PDC LESSON 6.2 CROPS – WHEN TO PLANT UNUSUAL VEGETABLES

PERMACULTURE COURSE AGRO-ECONOMY

PDC LESSON 6.2 CROPS – WHEN TO PLANT UNUSUAL VEGETABLES

 

There are also some rather unusual vegetables:

African horned cucumber- sow in spring

Peeled and sliced as thinly as possible. Cover with yoghurt and chopped mint. Puree for a cold summer soup.

Asparagus- can be planted from seed but growing from crowns will be faster. Plant in spring in trenches enriched with plenty of rotted cow manure and organic matter. Asparagus plants will last up to 20 years if regularly fertilised and kept weed-free.

Buckwheat- cover crop

Can be sown onto poor ground to make phosphorus more available- sow all year round but does best in the cooler time of the year.

Cape gooseberry- spring, perennial in our climate

Celeriac- plant the same as celery- mainly throughout the cooler months but can also be planted in spring.

Collard- very hardy but needs adequate moisture. Plant in autumn to spring. Eat the leaves fried in bacon fat.

Divider leeks- plant out from parent plants in March- April.

Ginger- plant in September to November and plant 5- 10cm deep.

Needs a very fertile soil with even soil moisture.

Horseradish- Plant in spring and harvest in the late autumn when the leaves die down. Plant will grow back the next spring if the garden is moist enough.

Kale is the ancestor of cabbage- plant late summer to autumn.

Buttered kale with sauteed garlic and lime juice.

Millet is a fast- growing annual summer grass. Grows well in poor soil. Use as a cover crop. Needs regular rain fall. Can be used as a fermented porridge.

Strawberries- plant after the runners have set in autumn to spring. Plant around garden areas and next to footpaths. Replant every 3 years to encourage berries to grow.

Sugar cane- is grown mainly for mulch. The black variety is very popular.

The sugar cane juice is very nutritious and makes a great snack for kids. Let them chew on the slivered cane stalks as a simple treat.

Vegetable spaghetti- is a squash variety. Plant in spring. Same requirements as for zuchinni.

Welsh bunching onions- grow by division. Sow in spring or divide any time. All season planting- beans, beetroot, herbs, lettuce - non- heartening varieties in summer, mustard and cress, radish, tomatoes except for frost.

Tropicals

 

Plant all topicals from spring onwards: Plant division-

Many perennials can be divided by root division. A lot of our Permaculture plants fall into this category and hence it is very easy to build up a good stock of planting material for your gardens.

    Text from the roots, Elisabeth Ferkonia (Aus.) PDC studied with Bill Mollison,