In this juicy newsletter, you’ll find a list of fast-growing vegetables for quick harvests so you eat your own fresh ingredients in <60 days from sowing seed. There’s a free online course available now to help prevent and heal cancer, and I share a new video with tips for companion planting with fruit trees. I cover fertilising your garden organically; planting in August/September, moon gardening and bite-sized gardening tips. Grab a cuppa and dig in!
17 Fast Growing Vegetables for Impatient Gardeners
Are you keen to get some fast-growing vegetables on your plate? A beginner gardener wanting some quick results? Maybe you have a short growing season and want to maximise your time? Or want to fill a few spare pots. Or maybe you’re like me – an impatient gardener! If so, dig into my new list of 17+ speedy veggies for quick picks in 60 days or less + 5 bonus tips to help speed up your harvests. Show me the list.
Free Health Event
SQUARE ONE Healing Cancer Video Series
As you may know, I had cancer some years ago and have been on a healthy living and preventative healing journey ever since. Growing nutrient-dense food plays a powerful role. Even though I don’t have cancer now, I keep learning preventative strategies not just to help myself but others too. That’s why I’m tuning in to the “SQUARE ONE: Healing Cancer Coaching Program” from Chris Wark. He overcame stage 3 cancer without chemo and shares this educational program ONCE a year, for FREE. It’s been a gift for me personally.
I actively want to prevent cancer, and what I’ve learned from Chris definitely applies to EVERYONE. If you know someone who is suffering from cancer or you want to know exactly what to do to treat cancer naturally, and make educated decisions for yourself, rather than decisions based on fear, it’s really worth watching. It costs nothing to be informed.
When you sign up for free access you’ll get the link to watch each Module as Chris releases each course video LIVE – starting with Module 1 (August 13th @ 9pm US Eastern).
If you have been diagnosed, I hope this program will give you tremendous support and guidance. This is a limited time free online screening, so don’t miss it. Reserve your spot here.
Fertilising your Garden Organically
Fertilising is just feeding your soil to provide nutrients for healthy balanced plant growth. The priority for organic gardeners is to keep building living soil with organic matter, which encourages earthworm and microbe activity. This soil ‘community’ helps to turn soil-based minerals and nutrients into bioavailable plant food. A kind of nutritious smorgasbord for plants to dig into!
If you have poor soil, you can start by composting, worm farming and adding a seasonal layer of mulch and other organic materials to recycle nutrients. A cheap way to fertilise! If you want to speed things up, you might consider initially or seasonally buying slow-release organic pellets, compost or worm castings (vermicast), rock minerals (soft rock phosphate), blood and bone and mulch if you haven’t got your own supplies. I consider these a seasonal investment in growing nutrient-rich food to support good health.
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‘Organic’ vs ‘Certified Organic’ Fertilisers
If you are buying products rather than making your own free fertilisers, then look for a brand with a Certified Organic logo to avoid chemical additives. Don’t be fooled by the word “Organic” on packaging. This just means anything once living! So non-certified organic manufacturers can use this term on labelling – even if there’s only a very small amount of true organic ingredients or the product contains unacceptable materials from a “Certified Organic” standard.
Some fertilisers can be toxic to earthworms and microorganisms, so saving a few dollars might not be worth killing your valuable workforce.
Planting in August/September
In the southern hemisphere, it’s time to sow seasonal crops that enjoy a break from the heat. In warmer climates, sow sun-loving vegetables and herbs. Read this article if you’re not sure what to plant when. In subtropical SE Queensland where I live, a very early spring started a month ago in my garden! Citrus and many fruit trees here are already flowering and setting fruit. Once they start this process, it’s too late to prune to shape as they have come out of dormancy. Get your Subtropical Planting Guide here.
Flowering fruit trees need fertilising – both slow-release and liquid fertiliser to support healthy growth and fruit development. They have a high need for nutrients when there are ‘babies’ on board! Companion planting with flowers encourages pollinators like bees to come out of their hives, even in cool weather for a few hours, to forage for pollen and pollinate at the same time. Fruit crops and flowers belong together!
Sow annual and perennial flowers prior to spring. Why? Because when all those sap-sucking pest insects and caterpillars hatch out, there will be lots of flowers rich in pollen and nectar to attract beneficial insects like ladybirds, hoverflies and predatory wasps to keep numbers in balance. A birdbath is also ideal to attract insect-eating birds to your garden.
Prepare your garden well at the start of any new season or before planting. Apply compost, feed your soil, top up with a layer of mulch and sow seeds or seedlings regularly for a continuous harvest.
Moon Gardening – Get your Timing Right!
With the full moon phase, it’s an ideal time to sow quick-growing microgreens and sprouts. A few easy microgreens to start with are rocket, basil, coriander, buckwheat and pea shoots. When the moon starts to wane, light decreases and moisture will be drawn down into the root zone with the grativational pull of the moon. So save your root crop planting for later in the month when there will be days ideal for sowing radish, garlic, onions and carrots.
