Charlie Albone: How to manage the winter garden ‘itch’

Sometimes winter makes me feel like an addict with an itch that can’t be scratched! The garden slows down and the anticipation of spring isn’t quite here yet — what can you do to get the green thumbs brown with dirt? Making a start on your springtime plants by sowing seeds is a great way to take the edge off. Growing your own produce and plants from seeds ensures you get the result you want. You could be an organic gardener, want maximum harvest in the shortest time possible; or growing from seed to save money. One big downside is all the small plastic pots you use. The solution: give soil-blocking a go. Soil-blocking is a seed-starting technique using compressed soil mix into cubes and sowing directly into it. It comes with a list of benefits, mainly a more robust root system compared to those grown in conventional plastic containers. Soil blocks allow for air pruning, which encourages roots to grow more fibrous and robust. This results in healthier plants that can better absorb nutrients and water from the soil. You’ll need to invest in a soil-blocking press, which are not expensive, and you’ll be able to dispense with your old plastic cells and sowing pots. The soil mix is based on coir. You can use straight coco fibre from the hardware store, depending on what you are germinating. You may want to add perlite for freer draining, and perhaps a handful of blood and bone for extra nutrients. The tricky part is getting the right moisture levels for the soil mix to hold together. It needs to be wet but not so wet that it falls apart. If your first mix doesn’t work, you can use the same mix again with less or more water or mix until you get the right consistency. Once loaded and pressed, the cubes should be solid and have smooth sides. A tip: rinse the blocking press between rows as this will make the next press of cubes more consistent. The press puts a dimple on the top of each block for you to place the seed of your choice. Press your blocks into a tray and line them up with a small gap for airflow. Only water when the mix starts to dry out. Do not use too much water or they will disintegrate. Simply fill the tray slowly and the blocks will suck up the water they need. Once your seedlings are growing well and you see true leaves on them, they are ready for planting in the garden. Place the whole block into the planting hole and back fill. Due to the lack of disturbance of the roots you’ll experience minimal transplant shock and a healthy vigorous growth rate as the plant matures. If it’s vegetables you want, there’s an abundance of sowing choices right now. I would only sow what you like to eat — growing your own is time-consuming and takes much effort, so you want something you really enjoy eating! Starting your tomatoes, cucumbers and capsicums now will give you headstart on the season and ensure they will be fruiting as soon as the warmer weather arrives. It’s a good idea to sow these again in four to six weeks time to prolong your harvest for as long as possible. If its herbs that tickle your fancy — good choice, they take much less maintenance than vegetables — sow your warm season favourites now. This includes parsley, basil, coriander, thyme and oregano. By the time they get up and strong it will be warm enough to get them in the ground. I also sow flowers for the garden beds. Try cosmos, poppies and cornflowers, they all look their best when planted in huge clumps and dotted through the existing shrubs and plants. For best effect, you need lots of them. The benefit of sowing flowering annuals in soil blocks is not only the cost savings and avoidance of plastic, but the increase in success when planted in the garden.