If your stay-at-home-sourdough has sparked an interest in getting hands on with produce, you’re looking to spurn the chilly outdoors & get some more green in your life, now is a good time to start growing some edible plants. Autumn & winter in Perth are mild, and a great time to establish some new plants, particularly deciduous fruit trees, in your garden. We’ve put together a list of edible plants that we love, and that we think everyone should try growing… at least once in their lives.
Apples – Apples are a very popular fruit and surprisingly easy to grow. You would do well to plant in winter, when they are dormant. Apples will grow well across most of WA, but be careful to pick a variety to suit your location! Different varieties grow better in different climates.
Blueberries –Blueberries make beautiful additions to gardens with their colour changing foliage and delicate flowers. Bluberries grow well in pots or in garden beds, but plant in a position that gets morning sun but is sheltered from the hot afternoon sun. Be careful to get a variety that flowers in a warmer clime if you want fruit.
Asparagus – Some people shy away from asparagus for the long time it takes the plant to fruit. Growing asparagus does take a bit of time, but once established the plant can reward growers for 20+ years. Start now, you can grow asparagus from seeds, but you’ll get quicker results from asparagus crowns.
Beetroot – Beetroot grows year round in Perth. Though it can be comparatively slow to grow (3-6 months in winter) the whole plant is edible, and you can pick away at some of the beautiful leaves as the taproot grows. We’re all familiar with red beetroot, but beetroot also grows in a variety of shapes and colours. They grow easily from seeds, but you can also grow them from seedlings with good results.
Potatoes – Growing your own potatoes is such a treat. if you’ve never had ‘new’ potatoes, you may not believe it’s possible to improve upon the humble potato, home growers know the truth. New potatoes have a buttery and altogether different taste to the ones you’ll find in stores, they’re staggeringly easy to grow and very fun to harvest, especially for small children. If you’ve got limited garden space, potatoes can be grown in grow bags.
Olives – Hardy, beautiful and delicious pickles, olive plants are a popular choice for Perth. Olive trees are evergreen, and make great hedges even if you’re not looking for the fruit. They wont bear fruit until the plant is four or five years established, so now is a good time to start. Winter is a great time to establish olive trees.
Coriander – If you happen to be a fan of coriander, now is a good time to grow it. In warm weather it tends to go to seed, but it’s much easier to grow in winter. Keep it plenty moist and you’ll be rewarded with lush leafy growth. When it eventually goes to seed, you may find it self-seeds and grows again when conditions are right.