Welcome to ecocentre gardens

Garden Bed Rotation Practice

It is much harder for pests and diseases to become established if crops are constantly rotated.

The EcoCentre currently has four beds, each at a different stage in the four year rotation schedule.

May year 1:

Green fertiliser crop e.g. beans and peas to nitrogen enrich the soil.
Dig in before they go to seed.

September year 1:

Tomato, pepper, eggplant crop.
You can get a head start to the season by propagating the seeds in a glass house in August.
Add potash to the tomato plants when they begin flowering.
Add lime when the crop is cleared.

May year 2:

Beans and pea crop.
Stake the crop as the develop.
Add manure as the crops are cleared.

March year 3:

Brassica crop, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli etc. Propagates seeds in February.
Keep an eye out for pests, especially cabbage white caterpillars.

September year 3:

Root and leafy green crop, potato, carrot, beetroot, radish, silver beet, leek etc.
Plant mustard, parsley, coriander as companion plants to keep pests away.
Re-sow radish as they are harvested.
Add blood & bone, manure when the plants are removed.

September year 4:

Corn and vine crop, sweet corn, cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini etc.
Companion plants like sunflowers will attract bees to help pollinate your crop.
Compost the plants in April.

This completes the cycle.

The Food Garden

The EcoCentre’s food garden is a communal project involving individual local residents and several groups. Tending the garden and eating of the produce is shared by all.

Companion planting to reduce reliance on chemical, pest and weed control, crop rotation and composting (to maximize natural soil nutrient and humus) are key elements of the garden.

The following garden care cards provide handy hints and crop rotation calendars for organic food gardens:

Crop Care (385 Kbytes)

Composting (155 Kbytes)

Watering Tips (102 Kbytes)

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