We had a great wet season Fresh Food Share with Monique Ellis on Saturday 1st October. We meet on the first Saturday of each month to share knowledge, produce, food and tips. Join us at our next one, on November 5, where we look at all the things you can do with mangoes and pawpaws.

Here’s some hot tips from our chat with Mon, to get your garden ready for the wet season:

• Remove tomatoes and take them to the tip to prevent disease in your garden. Do not compost them.
• Crop rotation is a must.
• Plant nitrogen fixing plants like mung bean and peanuts.
• Clean out chicken pen and add it to your garden, mulch or plant a green, protective mulch like sweet potatoes.
• Collect seed, dry it and store in a cool dry place for the next growing season.
• Fertilise you fruit trees with a high potassium fertiliser to encourage flowers and fruit. Prune lower and internal branches for good airflow and to prevent pest and disease.
• Best fruit trees to grow in Broome are: mango, paw paw, banana and mulberries.

If you are not going to plant out your vegetable garden over the wet season, turn off your retic, add chicken poo, compost and mulch to keep soil healthy while resting. The very best tip was to slow down! Take your time, and only do a few small jobs here and there. These will add up to a big impact overall.

For any further questions, contact us or follow Mon on instagram @pindan_patch