There's a bit of a knack when it comes to your winter veggie
planting.
You want a nice, long harvest period with no waste.
And I'm going to show you how to do it.
To get a full plot, you'll need some veggie mix, some pea straw
mulch, vegetable fertilizer, and your selection
of veggie seedlings or seeds.
For winter you're looking at your brassicas-- that's
plants in the broccoli, cauliflower family;
leafy greens like lettuce and spinach;
winter root vegetables like carrots;
alliums, which are your leeks and onions;
celery, a great space saver; and lastly, broad beans, whose
root systems have the bonus of putting nitrogen back
into the soil.
Today we're going to be planting some seeds and some seedlings.
So that way we can see how to best deal with each technique.
It's a good idea to go with a modern hybrid variety.
You're going to get a better yield and a bigger flavour from
your crop.
Winter's a great time to plant these crops,
because there's less chance of pests and disease.
This is all pretty easy, really.
First thing I'm going to do is add some vegetable mix
to our bed.
It's going to give our veggies a good start to life.
And when you do this, don't forget to wear a mask.
Now just make sure you mix this in really well.
Right.
Now for our seedlings.
I've chosen to go with some purple broccoli.
Something a little bit different,
and it crops multiple times during a season,
which makes it a winner.
And for our seeds, just some good old-fashioned carrots.
We're going to do our seedlings first.
Our broccolis need about 40, 50 centimetres each.
And they're going to take about 12 to 16 weeks till you
can harvest them.
Make some little holes just deep enough for the size
of that pot.
Give it a little squeeze.
Make it a bit easier to get out.
Really simple.
Pop it in the ground gently.
Move a bit of soil back around the base.
And just press firmly around it.
There, she's standing nice and tall.
Now the next one, like I said, about 40, 50 centimetres.
It does sound like a lot, but they do get quite big.
It's well worth it.
Just pop them out again.
Just be very gentle, they are seedlings,
so they're just a little bit delicate.
Now these are some really healthy looking seedlings.
You want them to have three to five leaves,
and not be too tall.
Now, I'll finish these rows, and then
let's get on to sowing some seeds.
Now the carrots, really easy.
Best to just make a little trench,
and just use your hand with a glove on.
It's only about five or six millimeters deep.
So it really is pretty shallow.
Just draw a little line, really, in your bed.
And you only need about 20 or 30 centimeters
in between each row.
So we'll do another one up here.
Make a little line.
No need for a trowel here.
Easy.
Take your gloves off, because this is a little bit delicate,
and seeds are going to be tiny.
Just pour a few onto your hand, there.
Just use your fingers to sprinkle them in the trench.
Don't worry too much about how many are going in.
You're going to be pulling some of them
out once they start to germinate anyway
to make room for the others.
Now something else that's worth keeping in mind,
to not plant all your veggies at once.
Stagger your crops, and that way you
don't end up with everything being ready at the same time.
Now the last thing we've got to do
is just give all these winter veggies a good watering in.
And after that, add a good layer of pea straw mulch.
It's going to help keep away the bugs and the weeds.
June through September is the right time
to be growing and harvesting your winter veggies.
They do best in sunny, sheltered spots, either in the ground,
or in a raised garden bed, which are really easy to make.
Stagger your planting so it's not all ready at once.
And plan your plot using our veggie planting guide,
which you can find on our web site.
Water your veggies regularly.
But with the winter rain, this is a bit easier
to stay on top of.
Along with your veggie mix, give them a good boost
with a liquid fertilizer.
Now winter takes care of most pests and disease,
but just watch out for slugs and snails.
And remember, you're eating these plants.
So it's important to check the instructions of any spray
or chemical that you're using.
And we're done.
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