How to begin transitioning your summer crops | Gardening Hacks | Gardening Australia

As summer slides into autumn, Josh still has summer favourites ripening in his garden. This transition period can be tricky to manage - you know the cool weather is on its way, but you still have summer crops in the ground and warm days are common. Subscribe 🔔 ab.co/GA-subscribe
Josh shares some simple ideas to make the most of what he calls “the in-between period”.
Tomatoes - the ‘Tommy Toe’ cherry tomatoes have been super productive and are still cropping, so he will leave them in. But the bigger ‘Grosse Lisse’ tomatoes finished a while ago so have already been pulled out and composted, and Josh will use that space to grow beans.
Beans - while it’s too warm and early to plant winter legumes such as peas and broad beans, Josh will try a quick crop of warm-season beans, starting with climbing beans at the base of the poles that are still in place from growing tomatoes. No preparation is needed in this friable sandy soil; just pull back the mulch and sow.
Josh hoes two furrows alongside to plant bush beans, which are more compact and don’t need a trellis.
It’s a bit unconventional to plant a crop this late but they’re quick growing and the plants will fix nitrogen in the soil and improve it, so you’re not losing anything by trying.
Celery & Rainbow Chard will be planted in some spare space in another plot. These repeat-cropping plants should produce well over the next few months.
They’re both hungry plants so Josh builds up the sandy soil with home-made compost, aged chicken manure and a sprinkle of blood and bone. He plants seedlings about 40cm apart - regular picking will stop them crowding each other.
To protect the young seedlings from hot weather, Josh has made up some shade tunnels. They’re a simple design, with 50% shade cloth tied onto lengths of bent fencing wire, curved high enough to give the seedlings underneath some space, and allowing enough sun and air to get through for the seedlings to thrive.
Filmed on Whadjuk Country in Perth, WA
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[@StephsSeedsandSuch]

Great tips! My beds are always full at this time of year and I struggle to find room for my Autumn crops. Time for the tomatillos to come out so I can get something else in I think!

[@amberhanrahan]

Brilliant tips thanks!

[@DigItProtea]

Love the video, thanks

[@sharonmclean8924]

Great video thank you .