Grow Local Ill a Warra Edible Garden Guide

7/28/2019 Grow Local Ill a Warra Edible Garden Guide

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G O L C LI l w r a E i l G r e G i e


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AcknowledgementsA joint sustainability initiative by Wollongong, Shellharbour andKiama Councils, assisted by the NSW Government through itsEnvironmental Trust.

G W L CAL is a two part resource encouraging Illawarraresidents, schools, community groups and gardeners to createareas which celebrate the edible, and local native plants thatthrive in our region.

G W L CAL: Illawarra Edible Garden Guide has beendeveloped by Happy Earth in collaboration with projectstaff Van

essa John, Jedda Lemmon and many reviewers andcontributors from the partner Councils and beyond.

The project team would like to thank the inspiring foodgardeners of the Illawarra.

The Story of Happy EarthHappy Earth is the story of a Wollongong couple, ichardWalter and Alison Mellor, who are on an adventure in urbansustainability. Passionate about growing food in the suburbs,they have converted their lawn into a thriving food forest andtheir swimming pool into a veggie patch. After 3 years, theyregrowing 90% of their own fresh food. To follow their journeyvisit www.happyearth.com.au

Photography by Happy Earth , unless otherwise creditedbelow: Daniel Hopper : garden harvest (p3), soil (p15), veggiebeds (p19); Paul Hellier : cauli ower (p4), Zone 1 planting (p12)no dig garden (p21); Cringila Public School: Living Classroom(p5); Vanessa John : picking broccoli (p6), veggie seeds (p23),Harry in garden (p47); Lynne Kavanagh : building no dig bed

(p21); Johnny Alevras : Laneway garden (p10); John Marsh :balcony garden (p11); Caren Tayor : potted garden (p27);Emily Duncan : eating mulberries (p30); Greg Morgan : TheGarden (p32); Deborah Gough : Kiama Community Garden(p33); Aileen Gleeson : Cliff Ball (p34); Jedda Lemmon :Silverbeet (p47).

This guide is dedicated to the memory of Anders Bofeldt, atalented local botanist who inspired many to love the world ofplants, and was amongst the rst to introduce some unusualfruit trees to the Illawarra.

Source of Quotes Geoff Lawton (p4), www.permaculture.org.au; Michael Mobbs & Patterson Britton and Partners Pty Ltd(p6), Aussies Sustaining Australia: Showcasing SustainableDevelopments Leading the Change, 2006; Helen Cushing(p8), Beyond rganics, Gardening for the Future, 2005; PatColeby (p14), Natural Farming, 2004; Linda Woodrow (p17),The Permaculture Home Garden, 2007; Jamie liver (p18),Jamie at Home: Cook your way to the good life, 2007; AnnetteMcFarlane (p22), rganic Vegetable Growing, 2002; JadeWoodhouse (p30) Forest Gardening: Food Forests GorgeousFruit all year, 2003. Direct quotes received by Happy Earth fromresidents and community gardens in the Illawarra.

DesignBettina Kaiser art+designPrinted on Tudor, Australian 100% recycled paper

Copyright 2011 Happy Earth, Wollongong City Council, Shellharbour CityCouncil, Kiama Municipal Council and NSW Environmental Trust

This project has been assistedby the New South WalesGovernment through itsEnvironmental Trust

ILLAWA A BI DIVE SIT AND L CAL F D ST ATEG F CLIMATE CHANGE


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Why Grow an Edible Garden? .................................................... 4About this Guide ......................................................................... 5Edible Gardening ........................................................................6Knowing your Climate ................................................................ 8Garden Design Principles .........................................................10Soils ............................................................................................ 14Pest and Disease Management ................................................ 16The Vegetable and Herb Garden ............................................. 18A Flourishing Food Forest ......................................................... 24Fruit Pro les .............................................................................. 38Vegetable Pro les .....................................................................43Herb Pro les .............................................................................. 45Ideas for further Inspiration and Information .......................46

This resource has been prepared with a companion guide,GROW LOCAL: Illawarra Native Garden Guide. Together they provide a comprehensive introduction to sustainablegardening in our beautiful region.

G O L C LI l w r a E i l G r e G i e


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What draws you to creating an edible urbanfood garden? Is it the taste of fresh gardenproduce bursting with avour and health?Those positive feelings you get from knowingyoure helping our environment, or the senseof satisfaction that comes from sayingI grew those veggies myself, as you serve up

a delicious meal for your family or friends?Perhaps its about connecting yourself andyour children to the seasons and cycles ofnature, or strengthening links to your culturalheritage. Growing food builds community, andcan strengthen ties to your neighbours, schoolor interest group. Its also good for your hippocket and provides you with the security that

you can always put food on the table. Thereare just so many positive reasons for creatingedible food gardens!

All around the world today, a massivegrassroots movement of people are creating

healthier communities and a healthier planet,through sustainable food production.

Its all about supporting local farmers,community and backyard food growers,organic and community supported agriculture,farmers markets, the ethical treatment ofanimals, fair trade, food co-ops and seasonaleating. Its about sharing knowledge about

growing and preparingwholesome, healingfood and ensuringall peoplehave accessto healthy,culturallyappropriatefood.

W y G o a E i l G r e ? You can solve the problems o the world in a garden - Geoff Lawton


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A o t t i G i eThis guide is a small, yet importantcontribution to this growing sustainable food

movement. Its designed to share ideas andinspiration for growing food successfully inurban areas of the Illawarra.

eal life examples of Illawarra residents andcommunity groups growing good food inbackyards, schools and community gardensfeature throughout the guide. There arealso lots of gardening tips for beginners and

experienced gardeners alike.This guide is a companion for your favouritefood gardening book, providing informationspeci c to the Illawarra about what growswell here, how to design a veggie patch andfood forest for our local conditions and more.


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S s a n b e O g n c F oG r e i g P i o o hrganic, sustainable food gardens are createdand maintained with the long term health andwellbeing of people and the planet at heart.

At the core of organic gardening is buildinghealthy soil. Its about maximising the life inthe soil and allowing plants to source all theirnutrients from soils rich with organic matter,rather than from arti cial fertilisers. rganicgardening does not use synthetic poisons suchas herbicides and pesticides.

Sustainable gardening, like sustainable living,is about seeing ourselves, our homes and our

gardens as part of the natural world,part of local and global ecosystems. Itsabout exploring the stories behind whatcomes into our gardens, and what goesout, and thinking about how we canmake small positive changes, which haverippling effects far beyond our backfence.

In gardening sustainably, we need to thinkabout how we can leave the land in a better

condition than when we started working it.It helps to ask ourselves questions like:

E i l G r e i g

Most water and energy is used to grow

and transport ood.Thus i a house was todo nothing more than grow all its own ood,

it would save more pollution and use less

water than i it were sel su fcient or water and

energy. Michael Mobbs

Where do t he t h ings I bring in t o t he garden

(mulch, seeds, p lan t s, organic fe r t ilise rs,

build ing ma t e ria ls, t ools ) come from?

Can I source t hem loca ll y?

Can I source t hem second hand?

Can I crea t i vel y reuse un wan t ed ma t erials? Were t he y produced sus t a inabl y and

e th icall y?

W here will the water for the garden come from? Can I m ake my g arde n wa te r e f cien t ?

How can I co lle ct and u se ra inwa te r o r g reywate r?


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Gardening is very climate speci c. What growswell in the Illawarras warm temperate climatecan be very different to what grows well incool temperate or tropical regions of Australia.

The Illawarras climate is perfect for growingfood all year round, with a mild, coastal

climate and high rainfall. We dont getextreme seasonal variations with weeks offrost or snow, months without rain or

extended periods with temperaturesover 40 degrees, as many parts ofAustralia do.

But within the Illawarra thereare different micro-climates.

