How to grow quick autumn vegetables in Canberra

This is the transition month in the garden when the warmth of the summer days is coming to an end and the cold nights begin to arrive. With the evidence of an Indian summer still with us, we might still get to pick some last zucchinis and beans before their leaves are all blackened by the first frost.

So it is vital to get your autumn plantings well established now while the warmth is still in the soil. The growing season can be lengthened by growing against a north–facing brick wall which absorbs and reflects the heat. Also, setting up cover cloches or glass pane gardens are other options to hold the waning warmth of the sun.

Pak choi and the flat cabbage tatsoi also grow quite quickly and will provide you with a good supply of Asian greens. Mustard greens, rocket and mizuna also grow quickly and can be added to your kitchen garden now. They will provide you with a selection of tasty and zesty salad leaves over several weeks. These have few growing problems so it is worth trying a selection.

The open leaf Chinese cabbages did originate from China many centuries ago but have only been grown widely in Europe, North America and Australia during the past 150 years. They prefer full sun, lighter soil with plenty of organic materials and regular waterings and boosts with liquid foliar sprays.

They are a good crop to grow where you have just harvested your potatoes. Aim to get the plants up and away well before the very cold winter days.

Sow Chinese cabbage seeds to a depth of just 6mm and you can plant them quite close together. The aim is to use some of the small, delicious tip leaves at the time you will need to thin out the plants.

As with the other winter time brassicas, you will need to provide protection from the white cabbage moth. I would recommend a small investment in the white, open weave pest guard material. Green Harvest is one online supplier that sells 5 x 2.8 metre vegetable protection nets.

European spinaches and chards are a delicacy, in my opinion and they are good to grow at this time of the year. Their soft, fresh leaves provide a very healthy green vegetable option for many of the cooler months. For best germination, soak the seeds overnight or place on a wet paper towel in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a couple of days, before planting.

Spinach seeds should be planted just to a depth of 12-15mm, allowing a spacing between plants of 25mm. Keep them growing along by giving them regular liquid fertiliser boosts. You should be harvesting the first tender leaves in just 5 to 6 weeks. Take care when picking as the stems can be easily damaged and the roots do not like to be disturbed. Always leave some leaves at the centre of the plant to continue producing a crop.

Winter giant is an Italian heirloom variety with large, glossy, dark green crumbly leaves. It is a very tender spinach, producing fine baby leaves. Matador is another dark green spinach that will grow well when planted in autumn. Its leaves are small in size and they will form quite a mass around the stem.

Hearting varieties of lettuce are better for these cooler months. The big leaf cos (or romaine) lettuce which forms a conical loose heart is another good option for autumn plantings. They will grow best in humus–rich, moist soils. Cos verdi produces dark green leaves with a sweet flavour.

Little gem is a quick maturing variety with a firm, sweet heart. And fill in a corner of the garden with some quick growing radishes. They will provide a harvest in 4 to 6 weeks. French breakfast,cherry belle and pink beauty are three good, medium–sized varieties to grow.

This Week in the Garden

Plant broad beans into garden beds that need renewing and plan to dig in the half grown plants, so serving as a green manure crop.

Plant out leek and early season onion seeds for later transplanting.

Check a sample of your late season pears to see if their seeds are turning black. If so, pick and store in the bottom section of your refrigerator for one or two weeks to aid the final ripening process.

Take a few minutes each day to clean out a section of your garden.

When preparing a garden bed for planting out garlic, hill up the rows to ensure that excellent drainage is provided for a bulb that will take six months to grow.

If you have granny smith or pink lady apple trees, allow them to fully ripen on the trees so that you can enjoy the rich, mature flavour of each apple. These late season apples relish the coming of the frosts to sweeten them up.

Owen Pidgeon runs the Loriendale Organic Orchard near Hall.