Brix

Refractometer

What is Brix and Why it Matters

Brix (°Brix) is a measurement of the concentration of dissolved solids in plant sap or juice, mostly sugars, but also organic acids, minerals, amino acids and other soluble compounds.

It’s measured using a refractometer, which reads how much light bends as it passes through a drop of plant juice, giving a percentage of dissolved solids by weight.

Brix matters because it reflects how effectively a plant is functioning. Higher Brix readings generally indicate stronger photosynthesis, better nutrient density and greater overall plant vigour. For this reason, Brix is widely used in agriculture as a quality and harvest index, particularly in crops such as wine grapes.

When measured over time, Brix provides insight into plant health and performance. Stable or rising readings suggest efficient energy production and nutrient uptake, while declining readings can indicate stress before visual symptoms appear. This is why many growers now use Brix as a monitoring tool for plant stress and nutrient response rather than relying solely on appearance.

Soil Health and Why its Important to Brix

Soil health underpins Brix because it supports the processes that allow plants to produce and store sugars. Active soil biology makes nutrients plant-available, stable soil structure supports consistent root function, balanced nutrition supports sugar production and transport, and organic matter helps regulate moisture and nutrient flow.

When these systems are working together, plants are capable of higher Brix. Sugars produced through photosynthesis are exuded into the soil, feeding microbes that in turn release nutrients back to the plant. The process is circular and self-reinforcing.

It’s important to remember that Brix doesn’t increase simply because fertiliser was applied. When soil health is addressed first, fertiliser becomes supportive rather than corrective and higher Brix follows.

Because Brix reflects how well this whole system is functioning, it can be a useful guide for home gardeners. A rising Brix reading suggests the soil is functioning well, allowing roots to access nutrients and water consistently. That consistency supports steady photosynthesis and steady sugar production.

In commercial agriculture, however, Brix is rarely used in isolation. Growers often pair Brix testing with plant tissue analysis: Brix shows overall system performance, while tissue testing identifies which nutrients may be limiting. Agronomic research shows that fertiliser timing, soil moisture and overall nutrient balance all influence soluble solids in crops.

What Brix numbers mean

Brix values vary by crop, climate and genetics, but the following ranges provide a useful general guide.

Leaf sap Brix (plant health indicator):

• Below 6° — weak photosynthesis, high stress

• 6–9° — moderate health

• 9–12° — strong metabolic activity

• Above 12° — excellent performance and nutrient density

Fruit Brix (flavour and quality indicator):

• 8–10° — average or standard quality

• 11–13° — good quality

• 14–16° — excellent

• 17+° — exceptional, often seen in well-managed soils

Just to remember, these aren’t hard thresholds. Brix varies with environment and crop type, which is why commercial growers don’t rely on Brix alone. For home gardeners, however, it provides a valuable reference point for understanding plant performance and soil function.

What Seed Do I Buy

When we bought Trevallan nearly 24 years ago our experience with seeds was minimal.

My grandfather always reused his own seed and that was considered normal.

When we bought Trevallan we had three different seed companies in stock and within a few short months most of our complaints came about due to seed issues.

So started a research project into something entirely new for us, using customer recommendations and my grandfather as our test subject!

Very quickly we converted to Eden Seeds.

Very quickly our seed problems diminished and demand for seeds grew until now where we have the Great Seed Wall!

So what were our problems with some of the seeds we used to stock.

• Low germination rates (by experienced growers)

• What grew wasn’t exactly the same as what it was marked as

• Problems with growing past a certain point

• Major problem was not being able to collect seed reliably for future cropping. This was something my grandfather always did. It was very important

We discovered Eden Seeds. Eden Seeds states “aim is to distribute old traditional open pollinated varieties of vegetable seed, preferably old Australian varieties and organically or bio-dynamically grown where possible. We believe they are more nutritious and better tasting, hardy and easier to grow for the home gardener. Old varieties produce over an extended period. Home gardeners obtain relaxation, enjoyment and quality from a most rewarding hobby. Our seeds are the old traditional open pollinated non-hybrid varieties and have no chemical treatment, and no genetic engineering.”

This sounded great to me but first I needed to understand what that all meant!

Hybrid Seeds

Hybrid seeds are produced through careful pollination of two specific varieties by human intervention. Normally, this highly selective plant breeding is done to bring together two traits in each of the chosen varieties so that the resulting seed has both of the traits
An example may be a cabbage that grows huge but is susceptible to disease. A smaller-growing cabbage is very disease resistant. They combine the two and boom a large cabbage head that is disease resistant. Usually, you can’t reseed these plants as the seeds may not contain the characteristics of the hybrid plant.