Temperatures are milder, andwinds generally stronger on theopen coastal plain compared to the

foothills of the escarpment. Suburbs

like Wombarra that hug the escarpment can becooler in the winter as they lose the afternoonsun very early. In low lying areas such as AlbionPark, there can be light winter frosts.

verall, rainfall throughout Illawarra is good,with the coastal plain receiving an average of1000mm - 1200mm annually. ainfall increasesthe closer and higher places are to theescarpment, reaching an average of 1800mm.Good rainfall can be unpredictable and occur

at any time of year, but tends to be higherfrom January to April.

As a coastal area, the Illawarra is fairly windy.Easterly sea breezes are strong in summer,along with cool southerly changes. North-westerly winds at this time can lead to veryhot, drying, summer days. In the winter andearly spring from June to September there are

often strong westerly winds that can gust toover 100km/h and cause damage to gardens,buildings and infrastructure.

K o i g y u C i a e The contribution o each garden to the wider environment should be as rich and positive aswe can help it to be. - Helen Cushing


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Statistics Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecTemperatureAverage maximum temperature (C) 25.6 25.6 24.5 22.5 20 17.6 17 18.3 20.3 22.1 22.9 25Highest temperature (C) 44.1 41.7 40.2 35.4 28.5 24.7 25.7 30.3 34.2 38.8 40.6 41.5Average minimum temperature (C) 17.9 18.2 16.7 14.2 11.8 9.5 8.3 8.8 10.6 12.6 14.4 16.5Lowest temperature (C) 9.6 10.3 9.1 5.1 3.1 2 0.8 2 3.3 4.7 5.4 8.3Ground Surface TemperatureAverage daily soil min. temperature (C) 15 15.5 13.8 11 8.4 6 4.6 4.8 6.8 9.3 11.6 13.6Rainfall

Average rainfall (mm) 130.3 156.4 160.4 129.3 106.4 112.4 63.4 83.3 67.4 100.5 115.6 94.6WindMaximum wind gust speed (km/h) 97 84 89 126 108 118 131 148 124 111 108 93

H s o i a c i a e d t t k n a t e U i e s t o W l o g n 1 7 - 0 8

Source: Bureau of Meteorology (www.bom.gov.au)

Many people are surprised that bananas,

paw paws, mangoes,avocados and many other tropical ruitsand vegetables can be

grown success ully inthe Illawarra.

Smells are memory triggers: resh-dug

carrots, or tomatoleaves, or sun-warmed

strawberr ies t ake meback to time spent with my parents and

grandparents in thei r gardens. Now I gardenwith my own children,and I love seeing thelook o joy and pride

on their aces whenthey pick somethingand bring it inside or dinner. Darren Collins,Jamberoo


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It can be tempting when youre feelinginspired to run out and source somefruit trees or veggies and pop theminto a convenient spot in the garden.But putting some time and thoughtinto designing a garden is a worthwhileinvestment. Gardens are constantlyevolving and your design will surelychange over time, but we all want tominimise those occasions where we startto think why on earth did I plant thatthere!?!Below are some important generalprinciples and questions that are goodto keep in mind when designing a foodgarden. Speci c design features for

veggie gardens and food forests are discussedin detail further on.

Creating a sketch of your garden plan thatconsiders all of the basic design elements isreally helpful. By moving elements of thegarden around on paper, you can work outhow everything can best t together.

G r e D s g P i c p e

Limit d Tim o Space t G ow F o ?In todays f ast -paced w orld , many of us fe el t ime poor.W h ile f ruit t rees and f ood f o rests take time to establish , they require much less maintenance than a v egg ie pa tch . Most v egg ies a re seasona l and need re gula r maintenance .If youre squeezed f o r t ime pe renn ial v egg ies and herbs w h ich g row a ll year round migh t be the answ e r like asparagus or rosemary.

As f or space, th ink cre a tiv e ly because f ood can be g row n anyw here! In your kit chen you can gro w sprou ts, w h ile under the house mushrooms w ill thriv e . If your gard en is qu ite shady, conside r plan t ing dw arf f ru it t rees o r v egg ies in po ts so they can be easily mov ed to sunny spots. If youre g row ing in pot s, remember to use quality o rgan ic po t t ing mix, w ate r regu larly and fe ed w ith compost and d iluted seaw eed . T here are also a number o f community gardens in the Illaw a rra w h ich prov ide a f an tast ic opportun ity to grow f ood w ith o the rs.

\ At the Port Kembla

Laneway Community Garden, we dont just grow ood, we grow

community. Johnny Alevras,

Port Kembla Laneway


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I e t f N e sPeoples needs and visions for growing a foodgarden vary. Its important to have an agreedpicture of what your garden will provide.Everyone involved in the garden should bepart of the design process.

It can help to make a list of all the things thatare most important to you in creating a foodgarden. Do you want a low maintenance

garden, or can you or fellow gardeners makethe time to manage a vibrant, large foodgarden? Do you want to grow most of yourown food, or just a handful of special things?

What other functions areimportant for you in the

garden, such as playspaces for children,outdoor entertainmentareas, habitat forwildlife or space for

pets?

S t A a y iEach garden site is different. Becoming familiarwith your site will help you decide how andwhere to place different parts of your ediblelandscape.

Some helpful questions to get a sense of thedifferent aspects of your site are:

Where does the sun rise and set throughout theyear? Where is it sunny in winter, shady in summer?

Where do strong winter winds and cooling summerbreezes come from? How does water enter and leave your site?

Where is the soil dry, wet or boggy?

What is the slope of the land? Is your site re prone?

How will your garden affect neighbouring buildingsand vegetation, and how do they affect your garden?

Are there powerlines, or underground pipes orcables to be aware of?

Balconies are per ect or growing perennial herb gardens.Karyn and I o ten cook

Asian or Indian meals so we typically grow galangal, lemongrass,Vietnamese mint,

ginger, turmeric, curry lea tree, perennial coriander, mints and chillis.... all in big pots.While youre at it, be

sure to grow a litt leextra or riends and community.

John Marsh andKaryn Ridgway,North Wollongong


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S n r y a d Z n nThe different elements in a well designedgarden interact in helpful and positive ways.For example, water hungry plants placed neara garden nursery will mop up any run off, andbene t from regular watering.

Synergy between design elementscan help to maximise ef ciency andenjoyment by minimising wasted time andenergy. Compost bins next to veggie bedsmake it convenient to harvest and spreadnished compost. Placing the veggie bedsnear your backdoor, rather than downnear the back fence, is a great incentive tograb something to add to your meal.

In urban landscape design, it can behelpful to consider some or all of thefollowing Zones:

Z n 1 This is t he area immedia t el y surrounding the main building (a house, a

shed, of ce, classroom ). I t s where you pu t t he

things you need to visi t almos t e ver y da y, and

w ill usuall y include vege t able gardens, worm

farms and compos t bins for ki t chen was t e.

Z n 2 This is the area that needs lessfrequent attention, and is great for elementssuch as perennial plants or your pumpkinpatch. Zone 2 is also the place for beehives,chooks or ducks and larger compostingsystems.

Z n 3 This is w here youd g ro w your fru i t fo res t , or pro vide grazing space fo r la rg

er

animals. Af t e r es t ablishmen t t heres fa irl y

minima l main t enance , o f t en need ing onl y

w eekl y visi t s.

Z n 4 Usually f urthest f rom the main build ing, th is Zone is w here you might he lp prov ide some hab ita t , f ea turing hardy loca l na t iv e p lants or na tu ra l bushland.

These easy pick lea y greens growing at the

back doorstep isa good example o

Zone 1 planting


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S w a i P r a u t r ?Permaculture is a concept for sustainable design thatoriginated in Australia in the 1970s from the work of BillMollison and David Holmgren. With a focus on mimickingnatural patterns and relationships, permacultureoffers a positive and practical framework for thinkingabout solutions to environmental, social and economicchallenges.