Use the perpetual Moon Calendar for the best dates during August and September for faster seed germination and root growth.
For quick seed germination, I follow the moon calendar when sowing microgreens, vegetables and herbs
My best harvests and healthiest plants come from working with nature rather, than taking a ‘hit and miss’ approach. If you’re not yet following a Moon Calendar to TIME your planting, fertilising, propagation and optimise seed raising success, then learn more about the benefits you could be enjoying.
If you’re not sure what to plant or which garden tasks to undertake during our 5 seasons in SE QLD, I have a Subtropical Planting Guide to make it easy. We’re now into spring so get planting before all those grasshoppers wake up from overwintering! Enjoy the short ‘window’ we have in this climate without many pest/disease problems and comfortable conditions to be outdoors. If you live elsewhere, check my article on What to Plant When. It’s packed with links and tips.
Sustainable Gardening Guides – Subtropical Gardening Guide, Moon Calendar + Potting Mix Guide
Affiliate Links: Your support of this site is appreciated!
September Workshop
Live in South East Queensland? Want to learn more about growing food in our local subtropical climate and how to give your garden a health check? I’d like to personally invite you to my next event at 10.30am on Saturday 14 September. It’s a fun hands-on workshop at Palmwoods Community Garden, Sunshine Coast. Just $5/person with a Garden Hamper prize to giveaway to one attendee. Learn more and book in here.
Gardening Tips: Did you know?
- Clay soils need to be watered more thoroughly but you can water less often. Whereas sandy soils need more frequent watering, but for shorter periods so excess water isn’t wasted by draining away. Learn how to Build Healthy Soil.
- Pre-soak an unfired terracotta pot in a tub of water before planting until all bubbles stop coming to the surface. Why? This prevents the porous pot from soaking up initial water from the soil, instead of your plant! Want more tips on growing in pots? Get your Container Gardening Tips Guide here.
- Older potting mix dries out and starts to repel moisture. A clue when this happens is water will run out the drainage holes quickly and plants start to suffer water-stress. It’s time to refresh your potting mix with moisture-holding ingredients and nutrients. Learn how in this easy-to-follow ‘How to Make Potting Mix at Home Guide‘.
- Raw garlic offers many health benefits but cooking, unfortunately, reduces these. Chewing a spoonful of parsley leaves after eating raw garlic or onion helps remove the smell of garlic breath! Great companions in the garden and kitchen.
Preparing to plant?
Take a shortcut to success with these tips and tutorials.
- Seed Starting Guide: Quick Tips for Starting Seeds Successfully
- How to Plant out a Herb Garden
- 3 Steps to Prepare Your Garden for Planting
- Design Tips for a Productive Kitchen Garden
- Easy DIY Potting Mix Recipe
- Revitalising and Re-using Old Potting Mix
- How to Use Compost and 7 Benefits of Composting
- 20 Reasons to Mulch your Garden
Gardening Resources
- How to Make Potting Mix Guide (Laminated for easy use with a whiteboard marker)
- Subtropical Planting Guide (Laminated for easy use with a whiteboard marker)
- Moon Calendar (Perpetual – buy once/use forever and works anywhere in the world)
- Microgreens Growing Guide Chart
- Garden Journal Planner & Workbook (Perfect for planning your 2019 garden)
- eBooks, Special Offers and Gift Vouchers in my Shop.
When you make a purchase, you are making a difference by helping support my education work to teach people how to grow healthy food.
Affiliate Links: Your support of this site is appreciated!
Dig into my free online Article Library for more topics
Click here to VIEW ALL ARTICLES
Want more inspiring ideas?
Each week I share photos and videos of what I’m growing, harvesting and eating from my garden and ways I use my homegrown food. Follow me for more tips and inspiration in between newsletters.
I look forward to sharing more news and ways to grow good health next month.
Happy gardening!
Anne
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© Copyright Anne Gibson, The Micro Gardener 2019. https://themicrogardener.com. All rights reserved.
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Hi Anne,
To add to your list of companion plants for fruit trees. I have found it very beneficial to plant the grey leafed curry plants near my citrus. I have not had any disease on mine since I have done this. Also, we had a talk from the South Bank curator & they have planted the curry plant around the vegies there as it stops the possums.
Always interesting to find something that works so you don’t have to spray.
Sue
Hi Lee
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with the curry plant (Helichrysum Italicum). Always interesting to hear how different people use companion plants. It needs full sun and is quite drought hardy. In my experience, it doesn’t seem to be bothered by insect pests although in high humidity can be prone to powdery mildew. The flowers also make it a useful insectary plant for beneficial insects and pollinators. I believe an essential oil can be produced from the curry plant flowers and used for medicinal purposes, although I haven’t done so. Apparently, it is anti-inflammatory, fungicidal and astringent. It can also be cut back and used for mulch. Cheers Anne