Editor of this issue: Xinxue Wang

Growing vegetables is easy; all it takes is sunlight and rain for the seeds to sprout.
Growing vegetables is hard; it requires scientific management and labor input to achieve a good harvest.

Autumn Sowing Preparation Process

  1. Clear the ground of weeds, withered seedlings, and harvested plants; collect them for later composting.
  2. After clearing, water thoroughly to aid subsequent tilling. If the soil is already loose, you can skip this step.
  3. After a day, deep-till the soil and expose it to the sun for sterilization.
  4. 3–5 days before planting, add organic fertilizer (about 250 g per square meter), till to level, break up clumps, and form ridges.
  5. 2–3 days before planting, water thoroughly to create soil moisture. If the soil is very dry, repeat 1–2 more times (very important).

Autumn Sowing

Autumn sowing allows cultivation of various leafy and root vegetables, such as bok choy, greens, crown daisy, broccoli, radish, carrot, cilantro, garlic, and spring onions.

  • Leafy vegetables: Mix seeds with seeding substrate or sand and broadcast evenly across the soil; carefully control sowing density.
  • Root vegetables: Use row sowing by drawing shallow furrows on the soil surface and placing seeds in the furrows; control the spacing between furrows and the sowing density.
  • Large vegetables (e.g., Chinese cabbage, cauliflower): Raise seedlings first, then transplant.

Plant Protection

  1. After sowing, set up a low tunnel with insect-proof netting to physically prevent pests from feeding on seedlings.
  2. During germination, use shade netting to reduce water loss and cut down watering frequency.
Insect Proof Netting

Insect Proof Netting

Tool Recommendations

  • Long-handled tools: A flat-head shovel (sharpen the front edge) and a long-handled small-head rake; handles around 1.4 meters long.
  • Short-handled tools: A hand-held sickle for cutting grass.

Operational Management Suggestions

  • The current decentralized approach is inefficient. Consider collective planting and a unified plan for the eastern garden in the future. (Note: not to be implemented soon; treat as a long-term plan.)
  • Organize group purchases for seeds, insect traps, etc., to avoid waste.