West Leederville Community Garden Inc
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1. WHAT TO PLANT AND WHEN
Reference:VegetablegrowingAguideforhomeGardenersinWesternAustralia,GOVERNMENTOFWESTERNAUSTRALIADepartmentofAgricultureandFood.See2.PlantPestsandDiseases
Veggie Whentoplant
Preferredsoiltype
Pestsanddiseases(seenextsection)
Moreabout….
Beans(Climbinganddwarf)
Exceptformid-winter,beansthriveformostoftheyear
Climbingbeanspreferrelativelylight,slightlyacidicsoils.SoilsmayneedlimingifthepHislessthan5.8(inwater).
Two�spottedmitesareseriouspestsofbeans.Theyattacktheleaves,stemsandpods.Nematodesalsocauseseriousdamagetotheroots.Coldweatheratplantingmaypromoterootrot,whileheavyfertilisationandfrequentirrigationssometimesencouragesclerotiniarotstodevelop.
Plantclimbingbeansinrowsaboutametreapart.Planttwoseeds5cmdeepateachtrellis�stakesite,20to30cmapartwithintherow.
Plantdwarfbeansinrows50cmapartand5to8cmapartwithintherows.
Beans(Broad)
Lateautumntomidwinter(midApriltoJune)
Anywelldrainedsoil
Insectssuchasaphids,togetherwithslugsandsnails,maydamagethecropbutoncegrowingwellbroadbeansarerelativelyfreeofpests.
Themostcommondiseasesofbroadbeansarechocolatespotandrust.
Broadbeansneedphosphorusandpotassium.Beinglegumes
theyproducesomeofthenitrogentheyneed.Bacterialnodulesontherootsindicatethattherightbacteriaare
present;nodulesshouldbepinktoredinside.
Sowtheseeds15to20cmapartinsingleordoublerows,
90cmapart,about5cmbelowthesurface.Doublerowshelptheplantstowithstandwind,howeverawindbreakorlighttrellismayhelp.
Beetroot Allyearround Lightsoilsarebest
MostcommonGardenpestswilldamagebeetroot.Theseincluderedleggedearthmite,snails,slugs,cutworms,budwormsandweevils.
Trybeetrootleavesinsaladsandstirfrieswhileyou’rewaitingforthebeetrootbulbtoform!Winterplantingsgerminateandgrowslowly,andsummer-grownplantsmaybeaffectedbyhightemperaturesandwaterstress,leadingtotoughunpalatableroots.
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Veggie Whentoplant
Preferredsoiltype
Pestsanddiseases(seenextsection)
Moreabout….
Broccoli Growsbestduringautumn,winterand
spring.PlantinearlyMarchifyoungplantsareprotectedbyshadeclothorstrawaroundtheirroots.
Thriveonawiderangeofsoiltypes,especiallyif
builtupwithorganicmanuresfirst.
Commonpestsareaphids,blackbeetle,cutworm,cabbageordiamond�backmoth,cabbagewhitebutterfly,clustercaterpillar,redleggedearthmite,Rutherglenbug,slugs,snailsandvegetableweevil.Damagefromcaterpillarsofthediamond�backmothisseriousinautumnandspring.
Commondiseasesareblackrot,clubrootandsclerotiniarot.ClubrootisaseverediseasewhichcausesBrassicarootstoswell.Itwillremaininthesoilformorethan10years.RotateBrassicaswithothercropstoreducethisproblem.
Theheadisreadytoharvestwhentheflowerbudsareclosedandcompactwithnoyellowingevident.Removetheheadwithabout10to15cmofstemattached.Numeroussideshootsmaythenproducesmallheads.Wideplantspacingsencouragemaximumsideshootdevelopment.
BrusselsSprouts
Transplant
seedlingsinsummerandharvestin
winterandspring.
Bestresultsif‘pushed’
withenrichedsoilandfollowedupwithregularmanuring.
Commonpestsareaphids,blackbeetle,cutworm,cabbageordiamond�backmoth,cabbagewhitebutterfly,clustercaterpillar,redleggedearthmite,Rutherglenbug,slugs,snailsandvegetableweevil.Damagefromcaterpillarsofthediamond�backmothisseriousinautumnandspring.Commondiseasesareblackrot,clubrootandsclerotiniarot.ClubrootisaseverediseasewhichcausesBrassicarootstoswell.
