🍓 Food Garden Group newsletter - November 2025 🍓
We like to grow what we eat
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In this newsletter - our changing climate, what to do in your food garden in November, this month's Northern and Southern food garden visits, last month's visits in words and pictures, Botanical Gardens tomato sale, and more.
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This month's Southern food garden visit
On Saturday 22 November at 10.30am you will be very welcome in Chris and Jenny's garden at Old Beach.
Please note: this visit is a week later than originally planned.
About their garden Chris wrote
Chris & Jenny bought the 5001 sq m block at the end of 2019. The original soil (what is left) is about 60cm deep, and sits over layers of clay, mudstone & rock. Before building work commenced an orchard/vegetable garden area (20m x 12m) was fenced off and 5 rows of trellis were installed for espaliered fruit trees. During construction of the house topsoil from the construction site was removed from the block and spoil from excavations was spread across much of the area outside the orchard enclosure!
The area is in a rain-shadow, and almost constant winds dry out the surface quickly. The property is classed as ‘rural residential’, with a requirement for the owners to manage stormwater and sewage. Two 22,000 litre rainwater tanks are used to collect and manage rainwater from the roof of the house and the shed. The tankwater is used for the garden (we have town water for the house). A sewage treatment system provides treated water (sub-surface) to two large soakage areas adjacent to the east and south boundaries.
Apart from the orchard area, around 200 trees and shrubs (a mixture of natives and exotics) have been set out to provide interest and additional food production. Plantings are arranged in zones to take advantage of the micro-environment of each zone. Reticulation of tank water provides water to most trees and shrubs, and supplements ‘naturally’ available moisture. The block has been divided into zones for planting, water management and maintenance.
A 3m x 3m polycarbonate hot house has been added to the garden this year, initially for propagating seed, but in the longer term it may be used for food production as well.
In the orchard there is minimal pruning, as Chris attempts to implement other methods for training and managing the fruit trees. Food plants (and potential food plants) are distributed around the block, mixed into plantings of natives and exotics.
Although the garden is only in its infancy it provides a small amount of food to supplement our table, and enough to occasionally give some away.
Contributions for morning tea and the produce table will be much appreciated!
Discussion topics: espalier in a circle, setting up a large garden from scratch, bread making.
This Southern visit will be at Old Beach, 10.30am on Saturday 22 November
If you would like to come please RSVP to foodgardengroup@gmail.com
When you RSVP please clearly state who you are RSVPing for and provide names if you want to bring others, so we can have a name sticker ready for every person.
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This month's Northern food garden visit
On Sunday 9 November at 10.30am you will be very welcome in Pam's garden at Grindelwald.
About her garden Pam wrote:
I bought my property 5 years ago - a house and 7 acres of natural bushland complete with lots of native wildlife. Thanks to Covid, being unable to sell my business and having a hip replacement it meant I didn’t move in for a year.
I started the establishment phase of my 5-year project of renovating the house and establishing gardens. I negotiated with the wildlife - I thought 6 acres for them and 1 acre for me was fair but some of us are still learning about boundaries!!!
I wallaby-fenced my acre with hot wire around the top and a footer around the bottom. I then chicken-wired each new garden bed as I made it and enclosed each plant in chicken wire. There was an existing vegie/ fruit garden 200m from my house so I decided to keep it to see how it would perform. I ordered 2 truckloads of chips for mulch - one for native gardens around house and one for productive garden for paths and to keep weeds down. I moved in 4 years ago with my trusty wheelbarrow to move all the chips as well as plenty of heat packs, fisio cream and massage gun!!!
Did I mention there are boulders and small rocks, steep slopes, forget-me-knot weed problem and clay soil for the native house garden beds and veggie garden soil that was too wet to plant on a Friday but too dry and hard by Sunday! Yes, black cracking soil over clay.
It didn’t take me long to realise that I had to find a better way to food garden if I was going to be doing it in 5-10 years time. So I adapted my plan by enclosing the 30m x 20m productive garden in netting and built my first very tall raised bed based on hugelkulture principles. I used a ute load of recycled coir from the strawberry farm on top as my growing media. That has worked very well and I am building one new raised bed each year (3 so far, aiming for 6 for good rotation). And my newly found building skills are slowly improving!
I feel like I am now moving into the consolidation phase of my project, with more time to relax in the gardens whilst listening and observing nature around me. That means there are still things that need modifying and always new ideas to try, but life’s good for this 70-year-old, gardening in the bush!
Contributions for morning tea and the produce table will be much appreciated!
