Max Lindegger of Ecological Solutions has kindly agreed for Permaculture Noosa to post his newsletters on our site:

The seedlings we expect to have at Lot 59 Crystal Waters this Thursday 16th November between 2 and 4pm and at the Witta Market on Saturday 18th November are:-

  • Lettuce
  • Beetroot
  • Beans- Bush and Climbing
  • Bok Choy
  • Cucumbers- Lebanese, Suyo Long
  • Capsicum (red bell, long yellow)
  • Eggplant (long)
  • Spring Onions
  • Rocket
  • Parsley- curly and Italian
  • Sweet Basil
  • Coriander
  • Choi Sum
  • Tatsoi
  • Endive
  • Tomatoes- Roma, Grosse Lisse, Money Maker, Scorpio Silver beet Sweet Corn Kang Kong Rosella
  • Squash- Golden Scallopini
  • Pumpkin- Qld Blue, Butternut, JAP /Kent
  • Watermelon
  • Rockmelon
  • Zucchini
  • Chilli- Cayene, Jalapeño, Bell

Plus a variety of potted herbs and flowers.

Look forward to seeing you soon.

Cheers Pat

The Garden In November

Some great rain in October got everything going. Some follow-up rain in November was great too. Moderate temperatures helped the garden and most things love this type of weather.

Good to see tanks and most dams full again.

Aphids where not much of an issue this year ( so far). I notice some Lady Bugs on everything. A pleasant sight.  Grasshoppers are with us thanks to the warm weather. And snails will be out in force again too. They come with the rain.

…and with the warm weather the Cabbage Moth is active again too. Watch for the grubs. Plenty of them around. Spend the early mornings out there dealing with the critters.

Many of the vegetables ( eg all the lettuces, most of the Asian Veg)  like a bit of shade during the middle of the day now. Our 50% shade cloth  protects the plants form strong sunlight and from heavy rain and hail.

By now you should just about be sick of Asparagus – stop harvesting ( if you have not done so already) the shoots and allow the plants to grow strong and tall and accumulate energy for next year. If the weather is very dry give them a good soak from time to time. A good watering each week is generally enough.  They have been wonderful this year but we did forget on occasions to harvest them and before you know it they have grown up.

I note that Green Harvest has a special on Asparagus ( $1 for a two year old plant) – you can’t beat this.

Harvest Onions on a dry day. Leave them on the ground for a few hours and let them dry out a little so they store a longer. I plant Red Onions pretty well all year . They seem to be tolerant of most conditions we experience here but don’t store as well as Brown Onions. Great for salads!

Silver Beet can get a rust during the humid months. Re-plant into fresh ground and keep picking the new leaves – or forget about Silver Beet in Summer. Don’ t plant to close together as plenty of air movement is a good way to reduce the impact of the rust.Our’s never has  the chance to grow to full size. The ” Ruby” is much more likely to go to seed. We grow the Rainbow variety and use the young leaves also in salads. Always nice to add a bit of colour.

The last of the Broccoli will be harvested early in the month. We harvested the last lot earlier this year – lack of water .Pull the plants out – roots and all. Chooks love the leaves and I put the roots in to the liquid manure. Carrots too are plentiful now. Remove the tops after harvesting to avoid the Carrots drying out. Sweet Corn prefers more moisture and should do very well this year with plenty of sun. Feed the plants regularly with some Blood and Bone and stimulate growth with a liquid manure Tea. As the cobs develop you may need to protect them from birds and rats.

Too late to plant the humble Potato this year  .

This is the ideal time to plant Climbing Beans. Blue Lake does best for me in summer. We are growing 2 varieties of Beans at the moment. There is a lot of choice in Beans. Also try Snake Beans when the weather turns wet and humid.. You may like to try Winged Beans ( from Green Harvest) . Winged Beans are quite special but need a strong trellis..

Organic matter will be  plentiful  and it is a good time to make large amounts of compost over summer. Keep the compost heaps covered during hot or wet weather. Compost is an easy and cheap way to build-up your garden and increase the organic matter. I think I would keep cows for the manure alone.

You can still plant the Melons  if you like. They will take a while to mature and will not like the humidity when the rain arrives.

Look out for these summer vegetables:

Bean  ‘Snake’ H
Vigna unguiculata var. sesquipedalis
syn. Chinese Long Beans, Yard Long Bean, Asparagus Bean
A fast growing climbing bean with stringless 60 cm long, light green pods with brown seeds. The climbing types take longer to come into production, but then produce for a longer period than the bush types. The beans have a slightly sweet flavour and crunchy texture; use them steamed, in stir-fries or curries. Very nutritious, they are a good source of protein, vitamins A, C, thiamin, riboflavin and minerals. Snake bean is resistant to Bean Fly and Rust that can make French or runner beans difficult to grow over summer. Sow all year round in tropical and frost-free areas. Elsewhere sow from spring to early summer.

