Sprouts Club autumn update

How wonderful was it to see the community engaged at the autumn mini-market stall! The kids promoted, set up, ticketed, and sold produce they grew in the garden. Their hard work was on full display, showcasing the skills they developed over time.

Busy preparing for the stall took several weeks. The kids made preserves from their excess produce and designed beautiful labels. They saved seeds and created seed packets and balls. Using their artistic skills, they decorated bunting and marketing signs. They also grew seedlings and harvested an abundance of fresh produce and flowers to sell.

Celebrating success

Congratulations to the Sprouts Club! They raised over $500 to support another project. A big thank you goes out to the volunteers and parents who contributed their skills to make this a success. Community engagement truly makes a difference!

As we move into the last month of Autumn, we've been making the most of this Indian Summer. We are planting autumn and winter crops before the weather changes. Activity in the garden will decelerate as beds fill, temperatures cool, and growth slows.

Garden maintenance tips

• Mulching for growth: Use lucerne to mulch seedlings. This helps kickstart their growth and feeds the soil.

• Protective measures: Row covers are in place to protect crops from strong winds, pests, and hungry birds.

• Composting practices: Remove spent crops, chop them small, and compost layers of greens and browns while adding an activator.

It's an important time of year to forage organic matter, such as autumn leaves, manures, hay, straw, and wood chips. A balance of greens, browns, and an activator will result in garden gold come spring.

On the garden to-do list

• Succession planting: Sow brassicas, snow peas, beetroot, spring onions, and carrots for a mid to late winter harvest.

• Feeding: Provide regular weekly or fortnightly liquid feeding to heavy feeders like brassicas, leafy greens, leeks, and celery. This will give them a boost and keep them healthy.

• Companion planting: If space allows, sow companion plants like snapdragons, larkspur, stocks, and cornflowers.

• Cutting back: Now is the time to cut back perennials as they prepare for winter.

• Building microbial highways: Continue to build worm and microbial highways between beds by mulching paths with wood chips.

• Maximising space: Fill every available space with greencrop, herbs, flowers, or leafy greens. Leave no bare earth. At the very least, keep the beds mulched to protect and nourish the soil.

• Autumn harvest Leaves are now turning gold and starting to fall, marking the end of their main growth cycle. This signals the beginning of a new cycle, as the leaves give back to the soil.

• Feeding native plantings: Utilize Neutrog's bush tucker for native plants as they begin their flowering cycle.

  
  

Upcoming Dates for Sprouts Club

• After school gardening program: Join us from 2-3 PM or 4-4:45 PM on the following dates:

- May 7th, 14th, and 28th

- June 4th, 11th, and 25th

- July 2nd, 23rd, and 30th

- August 6th, 13th, and 27th

• Kids in the Kitchen sessions: Mark your calendars for:

- May 21st

- June 18th

- July 9th

- August 20th

• Fun with fungi: A mushroom-focused session will take place on July 16th.

  
  

Book your Sprouts Club spot now!

Embrace the beauty of the changing seasons and encourage kids to stay connected with gardening. This is more than just a kid's program; it’s an opportunity to cultivate skills, nurture creativity, and build community.