GoodqualitysproutsaredifficulttogrowinPertharea.Thefirstsproutsshouldbereadyforharvesting12to20
weeksaftertransplanting.Theymatureprogressivelyfromthebaseoftheplanttothetop.
Asthesproutsdevelop,removethefourtosixleavesabovethelowestsproutandnipoutthecabbage�liketopwhentheplantsareaboutametrehigh.
Cabbage Cabbagegrowsbestincoolweatherbutyoucan
Likesarich,wellfertilisedsoil
Commonpestsareaphids,blackbeetle,browncutworm,cabbageordiamond�
Insummer,cabbagesmaybereadytopickeightto10weeksaftertransplanting.Winter�grownvarietiesmaytake12to16
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Veggie Whentoplant
Preferredsoiltype
Pestsanddiseases(seenextsection)
Moreabout….
growitthroughouttheyearprovidedyouwaterit
regularlyduringhotweather.
backmoth,cabbagewhitebutterfly,
clustercaterpillar,redleggedearthmite,Rutherglenbug,slugs,snailsandvegetableweevil.Damagefromcaterpillarsofthediamond�backmothisseriousinautumnandspring.
Commondiseasesareblackrot,clubrootandsclerotiniarot.ClubrootisaseverediseasewhichcausesBrassicarootstoswell.Itwillremaininthesoilformorethan10years.RotateBrassicaswithothercropstoreducethisproblem.
weeksbeforetheyareready.Pickcabbageswhenthe
headsarefullandfirmandbeforetheybegintosplit.
Cabbageplantsneedplentyofwater,particularlyduringwarmperiods,butheavywateringafteralongdryspellmaycausetheheadstosplit.
Capsicum TransplantseedlingsfromJulytoJanuary.
Likeawellfertilisedsoil.
Redspidermite,slugsandsnailscandamageleavesandfruit.CropsarenotpronetoleafdiseasesinthePerthareaexceptforspottedwiltvirus.
Blossomendrotofthefruitismainlycausedbylackof
wateringduringhotweather.
Spacetheplants45cmapart,with75to80cmbetweenrows.
Cropsmaybepickedforupto20weeks.
Carrot Canbegrownyearround
Likesandysoils
Fewleaf�eatingpestsdamagecarrotsaftertheseedlingstage.Nematodesmayseverelydamagetheroots.
Rememberthatrootcropssuchascarrotsrequirelessfertiliserthanmostothervegetables.Planthemtofollowheavilyfertilisedcropssuchascabbagesandcauliflowers,sotheycanusemuchoftheresidualnutrimentinthesoil.
Establishedplantsareabletowithstandhightemperatures,butseedlingsareparticularlysensitivetowind,hightemperaturesandsaltywater.
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Veggie Whentoplant
Preferredsoiltype
Pestsanddiseases(seenextsection)
Moreabout….
Cauliflower Cauliflowerisacoolclimatecropwhichgrowsbest
duringautumn,winterandspring.
Likearich,wellfertilisedsoil.
Commonpestsareaphids,blackbeetle,browncutworm,cabbageordiamond-backmoth,cabbagewhitebutterfly,
clustercaterpillar,redleggedearthmite,Rutherglenbug,
slugs,snailsandvegetableweevil.Damagefromcaterpillarsofthediamond-backmothhasbeenseriousinrecentyearsin
autumnandspring.
Commondiseasesareblackrot,clubrootandsclerotiniarot.
Earlyvarietiesmature10to12weeksaftertransplanting,andlatetypes16to20weeks.Cauliflowersaresusceptibletosundamage,whichshowsasyellowingorreddeningofthecurd.Topreventthis,bendatleasttwoouterleavesoverthecurdsoonafteritappears.Thebetterthecoverage,thewhiterthefinalproduct.
Celery AllyearroundbutbutitperformsbestincooltomildweatheranditgrowsbestfromlateFebruaryandAugusttransplantings.
Celeryneedsagoodrichsoil.
Celeryissusceptibletomagnesiumdeficiency,whichcauses
brightyellowspotstodeveloponthemarginsofolderleaves.Applymagnesiumsulphateat5gpersquaremetreatmonthlyintervals.