Bean ‘Winged’ H
Psophocarpus tetragonolobus
syn. Goa Bean, Asparagus pea


Winged bean is a vigorous, tropical climber with mauve-blue flowers and four-angled pods with wavy margins. The pods, leaves, flowers and tubers are all edible. It is high in protein: the seeds contain 34% protein and 17% oil; the root contains 20% protein. If you are growing it for pods, leaves or flowers, grow it on a trellis; a trellis is not needed if you are growing it for the tuberous roots – let it sprawl. Of course, you will need to replant annually if you are harvesting the roots. The young leaves (top three sets of leaflets on a shoot) are cooked and eaten. The flowers taste like sweetish mushrooms. It is among the world’s most effective nitrogen-fixers.
A short day length (11-13 hours of daylight) during hot weather is required to flower, so it is not suitable for temperate areas; it is also very frost sensitive. It grows to 3 – 4m. Wait for warm, humid weather before sowing; in the subtropics sow November – December; in the tropics sow October until January. It will grow on a wide range of soils but requires moisture to do well; it tolerates acidity. Plant rows 1m apart; with 30 – 60 cm between plants. To improve germination either rub seeds with sandpaper or soak in hot water until the seeds swell. Harvest the pods when 10 – 20 cm long; use like green beans. Days to harvest: 60.

We will be growing Kangkong again this year. We had excellent feedback. The plant needs little attention and is very productive and tasty at the same time.:It will cope with any amount of rain.

Kangkong  ‘Bamboo Leaf’

Syn. Water Spinach        

Ipomoea aquatica

Ground-hugging, Thai vegetable that likes moist soil; young leaves, stems and tips are delicious cooked in a stir-fry or steamed. Sow spring and summer. Suitable for subtropical and tropical areas. You will find that they keep producing right into the cool months with little attention.

The young shoots and stems can be eaten raw or steamed.

What to plant in November: Radish, all kinds of beans, Lettuce, Kang Kong, Cucumbers, Squash, Zucchini, Okra, Pumpkin, Rocket, Onions – red, Water Melons, Rock Melons, Pak Choy, Tatsoi, Bok Choy, Parsley, Basil and other herbs, Rosella, Coriander, Carrots, Sweet Corn, Silver Beet, Spring Onions, Beetroot, Capsicum, Egg Plant, Tomato, Chicory. A good time to plant Sweet Potatoes too.

We will have seedlings at the market at  Witta on the 18. Nov. Plenty of honey too. Honey makes a great Christmas present!! Also 100% pure Beeswax Candles.

Good gardening.

Max and Trudi

Pat and John

Max Lindegger

59/65 Kilcoy Lane

Conondale QLD 4552

Tel: 07 54944741

email: max@ecologicalsolutions.com.au

I get often asked what the ideal pH was for various vegetables. I have included a list below. In my experience I have found that if you have a soil high in organic matter the pH is less of an issue. Still, for best results it is worthwhile to aim for a level close to the remanded.

Green Harvest sell pH kits and tools suitable for the home gardener. See here http://www.greenharvest.com.au/tools/soil_testing_and_monitoring_prod.html

VegetableOptimal pH
Artichoke(globe)5.6-6.6
Asparagus6.0-7.0
Avocado6.0-7.0
Beans6.0-7.0
Beetroot5.6-6.6
Broccoli6.0-7.0
Brussels sprouts6.0-7.0
Cabbage5.6-6.6
Cantaloupe – Rock melon6.0-7.0
Carrot5.0-6.0
Catnip5.0-6.0
Cauliflower6.0-7.0
Celery6.0-7.0
Chard6.0-7.0
Chilli pepper5.0-6.0
Chives5.0-6.0
Cucumber5.0-6.0
Dill5.0-6.0
Eggplant5.0-6.0
Garlic5.0-6.0
Gourds5.0-6.0
Kiwi5.0-7.0
Leek5.0-6.0
Lettuce6.0-7.0
Mint6.0-7.0
Mushroom7.0-8.0
VegetableOptimal pH
Okra6.0-8.0
Onions6.2-6.8
Parsley6.0-8.0
Parsnip5.0-7.0
Peas5.6-6.6
Peanuts5.0-6.0
Peppers – Capsicum6.0-8.0
Potato5.8-6.5
Pumpkins5.0-7.0
Radish6.0-7.0
Raspberry6.0-6.5
Rhubarb5.0-7.0
Rutabaga5.0-7.0
Shallots5.0-7.0
Spinach5.0-7.0
Squash6.0-7.0
Strawberries6.0-7.0
Sunflowers6.0-7.0
Sweet corn6.0-7.0
Sweet potatoes5.0-7.0
Swiss chard – Silver beet6.0-7.0
Tobacco5.0-7.0
Tomato5.0-7.0
Turnip5.0-7.0
Yam6.0-8.0
Zucchini6.0-7.0

[          ]

Witta market on the 16. September Lots of seedlings available and there will be an early rush!

Next Beekeeping Workshop: 23. September.

Good gardening!

max and Trudi

Pat and John

From: Max Lindegger [mailto:max@ecologicalsolutions.com.au]

Max Lindegger

59/65 Kilcoy Lane

Conondale QLD 4552

Tel: 07 54944741

email: max@ecologicalsolutions.com.au