Positive of Hybrid Seeds Hybrid seeds are believed to have better disease resistance and perform better in terms of more fruits, flowers and vegetables produced.

Negative of Hybrid Seeds Hybrid seeds tend to be more expensive to buy due to the specialized pollination process and the seeds you collect from them will not grow the same plant next year and, in some cases, have been bred so that no plant at all can grow from the seeds of a hybrid plant.

Non-Hybrid

Non-hybrid seeds, or open-pollination seeds, are naturally pollinated naturally (bird, insect, wind). They come in a wealth of different varieties and produce seeds that grow into plants with similar characteristics as the original plant. Over successive generations, non-hybrid plants may also adapt to local growing conditions, making them stronger plants, and ultimately less susceptible to local pests and disease.

Using non-hybrid seeds has another advantage: you’re helping preserve the biodiversity of our food supply. Many of the rarer “heirloom” and “heritage” seed varieties would be extinct were it not for the efforts of non-hybrid gardeners and farmers

Genetically modified organisms (GMO)

GMO seeds are produced by genetic engineering, altering the genetic material of an organism. This is different from hybrid seeds that are produced by cross-breeding of two varieties through artificial mating

 Organic vs Non Organic

You can buy Organic hybrid seeds and organic non hybrid seeds You can not buy organic GMO seeds. Many people tell me that they buy their fruit and vegetables organically so they just reseed their garden from that. You can buy hybrid organic vegetables and seed. This means while your seed is organic your vegetables may not regrow true to the plant you purchased.

Australian Organic Laws are very strict, always look for the Australian Organic Certification stamp when buying organic products. In Australia, the Australian Certified Organic (ACO) standards require organic seed producers to use organic practices and to undergo an annual certification process. The certification process for organic seeds involves ensuring the land is free from synthetic chemicals, using organic methods for seed production, and processing the seeds without synthetic chemicals.

No Chemical Treatment

Untreated seed is classed as ‘clean’ seed and has not been treated using any chemical, biological, or physical method. While untreated seed can be grown under organic conditions, the seed crop was not grown under Certified Organic Conditions. As the Certification process can be lengthy and costly many farmers choose the no chemical treatment option. Untreated seed is a popular alternative to organic seed.

Bio-dynamic

Bio-dynamic seed crops are grown in living soil within a diverse thriving ecosystem. Not a sterile environment such as under growing houses or single crop acres. Seed produced from this growing environment is bred to thrive in organic/bio-dynamic growing conditions.

Best Seed?

A lot of information to cover there but as you can see buying open pollinated, no chemical treatment, bio dynamic seeds is dare I say it ‘the best option’ for starting your thriving vegetable garden.

Eden Seeds

We have chosen Eden Seeds as they are a great Australian company with an ethos we align with. They stock both Organic and no chemical treatment, Bio dynamic seeds and we try to stock a good range of both. Our Great Wall of Seeds is constantly changing and evolving to supply you with not only the best seed but the best diversification so we all aren’t stuck growing just beans!

Choosing what seed to grow… Well that is another story!

How Do I choose what Seeds to Plant?

Me looking extremely perplexed about what to plant!

I remember reading my first ever Eden seeds catalogue. I think I had ever second seed variety highlighted. We were going to grow five different types of beans … I hate beans... I think I thought if I grew them, I’d eat them!

What I ended up with was a seed draw full of seeds, an over grown vegetable patch and too much produce all at once.

I’m a little bit wiser now, little bit!

I thought I’d share some of my vegetable gardening experiences with you so hopefully you don't make the same mistakes as me.

1. My first piece of advice is realising I am not Annette McFarlane, Claire Bickle, Jerry Colby-Williams or Jamie Oliver. Yes, I want to plant all the edibles but really am I going to cook, preserve and then eat all the edibles. Do I even have the space, time or know how?

2. Realisation, I do not enjoy cooking or preserving. Nor do I have the capacity to store a lot of those things.

   • I need to make sure I plant mainly what I can eat and cook with and maybe one different thing every season to broaden my horizons

   • Some of you think you want to cook and preserve but just make sure you’ve attempted this before or at least know what’s involved. Thinking you are going to be that person that makes a huge batch of tomato sauce or chutney, is a lot different to the person who is in a kitchen doing it all day long. I did this as a child with my grandmother and I hated it, as an adult I gave it another go and hated it.

