1. Good Organic Gardening - January-February 2016
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1. Good Organic Gardening - January-February 2016

1. Good Organic Gardening - January-February 2016 1. Good Organic Gardening - January-February 2016

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23.10.2016 Views

GARDEN DIARY | Mid-summer Things to do in January Summer in Australia is a season of extremes. Prepare for it to be very hot, wet, dry or windy, depending on climatic conditions. This is the season of floods, fires and cyclones, all of which take their toll on gardens By Jennifer Stackhouse Vegetables COOL & TEMPERATE Avoid the worst of the day’s heat by gardening in the cool of the early morning. Use this time to water and tend crops, check for pests, remove weeds and spot vegetables that are ready to harvest. On very hot days, shade crops to prevent sun damage. Repeat this inspection in the evening, paying particular attention to plants that need extra water. Make sure tomatoes are well watered to avoid blossom-end rot in fruit. If some crops are failing to form fruit — particularly cucurbits, including pumpkins, squash and zucchini — try hand pollination (transferring pollen from male flowers to receptive female flowers). In fruit fly zones, protect all soft vegies (such as tomatoes and capsicum) from fruit fly attack. These pests become more active as summer progresses. Use fruit fly baits or traps and, where possible, cover individual fruit with exclusion bags or nets. Regularly liquid-feed all edibles, especially leafy greens, and make new plantings of successful crops to keep the harvest coming. Keep weeds under control by hoeing between rows. Cover any bare soil with a thin layer of organic mulch to help deter weed growth. TROPICAL Harvest vegies while they are small and tender. In the heat and humidity of the wet season, crops such as zucchini and cucumber quickly over-mature. They become large, seedy and watery and are best fed to the chooks. Leafy crops, too, can become tough and bitter as they age, so always harvest them regularly. Replace mature crops with fresh sowings. Shade new plantings to protect them from both heat and heavy rains. Sweet corn, sunflowers and climbing crops on a trellis, such as Ceylon spinach, provide a natural source of shade for the vegie garden. Combat powdery mildew with regular applications of milk spray (one part whole milk to 10 parts water) or just pull out badly affected plants. Fruit COOL & TEMPERATE Mow or weed around fruit trees and deeply water trees, shrubs and vines at least once a week if rain is scarce, but reduce watering of fig trees. Feed most fruiting trees and shrubs, including apples, apricots and blueberries. Keep up fruit fly protection for still-ripening soft fruits, including raspberries. Use baits, traps and exclusion bags. Protect ripening fruit from birds. Use nets or reusable fruit baskets that snap over fruit clusters to protect crops against birds and bats. If using nets, use only white knitted nets that are less likely to snare birds, bats and reptiles. Stretch nets so they’re taut, avoid overly large nets that pool on the ground where they may trap small reptiles and regularly inspect nets to free any trapped animals. TROPICAL Keep harvesting summer fruit, including avocados, custard apples, mangoes, pawpaw and passionfruit. Hand-pollinate passionfruit flowers if fruit is slow to form. Check flowers regularly for ripe pollen to transfer to the sticky female part of the flower. Use a dry brush or cotton bud to transfer pollen. Bottle, freeze or dry excess crops. If fungal diseases are evident on fruit or foliage, apply a copperbased fungicide approved for organic gardens. Also, keep organic fruit fly baits fresh by regularly reapplying and protecting them from rain. Apply fertiliser to avocado, banana, If cucurbits are failing to fruit, try hand pollination custard apple, jackfruit, loquat, passionfruit and pawpaw, especially after periods of heavy rain, which leaches nutrients from the soil. Compost & soil COOL & TEMPERATE Chop up green prunings and seed-free weeds to add to compost heaps, layered with dry leaves. Compost is developing rapidly, so regularly use compost from the heap, spreading it over soil as natural mulch. This protects soils, keeps them cool and deters weed growth. Heaps should be moist but not too wet. If there are extended periods of heavy rain, cover heaps that are too wet. Conversely, if the weather is hot and dry, compost heaps can dry out and may need to be watered and turned. Keep worm farms in a cool location as hot spells can kill worms. TROPICAL Summer storms continue to leach nutrients from soils, so renew mulches or simply lay down chopped-up prunings, including chopped palm and fern fronds, to protect the soil. Apply fertilisers including potash to rapidly growing vegetables and fruiting crops. In fallow vegie beds, plant a green manure crop to add fertility to the soil in time for dry season planting, or cover soil with a layer of mulch. Use the cooler evenings to do vigorous work such as digging, spreading mulches or turning the compost heap. Shutterstock, Jana Holmer 40 | Good Organic Gardening

Mid-summer | GARDEN DIARY 1 2 1. Hoe between the rows to control weeds 2. Dry excess mangoes to enjoy fruit year round 3. Bird-safe white netting over fruit trees 3 (Leppington) Pty Ltd ABN 36 001 123 726 1675 The Northern Road Bringelly NSW 2556 Phone: (02) 4773 4291 Fax: (02) 4773 4104 Email: sales@lpcmilk.com Suppliers of certified poultry and cow manures. Fresh or composted delivered in bulk. Great for all types of agriculture industries. Poultry manure which can be spread in residential areas, golf courses, sporting ovals and parks. Also ask us about our reduced low odour. Member of Australian Organic Association Good Organic Gardening | 41

Mid-summer | GARDEN DIARY<br />

1<br />

2<br />

<strong>1.</strong> Hoe between the rows to control weeds<br />

2. Dry excess mangoes to enjoy fruit year round<br />

3. Bird-safe white netting over fruit trees<br />

3<br />

(Leppington) Pty Ltd<br />

ABN 36 001 123 726<br />

1675 The Northern Road Bringelly NSW 2556<br />

Phone: (02) 4773 4291 Fax: (02) 4773 4104 Email: sales@lpcmilk.com<br />

Suppliers of certified poultry and cow manures.<br />

Fresh or composted delivered in bulk.<br />

Great for all types of agriculture industries.<br />

Poultry manure which can be spread in residential<br />

areas, golf courses, sporting ovals and parks.<br />

Also ask us about our reduced low odour.<br />

Member of Australian <strong>Organic</strong> Association<br />

<strong>Good</strong> <strong>Organic</strong> <strong>Gardening</strong> | 41

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