The permaculture approach to design includes thinking interms of Zones, so that elements are placed together in

relation to how often they need to be visited or used (andhow well they get along). Zones are a exible conceptdepending on whether its a school or a backyard or asmall acreage, but they can be useful in planning yourgarden.

fruit trees

watertank

veggie bed

veggie bed veggie bed

herb bed herb bed

deciduous grape coveredpergola

solarpanels

featurefruit tree

featurefruit tree

solar hotwater

passionfruit fence

water wise verge withnative grasses and ground covers

herbs and veggiesupport plants

Zone 1 Zone 2

chicken house

chicken forage plants

pumpkinpatch

b e

r r

y

p a t c

h

c l o

t h

e s

l i n e

bananacircle-

greywaterreuse

garage

d r i v e w a y

b e e h i v e s

veggie bed

pondchicken fence

c o m p o s t

b i n

g a r d e n s e a t

rotational chicken yard

deciduous fruit trees allows sunlight intochicken area and veggie garden in the winter

hot, drying,north-westerlysummer winds

large, denseevergreen fruit treesprotect garden fromwinter and summer

winds

afternoonwinter sun

large, denseevergreen fruit

trees protect fruitfrom winter andsummer sun

strong winterwesterlies

NEIGHBOUR

hot afternoonsummer sun

land slopesslightly downhill

cooling summernorth-easterly

breezes

north-east leftclear of trees andshrubs to allowcooling summerbreezes

warmingmorning winter

sun

small evergreen ordeciduous shrubsallow winter sunto home and

garden

NEIGHBOUR

hot morningsummer sun

large denseevergreen fruit

trees protect fromwind and summer

sun

STREETstrong cold southerlies (all year round)

strong, coldsouth-easterlies(all year round)

strong, coldsouth-westerlies(all year round)

NEIGHBOUR

Zone 3 Zone 4

Exa p e P o e t D s g

NORTH

fruit shrub

deciduousfruit tree


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Soils are amazing living ecosystems. Eachhandful of soil in an organic garden teemswith life. This incredible living system recyclesplant and other organic matter quickly andef ciently, eliminating impurities and creatingnutrient rich plant food.

Healthy soils have high levels of organic matter.rganic matter is anything that was once living,and it powers the billions of microbes workingin the soil. Microbes break down organic matterinto an amazing end product called humus.Humus is compost when its fully broken down.Humus holds nutrients and water like a sponge,working wonders in the garden. Healthy, livingsoil truly is your largest rainwater storage device!

Vibrant soils have a loamy structure thatallows water, plant roots and oxygen to enter

with ease. A good balance of minerals suchas calcium and magnesium is also vital foroptimal soil health. So before doing anythingelse in your garden, start with improving yoursoil. Get it healthy and vibrant, and then plantyour fruit trees and veggies. Learn all you canabout soil. ead about soil building, attend acompost or worm farming workshop run byyour local Council, invite your friends over andmake some compost tea! Get to know yoursoil and undertake some simple soil tests, many

of which you can do at home for no or littlecost, such as checking how long water takes todrain from a newly dug hole.

M n S i s S m A p o cNo matter what type of soil you are startingwith, whether its sandy or heavy with clay, thesoil improvement techniques are essentiallythe same. Focus on building up the soil acrossyour whole garden, but concentrate yourefforts in the veggie bed and immediatelyaround fruit trees rst.

S i s Soil is the oundation o li e. Its health determinesthe health o the plants and trees that grow in it,and they in turn determine the health o the animalsand the people who eat them and their ruits. - Pat Coleby


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emember to:

Increase the soils organic matter by adding naturalsoil conditioners such as well-aged animal manures,compost or worm castings.

Always cover exposed soil with organic mulch.This helps insulate soil biology from extremetemperatures, retains moisture, acts as a weedbarrier and adds more organic matter. In the veggiebed ideal mulches are from grassy plants, such assugar cane mulch. Around fruit trees you can usegrass based mulches, but broken down wood based

mulches such as wood chips are preferable. eplace areas of lawn with selected cover crops,herbs, shrubs and trees to improve soil structure,fertility and organic content. See the support plantssection of this booklet for more details.

Use natural liquid fertilisers and sprays such asworm juice, compost tea and liquid seaweed tobring extra nutrients to the soil and plants.

Minimise disturbing the soil by practising no dig orminimal till gardening.

Your garden soil is thekey to the health o

your edible plants and yoursel

P o e s o a S i T s i gIf youre really keen on assessing thestate of your soil, professional soil testsundertaken in a laboratory can assessthe level of different minerals in yoursoil. From this they can then adviseon the correct amounts of importantminerals like calcium and magnesiumyou can add to optimise the healthand structure of your soils.

If you are concerned about soilcontaminants, you may wish to sendaway some soil samples for testing.Some suburbs of the Illawarrahave a history of heavy industry orchemical agriculture and there may still becontaminants in the soils. emember evenif your soils do have some contaminants,you may still be able to grow veggiesin raised beds, or fruit trees which areunlikely to have heavy metals transferredinto the fruit.


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Theres nothing more disappointingthan seeing your veggies and fruittrees damaged or destroyed bygarden pests or diseases. While theresno magic bullet solution that willbanish all pests and diseases, there isa lot we can do to minimise problemsand maximise organic harvests.

Two key principles that help minimise theimpact of pests and diseases are healthy soilsand maximising biodiversity (the variety of life different plants, animals and environments).

H a t y S iHealthy soil makes healthy plants that are wellequipped to ght off pests and diseases, justlike how a person who enjoys healthy food ismore resistant to illness and disease. Check outthe previous section for further ideas about

building healthy soil.

B o i e s tNature is incredibly rich in biodiversity.

Diversity creates resilience and the ability toadapt to change. Sustainable organic gardensneed to be as rich in biodiversity as they canbe. This polyculture style of gardening isstarkly different to the monoculture styleof industrial agriculture, where just one typeof crop is grown for acres and acres. As wellas being more sustainable and resistant to

devastation from a single pest, polyculturegardens are more productive per acre thanmonocultures over the long term.

A biodiverse garden has different layers ofvegetation, with trees, shrubs, vines andground covers, as well as sources of water.This encourages animals that help reduce pestproblems like small birds, lizards, frogs and

predatory insects like dragon ies and prayingmantises.

P s a d D s a e M n g m n

Planting cabbagesduring the winter

helps to reduce the problem o attack

rom cabbage whitebutter y caterpillars.So can attracting small

native birds to your garden, who just love

caterpillars!


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Manually remove pests such as caterpillars

or provide physical barriers such as exclusionbags over fruit y susceptible fruits like largetomatoes.

Gardening isa way about doing

something signifcant about the greenhousee ect, soil degradation,the ozone laye r,ossil uel depletion,

genet ic diversi ty,wilderness preservation,recycling, just about everything. Linda Woodrow

A vo id using an y s yn t he t ic chemica l spra ys.

And remember, e ven organic sp ra ys like

garlic or ch illi sp ra ys harm bene cia l insec t s

like bees and lad ybee t les a s much as t he y

harm pes t s.

Select trees and veggies that are suited toour local conditions. Trees which are reallytropical will struggle in the cooler monthsof our region, and be vulnerable to disease.In the Illawarra, fruit y is a well establishedpest. Plants highly vulnerable to fruit yinfestations such as peaches, nectarines,and large tomatoes are best avoided in a

low maintenance organic garden. Swappingseeds and plant material with local gardenerscan help you get plant stock thats welladapted to our local conditions.

