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James Ferguson Urban Farmer

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Sometimes things just happen and I can’t explain w Sometimes things just happen and I can’t explain why. This spring, my carrot crop has utterly failed. Beneath the netting, I discovered a healthy crop of fumitory seedlings (Fumaria muralis)—but, disappointingly, not a single carrot. I followed my own advice to the letter and not a single seed germinated: • Never transplant carrot seedlings – you’ll inevitably end up with wonky carrots. Always grow carrots from directly sown seed. • Carrot seed has a short storage life. Use fresh seed to ensure good germination rates. • Once sown, the seed bed must remain moist at all times. If the seed dries out even for just a few short hours, the crop will fail to germinate. On the warm, dry days of early spring this may mean watering up to three or four times per day. • Covering the seed bed with hessian or old carpet can help to keep it moist, but the slaters and earwigs will often move in and destroy the emerging seedlings. I use insect exclusion netting which allows sunlight and rain to penetrate and discourages the leaf chompers from lurking in the dark. • In early spring, carrot seed takes about three weeks to germinate, so make sure you’ll be around for the duration to keep up with the watering (or automate it with an irrigation system like I do). • Remember to remove the crop protection as soon as the seedlings start to germinate. Seedlings will grow up into netting or other fabric and soon become tangled. Then when you remove the netting, you’ll rip out half the seedlings. Keep checking and ideally remove any protection on the day the seedlings start to emerge. Last week, just before the rain returned, I sowed a second packet of seed. Fingers crossed for success this time around. How to Grow Carrots: ➡ https://leafrootfruit.substack.com/p/how-to-grow-carrots
It’s taking all my resolve to stay calm. This spri It’s taking all my resolve to stay calm. This spring, gardening is a one-step-forwards, two-steps-back affair. Every day that I work in the garden feels like another day that my to-do list gets longer. A pile of mulch sits in the driveway – it should have been spread in August. With every day the weeds grow taller, and some are now setting seed. In the past week the nashi espaliers have exploded with fresh growth and need curtailing. There are plenty of fallen leaves still to gather for leaf mould and sticks to be piled up and burnt as part of our fire season preparation. The grass I mowed last week is already bouncing back and will need another clip soon. And then there’s the spring planting – always my highest priority, but even that seems at risk of becoming overdue. It feels like everything is happening at once, and my phenological indicators agree. I watch for a few key indicators each September to determine how early or late the season is running. It’s called phenology. By tracking a range of events in my garden ecosystem, I can gauge how the season is tracking. Some of those events are triggers for me to undertake an activity in the garden. For example, the flowering of the golden moths orchids (Diuris chryseopsis) is my cue to plant potatoes. The problem is, most of my spring indicators are tracking early, very early. And that’s the root of my gardening anxiety. I’m still ticking off my winter jobs, but every time I prepare to move some mulch, I find another indicator that has flowered or appeared early. And that stimulates another day of panic gardening. Another day of half-done jobs. Read more about phenology and my observations that are tracking super early in my FREE monthly garden update: ➡ https://leafrootfruit.substack.com/p/october-2026-planting-guide-and-garden-update
✅Here's my guide to some of the things you could c ✅Here's my guide to some of the things you could consider planting this month in a warm temperate climate, like Melbourne’s. 🥕My planting guide generally refers to vegetables planted in the garden (as opposed to a greenhouse). This planting may consist of seeds directly sown (my usual and preferred method) or plants transplanted as seedlings. Most summer vegetables are best planted out into the garden in October or November. That means right now you have a wide range of crops to select from for planting. Read more about what you should be doing this month in your garden in my latest FREE garden update: ➡https://leafrootfruit.substack.com/p/october-2026-planting-guide-and-garden-update
