Since moving to Australia in 2000, I discovered early on that -at least in Queensland- you can pretty much just stick anything into the ground, and it’ll grow. Simply blissful!
Preparation
- Happy Soil – preparing your soil with minimal effort (Arjen’s method)
- Permaculture prep – Ten steps to an Organic Permaculture no-dig Garden
Vermiculture – Worms
Pests
I don’t use pesticides. I don’t think it’s a good idea to poison our surroundings, and potentially consume it. Fact is that healthy plants are less prone to pests, and various plants help protect against pests (like marigolds, which produce pyrethrum) or live in synergy with others to thrive (such as tomatoes and basil). And if a leaf gets eaten or a veg doesn’t look absolutely perfect, so what? It’ll still taste better than whatever you buy in regular shops, believe me.
Seeds
Seedlings
I walked into a garden center and asked if I could have some of their old seedling trays. Didn’t cost me a thing, both the little 4x and 8x trays and the bigger holders they sit on. They would’ve just been tossed out otherwise! Some break over time (it’s brittle plastic, particularly when exposed to sunlight) but I’m still using this original batch. I put the tray holders into a bigger container that has clips on the side, I use these to fasten a piece of shadecloth over the top. This is not just to keep out too much sun, but also birds and other interested critters. It’s just a cheap mini shadecloth greenhouse!
Crops
Yum! And don’t forget to save some seeds. You can always give away and swap with others.