   • I realised my passion was in eating not cooking! I now surround myself with a lot of happy chefs in my life that willing take the food I grow and magically turn it into yummy things in jars for me to eat!

3. I need to successive plant. Planting 12 lettuces isn't the best way forward for me. I’m not even sure I know 12 people to share 12 lettuces with. It’s better if I plant four lots of lettuce. Sowing some seeds every month so I have a continuous supply and not everything all at once. Unless you like lettuce soup!

4. To work out what to plant, I first work out what I eat a lot of. I then work what is really cheap at the stores when in season. For example we eat a lot of broccoli but by the time I get a good crop of broccoli, it's readily available at the shops and it’s a good price. Broccoli takes up a lot of space in the garden and can be hard to get a good crop so I leave that one for the professionals. On the other hand we eat a lot of tomatoes and they are never cheap, nor do they taste any good so that something I will definitely grow. Once I work out my basic favourite things to eat and grow I always like to throw something a little different into the mix. Maybe we love Silverbeet but instead of growing green silverbeet we grow rainbow silverbeet.

5. I always love to choose a vegetable that sounds yummy but I haven’t incorporated into my food before and grow that too just to see what it’s like.

6. Buy good quality non hybrid seeds or good quality established plants from known growers. Try really hard not to grow things from scraps.

7. If I’m really struggling with what to plant one season, I grow herbs. I can always use herbs, herbs are easy to grow and herbs are easy to share with friends.

8. Start small, then go big. Unless you have the time, energy and skills start small. There is nothing wrong with planting three edibles. There is nothing wrong with planting ten edibles. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you are doing it.

9. Finally my biggest piece of advice is don’t scrimp on soil. Soil is the key to a healthy garden. Buy the good soil, make the good soil. Have organic fertiliser on hand and use it. Healthy soils make plants thrive not just survive. Growing your own food can be so rewarding but follow the steps and get good advice.

Always remember There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments. – Janet Kilburn Phillips!

One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato

The first time I heard the words seed potato I imagined a packet of seeds looking somewhat like bean seeds! How wrong I was.  Seed Potatoes are what you use to grow potatoes and look like baby potatoes.  About 1kg of certified seed should produce about 10kgs of potato.

Woolworths sells potatoes for around $1kg sometimes, why am should I grow them myself?

Potatoes rank among the most contaminated with pesticides and fungicides. Twenty-nine pesticides are commonly used, and 79% of potatoes tested exceed safe levels of multiple pesticides (according to research done by FDA and USDA). Now I don't know about you but I used to use potatoes all the time in cooking. So this little piece of information didn't sit terribly well with me. If I started buying organic potatoes it would cost me upwards of $6kg. So growing potatoes seems like a good idea.

Why should I buy certified seed potato, why can’t I just plant the sprouts that grow from my potatoes from the grocery store?

Firstly potatoes are sprayed with growth inhibitors to stop them from sprouting in shops? This means that when they do finally sprout the growth may be inhibited. You may get weak growth, deformed growth or a plant more susceptible to insect and fungus attack.

Potato plants can carry many potato diseases: bacterial, viral, and fungal; and some of these are passed on through potato tubers. Plant viral infections are persistent and can not only affect your potato plants but your neighbourhood’s plants as well.  All plants in the potato family can be affected like tomatoes, eggplants and chillies. These diseases can also contaminate soil and make an area implantable.
Plant viral infections are persistent and can not only affect your potato plants but your neighbourhood’s plants as well. All plants in the potato family can be affected like tomatoes, eggplants and chillies. These diseases can also contaminate soil and make an area implantable. Remember the Great Famine? Caused by potato blight!

If using non certified seed potatoes the chance of having a disease outbreak is increased.  This is because the appearance of a growing potato crop, or the harvested tubers, is not a reliable guide to the pathogen level in the tubers. For example, late season viral infections may not be apparent until the next season’s crop is growing. So give your vegetable patch a little TLC and start with healthy certified seed.

The varieties of certified seed potato seem endless – Dutch Cream, Sebago, Pontiac and Desiree are just a few.  There are red ones, pink ones and even blue ones!  Some are good for boiling or mashing, some are better for baking and frying, there are even some that are perfect for microwaving! Some are all-rounders.  How you like your potatoes cooked is how you choose which variety to grow.

