In the tropics

Plant pawpaw, naranjilla (above), rambutan, lychee and custard apple

Spread a layer of mulch over sections of bare soil in the garden, avoiding direct contact with plants

Lightly prune rose grape (Medinilla magnifica) after flowering to keep this beautiful plant from becoming leggy

Direct-sow seeds of corn, beans, coriander, Asian vegies, lettuce and rocket into prepared beds

Apply a slow-release fertiliser and a dressing of trace elements to all fruit trees in your garden, then follow up with watering and mulching

Harvest arrowroot to use as a substitute for potatoes, remembering to replant some of the healthiest tubers for a future harvest

Prevent the spread of fruit fly by picking up fallen limes, or let the chooks in to forage and clean up the grubs

Pick, peel, slice and freeze excess bananas to use for smoothies or in baking as required in later months

Push a fertiliser tablet, or a spoonful of manure pellets wrapped in a stocking toe, into pots of native waterlilies to encourage good blooming

Grow tomatoes in a new garden bed or a large pot (below) to help prevent infection by soilborne diseases

Handmade paper pots are perfect for raising seedlings of vegetables and flowering annuals. To make them, all you need is some newspaper, and a 400g tin to mould the shape. PHIL DUDMAN shows how it’s done.

1 FOLD a sheet of newspaper in half lengthways. Make a second, parallel fold about 3cm deep, crease it firmly, then open it out again.

2 PLACE the tin at one end of the paper, lining up the top of the tin with the first fold. Roll the paper firmly, but not too tightly, over the tin. Adjust as you go to keep the edges of the tin and paper lined up. This ensures a neat, strong finish. 3 SHAPE the base of the pot by folding the paper (at the opposite end of the first two folds) over the tin. Make the folds as firm and neat as possible so the pot sits comfortably upright. Remove the tin. If the paper is too tight to release the tin easily, roll it again a little looser.

4 REINFORCE the rim of the pot by folding in the 3cm margin. Now you’re ready to fill your paper pot with potting mix and add seed or a seedling. Later, seedlings can be planted out pot and all, because the paper breaks down in the soil. Just cut some slits down the sides to open up the pot and allow the roots to find their way into the surrounding soil.