This Northern visit will be at Grindelwald on Sunday 9 November at 10.30am
If you would like to come please RSVP to fggnorthtas@gmail.com
When you RSVP please clearly state who you are RSVPing for and provide names if you want to bring others, so we can have a name sticker ready for every person.
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Last month's food garden visits
On Sunday 19 October the Northern Food Garden Group visited George and Kathleen's garden at South Launceston:
'Despite the cold and windy weather, the northern visit to George and Kathleen's garden in South Launceston was well attended and much enjoyed. A very steep block has been terraced with every space well utilised and showing promise for a very productive summer season. Vegetable beds, fruit and nut trees, berries, chooks and bees generated lots of discussion.' - You can read the complete article about this garden here.
On Sunday 12 October the Southern Food Garden Group visited Aimee and Greg's garden at Sandford:
'The October visit for the Southern Food Garden Group was an inspiring reminder of how much can be achieved in a short time when two experienced gardeners put their hearts and minds (and backs!) to it. Aimee and Greg moved to their Sandford property a little over two years ago and have transformed it into a beautiful and productive garden that, as one visitor said, "has everything!" ' - You can read the complete article about this garden here.
Thank you, Denby (North), and Ngaire (South), for writing up these food garden visits!
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Food garden visits planned for coming months
South - Sunday 7 December: Jan's garden at Dynnyrne
South - Sunday 18 January: Kellie and Nick's garden at SandflySouth - Sunday 22 February: Mandy's garden at Howrah
North - Sunday 7 December: Harry's garden at BridgenorthNorth - Sunday 18 January: Ken and Mylene's garden at St Leonards
A big thank you to these FGG members for being happy to host a visit!
Please be aware: dates and gardens may change! Each visit will be advertised in this newsletter at the start of the month the visit is in. At that time you can RSVP, not before.
There is a maximum number of people that can attend each visit. To avoid disappointment please RSVP early in all cases.
South - Sunday 18 January: Kellie and Nick's garden at Sandfly
A big thank you to these FGG members for being happy to host a visit!
Please be aware: dates and gardens may change! Each visit will be advertised in this newsletter at the start of the month the visit is in. At that time you can RSVP, not before.
There is a maximum number of people that can attend each visit. To avoid disappointment please RSVP early in all cases.
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Is our climate changing?
Tasmanian food gardeners are often much more in tune with the weather than 'normal' (😊) people, but the weather has been so bad lately that there will be almost universal agreement that 'Yes, our climate is definitely changing'.
It's probably Europeans that invented ‘Autumn’, ‘Winter’, ‘Spring’ and ‘Summer’, all occupying three months of the year in an orderly fashion, and starting at 12pm midnight on a particular day. Well, that may work in Europe, although I doubt it does now. At the other end of the world, in Tasmania, it may be time to let go of the European concept of the seasons, because the Bureau of Meteorology has completely lost control of the weather now.
I reckon Tasmania now has five seasons:
Winter - approx. end of April to mid August. Definitely cool. Misty at times. Frosty, if we are lucky, because that way we get rid of some of our food garden bugs. The weather is cool and collected, calm. It may rain, but then again it may not. It doesn't matter too much. The weather is cool, and we are cool. We remove weeds in our gardens, and, lo and behold, they don't come back instantly, because it is cool. We put another block on the fire or put our heat pump up a notch and we are happy, content in Winter.
Pre-Spring - approx. mid August to early September. This time of year gives us hope because it is less cold, a bit sunnier, plants everywhere are waking up, the daffodils are out, and lots of trees begin to flower. There are still frosts here and there, occasionally. Not much rain. It feels like, hhhhmm, well, we might have a nice summer this summer.
Windy-Season - approx. early September to end of October. Windy Season completely destroys whatever good feeling we had about the upcoming season. Strong blustery winds devastate our nicely strung-up rows of peas. Whatever the weather, it is doesn't last for more than half an hour, because the weather is bored with it all, angry, aggressive, volatile! And we become crabby, annoyed, angry even, with the aggression of Windy Season. Don't be foolish enough to try and sow carrots outside, because the little seeds will blow out of your packet straight into the neighbour's backyard and beyond. But the weeds are happy because, undisturbed by humans that don't want to go outside in this weather, they grow to record heights. Plant another windbreak or two, so in coming years your food garden will be less exposed to the Windy Season.
Spring - approx. end of October to end of December - At last someone has turned the winds off, but there still aren't many warm days and it is too cloudy too. The rule used to be that tomatoes can be planted outside after Show Day. That is a thing of the past. Instead, measure the temperature of your garden soil a few centimetres below the surface with your finger or a thermometer. If the soil still feels cold, it is too early to plant your tomatoes, capsicums, zucchinis and other summer veggies.