Some of my potatoes one year

Potatoes like a sunny well drained position.  It is best to plant them in rich fertile soil that has not had potatoes grown in for at least 3 years. Usually the best time to plant potatoes is 2-3 weeks before the last frost but we don't get a frost so I planted mine in July. The seed should have shoots of about 1cm long; this usually takes about 4 weeks, if seed was bought in May/June. Large seed can be cut into two, three or four. The cut surface should dry for a couple of days before planting. I don't do this as I don't have much success when I pre-cut the potatoes.

The principle for growing potatoes is the same whether you grow them in the ground or in pots.

Potatoes in the Ground

1.      Plant the certified seed potato in soil (I use great quality compost and some sugar cane mulch in it so it is lose and free draining) and as the potatoes

grow and start to show through the soil, I pile more soil up around them. Potatoes form on the surface, when you pile soil up onto of them continually it helps stops the potatoes from being exposed to light and going green. (Green potatoes can upset the stomach) This process also helps produce more potatoes.

2.      Harvest your potatoes when the lower leaves on the plants start to turn yellow. You can dig only what you need and to leave the other plants to grow on. If you want to dig and store your potatoes cut the tops off and allow 2-3 weeks before digging. I have had potato bushes that I harvested from continuously through the growing season and other plants I left and harvested all together. I found neither affected the ultimate outcome of the potatoes.

Dug potatoes should be kept in a cool dark spot.

Good luck and just think how amazed your friends will be when at your Summer pool party you have blue potato salad!

Some varieties of Potatoes Trevallan stocks

The last few years of increment weather around potato season has led to many varieties either being only available in small quantities or just not at all. This year we have a limited supply of Sebago, Dutch Cream and Desiree

BUY SEED POTATOES NOW

Sebago

A long to oval shaped all-rounder with white flesh and skin that’s common in supermarkets and green grocers around Australia. This potato is great for boiling, mash, roasting, baking, chips and mash.

Dutch Cream

Dutch Cream, from Holland, are perfect for frying or serving cold in a salad. Their creamy flavour means they are one of the few waxy varieties that work in a mash as well.

Nicola

Nicola have a low GI rating, with a yellow buttery flesh. They are a firm potato and will hold its shape after boiling, making it perfect for salads. They make a dense creamy mash and good roasted if you part boil; as this will make them crisp up easier.

Kennebec
An old-fashioned variety that has been in Australia for many years. It’s origin from the USA. Loves to be Baked, Roasted or Fried.  Have heard its great for the BBQ or pizzas. 

Desiree

Red-skinned, yellow flesh with a distinctive flavour. Originally bred in the Netherlands in 1962. Has great resistance to drought, and is fairly resistant to disease. Best used for roasting, baking, and boiling

Pontiac

A very reliable all-rounder with pink skin and white flesh. Great to boil, bake, roast, microwave and mash but not so suitable for frying.

Kipfler

A waxy, finger-shaped, knobbly potato with yellow skin and a light yellow flesh with a buttery nutty taste that is great boiled, steamed, in salads and roasted but not recommended for frying or chips.

Salad Rose

Features a red skin with yellow flesh. Salad Rose is excellent for salads, steaming, boiling, roasting and mashing. Very good for Soups and stews as it won't break apart once cooked.

Sapphire

Has unusual purple skin and flesh. Like all darker coloured veggies Sapphire is packed full of antioxidants. The colour is maintained even after cooking. Great all rounder potato, suitable for salads, boiling, mashing, roasting and chips.

BUY SEED POTATOES NOW

Going Potty

I always get asked what’s the best pot and potting mix to use.

For Pots, personally I love terracotta. It’s classic and classy.

Yes, terracotta is pourous but it also breathes and that is fantastic. No, I don’t seal the inside of my pots I love the aged look of terracotta.

I find when you have a 45°C everything drys out no matter what pot you use.

I personally don’t like decorative plastic pots. I have found in the past that plants root balls sweat in these pots and I get very ill looking plants in summer.

I always use Searles Garden Products Platinum Mix in my pots and I always mulch my pots. I fertilise them with Organic Link by Plant of Health Eco Friendly Fertilisers every three months. I try to liquid fertilise fortnight with Triple Boost but to be honest I do forget!

I love grouping pots together. The trick to this is always using the same colour.

So if you use terracotta, find terracotta pots in all different shapes and sizes. Same goes for glazed pots, try to find a similar colour but group all different sizes and styles together. I love the eclectic look but I’d rather the plants do the talking not the pots.