Transplantseedlingsinsummerinrows30cmapart,with30cmbetweenplants.Inwinter,aspacingof40cm
by40cmwillprovidebetteraircirculationbetweentheplantsandreducetheriskofleafdisease.
Celeryisnaturallyadaptedtoswampsituations,soneedsplentyofmoisture.Youmayhavetohand�watertwiceadayinhotweather.
ChineseVeggies
Latesummertoearlywinter
Likeagoodrichsoil.
Itisthemostsusceptible
oftheBrassicacropstoclubrootdisease.Liming
Chineseveggiescanbeharvestedbypickingtheoutsideleaves,youdon'thavetocutthewholeplant.
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Veggie Whentoplant
Preferredsoiltype
Pestsanddiseases(seenextsection)
Moreabout….
willreducedamagefromthisdisease.
Itwillgrowduringsummerbutunderhighhumidities,hightemperaturesandlowsoilmoisture,itmaybeaffectedbytipburnoritmay‘bolt’–thatis,theplantproducesaseedstalkratherthanahead.Also,itmayboltinlatewinterandearlyspring.
Cucumber(fromthecurcubitfamily)
Plantinspringtomatureinsummerandautumn
Theydobestinwelldrained,wellfertilisedsoilswhichwarmupearlyinthespring.
Aphids,two�spottedmitesandnematodescanseriouslydamagecucurbitcrops.Powderymildewcanseverelydamagecucurbits.
Asummerspreaderandunlessacompactbushvariety,isbestplantedinthetopcommunalarea.
Needsplentyofwater.
Eggplant Plantspringtoearlysummer
Likeswellfertilisedsoil,withatopupeverycoupleofweeks
Caterpillars,nematodesandtwo�spottedmitesareseriouspestsofeggplant.Oneparticularcaterpillarentersthefruitunderthecalyx,nearthestem,oftenspoilingawholecropifitisnotcontrolled.
Anneggplantbushwillproducefruitformostoftheyearandforafewyears.
Weeklysprayingwithapyrethrum/chilli/garlicmixhelpstominimiseproblems.
Herbs
Chooseanareathathashighexposuretothesun,whilebeingshelteredfromthewind.
Preparealight,well-drained,crumblysoil,diggingtoadepthofabout25cmsandbreakingupanyclumpsinthesoil.Herbswillalsogrowinheaviersoil,providedthereisgooddrainage.Fertiliser:bloodandboneoranimalmanure.
Oregano,thymes,bergamot(thetasteofEarlGreytea),comfrey(goodforwhat’swrongwithyouandthecompost!),lemonbalm,curryleaftree,Vietnamesemint,chocolatemint,mints,goldenoregano,cardamom,borage,ediblecannas,orrisroot(usedinpreservingpotpourri).
It is important thatherbs receiveat least6hoursof sunlightadayandtheyhaveadequatespacetogrow.
Forsomesuperherbstrybasil(bothsweetandpurple),parsley,sage,pyrethrum,lemongrass,oregano,rueandmarjoram.Mintisreadytorollnow,butyoumightwanttokeepitinanicesizedpot,justtopreventseriousmintinvasion!
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Veggie Whentoplant
Preferredsoiltype
Pestsanddiseases(seenextsection)
Moreabout….
Kale Plantlatesummer,earlyautumnasKaleplantspreferacoolclimate
Likesarich,wellfertilisedsoil
Benefitsfromweeklysprayingwithapyrethrum/chilli/garlicmix,particularlyundertheleaves,anattractivehomeforpests.
Therearebothtallanddwarftypesofkale,thetalltypesdeveloping
amainstem.Theleavesarecurledorsmoothandbluish-green,purpleorwhite.
Leeks Leeksmaybegrownallyear,butthebestqualityisproducedinwinterandspring.
Growbestinsoilscontainingsomeorganicmatter,
andwithgoodwater�holdingcapacity.Afertilesoilwhichhas
carriedaheavilymanuredcropimmediatelybeforethegarlic,
isideal
Themostcommonproblemisdownymildewdisease.
Leekstakeabout21to30weekstomaturefromtransplants.Plantinrows30to45cmapartwith10to15cmbetweenplants.Plantupto10cmdeeptoincreasethelengthofwhitestem.
