Garden planting dates for winter eating 2012

To stay on track with growing food, I jot down everything in my diary, on the date it needs to happen. I've just worked out all my planting details for the coming months, to make sure there'll be food to eat in winter. I'm often asked what to plant when, so here's a guide. It's relevant for Melbourne, Australia, only, and the dates given take into account moon planting as much as possible, though I had to fudge things a little to get things sown at the right time of each month. But if you are busy on the relevant dates, don't worry about getting them exact - just plant when you can around that time.

This planting guide will give you carrots, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and lettuce to eat from April, right through winter and into early spring.

Nov 19-24: Prepare trays for sowing seed. Mix compost and/or worm castings with soil, and make sure you have a nice, fine, moist mixture. Make sure the trays are several inches deep. Put your trays in a sheltered spot where, ideally, they get some morning sun but are protected from hot summer afternoon sun. Up on a table is good, out of reach of snails and dogs. You might want some netting or shade cloth to protect from birds. Set up an easy method of watering - a watering can nearby, with an accessible tap? Or a hose with a gun nozzle that has a nice fine spray? Also organise a labelling system for your plants - a packet of icypole sticks and a permanent marker will do the job.

Dec 1, or 4-6: sow brassicas (broccoli, mini cabbage, mini cauliflower) to eat in April. Sow seed one inch apart.

Dec 14-15: sow brassicas to eat in May. Transplant April brassicas into a fresh, deeper tray, 2 inches apart. Sow them deeper, so that their first two leaves are at soil level. To transplant, use an ordinary kitchen knife. Cut a 1 inch square around the plant you are moving, and lift it out gently with the knife. Hold the clump of dirt/roots in your hand, and insert the knife into the new tray. Pull it towards you, opening a hole. Lower the seedling into the hole, and use the knife to scrape a bit of soil around the roots.

Dec 18-21: Prepare some more trays for seed. Each new seed needs to go into a fresh tray that has lightly aerated soil, and is comprised of at least 1/3rd fresh compost or worm castings. Prepare a garden bed for the April brassicas, and one for the carrots and beets. Dig it to a depth of 24 inches (twice the length of a garden fork), spread over an inch or two of compost, and water very well. If the ground is hard, water well the day before you dig. Spread some mulch over the top.

Jan 1-2: Plant out April brassicas in their garden bed, 30cm apart. If you like, sprinkle some lettuce seed at one end of the bed. Transplant May brassicas into second tray. Sow brassicas to eat in June.

Jan 10-11: sow heaps of carrots and beets in seed trays. Sow the beets 1 inch apart. Sprinkle carrot seed thinly over a section of your tray and sprinkle a tiny bit more soil over the top. You'll be able to start harvesting them around April or May, and over winter they'll gradually fatten up. You'll need to finish them off before they go to seed next spring.

Jan 16-22: Prepare more seed trays. Prepare garden beds for May, June and July brassicas.

Jan 23-24: Plant out May brassicas in their garden bed, 30cm apart. Sprinkle some lettuce seed if desired. Transplant June brassicas to second tray. Sow brassicas to eat in July and August.

Jan 28-29: Transplant beets to garden bed, 10cm apart. Transplant carrots 7cm apart - they will be very small seedlings so handle them gently, and protect them from animals, snails and hot sun.

Feb 7-8: Plant June brassicas into the garden bed. Sprinkle lettuce seed if desired. Sow September brassicas. Transplant July and August brassicas to second tray.

Feb 24-26: Transplant July and August brassicas to garden bed. Transplant September brassicas to second tray.

Mar 15-23: Prepare garden bed for September brassicas.

March 24: Transplant September brassicas to garden bed.

Keep everything well watered - about 9 litres of water per square metre, most days (every day if it's hot, and twice a day if it's scorching). If you're not sure, poke your finger into the soil and check it's moist. During a heat wave, take your trays of seedlings indoors to protect them. Go out a few times during the day and spray your garden beds with water - it won't burn the plants, and they'll appreciate the cooling off. Before it gets really hot, pile some straw gently around and right over the top of young plants that are inthe garden. Go back at night and uncover them so they don't suffocate. This will protect them from the worst of the heat.

You'll need to work out how many of each plant you have space for, and plant accordingly. Even if it's just a cabbage or two a month, you'll be rapt when they are ready. Always sow twice as much seed as what you need - many seeds don't germinate, and sometimes you'll plant out, only to have some critter gobble up your seedling. In that case, it's good to have some spares on hand to replace them with. Once you know your seedlings are established, give away any extras you don't have space for. Or plant them into unlikely spots in the garden just in case they manage to flourish there afterall.

Happy growing, everyone!