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GARDEN DIARY | Late autumn
Things to do in
May
Autumn has its own smell, a combination of the scent of soil after rain and
decomposing leaves. It’s a great time to garden
By Jennifer Stackhouse
Vegetables
COOL & TEMPERATE
In cool and inland areas, it’s time to be on
frost alert. The icy reminders of winter are
likely to begin this month. Frosts bring an
end to pumpkin vines, sweet potatoes and
even choko vines, but help clear up pests
and weeds. Clear away frost-damaged annual
vegies (harvest any vegies that remain on
the vines). The cleared space can be used
for late-winter and spring sowing of kale and
other brassicas, along with peas.
TROPICAL
The dry and mild weather of autumn
provides ideal growing conditions for a wide
range of vegetables. Get planting! Legumes,
including beans, broad beans and peas,
can go in, along with salad vegetables such
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as tomatoes, cucumbers, leafy greens and
herbs. Plant asparagus crowns in a raised,
well-drained bed where they can be grown
for several years.
Fruit
COOL & TEMPERATE
Prepare to protect subtropical fruit trees
(such as lemon and other citrus) in cold,
frost-prone areas. Even where frosts are not
common, cold winter winds can damage
these sensitive plants. Move potted plants
into shelter, wrap citrus trunks to protect
the graft area (use hessian or corrugated
cardboard) and cover other frost-susceptible
plants such as mango.
Deciduous fruit trees survive the winter
chills by entering dormancy. This means they
can be planted now and in the months ahead
as bare-rooted plants. View what’s available
at your local nursery or order bare-rooted
stock direct from suppliers. Always check
whether a fruit or nut tree needs a pollinator
to form fruit and plant the appropriate
pollinator as well. Some plants are available
multi-grafted with a compatible pollinator.
Although they are dormant, it’s still necessary
to protect their roots from drying out before
they are planted. Ensure roots are well
wrapped or protected with soil or potting mix.
TROPICAL
Custard apples come into their own now as
the large, green, knobby fruit begins to ripen.
Some trees take many years to produce any
fruit — even named, grafted varieties — so
patience and often hand pollination are
required. Don’t be put off by the outside; the
cool cream flesh inside is always delicious
(spit out the brown seeds). To keep trees
growing and productive, apply a little slowrelease
organic fertiliser each season. For a
fast-cropping, compact plant, look out for
‘Tropic Sun’, which is more reliably self-fertile
than older varieties and has fewer seeds.
Compost & soil
COOL & TEMPERATE
Continue to rake and pile up the season’s
bounty of fallen leaves. Add them to compost
and leaf bins. Use any of last year’s leaf
mould to dig in to prepare the soil for new
plantings or to cover winter-bare soil before
spring plantings. This nutritious mulch can
also be spread around fruiting trees.
TROPICAL
Soil, particularly sandy soil, under a thick
layer of mulch can become water repellent.
Current research suggests a thin layer
of coarse mulch provides all the benefits
without blocking out water or causing
water repellence in soils . Water the area
to be mulched well, spread a thin layer of
compost over the soil then top with several
centimetres of coarse mulch. For more on the
best ways to mulch, see page 38.
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