Plan t veggies a t t he bes t t ime o f year t o

a void peak periods o f pes ts. For example ,

cabbage , b rocco li, cau li o w er and o t he r

veggies o f t h is famil y a re be t t e r p lan t ed

in t he cooler mon t hs w hen t here a re less

cabbage w hi t e bu t t e r ies around.

Choose open pollina ted herit age and he irloom v ege tab les ov er modern hybrids as they tend to be more re silien t in small sca le o rgan ic v eggie gardens.

In t egra te ch icken s, du cks and o th e r su it ab le an imals in to your ed ib le ga rden to h e lp co n t ro l ga rden pests.

o t a t e veggies of t he same famil y t o

d iffe ren t par t s of t he veggie bed t o break

t he pes t and disease c ycle in t he soil.

Plan t co mpan ion p lan t s tha t bene t each o the r tog e th e r, such as basil and tom atoe s.

Har ves t fru i t s some w ha t earl y if t he y w ill

con t inue t o ripen a f t e r p icking (such as

t oma t oes and persimmons ). This is a good

s t ra t eg y if b irds a re t ough compe t i t ion for

your ripe fru i t s.

Encourage lizards b y pro viding rockeries and

o t her habi t a t in sunn y areas, as t he y w il

l

he lp t o con t ro l sna ils and slugs na t ura ll y

.


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Home grown organic produce picked freshfrom the garden is just bursting with nutrientsand avour. It is worlds apart from thechemically grown supermarket produce - thinkof the difference between home grown andconventional tomatoes. Growing your own canbe a great money saver, especially for herbswhich can be quite expensive to buy but soeasy to grow.

Growing your own veggies and herbs canenliven your dinner plate with colourful foodsyou may have never seen before like purpleor white carrots, rainbow silverbeet or yellowcherry tomatoes.

Veggies and herbs can be grown justabout anywhere in pots on balconies orwindowsills, in raised beds on top of concrete,in frontyards and backyards, at communitycentres, in school yards and communitygardens.

Theres so much to gain from greening oursuburbs with food!

T e V g t b e a d H r G r e Like most people these days, witha busy amily li e and a hectic working

schedule, I began to struggle with fndinga balance between the two. I seem tohave evened things up a bit now, and itsall thanks to my veg garden, believe it or not. I love spending the odd hour out there, as it really relaxes me. You might think I sound like a complete hippy now,but growing my own veg or these past ew years has flled me with such pride,

pleasure and passion.

Jamie Oliver

Zucchini Cherry Tomato

Parsley

Silverbeet Green Beans

Lettuce Cabbage

Basil

Potato Garlic

T p 1 V g i s & H r s


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D s gA well designed veggie patch is all aboutproviding fresh organic veggies and herbsyear round with minimal work. In addition tothe general garden design principles coveredearlier in this guide, below are some speci cdesign principles to keep in mind whenplanning a veggie and herb garden.

P s t o i gVeggies and herbs love sun. They need to bepositioned where they can get at least six hoursof sun a day year round. Theyre best locatedclose to the house (Zone 1) where you can checkon them regularly. An area protected fromwesterly and southerly winds is ideal.

Its best to keep your veggie beds away fromtrees, as they can cast too much shade and

leach nutrients and water from the beds. As arough guide, beds should be at least the samedistance away from a tree as it is tall so if atree is three metres tall, it should be at leastthree metres away from the veggie beds.

S a e a d S zThe shape of veggie beds isnt important

and they can be created to best t yourspace. What is important is that the shapeof the veggie beds allows you to plant andharvest without stepping on the beds andcompacting the soil. aised veggie beds(such as those made from old water tanks)are another option that works especiallywell for people with limited mobility.

emember to also think up, especiallywith small gardens. Making the mostof vertical space by creating trellises orlayers of pots can really help increase yourgardens productivity.

As for the size, the only limit is your spaceand creativity. The amount of produce yourveggie beds provide will depend on how much

time and effort you put in to building the soil,planting, watering and harvesting. As a guide,fty square metres of well cared for veggiebeds, could provide a family of four most of itsveggies and herbs year round.

Narrow veggie bedsmean everything iswithin easy reach, and theres no need to tread on and compact the soil.


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However modest or grand your design,remember to start small and implement yourdesign in achievable stages.

E c e cDesign your garden so that its easy andconvenient for you to undertake gardeningtasks. Its surprising how much more effortand time it takes to garden if your veggiepatch is tucked right down the back of yourblock rather than at the back door. Installing

automatic underground drip irrigation or anautomatic watering system for your plantnursery can be huge time savers.

D v r i yDesign diversity not only into what you plantin your veggie and herb beds, but the areaaround the veggie beds. Having a food forestgarden, or local native garden rather than

lawn will provide habitat for bene cial insectsand small birds, add colour and of course if itsa food forest, provide you with lots of fruit!

C n t u t oEvery garden is different, and how to best goabout constructing your veggie garden willlargely depend on the type and size of gardenyoure creating. Either way, its important torst think about how you can build up the soil,and break down the construction process intosmall, achievable tasks. Inviting some friendsaround for a working bee and providing adelicious lunch afterwards is a helpful way to

kick start the construction process.

T r i g L w s i t L n hIf youre starting your veggie patch on yourlawn, a great organic technique to use is no-dig gardening. This technique is much betterthan just trying to rip out the grass, break upthe soil with a shovel and start planting. Thesoil is usually quite poor underneath grass, andits a common mistake to try and just turn overthe grass and plant straight into the soil.

Allowing some veggiesand herbs to ower,

and including local native owering plants,

will attract all sorts o benefcial insects into

your ood garden.


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M i t n n e Gardens dont appear overnight. Do not be in

too much o a hurry to put in permanent pathsand edges. The best design solutions o ten take

place a ter much contemplation. Annette McFarlane

Veggie gardens are always changing throughthe seasons. They need regularattention to thrive. Ideally you shouldvisit your beds brie y each day, and

dedicate at least an hour every weekfor maintenance (more in summerand less in winter). The bigger thebeds you create and the more veggiesand herbs you grow, the more time isneeded.

Below are some key points to keep in mindwhen maintaining your veggie and herb beds.

S w a d P a t a t e R g t T mMany veggies and herbs need particularconditions to thrive, and knowing what to

plant when cansave you a lotof time and disappointment.For example if you try to grow basil orcapsicum in the winter, the soil temperature istoo cold for seeds to germinate and grow.

P a t n f r C n i u l H r e tIn the Illawarra were lucky to be able to growveggies all year round. By staggering plantingand putting in new seedlings every two weeks,

you can ensure you have food year round,and not a feast followed by famine! Plantingdifferent varieties of the same type of plantcan also help ensure your harvests dont allcome at once.

C o R t t oChange the spot where you grow crops of thesame family (see veggie tables at the back

of this guide) to help break pest and diseasecycles in the soil. otating crops can alsoensure the same nutrients arent always beingdrawn from the soil.

At Dapto Community Farm, people hire plots

to grow organic veggies.

At the back of th is gu ide there is a handy tab le fo r he rbs and v egg ies that g row w e ll in the Illaw arra . It det ails the best t ime f o r sow ing seeds, p lan t ing and harv est ing and othe r in f o rm at ion about how to make your v eggies th riv e .


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B i d n t e S iegularly replenish or build up the soil

by adding compost, worm castings, liquidseaweed and mulch. Try to always havesomething growing in the beds it keeps thesoil microbes active and the weeds out. oucan rest and revitalise an area for a season byplanting a cover crop or green manure.

M l h nThe soil microbes and worms busily workingaway building your soils are sensitive folk thatdont like the sun. Always keep them and yoursoil covered with mulch bare soil is dead soil.Mulches rich in sugars such as sugar cane aregreat for veggie beds.