Harvestleekswhenthebaseoftheplantisaround2to
3cmdiameter.
Lettuce
(Therearefivetypesoflettuce:crisp-head,butterhead
andmignonette,loose-leafandcos.)
Doesbestinmildtowarmweatherbutcanbegrownallyearround
LikesasoilwithamplecompostandWellcomposted.
Aphids,caterpillars,nematodes,Rutherglenbug,redleggedearthmite,slugsandsnailsallattacklettuces.Lettucearepronetotipburninsummerandnumerousdiseases,including
sclerotinia,dryleafspot,dampingoff,downymildewandinwinter,big�veinvirus.
Lettuceiscrispandtastywhengrownquickly,butbitterandunpleasantifgrownslowly.
Harvestafter7to9weeksinsummerand16to19weeksinwinter.
Lettuceisverysensitivetosoilacidity.
Marrow
(fromthecurcubitfamily)
Asummervegetable.Plantseedsfromlateautumntomidsummer
Likesarichsoilwithlotsofcompost.
Aphids,two�spottedmitesandnematodescanseriouslydamagecucurbitcrops.Powderymildewcanseverely
damagecucurbits.
Zucchiniareimmaturemarrows.
Marrows(Cucurbitapepo)areprolificgrowers,sospacethemat1.4by0.8mapart.Forthebestcookingresults,pickmarrowsbeforetheyarefullymatureat300to400mmlong.
Onions
Onionsperformpoorlyifplantedin
Onionscanbegrowninalmostany
Snails,slugs,thripsandaphidsattackonions.
Youngplantsareslowgrowingandmustbekeptcarefullyweeded.
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Veggie Whentoplant
Preferredsoiltype
Pestsanddiseases(seenextsection)
Moreabout….
summer,soareplantedfromAprilto
Novembertomaturefromlatespringtosummer.
typeofsoilprovidedit
isfertile.
Downymildewisthemostseriousdisease.
OnionshaveshallowrootsystemssoOnionshaveshallowrootsystemssokeepthesoilmoist.
Whenthetopsbendoverandturnyellow,theonionsarereadyforharvesting.Theyneedwarm,dryconditionsatharvesttimeto‘cure’thebulbs.
Parsnip Acoolseasonvegetablewhichgerminatesandgrowswellattemperaturesinthe20to30°Crange.Highertemperaturesimpair
germination.
Parsnipslikelightsandysoils.
Theyneedsmall,regulardressingsofnitrogenandpotassium
fertiliserbecausetheseleachreadilyfromsandysoils.
Nematodesandtwo�spottedmitesmaydamageparsnips.
Dampingoffcanreduceseedlingnumbersandsomeleaf�spotdiseasesandpowderymildewmayattacktheleaves.Cankerisadiseasewhichdamagestheleavesandroots.
Parsnipsareashallowrootedcropandhavehighmoisturerequirements.
Weedsseriouslyretardparsnips.Keepthebedfreeofweedsuntiltheleavesofthecropformacanopyandsmotheryoungweedseedlings.
Parsnipsmaturein3.5to6months.Ifyoustartharvestingwhentherootsare30to70mmthick,youcancontinuetopullthemovermanyweeksprovidedtheweatheriscool.
Peas Mostsoiltypesaresuitableforpeas.
PlantGardenpeasfromautumnthroughtoearlyspring,and
snowpeasorsugarpeasthroughouttheyear.
Aphids,cutworms,budworms,weevils,redleggedearthmite,
thripsandothercommonGardenpestswillallattackpeas.
Peasaresusceptibletomildew,leafspotandotherfungaldiseases.
Sowseedinsingleordoublerows,andallowtheplantstorunupatrellis.
SpaceGardenpeaswithrows
20cmapartandsowtheseed8to10cmapartintherow.
Spacesugarandsnowpeasat60to80cmapartfordwarftypesand1to1.5mapartfortalltypeswithplantsspacedat8to10cmapartintherows.
Picksugarorsnowpeasdaily,beforetheybecomefibrous.
