April

Plants and the soil will benefit from regular feeds. Use seaweed, compost tea, weed tea or worm tea, sprayed over any foliage or the soil early in the morning. It will get your soil life pumping for autumn growth. Use a watering can or hose-on applicator.

Be aware of plant requirements - leafy greens need more nitrogen than root or legume crops.

A healthy soil will ensure a healthy, nutrient dense food - https://bit.ly/3XOw7Ud 

Carrots should be sown directly where they're to grow. Cover the seeds with cardboard or a plank to keep them cooler and moist. Check regularly after about 7 days for signs of germination. Once you see germination, put some spacers under the plank to give the seedlings some room, then remove once the seedlings are about 25mm high. Other seeds that might benefit from "planking" include parnsips and beetroot.

Don't panic about April deadlines, and rush to plant if your edible beds are under-prepared.  Planting could very well be viable into May for many crops.

Your efforts are doomed to fail if the soil is under-prepared. Dig in loads of compost, water in compost tea, weed tea or worm tea, fork the soil deeply (especially for root crops) and mulch while you wait till planting. Remember to keep watering until the planting date.

Succession planting is about having regular small quantities of produce pickable, rather than a glut of produce that you either pickle , donate to Food Relief or take to the monthly Produce Swap.

This spreadsheet might be useful if you're a bit geeky. Otherwise, the aim is to plant smaller quantities more regularly. https://bit.ly/3xGlfxd 

Check out the guide below to work out when to plant different seeds for  succession planting.
https://bit.ly/3IHRthQ 

Start your flowering plants now- zinnia, cosmos, marigold, ammi majus (Queen Anne's lace), and  nasturtiums. They'll attract pollinators and beneficial insects. Consider placement depending whether they’re a companion or decoy plant.  Decoys need to be placed away from your crops.

Many seeds will be direct sown where you want them to grow. Some of those - peas, beans, beetroot, and eggplant may benefit from soaking the seed prior to planting.

Check directions, but this usually involves soaking the seeds in warm water for a period of up to 8 hours (overnight).

Newly planted seeds (in situ) will need to be carefully watered, especially if the forecast temperatures eventuate. Peas for example, won't need water until after they've germinated to avoid rot. Others will need to be kept moist.

Monitor requirements for different seeds - keep in mind you may need to water morning and afternoon for seeds that need to be kept moist.

Mulch around seedlings to maintain soil moisture and minimise weeds, and to encourage worms and other soil life to keep "working" your beds. If slaters are present in your garden, either pull the mulch back, or put a barrier around your seedlings until they get strong enough.

A healthy soil will ensure healthy, nutrient dense food - https://bit.ly/3XOw7Ud 

Many companion plants are edible - so they're doing a number of jobs in your edible garden. 

Calendula, nasturtium,  alyssum, marigold, and viola are some of the edible flowers that can be used to encourage beneficial insects.