If you have all your plants still in the coloured plastic pots that you get your plants in, try changing them all to Black. Black plastic pots are available in every size imaginable, even huge! It’s a simple and cost effective way of making a statement.

Pots can be used in the garden or around the house. I love using pots in the garden, perfect for those spaces when I can’t dig due to roots or I need height but don’t want to put in a large plant.

I love that with pots you can constantly change your look just by having a little rearrange.

The Great Potting Mix Debate

So often customers come in and tell me their woeful potting mix stories. They tell me how they make their own with really bad quality products or worse how they use garden soil in pots .

I know I am lucky. I need potting mix, I just walk to the shelf, grab the best one and use it.

It hasn’t always been like that.

Years ago I lived away from Trevallan and there were many times I did some gardening and ran out of potting mix. I’d shoot up the street and buy whatever cheap stuff they had. It was just to finish off a job. I didn’t care.

Well I should have because that potting mix ruined my plants. For next six months or so I’d be watering and fertilising and wondering where the hell I went wrong and then I remembered the cheap potting mix. I spent more money trying to keep my plants alive than I would have spent with the expensive potting mix. I eventually repotted into the good stuff and everything grew beautifully.

There is a VAST difference in potting mixes and brands on market. The $2 bag is never ever going to be as good as the $16 unless you add $20 worth of product to it.

So always, always buy the superior product.

Companies spend millions of dollars researching potting mix and how to make it better for you. Trust they know what they are doing and use their superior brands.

If you want to make your own, excellent, make sure you research it well and always use superior products to make your own potting mix.

Garden soil is not for pots, EVER! It’s too heavy. It will either stay too wet and end up being a rotting gluggy mess or will go rock hard.

If your pots dry out too quickly try using a better quality mix and mulch and soil wetter regularly.

All my pots are mulched (I use sugar cane), it makes a huge difference to dry out rates. I also soil wet my pots every six months or so.

I personally use and recommend Searles Garden Products top potting mix - Platinum potting mix. Some of my customers find it keeps their plants too wet so they use the next potting mix down Professional potting mix.

Don’t cut any corners with soil. Soil is the starting point from where your plants grow and thrive

Planting edibles and flowers in POTS hot tips

• Use the best quality potting mix. If you have a favourite brand research and find that company’s best quality potting mix.

• Go big. Don’t muck around with 20 small pots. I know you’ve seen you can plant your chives into an old kettle but don’t do it. When doing edibles always start at 30cm or bigger. You can put your chives and basil and parsley in a one big pot but don’t go small. Firstly lots of Small pots looks ugly. Secondly too small pots dry out quicker.

• Fertilise with Organic Link, as soon as you pot. Yes, I know that bag of potting mix said 12 months feeding but it could have been sitting out in the hot weather for 12 months. So just fertilise with the best organic fertiliser you can get your hands on and then you know when it was fertilised last and you can then refeed in about three months time.

• Mulch, yes I mulch my pots. Yes it makes a huge difference. No it doesn’t matter what you use. Apart from stones. Stones are not mulch. Stones are decoration. Use sugarcane mulch or something else that will break down into the soil over time.

• Put in sun. Most edibles need at least 4 hours of sun

• Water as needed. Probably at least every second or third day. Maybe more as it gets warmer.

I hear you screaming in background but you have possums and wildlife and children that will wreck this potted garden on you. Solution and best ever invention. Buy a Vegepod

These pods come with their own wicking bed, irrigation system and wildlife cover. They are flamin’ fantastic.

The Autumn Vegetable Patch

The beginning of March is traditionally the time to plant our winter crops.

Sometimes this is not the case in SE QLD, Ipswich in particular! Every year is different but most years we can get March day time temperatures exceeding 35 degrees. In weather like this I wonder how anyone could seriously be thinking about planting cabbages!

We do get vegetable garden bored. We want to play yet we know it's to early.

There are a number of things you can be doing to get your vegetable patch up to scratch so when the ‘autumn' (cooler) weather starts you’ll be ready.

Most winter vegetables will grow better if the soil’s pH reading is quite high around 6.5. Your soil’s pH is a measure of its alkalinity or acidity and different plants thrive at different pH levels.

Before you add anything though, you should always measure your soil’s pH with a testing kit. Adding lime will increase your pH reading - making your soil more alkaline. Attempting to make your soil more acidic - a lower pH reading - is a lot more difficult.