S v n S eLetting some of your best performing veggies

go to seed can save you a lot of money buyingplants. It also allows your plants to evolveand become suited to your local conditions.If you let some veggies go to seed in the

garden, youll often get thempopping up here and thereas volunteers. By collectingseeds, drying and savingthem, you can propagatethem next season or sharethem with fellow gardeners.

H r e t nThis is of course the funpart! Be diligent checking

what needs to be harvested its amazing how a zucchini can turn intoa marrow if you forget to check on it for acouple of days. Learn a bit about your plantsso you know how to store, preserve, pickle ordehydrate them in a way that ensures you getthe most out of your garden harvests. Locallibraries are great places to look for booksabout pickling, preserving and drying herbs.

Saving your own seedshelps conserve locally adapted varieties and

genetic diversity


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So what is a food forest? Well itsliterally a forest of food with incrediblediversity and layers of different ediblevegetation - ground covers, shrubs,trees, vines and perhaps even water-loving plants growing in ponds. Foodforests are earth friendly, people friendlyplaces that just buzz with life. Theyrevery different to a garden of lonely fruittrees surrounded by grass.

Food forest gardening is the mostsustainable, easiest and fun way to growfood. They produce abundant harvests

year round and create habitat for creaturesfrom the tiniest soil microbes to birds nestingin the trees. They are places that lift the spirit.Many people feel they dont have the spaceto build food forests, but small food forestscan thrive in small backyards and the tiniest

of courtyards. Even on balconies and rooftopsyou can grow a mini food forest only yourimagination is the limit!

Exo i F u tGrowing your own fruit trees can open you

up to an amazing range of exotic fruitsthat you will never nd on the supermarketshelves.

Enjoy the sweet custard avour ofcherimoyas that will have kids forgettingabout lollies, amaze your friends with thecolour and textureof black sapote(the chocolatepudding fruit),and delight inhandfuls of tangyBrazilian cherries.

A F o r s i g F o F r s

You need to duck hanging ruit as you

wander along the small path that winds through

a diverse subtropical ood orest, ramed

by native windbreaksand dotted with metal

sculptures and colour ul mosaics.

North WollongongCommunity Garden

Group


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D s gIn addition to the general garden design

principles covered earlier in this guide, below aresome speci c design principles that are helpful tokeep in mind when designing a food forest.

M m c N t rFood forests are designed to mimic nature andin doing so help reduce the time and effortrequired by us. Working with the principlesof nature is much easier than working againstthem!

In nature, the soil is never bare and its rare tohave one kind of plant dominant over a largearea like large expanses of lawn. In creatinga food forest the aim is to minimise areas oflawn and bare earth by planting out a diversityof plants including ground covers. This alsohelps out-compete any weeds.

There is no waste in nature. In designing yourfood forest garden, think about how you canturn wastes from nearby houses or buildings

such as greywater andfood scraps into valuableresources for your foodforest. ather than shippingprunings and unwantedplant material off yourproperty in your greenwastebin, turn them into mulchor compost and help build up your soils overtime, just like what happens in nature.

L y r nA key feature of food forest gardens is havinglayers of different kinds of vegetation. Aconventional yard might only have a singlelayer of grass and then one additionallayer with a few trees 34 metres high. Incomparison, a food forest will have a diverserange of ground covers, shrubs, vines, smalltrees, and tall trees, creating a garden richwith different vegetation levels. By increasingthe layers in a garden, you can dramaticallyincrease the variety and amount of foodavailable for harvesting.

I ound a ew citrus trees were

great to plant downthe side o my housewhere space islimited. Im thrilled we get so muchruit o these trees

considering they only receive morning sun.They taste so muchbetter than the ruit

you can buy rom the shops. Carol Mellor,Unanderra


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W t rAlthough in the Illawarra wegenerally have relatively goodrainfall, there will be timeswhen you need to water yourfood forest, especially in the rst

year or two. With some smartdesign features, you can minimise

the amount of time and effort youneed to spend watering. Group plants

together that have similar water requirements.For example, grow moisture loving bananasand paw paws close to each other and near asource of water such as grey-water from the

laundry, or run off from a roof.

In areas that are drier (e.g. topof the hill) group droughttolerant fruit trees like olives and

mulberries together. n slopes, diggingswales, which are essentially trenches

dug horizontally across the slope, canhelp capture and absorb water that would

otherwise ow off the land during heavyrain. Underground drip irrigation systemshooked up to your water tank can save youtime watering. emember healthy soil is yourbiggest rainwater tank.

T e R g t P a ti t e R g t P a eSo what fruit trees do you select for your foodforest? And where exactly do you plant them?Choosing a fruit tree thats not suited to our

climate and local conditions (which includesthe presence of serious pests like fruit y)means it will be high maintenance, performpoorly or worse wither and die on you.Similarly, a fruit tree well suited to our areabut planted in the wrong place (too wet, toodry, too windy etc) will be prone to disease anddisappointing harvests. It might even cause ahost of other problems such as shading othertrees, blowing over in strong winds or blockingsolar access to your house.


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To minimise the time and effort you spendcreating your food forest, it makes senseto carefully position each plant based ontheir individual needs. This means you needto learn about each plant what are theirrequirements for sun, water and fertility? Arethey tolerant of strong winds? How tall dothey grow? At the back of this guide there arehandy tables detailing a range of fruit treeswhich will grow well in the Illawarra.They also detail each trees needs and

characteristics, so you know what conditionsthey need to thrive.

In the Illawarra, fruit trees can be planted withcare at any time of the year. However autumnis the best time of year to plant evergreentrees, while winter is best to plant deciduoustrees. If youre planting trees in the summer,youll need to be particularly vigilant at

ensuring they receive adequate water whilethe roots establish.

G af t d v r u S e ling T e sMany f ru it t rees f or sa le in p lan t nurseries a re graf ted . Graf t ing inv olv es t aking a branch f rom a f ru it t ree tha t p roduces grea t crops, and lite ra lly st icking it onto the main st em of another simila r t ree , know n as the root stock. It s an amazing quirk of na tu re tha t the t issues of the branch and the root stock w ill jo in and tw o t rees w ill become one .

Graf ted t rees hav e many adv antages. T hey allow you to be sure about the characterist ics of the t ree the quality of the f ru it , how ta ll it w ill g row and w ha t cond it ions it likes. W hen you g row a f ru it t ree f rom seed, genet ics a re a t p lay, and you cant a lw ays be su re o f the characterist ics o f the new t ree . Graf t ed f ru it t rees w ill of ten f ru it qu icke r than seedling t rees. As an example , an av ocado grow n f rom seed may take v e or more years to f ru it , but a gra f ted av ocado can f ru it w ith in a couple of years.

Living in a rental property with a small backyard hasnever stopped merom growing and

gardening. In act my secre t li ttle courtyard garden has provided

the per ect canvasto create layers and to add splashes o colour with interestingthings growing out o di erent types o pots,baskets, wheelbarrowsand watering cans. I love to grow plants I can eat and use in thekitchen as it creates anever changing gardenthat grows, is harvested and replaced by reshnew plants. Caren Taylor,Fairy Meadow


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nce you have your design completed, its timeto think about turning your vision into reality.There are many different ways to create a foodforest garden. Its helpful to implement your

design in stages, breaking it down into small,achievable tasks. emember food forests cometo life over time.

C e t n a F o F r s G r e

1. Starting a ood orest garden begins

with sowing benefcial grounds covers like

clover and pintos peanut.

2. The beginnings o a ood orest. Citrus

trees are planted amongst benefcial

cover crops and young support trees.

3. The same sitea ew years on shows

the various layers o vegetation in a maturing

ood orest.

