Saturday Morning With Jack Tame

Mid-autumn – weather going “backwards” – moisture back in the soil, shorter days, longer nights, but still good warmth in the soil, which helps seed germination and plant establishment.Perpetual spinach or silverbeet will feed you for most of the winter; beetroot is a good winter crop too as is carrots. If you are in a warmer zone: sow now while the warmth is still in that lovely, friable soil. If you are in a cooler climate zone it might pay to get some seedlings and take advantage of that head-start. (Not seedlings of carrots, of course, as they don’t really transplant well at all)This is my time to plant broccoli, spring onions seedlings and lettuce (Cos works well for me); To get that head-start I will buy seedlings and keep them in their containers for a few days, outside on the deck, to “harden them off”, before planting.That reduces the shock after transplant.Broad beans can be sown too. They’ll even germinate at close to 0˚C! Good vertical plants that take not too much space and will keep on providing