Summer - approx. early January - end of April. The weather is sunny, warm and stable. This is the wonderful weather that the rest of Australia has all the time, if you believe the soapies on TV. Put another shrimp on the barbie! Bliss! Plant and harvest, and then plant and harvest, and preserve, and then preserve more.
... Until in early May someone-up-there flicks a switch and the sudden severe cold snap reminds you that the cycle is starting again: Winter, Pre-Spring, Windy Season, Real-Spring, and then at last, Summer.
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At this time of year you may want to know .........
- Is this a good time to mulch my garden beds? What method is the best and what type of mulch is the best? See Mulching - Why and How on the Food Garden Group Blog.
- What pumpkin varieties are best if I want plants that don't take too much space in my food garden? See Small but Tasty Pumpkin Trial
- Should I thin the fruit that is now appearing on my fruit trees? What is the best time to this and what it the best method? See FGG blog post Thinning Fruit: why, when and how
- How can I avoid coddling moths tunneling through my apples, pears and quinces this season? The best time to start is now. See FGG blog post Outsmarting the Codling Moth
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Hobart Botanical Gardens tomato sale
What: 70 heirloom tomato varieties, a selection of herbs, cool-climate chillies
When: Saturday 1 - Sunday 2 November 11am - 3pm
Costs: free entry all weekend. Purchases support conservation and new RTBG projects
For more information and list of varieties visit https://gardens.tas.gov.au/annual
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Food garden potential
FGG member Steven F. (known to many of you because our group visited his property at Clarendonvale in 2021 and 2024, and because he taught grafting and espalier workshops) let me know recently that he and his wife will move out of the state soon for family reasons, to return to Adelaide. His property will go for sale and with it of course his great collection of established espaliered fruit trees and berries. If you or anyone you know might be interested in buying his property with its wonderful fruit tree collection, please call Steven on 0478 513 558. Steven is aiming to be at the November food garden visit (see above), so you can say farewell to him then.
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Food garden activities suggested for November
- Get your weeds under control before they set seed in December
- Make sure your food garden is well mulched to conserve water
- Monitor soil-moisture levels and water if needed
- Keep weeds at bay and don't allow them to go to seed
- Sow in pots iceberg-type lettuce, loose-leaf lettuce, brassicas, leek, parsley, spring onions, salad onions, celery, Chinese Cabbage and Asian Greens
- Sow in pots inside tomato, capsicum, zucchini, pumpkin, cucumber, corn and celery
- Sow in your garden beans, spinach, chard, silverbeet, carrot, parsnip, turnip, swede, beetroot
- Plant loose-leaf lettuce, iceberg-type lettuce, chard, spinach, silver beet, celery, parsley, late potatoes, ocas, leeks and onions (after adding some lime to the soil), brassicas (provide protection against caterpillars)
- Plant outside when the weather is consistently warmer - tomatoes and capsicums
- Protect outside tomatoes and capsicums against cold snaps with sleeves.
- Minimise caterpillar damage to brassicas by manual removal, netting or spraying
- Control slugs and snails especially around peas and beans
- Foliar-feed crops once a month with seaweed extract to maximise their health and growth
- Put nets over all berry bushes just before berries begin to show colour
- Thin fruits on all fruit trees soon after they form
- Protect apple, pear and quince trees against codling moth
- Remove and destroy coddling moth infested fruit on apple, pear and quince trees
- Get rid of pear and cherry slug by covering pear and cherry leaves with ash or lime
- Check peach and nectarine trees for leaf-curl and remove and destroy affected leaves
- Prune peach and nectarine trees when they have woken up out of dormancy
- Add sulphate of potash to the soil under peach and nectarine trees (*)
- Foliar feed all fruit trees with fish fertiliser and/or seaweed extract
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Happy food gardening,
Max Bee
FGG coordinator
To subscribe to this newsletter go to https://fggtas.wordpress.com and follow the prompts
Lots of food gardening info can be found at https://foodgardengroup.blogspot.com/
For past food garden visits, recipes and past newsletters see https://fggextra.blogspot.com/
To join our Facebook page search for Food Gardeners Tasmania and apply for membership
The Food Garden Group is affiliated with Sustainable Living Tasmania
Happy food gardening,
Max Bee
FGG coordinator
To subscribe to this newsletter go to https://fggtas.wordpress.com and follow the prompts
Lots of food gardening info can be found at https://foodgardengroup.blogspot.com/
For past food garden visits, recipes and past newsletters see https://fggextra.blogspot.com/
To join our Facebook page search for Food Gardeners Tasmania and apply for membership
The Food Garden Group is affiliated with Sustainable Living Tasmania
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