1 2 3


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E o u i n o a F o F r sYoung, Establishing Food Forest (~2 years)

Mature Food Forest (~10 years)

Main fruit trees - pruned to a manageableheight

Support trees - removed as main fruit treesneed their space

& Shrubs and Herbs - shaded out except onpath edges

Ground covers - mulch or shade tolerant e.g.pinto peanut

Climbers e.g. passionfruit along fence line

4 4 5 5 4 4 5 4 5 5 4

3

333

3

3

22 11

4 5 5 5

33

1

1

4

Main fruit or nut trees e.g. citrus, macadamia

Support trees e.g. sickle wattle, bleeding heart

Shrubs e.g. golden tip, blueberry, galangal

Herbs e.g. comfrey, parsley, tumeric

Ground covers e.g. sweet potato, clover,strawberries

Climbers e.g. passionfruit along fence line

1

2

3

4

5

66

6

1

2

3 4

5

6

4 m

m a x

4 m

m a x


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S p o t P a tIn creating a food forest, theres

a really important role played bysupport plants. Support plantsare the herbs, groundcovers,

shrubs and trees that are plantedat the beginning stage of the food

forest. Theyre often not edible,but work to support the growth and

development of your edible plants. Theyregenerally hardy and very fast growing. As yourfood forest matures, many of these supportplants will be replaced or shaded out as themain fruit trees grow in size and create aclosed canopy.

Support plants are essential for:

Every fruit tree should be inter-planted with

support trees and shrubs, and surrounded bya carpet of helpful ground covers and herbs.This is fruit tree heaven compared to beingsurrounded by lawn, which is very competitivewith fruit trees. Some great support plants togrow in food forest gardens in the Illawarraare listed in the table on p31. In general,support plants can be planted with any ediblefruit tree, vine or shrub.

S il Impro veme t aera t ing and res t ruc t u ring t he soil, bringing up miner

a ls

from deep do w n in t he so il t ha t a re inaccessib le t o mos t p lan t s, xing ni t rog

en

and adding carbon t o t he soil.

P o e t o protecting plants and soil fromstrong winds, heavy rain and excessive sun.

Hab tat p ro vid ing food and she l t e r for w ild life , including bene cia l in sec t s and

animals.

F o for soil biology, chooks, wildlife andsometimes even us!

Backyard, small acreage ood orest

gardening is the gardening method

o the uture or theuture.

- Jade Woodhouse


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SHRUBS FunctionGolden Tip Goodia loti oliaIndigofera Indigo era australisPineapple Sage Salvia elegansPigeon Pea Cajanus cajanHERBS & GRASSES FunctionAlyssum Lobularia maritimaCalendula Calendula o icinalisComfrey Symphytum o icinale

Citronellas Grass Cymbopogon nardus

Dandelion Taraxacum o icinaleDill Anethum graveolensLemongrass cymbopogon citratus

Parsley Petroselinum crispumVetiver Grass Vetiveria zizanioidesYarrow Achillea mille olium

R c m e d d S p o t P a t f r I l w r a F o F r s s

GROUND COVERS FunctionBarrel Medic Medicago truncatula

Native Geranium Geranium homeanumLucerne Medicago sativaNasturtium Tropaeolum majusPinto Peanut Arachis pintoi

Red Clover Tri olium pratenseSweet Potato Ipomoea batatasWhite Clover Tri olium repensWynns Cassia Cassia rotundi oliaTREES FunctionBleeding Heart Homalanthus populi oliusSickle Wattle Acacia alcataSydney Golden Wattle

Acacia longi oliaTrema Trema tomentosaNative Hibiscus Hibiscus heterophyllus

I m p r o v e s S o i l

P r o t e c t i o n

H a b i t a t

E d i b l e Common/Botanical Name

N a t i v e

I m p r o v e s S o i l

P r o t e c t i o n

H a b i t a t

E d i b l e Common/Botanical Name

N a t i v e

Local natives like thisbleeding heart can beattractive and use ul

support plants.


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B i d n f o t e G o n UMany urban food forests are

established from what was acarpet of grass, with only a fewtrees scattered here and there. Besure to check your local Councilregulations before undertakingearthworks, altering or removingany structures, pruning orremoving existing trees. Tree

management or preservation policies regulatethe pruning or removal of trees, although fruittrees are often exempt.

Heres a successful recipe for creating foodforests in the Illawarra increase the diversityof groundcovers and herbs rst, then plantshrubs and then nally trees and some vines.This is quite a different strategy to the idea ofplanting fruit trees in a yard full of grass, butthere are many bene ts to this new approach.

The following series of actions implementedover time, has worked successfully to createfood forests in the Illawarra:

For small areas or garden edges rstly cutthe grass short, then smother it by sheetmulching with a layer of wet newspaper8-10 sheets thick. For larger areas, hire aturf cutter and turf cut the grass, then ipeach patch of grass upside down.

Next spread a thin layer of garden soil,or even better compost on top, and seedwith green manure crops such as lucerneor clover, which are fast growing nitrogenxing ground covers. Alternatively, mulchthe soil with grass clippings, hay, tree mulchor whatever you can nd! Beware of usingmaterial which may contain weed seeds.

Working off your garden design, mark outwhere your fruit trees will go and plant them.

In between the fruit trees plantout support groundcovers (e.g. pintospeanut, sweet potato, nasturtium), thenshrubs (e.g. golden tip, pigeon pea),and trees (e.g. wattles, bleeding hearts).

There are a coreo seven dedicated volunteers and an

itinerant group o morethan 30 volunteers

who work together on regular events and

gatherings such asworking bees, daylight

saving evenings, ruit & veggie swaps and

permaculture and organic gardening

workshops. North WollongongCommunity

Garden Group


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S u c n P a tnce youve decided on your garden design,

its time to start sourcing your plants. Somegood places to start searching include:

our loca l p lan t nurser y. If you can t nd

w ha t youre a f t e r on t he she l ves, ask if t he y

can order i t in for you.

Community gardens sometimes have plantstock to sell or trade (check the resourcessection at the end of the guide forcommunity garden details).

Local seed saver networks and gardening/ growers clubs (search on-line for Illawarra

clubs).Local market p lant st a lls.

Local food gardeners - often cuttings andseed are shared from one gardener toanother.

Search ing on the In te rne t f o r topics like organic seeds o r subt rop ica l f ru it t rees w ill bring up some grea t Austra lian companies tha t se ll p lants and seeds tha t can be hard to t rack dow n e lsew he re . Plan ts ( yes ev en t rees!) can be posted st ra ight to your f ront door.

Naturally it is a placeto grow ood and theway we do this makesthe garden a very special

place. We dont have plots at our garden, we grow produce together and then we harvest

and share! It is a placewhere people meet and community connectionsare strengthened.We welcome anyonewho wants to work cooperatively to

grow organic ood in a sustainable way,no matter what

your gardeningexperience.

Kiama CommunityGarden


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T p 1F u t T e s

Citrus Banana Cherimoya Macadamia Mulberry

Paw Paw

Persimmon Seedling

Passionfruit

Fig Jaboticaba

T p 1 S p o t P a t :T e s S r b , H r sG o n C v r Bleeding Heart Sydney Golden Wattle Golden Tip Pigeon Pea Comfrey Pinto Peanut Sweet Potato White Clover Lucerne Barrel Medic

T p 10 Bush F od Plan t

Macadamia

A t her t on aspberr y

Da vidsons Plum Warriga l Greens Lemon M yr t le Finger Lime Aniseed M yr t le Mid yim Berr y Small-lea f Tamarind Black apple

The Barrack HeightsCommunity Garden

was ormed to give thecommunity members o

the area the opportunity to grow their own

healthy vegetablesand ruit. Our gardenis not enced, making

it available to all thecommunity. In an area

o low income amilies,the community garden

will help to provide reeorganic ood that will

enhance their quality o li e.

Cliff Ball,Barrack Heights

Community Garden


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M i t i i g y uF o F r sBy keeping in mind the belowmaintenance tasks (and actually regularlydoing the maintenance!), you can ensureyour food forest will be producing anabundance of fruit before you know it.

