Good Organic Gardening - May/June 2016

The mornings and evenings are cooler and the real cold is coming, so everything in the garden changes dramatically now. It's time to plant all those lovely brassicas and snowpeas, sugar snaps and carrots, says Melissa King, and it's a great time for leafy greens, too, as you don't have the problem of bolting when the mercury is lower. A good mulching will help keep your soil warm, so Jennifer Stackhouse does a roundup of the latest wisdom on mulching — it's not as cut-and-dried as you think — while Sandra Tuszynska tells how to make a poo brew that will perk up your plants. This issue we have a special feature on the health benefits of fermenting and pickling your produce, and if you're thinking of buying chickens, Megg Miller waxes lyrical on the appeal of the Australian Langshan breed. If you’re enjoying learning about biodynamics, read part II of Claire Bickle’s Biodynamics Basics and use the handy moon calendar for your seasonal planting. Happy reading and gardening!