Eden Seeds

If you need to add lime to your soil it might be too late for granulated lime to work. It can take months to break down. Eco-flo lime is a liquid concentrated form of lime and is very effective. Enriched with seaweed eco-flo lime is perfect for rapidly correcting acidic soils and boosting calcium levels in your soil. It is also registered organic.

Another thing to note is if your soil’s pH is great you may still want to add some Dolomite. Dolomite helps add calcium and magnesium back into your soil. These two trace elements are water soluble so are easily leeched out of your soil. Especailly after a lot of rain. Lack of calcium is the number one cause of blossom end rot, so even if your garden’s pH is around 6.5 I would still add some Dolomite.

Next make sure your vegetable garden is free of weeds and if you need to add more compost (we use Searles organic compost) or manure now is time to do it.

While it may be too hot or wet to be planting seedlings into the ground, it's a great time to be raising seeds.  Seeds are a great way to try different vegetables. The seed range is so extensive at Trevallan we have a “seed wall”. An added bonus of using seeds is you can stagger your crops so everything doesn't ripen at once.

Trevallan stocks Eden Seeds. Eden Seeds distributes old traditional open pollinated varieties of seeds, preferably old Australian varieties and organically or bio-dynamically grown where possible.

It is believed that these types of seeds grow plants that are more nutritious and better tasting, hardier and easier to grow for the home gardener. These older varieties also produce over an extended period of time.

When growing seeds it is best to use a seed raising mix. Some seeds require pre planting preparation, beetroot supposedly germinates quicker if soaked overnight. Some people also do the first water with a weak solution of liquid fertilizer.

As for what to plant your seeds into, there are a myriad of choices - plastic pots, folded up toilet rolls, egg cartons, old seedling trays.

Home Grown Eggplants and Capsicum

I find the trick to seeds is keeping them in part shade and a really LIGHT watering every day to every second day in hot weather. You want to keep them moist but not wet. Once the plant starts to grow I add a little Triple Boost Liquid fertiliser to my watering.

Once the weather cools down continuously it will be time to plant out all those seeds into your garden beds.

If you don't get the chance to raise your own seeds Trevallan stocks a great range of vegetables in seedlings. These seedlings won’t start arriving until about April as it’s still just too hot to plant. Some of your choices could be beetroot, broccoli, snow peas, strawberries, Asian greens, onions, leeks, cauliflower, spinach, rocket, coriander, kale and cabbage. Some people may also like to plant out peas, though I don’t know why… Yuk!

Don't forget we are now proud stockist's of VEGEPOD. Vegepods are an easy to manage contained raised gardening bed that has self-watering technology by using a wicking system. Plants can last weeks without watering in our Vegepods. They also have a Protective Cover that protects crops from UV and pests. We have two set up in the garden centre and for the first time in years we had a tomato crop in summer without fruit fly stings!

Once everything is planted out in your garden don't forget to give it some Organic Link and fortnightly applications of Triple Boost and Neem.

Happy gardening.

Vegetable Garden Checklist

✔ Choose a position that receives 5-6 hours sun per day.

✔ Remove the existing grass, plants, rubble.

✔ Add Organic Matter, water in well.

Organic Matter is compost, soil activator, animal manure, fertiliser manure pellets, blood and bone. If you have very clay soil add some liquid gypsum

✔Make sure ground is well tilled to at least 30cm, preferably 60cm.

✔ Choose vegetable seedlings that are appropriate for the season and Plant (roots side down 😉)!

Plant a diversity of flowers, herbs and vegetables so your garden attracts beneficial insects. Here is a great list of Cool Season Vegetables

✔After planting Water all in well with Triple Boost as this helps reduce transplant shock.

✔ Mulch with an organic mulch like sugarcane or lucerne. Water again.

Mulch helps to conserve soil moisture, suppress weeds, keep the soil an even temperature and stop erosion. If directly sowing seeds only use a very fine layer of mulch so as to not impede seed germination.

✔ Water regularly

✔ Fertilise with a combination of Triple Boost Fruit and Vegetable and Neem Liquid Fertiliser fortnightly .... Enjoy!

Winter Vegetables

Autumn. Warm Days, cool nights. Perfect for vegetable planting.

By now your vegetable patch has been freshly composted and manured. It’s just waiting for you to plant out. If you are having trouble with how to start off your vegetable patch, check out my Vegetable Patch Checklist

The basic cool season vegetables that I find grow well in most areas are –  broccoli, beetroot (my favourite), cabbage, cauliflower, leek, onions, shallots, silverbeet, spinach, snow peas, strawberries (my other favourite), peas, kale and rhubarb. 