W e C n r lA weed is really anything growing

where you dont want it to. During theestablishment phase, youll need to beespecially vigilant of the grass comingback. Make sure you remove it by the roots.Many plants considered weeds in a manicuredlawn like clover and dandelion, are considereduseful support plants in a food forest garden.emember for your fruit trees to thrive, theyneed the area from their trunk to their drip line(the edge of their canopy) mulched and keptclear of all vegetation, support plants included.

K e a E e o t o eS p o t T e sSupport trees are a huge help in the earlyyears of establishing food forest gardens.But a common mistake in creating a foodforest garden is planting support trees suchas large wattles, and then forgetting toprune them regularly and not removingthem as the fruit trees mature. It does yourfruit trees, and your harvest basket, no goodto be shaded out by a huge non-fruitingtree. Support trees are an essential partof food forests, but be sure to keep themunder control.

With some creativity,ood orests can becreated in the smallest o gardens.


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As your food forest matures, you canlook forward to minimal weeding asground covers become well established

and fruit trees start to provide goodshade.

M l h nMulches such as straw, broken down treemulch, or even dried grass clippings allmake suitable mulches for around thebase of your fruit trees. Away from thebase of your fruit trees, it will be lesswork and more cost effective to establishground cover support plants such as clover

or sweet potato that act as a living mulch.

F e i gFruit trees really bene t from some extrafood at times when theyre producing newgrowth and fruiting. The best food is compost

and/or worm castings. A splash of dilutedliquid seaweed also gives lots of valuable tracenutrients.

How much and how often you feed reallydepends on the particular fruit trees needsand the soil type. ou cant really apply too

much natural foods like compost or wormcastings, so dont be too concerned aboutover-doing it. A couple of buckets per treetwice per year can be used as a rough guidewhile the tree is young, increasing as the treematures. emember to always cover compostor worm castings with mulch. If you also havefree-ranging small animals like chickens, and

grow support groundcovers in your foodforest, youll be creating rich, fertile soils foryour fruit trees to tap into year round.

W t r nThe amount and frequency of watering yourfood forest depends on a number of factors,such as your soil, site location and slope. Ingeneral, if there hasnt been any decent rain

for a couple of weeks during the warmermonths of the year, then a good, deepwatering of the garden once a fortnight is


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37

helpful until the next decentrain. oung fruit trees will needextra watering during their

rst year or two as they getestablished, so be sure to checkthem on a weekly basis.

D - u k r nWith your grafted fruit trees, you need to keepan eye on them to make sure the root stockwhich your fruit tree is grafted onto, doesntstart to grow branches and overtake your fruittree. emove any shoots growing from belowthe graft. Also with bananas, removing excesssuckers will help encourage growth of themain stem and fruit and gives you valuablebanana plants to share with fellow gardeners!

P u i gMany fruit trees need pruning to produce

good crops. Deciduous fruit trees in particularneed annual pruning. Pruning also keeps treesto a manageable size (no more than 3 metresis ideal) so you can reach the fruit.

our food forest shouldnot be a towering forestof trees with fruit so high

it never gets harvested! Iftrees are kept small, it also

allows you to plant a greaternumber and diversity of trees.

There are three or four main methodsof pruning which depend on the fruittree you are growing. In some cases,pruning the wrong way can lead tono fruit for that year. Ask a fellowgardener, or consult a pruning bookto nd out what method is best foreach particular tree.

H r e t nNeed we say more this is what its all about!Build up your creative skills in the kitchen,because a well managed food forest in the

Illawarra will provide you with an abundanceof fruits, nuts and edible foods all year round.

Theres nothing moreun than harvestingresh, organic ruit!

P l a n t N S

S u n l i g h t R e q u i r e mD e c i du

B e s t V a rie

Pruning ( )Harvesting ( ) and

Fertilising Times ( )

W a t e r R e q u i r e me

F r u i t F l y R e s ist

W i n d T o l e ra


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FRUIT TREES J F M A M J J A S O N DApricot Prunus armeniaca small yes no med Glengarry, BentleyApple Malus domestica small yes yes med Tropical Sweet, Tropical

AnnaAvocado Persea americana medium no yes med Pinkerton, WurtzBabaco Carica petagona small no yes lowBanana Musa spp. small no yes low Cavendish (Williams),

Lady FingerBlack Sapote Diospyros digna large no yes medCarambola Averroha carambola medium no yes med Kary, KembanganCherimoya Annona cherimola med-large semi yes low Fino de Jete/WhiteCherry of Rio Grande Eugenia aggregata small no yes highChestnut Castanea sativa very large yes yes high

Custard Apple Annona atemoya medium semi yes med African PrideDavidson's Plum Davidsonia pruriens medium no yes medFeijoa Acca sellowiana small no no high Duffy, Apollo

F U T T E S

t N a m e S i z e m e n t s

d u o u s r i e t i e s

e t s g es ( ) m e n t s si s t a n t

er a n c e MONTH OF THE YEAR

C h e r r y o f

t h e

R i o

G r a n d e

B a n a n a

C h e r

i m o y a

D a v

i d s o n s P

l u m


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P l a n t N am Siz

S u n l i g h t R e q u i r e m entD e c i d u ou

B e s t V a r i e tie



W a t e r R e q u i r e m e nt

F r u i t F l y R e s i s tan

W i n d T o l e r a nc


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40F U T T E S

TREES J F M A M J J A S O N DPaw Paw Carica papaya medium no yes low Southern Red, RB3Peach/Nectarine Prunus persica small yes no med Dwarf varietiesPear Pyrus communis medium yes yes med Buerre Busch, WilliamsPecan Carya illinoinensis very large yes yes low Shoshonii, DesirablePersimmon Diospyros kaki medium yes usually low Fuyu, Flat Seedless,

HachiyaPlum Prunus spp . small yes no med Low-chill varietiesPomegranite Punica granatum small no no highSapodilla Manilkara zapota medium no yes high C55, ProlificSmall-leaf Tamarind Diploglotis campbelli large no yes highWampee Clausena lansium small no yes med Guy Sahm, Yeem PayWhite Sapote Casimora edulis large no no med Lemon gold,

Golden Globe

a m e S i z e e n t s o u s t i e s n t s t a n t n c e MONTH OF THE YEAR

P a w

P a w

P e r s i m m o n

P l u m

S a p o d

i l l a


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P l a n t N a m S ize

S u n l i g h t R e q u i r e m e nts

D e c i d u o us

B e s t V a r i e t ies



W a t e r R e q u i r e m e nts

F r u i t F l y R e s i s t ant

W i n d T o l e r a n ce

MONTH OF THE YEAR


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GROUNDCOVER J F M A M J J A S O N DStrawberry Fragaria x ananassa n/a no yes n/aWatermelon Cillrullus lanatus n/a no yes n/a Sugarbaby

VINES J F M A M J J A S O N DDragon Fruit Hylocereus spp . climber no yes medKiwifruit Actinidia deliciosa large

climberyes yes low Sweetie, H4,

(need male pollinator)Passionfruit Passi lora edulis climber no yes med Purple, Panama Gold

(not grafted)Grape Vitis vini era large

climberyes yes med Golden muscat,

Isabella black

m e i z e n t s u s i e s n t s a n t c e MONTH OF THE YEAR

F U T G O N C V R & V N S

*

Some ood plants

have the potential toescape into natural areas. Ensure all ruit is harvested to

prevent spreading by animals, and dont let plants creep over

your ence. Consider alternatives i youlive near bushland.

