Gardening

I cannot sufficiently emphasise that the site chosen for growing organic vegetables is extremely important. A poorly structured site will drastically limit the potential for success, irrespective of any gardening competence or technical abilities which are subsequently applied. This can probably be attributed to their highly cultivated status. Even the most basic types of vegetable may possess an extended pedigree of selective breeding. This is widely accurate despite numerous distinctive plant species which are gathered under the general categorisation of vegetable. Like racehorses, and fancy dog breeds, most of our cultivated vegetables bear minimal resemblance to their wild forebears. As a consequence, their proliferation and survival depends...

There are a few genuine perennials but most organic vegetables are annuals selected for either warm or cool season propagation. Because they produce their entire crop within a single growing season, consistent outcomes depend upon sowing at the best times within the correct half of the year. A normal temperature range of 7-20 degree Celsius is ideal for cool season varieties. They are sown in autumn and the maturing vegetables will develop their distinctive flavours during the shorter days of winter. Some will tolerate cooler temperatures and frost better than others, so this is worth investigating for gardens of inland or elevated regions. Examples of cool season vegetables include onion, turnip, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and...

On account of their selective breeding, many vegetable varieties have an inherently low resistance and tolerance against insect pests and disease. As a consequnce, they can be challenging to raise according to strict organic principles. When discussing vegetable gardening in public, I’ll routinely advise beginners that they should expect to lose a certain percentage of their plants to insects and disease each season. Most individuals will accept this. Those who don’t might be comforted to know that the skills and tenacity developed in raising organic vegetables can also be applied to more robust species such as herbs, native shrubs, and flowers. Since the early sixties, I’ve avoided those chemical products designed for controlling insect...

After gaining some practical experience, many vegetable gardeners will proceed to develop schedules of routine cultivation. Over the years I’ve encountered the unbelievably complex, stunningly simplified versions and more or less everything in between. As usual, my personal philosophy on organic vegetable gardening is to concentrate on the basic principles. In most cases these are flexible and can be customised to suit the local growing conditions. My initial recommendation is to avoid any of the prescriptive tables which recommend precise dates for sowing and harvesting. Those of us with years of gardening under our belts can testify to the lack of seasonal consistency which significantly decreases the utility of their application. Having...