If you don’t get a frost or you can cover your vegetables - beans, lettuce, capsicum and tomatoes can also be grown.

If you get really cold you can give brussels sprouts a go.

This is the basic vegetable range; there are so many different variations on these classic cooler weather vegetables.

In seedlings alone you can get about four different versions of broccoli. 

If you start using old fashioned open pollinated seeds, the list can be endless. 

If your vegetable patch consists of a variety of different sized pots don’t worry, there is a large range of dwarf vegetables available in seedlings and seeds. 

Leek, lettuce, capsicums, shallots, silverbeet, spinach, snow peas, strawberries, peas and rhubarb all grow well in pots without needing dwarf varieties.

The secret to growing any vegetables in pots follows the same principles as growing in the ground. 

Start with the best quality soil or potting mix, mulch with an organic material (I like organic sugar cane mulch that is free from weeds), fertilise with a complete organic slow release fertiliser and liquid fertilise fortnightly with a complete organic liquid fertiliser. 

I like using the Plant of Health range of fertilisers – Organic Link and Triple Boost and Searles' range of garden soil for gardens and potting mix - Platinum Potting Mix for pots

I find the cooler months are the best time for growing herbs.  Nearly all the herbs are available now. Herbs grow well in the garden or in pots and most herbs can be grouped together in pots to make mini herb gardens. 

The best thing about growing cool season vegetables is that it’s usually too cold for the pests to be out and about.  If you do get a few pests a pyrethrum based spray or one of the new organic sprays like eco oil or eco fend work well.  Mildew and mould is a common problem during wet winters - copper spray (some are considered organic) can be the best solution. 

I have heard that having pretend white butterflies in your vegetable patch not only looks pretty but helps deter moths. Jerry Coleby-Williams has also mentioned that Land Cress is a confirmed biocontrol. We stock Land cress in seeds and in plants. 

Remember though the healthier the soil, the healthier the plants and the less likely you are to get problems. Now get outside and get dirty!

Why you don't grow food from scraps!

I know the current trend is growing fruit and vegetables from scraps. However, I would never recommend growing anything from scraps or seeds from fruit and vegetables you buy from the shops. .

Why? Well, firstly, most of the fruit you buy from the shops, even if it is organic, has been hybridised. As a result, the seeds you put in may be nothing like the vegetable you took it out of.

Secondly, a lot of fruit and vegetables nowadays have seeds in them that are sterile, which means the seeds will not usually grow. If they do , it will only be for a short period of time and they’ll usually wither out and die before anything happens, or will be very prone to insects and disease.

Thirdly, and in my eyes the most important reason why you shouldn’t grow from your scraps, is some vegetables, like potato tubers, can carry many bacterial, viral, and fungal diseases. These bacterial, viral, and fungal diseases are easily passed onto other plants and as a result, can contaminate the soil and make an area implantable. The infections in potatoes can not only affect your potato plants, but also have an impact on all plants in the potato family, such as tomatoes, eggplants and chillies.

I don't believe planting from scraps saves me time or money, in fact, I honestly believe it costs me time and money. This is why I try to always use vegetable seeds that are non-hybrid and open pollinated, like Eden Seeds, and I ALWAYS buy new certified organic potato seed.

Trevallan Lifestyle Centre stocks a wide range of Eden Seeds, which are non-hybrid, old traditional, open pollinated varieties of seeds, with no chemical treatment or genetic modification.

The Dirty Dozen

I'm getting a little gardening bored. It's still too early to be planting my winter vegetables and my vegetable patch is cleaned, composted, mulched and waiting. My few gardens are fertilised, trimmed and waiting for cooler weather to start planting out more. My lawns are fertilised, soil wetted and weed killed - just waiting on rain to green them up. 

So what does one do when garden bored - they start dreaming big. I think I have about 40 seed packets of the things I'd like to grow this winter. 

So I may have gotten a little over excited. So how do I narrow it down? How do I decide what to plant in my vegetable patch each season or what fruit trees to grow? 

I came across an interesting article on the extremely high amounts of pesticide residue on frozen berries. The interesting thing was most of the residue found on the frozen berries were pesticides that are banned in Australia. This happens because most frozen berry companies get their berries from a variety of overseas sources. 

The old mind clogs started turning over and after a bit more research I discovered the 'Dirty Dozen' and the 'Clean Fifteen'. These are two lists released by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) each year.