Potatoes Prefercooltowarmweatherbutwillgrowthroughouttheyearprovided
theyarenotsubjectedto
Potatoesgrowbestindeepfriableloamysoils,butsandswillproducegoodcropsgivenabundant
Potatoesaresusceptibletoawiderangeofpestsand
diseases.Redleggedearthmite,aphids,caterpillars,blackbeetles,potatomoth,
Ifusingthetrench(approximately1metredeep)methodofplantingpotatoes,placeabaselayerofcompostthencoverwithathinlayerofsoilbeforeplacingtheseedpotatoesabout15to30cmapartinrows
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Veggie Whentoplant
Preferredsoiltype
Pestsanddiseases(seenextsection)
Moreabout….
frostordrought.However,insummer,potatoesareloweryieldingandhavepoorshape.
fertiliserandwater.
slugsandsnailscanallcauseseriousdamage.
Powderyscab,commonscab,rhizoctonia,earlyblightandseveralvirusesmayseverelyattackpotatoes.
75cmapart.Becarefultokeeptheseoutofdirectcontactwith
thefertiliser,ortheymayrot.Topthesewithalayerofstrawandalightlayerofcompost.Waterthoroughlyandfillinthetrench,leavingaslightconcavityatthetop.
Whenthefirstpotatoshootsappear,coverwithsoilandstraw,continuingthisprocessastheshootsgrowthroughuntilthemoundisabouthalfametrehigh.Leavethepotatofoliagetoflourish.Potatoesarebestdugupwhenfoliagehasdied.
Pumpkinsandbutternuts
(fromthecurcubitfamily)
AugusttoJanuary,butmidseason
plantingsgivethebestresults.
Richsoilwithlotsofcompost.
Aphids,two�spottedmitesandnematodescanseriouslydamagecucurbitcrops.Powderymildewcanseverelydamagecucurbits.
Pumpkinvinesaresobigthattheycompetewithothercropsforlight,moistureandplantfood.Theplantsaredeeprooted,makingthemmoreresistanttodroughtthanmostothervegetables.,bestplantedinthetopcommunalarea.
Allowpumpkinstomatureonthevinebeforeharvesting.Theirkeepingqualityimprovesastheskinhardens.
Radish Allyearroundbutbestinwarmtocoolweather
Fertile,moistsoilisbest.Likebeingplantedafteraheavilymanuredcrop.
Sowradisheseveryfortnightaslongastheyarerequiredoruntiltheweathermakescroppingdifficult.
Plantradishseedsfrom5to10mmdeep.Theygerminateinthreetosevendays,dependingonweatherconditions.
IfplantingDaikon,theJapaneseradish,plantinrows30cmapartandthinto20cm.Itshouldbereadytoharvestsevento11weeksafterplanting,whenasinglerootmayweighmorethanakilo.
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Veggie Whentoplant
Preferredsoiltype
Pestsanddiseases(seenextsection)
Moreabout….
Rhubarb PlantallyearroundbutismostproductivebetweenSeptandMay.
Needsplentyofcompost.
Highsoilmoistureneeds.
Slugsandsnailsareamongthefewpestswhichattackrhubarb,damagingstemsandleaves.Downymildewcanseriouslydamagetheleavesinwinter.
Propagaterhubarbbydividingthecrowns,butuseonlythe
strongest.
Plantcrownsjustbelowthesoilsurfacewith110cmbetweenrowsand60to70cmbetweenplantswithinrows.Donotharvestmanystemsinthefirstseasonandallowthenewcrownstobecomestronglyestablished.Removeanyflowersthatmayemerge.
Rockmelon
(fromthecurcubitfamily)
PlantrockmelonsfromSeptembertoDecembertoharvestinsummerandautumn.
Richsoilwithlotsofcompost,welldugin.
Aphids,two�spottedmitesandnematodescanseriouslydamagecucurbitcrops.Powderymildewcanseverelydamagecucurbits.
Asummerspreader,bestplantedinthetopcommunalarea.
Rockmelonsmature80to110daysaftersowing.Harvestthematthe‘fullslip’stage,bywhichtimethefruithas
developeditssweetestflavour.Atthisstage,acrackencirclesthestemwhereitisattachedtothefruit.
Shallots AugusttoFebruary
Needalight,fertile,welldrainedsoilinasunnyposition.