*

D r a g o n

F r u i

t

P a s s

i o n f r u

i t

G r a p e

K i w

i f r u i

t

V e g e t a b l e ( F a m ily)

P l a n t S p a c e ( c m)

T i m e t o Y i e l d ( d a ys)

S o w T e m p ( C)

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ALLIACEAE J F M A M J J A S O N DGarlic Allium istulosum 15 180+ n/a most plants except Fabaceae familyLeek Allium porrum 10 80+ 8-30 most plants except Fabaceae familyOnion Allium cepa 15 90+ 10-25 most plants except Fabaceae familyShallots Allium wakegi 15 90+ 8-30 most plants except Fabaceae familyAMARANTHACEAE J F M A M J J A S O N DBeetroot Beta vulgaris 15 55+ 8-30 Brassicaceae family, lettuce, onionSilverbeet Beta vulgaris 30 55+ 8-30 Brassicaceae & Alliaceae familySpinach Spinacia oleracea 30 70+ 7-25 Fabaceae family, celeryAPIACEAE J F M A M J J A S O N DCarrot Daucus carota 10 40+ 8-30 most plants, particularly Alliacaece familyCelery Apium graveolens 30 90+ 10-20 most plantsParsnip Pastinaca sativa 25 110+ 5-18 most plantsBRASSICACEAE J F M A M J J A S O N DBroccoli Brassica oleracea 35-50 90+ 7-30 Alliaceae & Fabaceae familyBrussels sprouts Brassica oleracea 75 160+ 7-30 Alliaceae & Fabaceae familyCabbage Brassica oleracea 35-60 75+ 7-35 Alliaceae & Fabaceae familyCauliflower Brassica oleracea 45-60 90+ 7-30 Alliaceae & Fabaceae familyChinese greens Brassica spp. 30 70+ 10 Alliaceae and Fabaceae familyKale Brassica oleracea 50 60+ 8-30 Alliaceae and Fabaceae familyKohlrabi Brassica oleracea 50 55+ 8-30 Alliaceae and Fabaceae family

Radish Raphanus sativa 20 35+ 5-20 Alliaceae and Fabaceae familyRocket Eruca sativa 25 50+ 5-25 Alliaceae and Fabaceae family

i l y ) m ) y s ) ( C ) n s MONTH OF THE YEAR

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CURCUBITACEAE J F M A M J J A S O N DCucumber Cucumis sativus 50 60+ 20-35 corn, sunflower, Apiaceae familyPumpkin Cucurbita spp. 200+ 110+ 17-32 corn, sunflower, Apiaceae familySquash Cucurbita spp. 100 60+ 17-32 corn, sunflower, Apiaceae familyZucchini Cucurbita pepo 100 60+ 20-32 corn, sunflower, Apiaceae familyFABACEAE J F M A M J J A S O N DBean, Broad Vicia aba 30 120+ 6-24 Solanaceae, Apiaceae, Brassicaceae familiesBean, Green Phaseolus vulgaris 20 70+ 13-30 Solanaceae, Apiaceae, Brassicaceae familiesPea Pisum sativum 10 75+ 10-25 Solanaceae, Apiaceae, Brassicaceae familiesSOLANACEAE J F M A M J J A S O N DCapsicum Capsicum annuum 40 100+ 21-35 basil, leafy greensChilli Capsicum spp . 40 100+ 18-35 basil, leafy greensEggplant Solanum melongena 50 90+ 21-32 basil, leafy greensPotato Solanum tuberosum 40 110+ 16-22 basil, leafy greensTomato Solanum lycopersicum 50 60+ 16-35 basil, leafy greensOTHER J F M A M J J A S O N DAsparagus Asparagus o icinalis 30 365+ n/aCorn Zea mays 30 70+ 13-35 sunflowers, Fabaceae & Curcubitaceae familiesLettuce Lactuca sativa 25 50+ 5-25 carrots, beets, brassicasSweet potato Ipomoea batatas 50 120+ n/aWarrigal Greens

Tetragonia tetragonioides

60+ 60+ 18-35

i l y ) m ) y s ) ( C ) n s MONTH OF THE YEAR

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ANNUAL J F M A M J J A S O N DBasil Ocimum spp . 30 60+ >20 tomatoesCoriander Coriandrum sativum 30 60+ 16-25 most plants - leave to flowerDill Anethum graveolens 30 60+ 16-30 brassicasParsley Petroselinum crispum 20 90+ 16-30 tomatoes, asparagusPERENNIAL J F M A M J J A S O N DChives Allium schoenoprasum 25 perennial n/a most plants except fabaceae familyGinger Zingiber o icinale 30 perennial n/aMint Mentha spp. 50 perennial 20-25 Brassicaceae family, tomato, beansLemongrass Cymbopogon citratus 60 perennial n/aOregano Origanum vulgare 40 perennial >15 most plantsRosemary Rosmarinus o icinalis 60 perennial n/a Brassicaceae family, carrotsSage Salvia o icinalis 60 perennial n/a Brassicaceae familyThyme Thymus serpyllum 50 perennial n/a Brassicaceae family

H R S

l y ) ) ys ) ) s MONTH OF THE YEAR

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l i c C h i l l i

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C u c l S s a n b l tW r s o sSubject to funding, priorities and demand

Kiama, Shellharbour and WollongongCouncils offer practical workshops forresidents on topics such as composting,worm farming, veggie gardening,permaculture, backyard chook keeping and

preserving garden produce. Contact yourlocal Council to see whats coming up.

Wollongong City Councilwww.wollongong.nsw.gov.au

Shellharbour City Councilwww.shellharbour.nsw.gov.au

Kiama Municipal Councilwww.kiama.nsw.gov.au

W b R s u c sHappy EarthFollow the story of a Wollongong family asthey embark on an adventure in sustainabilityand grow their own food on a suburban block.www.happyearth.com.au

Green ChangeDocuments a Kiama familys journey towardsa sustainable lifestyle and food production onsmall acreage.http://green-change.com

Food Fairness IllawarraA local alliance that is passionate about goodfood for all.www.foodfairnessillawarra.org.au

ABC Gardening AustraliaThe website of the popular ABC TV serieshas a wealth of information for food

gardeners. oull also nd here informationon the excellent rganic Gardener magazine,available online or at newsagents.www.abc.net.au/gardening


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Seed Savers NetworkLearn more about growing, harvesting andsaving locally adapted seed, and nd a localseed network.http://www.seedsavers.net

I l w r a C m u i y G r e sThere are a number of community gardens inour region. Theyre great places to volunteer

or visit to learn more about growing foodlocally. Many gardens operate with little orno funding support, but achieve amazingthings with passionateand enthusiasticvolunteers. To nda local gardencontact your

Council, or checkthe Food FairnessIllawarra website.

F b l u F o G r e i g B o sLook out for these titles in your local library!

Discovering Fruit and NutsSusanna Lyle, 2006

Earth Users Guide to Permacultureosemary Morrow, 2006

How Can I use Herbs in my Daily Life?Isabell Shipard, 2003

Organic Vegetable GardeningAnnette McFarlane, 2010

Organic Fruit Growing:How to Produce Beautiful Fruit Year RoundAnnette McFarlane, 2011

Smart Permaculture DesignJenny Allen, 2002

The Permaculture Home GardenLinda Woodrow, 1996

The Seed Savers HandbookMichel and Jude Fanton, 1993

H w y u c n T r L w s i t L n h s o G o a F u t F r s


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H w y u c n T r L w s i t L n h s o G o a F u t F r sEver thought about growing some of your own food?Its great fun, and a simple and delicious way to ahealthier, more sustainable future.

Look inside for:

Ideas and inspiration for growing food in theIllawarra

How to design your veggie patch How to start your own food forest

Inspiration from local gardeners Tips on building soil Advice on what grows well, when, where and how!

Inspired?! This booklet has a companion- check out the GROW LOCAL: IllawarraNative Garden Guide, also availablethrough Kiama, Shellharbour and Wollongong Councils