🏉 Tomorrow is Grand Final Day. I don’t care much f 🏉 Tomorrow is Grand Final Day. I don’t care much for footy these days, but this weekend is an exciting time for Melbourne based gardeners. 🌱 I reckon that AFL Grand Final weekend is a great time to plant a few early tomato seedlings into the garden. This gives you the best chance of harvesting a ripe Christmas Tomato. ➡ https://www.leafrootfruit.com.au/how-to-grow-a-christmas-tomato-without-a-greenhouse/ 🍅 However, before you race out and get planting, I wouldn’t put all my eggs in one basket. Planting too early may result in stunted growth and issues with diseases. I believe the best time for planting tomatoes in Melbourne is around mid-October. So plant a few plants this weekend and the rest of your crop in a fortnight. ⏳ Folks in the outer suburbs may need to wait even longer to plant. I’m based in Central Victoria. So at start of November, I’ll pay more attention to the weather forecast to make the decision. But it is likely that I’ll plant in the first or second week of November. ☠ What harm can planting early do? A lot more than you think. It’s not so much about the risk of frost, it’s more about cool soil temperatures. My Fool’s Garden experiment shows that planting early can set back tomato plants too far. Seedlings planter later, at a more optimal time soon overtake early planted seedlings and become more productive. ➡ https://www.leafrootfruit.com.au/early-spring-planting-fools-garden/ 👀 If you’re going to forge ahead this weekend and pop a few plants in the ground anyway, then have a read of my guide to growing great tomatoes. ➡ https://www.leafrootfruit.com.au/how-to-grow-great-tomatoes-in-melbourne/
It has been 10 years since I set up my first potti It has been 10 years since I set up my first potting mix trial. Much has changed in that time. I’ve become a dad, my business has grown and shrunk again, my family has moved from Melbourne to Kyneton, in Central Victoria, and the range of potting mixes on shelves of nurseries and hardware chains has changed. There’s now a plethora of potting mix blends specifically for growing tomatoes, vegetables and herbs. It’s time to test the manufacturers’ claims again and see which of these products are best for growing your own food. Check out my latest potting mix trial here: https://www.leafrootfruit.com.au/what-is-the-best-potting-mix-for-growing-tomatoes-and-other-vegetables/
School's Out! These school holidays, why not get School's Out! These school holidays, why not get the kids away from the screens and into the garden. September is a great time for preparing a patch and planting some delicious summer vegetables. Here's what you can be planting this spring in a warm Temperate climate like Melbourne: https://www.leafrootfruit.com.au/spring-planting-guide-for-melbourne/ Setting up a patch from scratch? I've covered the basics in this article for you: https://www.leafrootfruit.com.au/how-to-set-up-a-new-vegetable-patch-melbourne/
What to plant in September Don't be fooled by mil What to plant in September Don't be fooled by mild weather and a few warm afternoons. The warming of the soil temperature lags a long way behind the air temperature. Plants such as tomatoes struggle if you plant them out into cold, wet soil at this time of the year. During September, there's also a strong chance that the clear nights will result in some severe frosts. Tomatoes and many other young seedlings won't survive these cold nights without adequate protection. Unless you have a well-protected microclimate, you're better to wait until at least early October before planting out your tomatoes and other fruiting vegetables. Below is my guide to some of the things you could consider planting this month in a warm temperate climate, like Melbourne’s. I've put together a lengthy blog post on spring planting options. It lists lots of hints and tips for growing the various options, including recommended varieties. ➡ https://www.leafrootfruit.com.au/spring-planting-guide-for-melbourne/ My planting guide generally refers to vegetables planted in the garden (as opposed to a greenhouse). This planting may consist of seeds directly sown (my usual and preferred method) or plants transplanted as seedlings. Here's my guide to some of the things you could consider planting this month in a warm temperate climate, like Melbourne’s.
To wick, or not to wick? Wicking beds aim to incr To wick, or not to wick? Wicking beds aim to increase food production, while using much less water than conventional raised garden beds. Think of a wicking bed as a giant self-watering plant pot. Water is drawn up into the soil via capillary action from a reservoir in the bottom of the wicking bed. Crates, tanks, baths, troughs, IBCs (intermediate bulk containers) and drums can all be used to create wicking beds. Timber raised garden beds or apple crates are also ideal for wicking bed projects. Are wicking beds worth it? At first glance, wicking beds seem very practical and an obvious choice for any gardener. If set up properly, they have a few specific advantages over standard raised garden beds. They: • require less water • keep soil moisture more consistent • reduce competition from large trees with invasive root systems. However, they also come with their own set of limitations, and generally I don’t see the need for using wicking beds to grow produce. I only recommend them in certain situations. Have a read of part four of the Vegetable Patch from Scratch series for more information on wicking beds and to decide whether they are right for you. ➡ https://leafrootfruit.substack.com/p/growing-vegetables-in-wicking-beds