Pestattackisusuallylowandmayincludeaphids,thrips,redleggedearthmite,snailsanddownymildew.
Pullshallotswhenthefoliagehasdiedback,andkeepthebulbsinacooldryplace.Youcanalsoharvestthemearlyforuseasspringonions.
Silverbeet Allyearround Likesarichsoilwithlotsofcompostwelldugin.Topupwithcompostfromtimetotimeandusealiquidfertilizertomaintainleafgrowth
Commonpestswhichattacksilverbeetareredleggedearthmite,snails,slugs,cutworm,budworm,loopersandweevils.
Nematodesdamagesilverbeetrootsandleafspotattackstheleaves.
Spacetheplants30to40cmapartinrows60to70cmapart.Startpickingtheouterleavesafterthefirsttwotothreemonthsofgrowth.Breakthemofffromthebaseoftheplant,usingaside�to�sidemotion,takingtwotothreeleavesfromeachplanttoleaveatleastfiveonthestem.
Plantswillcontinuetocropforfourtoeightmonths,butleafsizewilldeclineastheplantages.
Spinach Itgrowsbestinthecoolermonths,butcanbeplantedallyearround.
Anyfertilesoil.
Spinachplantshaveshallowroots,sokeepthesoilmoistatalltimes,especiallyduring
Someplantsmayflower(bolt)insummer.Autumnplantingswillprovidethelongestpickingperiod.Spinachwilltoleratepartialshade.
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Veggie Whentoplant
Preferredsoiltype
Pestsanddiseases(seenextsection)
Moreabout….
germination.
Spinachplantshaveshallowroots,so
keepthesoilmoistatalltimes,especiallyduringgermination.
SpringOnions
Allyearround Happyinmostsoiltypes,butnotanalkalinesoil
Thripsarethemajorpestofspringonions.Aphidscanalsocauseseriousdamage.
Springonionscanbecutatthebaseandtheywillgrowagain,don'tpullthemout.Springonionsmatureineightto10weeksinsummerand
10to14weeksinwinter.Pulltheplantswhenthestemsare8to15mmthick.
Squash
(fromthecurcubitfamily)
Seemarrow/zucchini
Unlessabushsquash,thisisasummerspreader,bestplantedinthetopcommunalarea.
Strawberries Allyearround. Almostanywelldrainedsoilwillgrowstraw-berries,butapplyorganicmatterandcompost.
Strawberriescanbeaffectedbyvirusdiseaseswhichseriouslyreducethevigouroftheplants,resultinginloweryields.Onlyuserunnerswithstrongrootsystemsandlargecrowns.
Establishedplantsproducerunnersduringsummer.Removetherunnerstoprolongfruitingandtoprovidenewplantseverytwoyears.Plantrecently�dugrunnersfromMaytoJune.Ensurethatthecrownsareplantedatgroundlevelwithallrootscoveredbysoil.TheseplantswillstarttocropinSeptember.ThepeakharvesteachyearisusuallyfromSeptembertoNovember.PerthplantingsusuallystopproducinginDecember.
SwedesandTurnips
theymaybegrownallyearroundbutprefercoolweather.
Turnipsandswedesneedmoderatelydeep,well�drained,
friable,fertilesoils.
CommonpestsofBrassicasareaphids,browncutworm,
cabbageordiamond�backmoth,cabbagewhitebutterfly,clustercaterpillar,redleggedearthmite,slugs,snailsandvegetableweevil.Damagefromcaterpillarsofthediamondbackmothisseriousinautumnandspring.Commondiseasesareblackrot,
Direct�sowinrowsspaced30to40cmapart,1.5to2cmdeep.Thintheplantsto10to15cmapart.Thoroughly
cultivatethegroundwhentheplantsaresmalltokillanyweeds.
Swedesandturnipshaveashortgrowingperiodof60to70daysforturnipsand100
to120daysforswedes.
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Veggie Whentoplant
Preferredsoiltype
Pestsanddiseases(seenextsection)
Moreabout….
clubroot,whiterustandsclerotiniarot.
SweetCorn Loveswarmweather.Plantseedmid-AugusttolateFebruary.
Ahungryplantwhichlovesawellcompostedsoilwithtopupsevery3weeks.
Sweetcornisnotaffectedbyrootknotnematodes.
