Sowing Guide - Vegetable, Fruit and Herbs - Tasmania

The link below is a vegetable, herb and fruit planting guide for Tasmanian conditions. Because planting things out of season means poor crop returns, sowing guides are important.

Please inform us by the comment feature when you plant and what has worked for you. Also post a comment for plants we have missed off the list, include when to plant them.

Sowing Guide - Vegetable, Fruit and Herbs - Tasmania

Vegetables in January - What to do?

Vegetable sowing and associated new works for January are less than other months. This month is more about harvesting and maintaining existing crops. Our 77 tomatoes plants (Acton Smallholding), for example, are looking very promising. The vines are bursting with fruit. First harvest should be in a week or two. Care on these plants will mean keeping the watering even over the month of January. Without even watering tomatoes can develop split like scabs to the top of the fruit.

What new works can be starting in January? Two very important ones: Silver Beet and Swedes. January is the time to prepare the beds and sow for a winter and spring supply of these two vegetables. Personally I would not 'throw a party' for Swedes but Silver Beet I love.

Silver Beet Recipe:
Wrap a piece of cheese - 'coon' for example - in Silver Beet. Steam till the leaves wilt. Serve with Cape Grim Beef. The cheese melt surprise inside the silver beet has put the smile on many a child's face, including mine when mum served this to us as children.

Both Silver Beet and Swede will occupy the group for about six months. It is therefore important to have a well-prepared and manured soil. Doing so you should expect to provide food for the kitchen for half of the six months these plants will spend in the ground.

Gardening Australia - Vegie Guide

The best guide to what to plant when is the Gardening Australia - Vegie Guide

The Case for Garlic

Why grow garlic?

1. Garlic is in short supply globally and the costs have risen dramatically the past years. Prices above $30kg are common.
2. Garlic is fumigated with methyl bromide at entry to Australia for quarantine reasons
3. Imported garlic is often whitened by using chlorine or with a mixture of sulphur and wood ash. 
4. Imported garlic is often dosed with growth inhibitors. This not only extents shelf life but also stops sprouting while being shipped.
5. How can imported garlic be 'organic'?
6. In 2006 Australia produced 300 to 500 tonnes of garlic. Fresh garlic consumption stood around 3,500 tonnes that year. 
7. Garlic is good for the health.
8. Garlic makes food taste great!

Growing garlic in Tasmania

Plant in April harvest in December. Southern Harvest supply good quality garlic for planting. The also have some good tips for growing garlic.

What we've planted
August was when I came to understand garlic would be a good crop. My planting of about 30 plants was very late in the season. I reckon we will harvest in late January. Most of the crop will go to next seasons sowing. Plans are for large cultivation next year! 


...... garlic ..... do it !  ..... next year even bigger.

'Amish Deer Tongue'

Today planted 'Amish Deer Tongue' lettuce seed in open ground. This seed comes from the 'The Lost Seed' a purveyor of rare & heirloom seeds.