My son Angus (age nine) is an enthusiastic young b My son Angus (age nine) is an enthusiastic young bloke, a bouncing ball of energy. And in July he was keen to use that energy to help me in the garden. Helping to cut back the herbaceous perennial plants suits his personality and channels the energetic urges that would otherwise be directed towards provoking his sister Emily (age six). He gets to be destructive but for a positive purpose. Winning fatherly praise for hacking something to bits – what’s not to like about that? Angus loves using the hedge trimmers or secateurs to give each plant a haircut. He follows my directions to cut the penstemons down to a third of their original size, and he lops the aster daisies at ground level. Dying rhubarb stalks are tugged free from the crown by hand. At the end of each tidied bed, together we stand back and admire our combined handiwork. The look of achievement on his face is priceless as he realises that he is contributing to the household chores. I can hear the sense of pride in his voice when he asks, “Which bed will we do next, Dad?”. Last week Angus trimmed back the old asparagus fronds. He top dressed the bed with some of the deep litter from the chicken run. This combination of wood chips and chicken manure is the perfect mulch for the asparagus plants. While snipping away at the dead foliage he noticed the tips of spears breaking through the soil surface. The signs that the lean period will soon end are showing in the asparagus patch. I should be able to harvest the first asparagus around mid-September, perhaps earlier the way this season is tracking. ➡ https://leafrootfruit.substack.com/p/how-to-grow-asparagus
If you have access to a greenhouse, or a very warm If you have access to a greenhouse, or a very warm, sunny spot indoors, then have a go at growing your tomatoes from seed this year. If you have a greenhouse, you can now consider getting a head start on your capsicum and eggplant seedlings. See my spring planting guide for more information on planning for the upcoming season. https://www.leafrootfruit.com.au/spring-planting-guide-for-melbourne/
👍Unintentionally avoiding a brassica glut To the 👍Unintentionally avoiding a brassica glut To the untrained eye, not much is happening in the vegetable patch at this time of the year. As per my harvest chart (see link below), I’m entering the lean time, a period where I rely heavily on brassicas for fresh vegetables. But this year, even they have deserted me. There are a few cabbages ready to be picked. But they’re languishing in the garden. No one wants to deal with the hundreds of tiny slugs that have bred up over the mild and wet winter and now infest every nook and cranny in those dense, wrinkled heads. The chickens are less discerning and eagerly get through a slug-filled cabbage head every few days. I’m still harvesting small side-shoots of broccoli, enough to contribute to a meal every day or so. But if I blink, those side shoots soon become bright yellow bee fodder. The broccoli harvest is rapidly grinding to a halt, and the caulis are long gone. Why no brassica glut this year? It’s a combination of factors. The mild, warm winter meant that succession crops one and two merged and I had an abundance of early winter brassicas. The seedlings of crop three were swamped with weeds (again thanks to the mild, wet winter), and before I managed to clear the weeds away from the seedlings, the slugs mowed most of the seedlings down. The few remaining plants in crop three are starting to produce, but they’re small and not overly productive. Thank goodness for stored carrots, pumpkins and potatoes, overwintering beets, and leafy greens such as silverbeet, celery, kale and lettuce. When we’ve eaten our way through those, it’s off to the local greengrocer! https://leafrootfruit.substack.com/p/asparagus-to-zucchini-harvest-chart
Darren’s dances of destruction have begun. This ye Darren’s dances of destruction have begun. This year, lettuce seedlings are Darren’s thing. Perhaps it’s because, thanks to my generous readers, I have so many lettuce seedlings in my garden. Good grief, Jen’s “Green Oakleaf”! Sue’s “All Year Round” strewn all around. And Stewart’s “Red Cos”, nipped off just because. Jeepers Darren, cut it out! On his first visit to my garden this season, while Narelle watched, Darren also clear-felled a medium sized silverbeet plant and gave a haircut to some wormwood. It was destined for a trim anyway, so no harm done there. But I’m lamenting the loss of the lettuces. Now I’ll need to sow another huge batch to grow on for seed as part of my lettuce landrace. Darren’s destruction will further delay sharing them with readers. I’m relieved that so far, touch wood, he hasn’t found the garlic or the daffs. But that’s only a matter of time. After Darren’s first visit, I upended some old wire baskets over the various garlic crops that make up round two of my garlic rust trials. Hopefully that will keep the cheeky, loved-up scallywag from ransacking them. Take that, Darren! This year, Darren is slightly early, and full of hormone fuelled energy. The destruction has already surpassed his efforts of last August. Last month I mentioned how enthusiastic the wood ducks were in searching for nest sites – far more so than in 2025. According to the birds, spring is well and truly in the air, and this year is going to a bumper breeding season. Read more about Darren and Narelle and my indicators that show spring is tracking early in my FREE August newsletter: ➡ https://leafrootfruit.substack.com/p/august-2026-planting-guide-and-garden
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