Themostcommonpestsofsweetcornarecaterpillarsinthecobs.Theplantsarenotdisease�prone.
Spacetherows80to90cmapart,with20to30cmbetweenplants.Sowtheseed2to3cmdeep.Severalshortrowssidebysidewillgiveabetterpollinationthanonelongsinglerow.
Considerplantingaclimbingbeanseedwitheachsetofsweetcornseeds(theylikebeingplantedinpairs).Thebeansclimbupthecornstalk,givingyoutwocropsatthesametime.
SweetPotato
PlantOctobertoDecember
Likesawell�drainedlightsandyloam.
Themostseriouspestofsweetpotatoesistheleafminercaterpillar.Otherpestswhichoccasionallyattacksweetpotatoesincludecaterpillars,blackbeetle,molecrickets,slugs,snails,vegetableweevil,wireworms,nematodesandtwo-spottedmite.Scurfisthemajordisease.
SweetpotatoesarerichinsugarsandvitaminCandalsocontainvitamin
A,vitaminB,calciumandiron.Plantingisonlyrecommendedifitcanbecontainedsuchasoldtyresastheyspreadveryenthusiastically.
Tomatoes Asummer-autumnplant
Tomatoesloveasoilrichincompost.
TomatoessuffermorefrompestsanddiseasesthanmostotherhomeGardenvegetablecrops.Leafandfruit�eatingcaterpillarsandtwo�spottedmitescancauseseriousdamage.Russetmiteareinvisibletothenakedeyeandmayseverelydamagetheleavesandstems.Wilts,leafspots,bacterialcankerandtomatospottedwiltvirus(spreadbythrips)arecommon.
Prunetall�growingvarietiesandtiethemtowoodenstakesastheygrow.Removethesideshootswhichariseonthejunctionoftheleavesandthemainstem.
Dwarftomatoesformabushwhichyoucangrowwithoutpruning.Watertomatoesfrequentlyandmulchthemwithcompostorlawnclippingstokeepthesurfacesoilcool.
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Veggie Whentoplant
Preferredsoiltype
Pestsanddiseases(seenextsection)
Moreabout….
Watermelon
(fromthecurcubitfamily)
Plantfrommid-SeptembertoDecember
Likesawelldrainedsoilrichincompost.
Aphids,two�spottedmitesandnematodescanseriouslydamagecucurbitcrops.Powderymildewcanseverely
damagecucurbits.
Thebestmelonsarethoseallowedtoripenandmatureonthevine.Thistakes100to130daysfromplanting.Totestformaturity,examinethetendrilclosesttowherethemelonisattached.Itwithersanddiesasthemelonnears
maturity.Melonspickedbeforematuritydonotripenandlackflavour.
Asummerspreader,bestplantedinthecommunalareas.
Zucchini SeeMarrow Unlessabushvariety,thisisasummerspreaderandbestplantedinthetopcommunalareas.
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2. PLANTPESTSANDDISEASES
Aphids(UniversityofMinnesota) Bacterialcanker(wiki.bugwood.org)
Blackbeetle(www.yates.com.au) Blackrot(www.gardenguides.com)
Blight(pnwhandbooks.org) Cabbagemoth(deanshangerallotments.wordpress.org)
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Cabbagemothcaterpillar(projectnoah.org) Chocolatespot(rightplants4me.co.uk)
Clubroot(dpi.nsw.gov.org) Cutworm(brown)(extension.umn.edu)
Diamond-backedmoth(mindfully.org) Downymildewdisease(mrjacksfarm.com)
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Dryleafspot(planetnatural.com) Loopers(agric.wa.gov.au)
Nematodes(apsnet.org) Powderymildew(purenutrient.net)
Powderyscab(nwpotatoresearch.com) Redleggedearthmite(cesaustralia.com)
West Leederville Community Garden Inc
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Rhizoctonia(arkive.org) Russetmite
Rust(fao.org) Rutherglenbug(thebeatsheet.com.au)
Schlerotinia(apsnet.org) Thrips(ozanimals.com)
West Leederville Community Garden Inc
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Spottedwiltvirus(msucares.com)
Two-spottedmites(ucanr.edu)
Cutefeatheredpestswaitingforloquatstoripen