Lettuce seemed like the obvious starting point. We eat it constantly and everything you read suggests it’s one of the easier vegetables to get right. That part is true. What we didn’t account for was the bolting. A big first planting gave us more cos than we could eat, then nothing when the warm weather hit. Staggered plantings fixed it. That’s the approach this guide is built around.
Carrots were one of the first things I planted. Who doesnt want to pull a carrot out of the ground and it it like a rabbit? However, the soil in that first bed was nowhere near ready for them. What came up was edible, technically, but more like a carrot for dolls, or forked and stubby in the way that tells you the soil had other ideas.
I first planted beetroot when I was living in Tasmania. Half of them bolted before I had a chance to do anything with them. The other half came up beautifully, and we roasted them, making sure to enjoy every last piece. Here’s what I’ve worked out since, including what I got wrong.
I started hopeful with cabbages for the first month. Big leafy plants, filling out nicely, looking like the cover of a seed catalogue. Then the white cabbage moths arrived, and, after all that growing, the cabbage itself was the size of a golf ball, what a let down. This is what I know now that I didn’t know then.
Hot, humid, and unforgiving if you get the timing wrong. Summer means fast growth, heavy watering, and keeping a close eye on what the heat does to your soil. The right crops in the right beds make all the difference.
The garden finds its feet again in autumn. Temperatures drop just enough to make growing enjoyable, and the soil still has warmth from summer. It’s the season that rewards anyone who plants a little early and stays patient.
Cool nights, reliable rain, and a surprisingly productive patch if you plan for it. Winter is brassica season on the Mid North Coast, and the slower pace suits crops that bolt the moment summer shows up.
Everything wants to grow in spring, including the weeds. Get the beds ready early, watch the soil temperature, and don’t rush the warm-season crops before the last cold snap has actually passed.
