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At that time there were few farms in Australia managed using organic methods that were commercially viable. For us, “organic” meant not using artificial poison sprays or artificial fertilisers. Plant nutrient was obtained from animal manure, foliar sprays made from seaweed, and from natural sources of minerals such as ground phosphate rock. The reason for using these management methods was because they are sustainable in the long term and, if used properly, don’t damage the natural environment.
There is not enough information as yet to prove that poison sprays do no damage. On the contrary, many poisons that were deemed “safe” even a few years ago are now being banned because of their hazardous effects. For instance, back in the 1950’s even DDT was considered safe to use. We recently saw a newsreel film made in the 1950’s of a young Queen Elizabeth II being sprayed down with DDT to ward off flies on her tour of Australia. Even the most popular fertiliser used in Australia, super-phosphate, has significant levels of cadmium, an element highly poisonous to humans and other animals. It is also quite acidic, which exacerbates the condition of many already highly acidic Australian soils.
On the farm we grew a large variety of different vegetables species – zucchini (courgettes), lettuce, sweetcorn, beans, peas, potatoes, capsicum and tomatoes. As we didn’t have a large monoculture of one crop, we had few problems with pests. Those pests we did have, we either ignored and put up with minor crop losses, or we used natural insecticides such as pyrethrum or garlic mixtures to combat any relatively heavy infestations of pests. However, even using natural insecticides, it is inevitable that you will kill not only the harmful, but also the beneficial insects.
| Zucchini (courgettes) | lettuce | sweetcorn | cucumbers |
| beans | peas | potatoes | capsicum |
| tomatoes | coriander | chillies | squash |
| pumpkin | broccoli | cabbage | cauliflower |
| onions | spring onions | bok choy | entsai |
| carrots | radishes | garlic | broad beans |
We spend a great deal of time, during the summer particularly, preparing the vegetables for freezing or preserving in bottles. We have two full size freezers, which are usually full by the end of summer.
Until a few years ago, we dug the garden over completely each spring. We then planted the vegetables and spread lawn clippings around them as a mulch, to both retain moisture in the soil, and deter weed growth.
With one exception the garden is managed along organic lines, using no artificial fertilisers or poisons and minimising the use of natural poisons. The exception is the use of snail bait, which we found to be necessary if we didn’t want to lose 90% of the plants overnight. We are working on methods of deterring snails without the use of poison, but have so far found nothing that works satisfactorily.
Three years ago, we decided digging the garden was too much work and adopted a “no-dig “ method of soil preparation.
The hay and cardboard stop weeds coming through and weeds that grow in the compost are very easy to pull out. You must ensure that the compost piles that the plants grow in do not dry out in hot weather. We have a computerised watering system, which makes that task easy. It turns the overhead sprinklers on every morning and evening, even when we are away.
This method is suitable for growing most plants except carrots, radishes, onions and other root crops. We do grow potatoes in this part of the garden, but we plant the potato tuber differently. After we spread the hay we push the tuber under the hay in the gaps between the clumps. Then we cover each tuber with some compost to protect it from the light. As the new tubers grow, you have to make sure they remain covered from the light.
As an alternative, you can plant potatoes the same way but put a car
tyre around the emerging green shoots and fill the tyre with hay.
As the new green shoots emerge from the hay you can keep adding tyres and
hay. This way new tubers grow up through the hay and when you harvest
them they hardly need washing, as they haven’t been in the soil.
You should turn compost regularly to ensure it is aerated, and ensure
it is damp, but not wet. Covering the compost bins with cardboard
hastens the breakdown process and encourages worm activity. Once
broken down into a fairly fine material it can be used for growing vegetables.
This generally takes about 12 months. We have a series of 3 compost
bins with walls made from hollow concrete bricks. As one bin becomes
full of fresh material we cover it and move to the next bin. When
the compost is ready to use, I simply dismantle the walls and dig into
it with a spade.
If you want to discuss this method of growing vegetables, please email us r.croft@netspeed.com.au
For the latest news on the organic farming scene in Australia have a look at http://www.acresaustralia.com.au/
