3. Good Organic Gardening - May-June 2016 AvxHome.in

GARDEN DIARY | Early winter
Things to do in
June
On the calendar, June marks the beginning of winter but it’s
often a time of settled weather and short but pleasant days.
Make the most of the good weather to work in your garden
By Jennifer Stackhouse
Vegetables
COOL & TEMPERATE
In cold zones, it can be tempting to put the
garden to bed over winter. If you want a break
or plan to be away, simply lay mulch over the
garden as crops are harvested and the plants
pulled out. This will deter weeds and break
down to feed the soil. Another option is to sow
a green manure crop to be dug in during early
spring. Legumes are the best crops to grow
to naturally improve soil fertility as they add
nitrogen. For those who want to make the most
of the cooler conditions to grow for an earlyspring
harvest, plant broad beans, peas and
bassicas. In very cold areas, postpone planting
peas until later in winter. Not all crops need to
be harvested all at once. Carrots, parsnips and
many other root vegetables can be pulled from
the ground as they are needed during winter.
TROPICAL
Any vegetable can be grown almost
anywhere; it’s just a matter of finding a
time of the year with the right conditions.
Winter in the tropics is the season to grow
vegies that prefer cool, dry summers. Pests
and diseases will also be less troublesome.
Normally, tender English spinach, peas, leeks
1
and herbs that would rather be growing in
the Mediterranean grow strongly over the dry
months ahead. As many herbs are perennial
and continue growing year-round, confine
them to large pots that can be moved into
a more sheltered position later in the year
when rains and humidity return. Also plant
sweet corn, zucchini, tomatoes and potatoes.
Fruit
COOL & TEMPERATE
Over winter, continue to harvest and enjoy
the citrus bounty that’s hanging on your
trees. If you have space, this is the season
to plant fruit trees, particularly deciduous
varieties such as apples, cherries, peaches,
pears, plums and nectarines. If space is
tight, consider growing trees as espaliers
(trained against a wall or along wires) or
look for compact varieties or those grafted
on dwarfing rootstock. Multi-grafts are also
space saving. Although the trees may be
smaller and more compact, their fruit is
normal sized. Before planting, dig the soil over,
adding in well-rotted manure and compost.
Remove rocks, clods and weeds. Concentrate
on preparing a wide area that’s at least as
deep as the root ball of the new plant. Before
putting roots in the ground, trim those that
are broken. Soak the root ball in a bucket of
water with added seaweed solution. When it’s
well hydrated, plant it and use the contents of
the bucket to water over the plant.
TROPICAL
Does your backyard orchard produce
something to harvest year-round? If not, plan
additions to provide fruit in the downtimes,
such as during winter and early spring. Seek
inspiration about what fruits are in season
in your area now by talking to stallholders
at local grower markets. Fresh and available
now are citrus including mandarin, grapefruit,
lemon and orange. Others to plant for a
cool-season harvest include custard apple
(see more information on page 48) and
persimmon. Passionfruit continues to ripen
well into winter. These vines grow well over
an arbour or along a wire fence and can be
used to provide summer shade to vegies.
Compost & soil
COOL & TEMPERATE
As the weather gets colder, your warm
compost heap may be a haven for rodents,
especially rats and mice. Once they set up
home in the compost heap, they are difficult
to evict. To avoid rodents, use a covered bin
set into the earth or change to a compost
tumbler. It’s off the ground and out of
reach of rodents! Where these pests are a
big problem, consider burying compost in
trenches dug into the soil in an area of the
garden to be replanted.
TROPICAL
Get heavy work out of the way while
conditions are cooler and less humid. Get
stuck into making new garden beds, including
raised beds, spreading fresh mulch or clearing
out the chook shed and replacing perches.
Barrow chook manure and debris from the
chook shed straight to the orchard where
it can be spread under fruit trees as mulch.
Alternatively, add it to the compost pile.
2
50 | Good Organic Gardening