This post was most recently updated on April 14th, 2017
While we are enjoying our beautiful summer weather it is hard to think of winter meals. However, all our winter greens should be planted either this week or next to have them ready in time for a winter harvest. Cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, kale and silverbeet/chard all need nice rich ground to grow in, so add plenty of well rotted manure/compost and some seaweed. Add to this a generous sprinkling of lime and you are good to go.
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VEGETABLES
Avoid growing brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, cauliflower etc) in the same place each year as you increase the risk of them developing club root, which will seriously stunt the growth of all future brassica planted in that area for up to 7 years.
Water seedlings daily and hoe around them to stop the soil caking until they are established – they have new growth on them. You can use derris dust to control caterpillars and try my neem and garlic spray for aphids of white fly.
Keep picking your zucchinis, they grow super fast at this time of year!
Bigger members of the cucurbit family like pumpkin, squash and marrow need the ends pinched out once they have set a suitable number of fruit. This will help them grow and ripen what they have.
FRUIT
This is the time of year to remove raspberry suckers. They can pop up quite far away from the original plant. Follow their roots back to the parent and snip them off there.
Check any recently planted apple/pear/plums and trim away any root stock shoots and any graft shoots that are getting overly large to maintain the overall balance of the tree. Apply pruning paste to each and all cuts to keep disease at bay.
Check and double or triple grafted plants, if one type on the tree looks weaker, remove any fruit to encourage it to grow that part bigger and stronger for next year.
Perennial Vegetables
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