Say hello to winter veg in your Vegepod!

The weather has definitely gotten chilly and June is nearly here, so now is the perfect time to plant some cooler season veggies in your Vegepod- just in time for making those hearty winter meals!

Brassicas: Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflowers, Bok Choi and Kale

Planting brassicas now will most likely lead to the heads popping up in late May or early winter. That’s because these brassicas are not your average spinach leaf. It takes time to grow the heads when it comes to brocc, cabbage and cauliflowers- we advise you get planting now to see results 7 - 8 weeks later. Try dwarf varieties to keep them compact within your pod and quicker growing varieties for the impatient gardener. 

Keeping the Vegepod canopy closed is important for brassicas as they are very vulnerable to white cabbage moth attack and the caterpillars laid by these moths eating the leaves. When buying seedlings from the nursery, make sure you check the underside of the leaves for tiny larvae eggs- wipe leaves down well before planting. 

Compatible plants: Dwarf (bush) beans, beets, celery, cucumber, onions, marigold, nasturtium, rhubarb, aromatic herbs (sage, dill, chamomile)

Incompatible plants: Climbing (pole) beans, tomatoes, eggplants, strawberry, mustard, or climbing beans.

Cooking: Try Emelia Jackson's cabbage-based Okonomiyaki recipe or Michelle Yandle's Super Green Kale Smoothie to use that luscious kale

Leafy Greens: Silverbeet, Spinach and Lettuces

These are great for reliable greens during the cooler seasons. They are relatively quick growing and can be repeatedly cut for multiple harvests. Try larger leave spinach varieties and multicoloured stem silverbeet varieties for an interesting crop! Lettuce varieties like Cos are best for quick picking and more cold tolerant.

Compatible plants: Broad beans, cabbage, cauliflower, and onion.

Incompatible plants: Spinach is compatible with everything. However, silverbeet can’t be placed near corn, melon or any cucurbits (cucumbers, squash, melons, gourds). 

Cooking: Try Danielle Alvarez's Greens Galette or Chloe Carroll's Crispy, Crunchy Spanakopita to use up your excess leafy greens

Root Vegetables: Onion, Leeks & Garlic

When you think of autumn and winter, you think of these classic vegetables from the Allium family going into warm, hearty beef stews for the cold nights ahead.

These can be planted directly from seedlings and garlic from bulbs purchased at your local garden centre but take special note of spacing on the labels as this is key to giving the roots and bulbs room to develop.  

Compatible plants: Lemon balm, borage, carrots, beets, silverbeet, lettuce, amaranth, celery, carrots

Incompatible plants: Peas, beans

Cooking: Try the Broth Sister's Winter Vegetable Minestrone Soup recipe that can use whatever winter veg you like!

Other top tips for growing through the cooler months....

• Make sure you use your Vegepod mesh canopy all throughout winter, especially if you are planting seedlings to protect from insect attack. We also have a winter propagation cover to trap the heat from the soil inside the pod and prevent extreme cold and precipitation. Uncover your veggies in the morning, when the temperature rises above freezing. Perfect for tender sprouts during winter time

• Use an organic fertiliser like our Vegepod Booster for light feeding throughout cooler month- this will help with the lack of organic matter the soil has at winter time

• Check under leaves of your veg in early evening for signs of caterpillar larvae to prevent disastrous attacks- keeping the canopy on will help prevent this infestation but can be introduced when you buy seedlings from the garden centre

• Plant from seed where necessary to save money and create hardier plants- radish, coriander, rocket, carrots and dill are always better when started from seed. You can check out our Autumn/Winter seed pack for a variety of seeds to start with in your pod.