/3 compost, 1/3 sand) as potting mix.

Broccoli, cabbages, brussels sprouts, capsicums, kale, kohl rabi, lettuce, mizuna, pak choy, parsley, silverbeet, spinach, tomato and wong bok may be easiest to propagate in this way. If transplanting in hot weather then protection with plastic flower pots or shading with small tree branch is advisable. Feedback and additional info would be greatly appreciated by author. Copyright 7/5/1999. Non-profit groups such as garden groups, organic groups, permaculture groups or similar are encouraged to distribute this material by computer printouts or photostatting. Groups are encouraged to make their own pamphlets to photocopy and sell for profits for their group. It is asked that anyone intending to use this information in commercially published form ask the permission of Neil Barraclough RMB 1477 Stratford 3862 email neilbarra@yahoo.com Mob. 0429 888 706 Copyright 7/5/1999 14/08/08