Michael Beltrame wrote:
I have just started to finish reaping from my first summer garden in
the
Alpine area of Mount Buller, Vic.

The patch has been very sucessful and yielded well in the milder
climate of
650mtrs above sea level. All plants have been disease free in the
virgin
soil and only suffered one attact of Cabbage moth.

Two Questions.

1. What should I prepare to plant in the Autum for picking before
the cold
winter?

2. Can i grow ANY Vegetables thru the winter. ie Raddichio?

I don't know how cold it gets, but in my case (MIchigan, with tunnels)
extensive experimentation has shown that radicchio (and other
chicories), kale, corn salad, arugula and collard are the
cold-hardiest. I hear that miner's lettuce (claytonia) is also very
hardy. They survive temperatures of 15F/-10C. radicchio and corn salad
are also pest-free. corn salad and arugula reseeds itself, but
radicchio needs to be planted at the beginning of summer. if you are in
Australia, probably the only things you can plant at this time, that
will be ready before cold weather, are arugula and broccoli raab
(rapini).