EWG, a nonprofit organization that cites its mission as being to help “people live healthier lives in a healthier environment,” started compiling a list of fruits and vegetables that contain the highest amounts of pesticides in the mid-1990s.

The Dirty Dozen, a list of the fruits and vegetables likely to contain the highest amounts of pesticide residue. The Clean 15 is a list of fruits and vegetables least likely to contain pesticides. The EWG take into account how people typically wash and prepare produce - for example, apples were washed and bananas peeled before testing.

While the EWG’s list is based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Data Program, I still find it a great help in determining what to plant and over the years I have used the Dirty Dozen as a guide to what to plant each year. Over the years the list hasn't change much. So I do try to keep track of previous years as it's not like the big farms suddenly stop using pesticides its more like something just contains more pesticides than previous years. One vegetable that continuously goes on and off the list is potatoes. So I always try to grow my own potatoes. Most of vegetables and fruits mentioned can be grown in Ipswich in our vegetable gardens and orchards.

2021 saw the EWG release a special report on citrus fruits, which aren't represented in the Dirty Dozen, but have caught the attention of the organization for trending upward in trace amounts of pesticide recorded.

EWG'S DIRTY DOZEN FOR 2021

(number one being the most highest in pesticide residue)

1. Strawberries

2. Spinach

3. Kale / Collard and Mustard Greens

4. Nectarines

5. Apples

6. Grapes

7. Cherries

8. Peaches

9. Pears

10. Bell and Hot Peppers

11. Celery

12. Tomatoes

EWG'S CLEAN FIFTEEN FOR 2021

1. Avocados

2. Sweet corn

3. Pineapple

4. Onions

5. Papaya

6. Sweet peas (frozen)

7. Eggplant

8. Asparagus

9. Broccoli

10. Cabbage

11. Kiwi

12. Cauliflower

13. Mushrooms

14. Honeydew melon

15. Cantaloupes

Don't get gardening bored, plan big and include the 'Dirty Dozen' in your backyard. 

Is Green Manure just really Green Poo?

Wonderful blistering hot days, humidity that feels like we should be living in tropics, rain and winds that blow your roof off then cool days that make us wonder if that 45 degree day was just in our imagination. 

This is what it can feel like to live in Ipswich in the summer. 

How would you fare in this weather? Hot, bothered, quick tempered? 

 I know I've been struggling, the smallest things bother me. 

 If I had a vegetable patch right now, I know I'd be pulling most of it up. 

 If the heat didn't kill everything off, the humidity or insects probably would have. 

In years past when I have had a vegetable patch in summer I have suffered with burnt leaves, white mould all over my cucumbers, tomato blight and then to top it all off grubs in my fruit (from fruit fly stings).

Which is why now, at this time of year I always sow a summer green manure crop. 

Green manure crops are crops grown not to be harvested but instead to be incorporated into the soil before they reach maturity to contribute to the health of the soil. 

It is an old technique of soil management that seems to have been forgotten by many gardeners and farmers. I think it's because we are no longer aware of the proven benefits and cost effectiveness of green manure crops. 

Trevallan Lifestyle Centre stocks Eden Seeds, a seed company that only stocks old traditional open pollinated varieties of seed, preferably old Australian varieties and organically or bio-dynamically grown where possible.  Eden Seeds do a wonderful green manure seed pack that contains a mix of seeds suited to most climates.

Green manure crops contribute directly to the fertility of your vegetable patch through the supply of important plant nutrients. Legumes, for instance, supply nitrogen because their roots form an association with soil-borne bacteria that can transform nitrogen from the atmosphere into nitrogen compounds that can be used by plants. Isn't nature wonderful? It's also just saved you money as now you don't need to add as much fertiliser to your vegetable patch.

Green manure crops can also contribute indirectly to nutrient supply. Just the process of decomposition of the crop aids in making further nutrients available that are already present in the soil but in a form that cannot be used by plants.  After the plants have grown and you incorporate them back into the soil you are supplying vast amounts of organic matter that is usually supplied by organic mulches. Once again saving you money - no need to buy organic mulch. 

Drought resistance can also be improved as a lot of the crops are very deep rooted. Their roots can penetrate the subsoil and open it up. Next season's crops can also obtain plant nutrients from the subsoil once it is opened by deep rooted green manure crops.

 So this weekend get dirty and take out all your hot weather anger on your vegetable patch by pulling everything up and planting some green manure crops. Your winter vegetables will thank you.