Garden Club

The Great Sweet Potato Shrinkage

Fellow Garden Club members, as we wrap up our sweet potato harvest and break ground on a new bed, we need to address the elephant in the garden: Where did all the big tubers go?

If your harvest looked less like a Sunday roast accompaniment and more like orange cocktail sausages, you aren’t alone. Club yields were down, and the culprit isn't possums, it's a lack of water.

Beneath those lush green vines, sweet potatoes are dramatic divas. About a month after planting, during root development, a dry spell causes lignification. The plant panics, turning prospective spuds into woody "pencil roots." When water vanished entirely, the vines shut down photosynthesis, stopping any bulking up.

The result? An explosion of fun-sized sweet potatoes too small to cook, but too cute to toss.

The good news? We’re turning over a new bed! We've already planted fresh vines and tucked those miniature spuds back into the dirt for round two. Next season, we’re treating our sweet potatoes like the high-maintenance royalty they are with a little more hose-time.

The Parish Office Sweet Potato Revamp

Last term, our first attempt at sweet potato glory met a tragic end when the vines succumbed to a total lack of sunshine. It turns out sweet potatoes aren't big fans of living in perpetual shade.

Enter our heroic Church Custodians, Therese and Julie. During the school break, they tackled the ultimate boss-level obstacle and chopped down the giant Fern Tree that had been blocking all the light. The space is now completely de-void of shade and ready for action.

We’ve just planted a brand-new crop of vines in this sun-drenched sanctuary. With the tree gone and the sunshine finally pouring in, we are crossing all our fingers and toes that this new batch will thrive.

Watch this space!

Seed of the Week Giveaway!

Green thumbs, assemble! This term, we are thrilled to launch our Seed of the Week Giveaway to help turn your patch into the envy of the neighbourhoods.

Stock is strictly limited for each drop, so you'll need to move faster than a possum at midnight. Miss out on the freebies? Don't panic—you can soon purchase top-up supplies right at the Garden Shop!

Here is our fortnightly giveaway schedule:

• Week 2: Silver beet `– The hardy heavyweight of the veggie patch, perfect for bulking up your winter greens.
• Week 4: Black Beans – Deep, rich, and ready to add some serious muscle to your garden beds.
• Week 6: Green Onion – The ultimate kitchen-window companion for instant snip-and-eat flavour.
• Week 8: Nasturtium Flower – Peppery, vibrant, and beautiful enough to eat (literally—toss them in a salad!).
• Week 10: Sunflower Seed – Aim for the skies with these bright, cheerful giants.

Set your reminders, beat the crowds, and let’s get planting!

Pic of the Week

This was the largest, sweet potato harvested this morning; it weighs 2.63kg

When is the Garden Club?

Garden Club happens on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, right after the gates open. We meet at the bubblers on the Churchill Avenue side of the school.

Garden Club is completely FREE to join! It's a great opportunity to learn to be a lateral thinker with limited resources, get first pick after a harvest, and see some fascinating creatures.

The information shared here is based on our experiences and knowledge, but we are not gardening experts. Think of it as friendly advice from one garden lover to another. Please remember that all gardening activities should be done with adult supervision and that you're responsible for your own safety and decisions.