Feed time for fruit
Fruit
Feed fruit trees with a proprietary fertiliser, or with compost tea made by soaking the likes of seaweed, horse manure, or comfrey leaves in a large container for at least a month. Or, place a hearty layer of compost as mulch around the base of the tree.
Plant fruit trees in holes large enough for the roots to spread out, then backfill hole with well-rotted compost and soil. Water and firm in well.
Finish pruning fruit trees.
Edibles
Order seeds from your favourite seed supplier, or buy now from your local shop. Organise trays and seed-raising mix – and somewhere to keep the seedlings until they are ready to go outside, which in most parts of the country is not till early November.
Tomatoes, aubergines, capsicums and chillies can be started in a warm room or heated glasshouse and/or on a heatpad.
Outdoors, sow broad beans, hardy lettuce – such as Merveille des Quatre Seasons and Rouge d’hiver – Asian greens, peas, spring onions and turnips.
Seedlings of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, rocket, silverbeet and spinach may be planted in all but the coldest parts of the country. Do not sow or plant New Zealand spinach until October at the earliest.
Remember, at least two months of cool weather (usually) lies ahead, and little advantage is to be had by planting out crops too early
– they will not prosper and tend to get overtaken by crops planted later when the soil and air temperatures have warmed.
Ornamentals
Divide snowdrops (Galanthus elwesii) as soon as flowering is over.
Prune spring-flowering clematis lightly (and then harder after flowering as they flower on old wood). Later-flowering varieties can be cut back to 3-5cm above ground. Give all types a handful of gypsum.
Plant clematis in a position where its roots are shaded and the top of the plant is in sun, in welldrained soil that does not dry out in summer. Larger-flowered varieties should be planted deeper than usual.
Dahlias are best planted from late August to late October, 6cm deep, 50cm apart in rich, freedraining soil and in a spot which receives full sun. If your soil is too heavy or not free-draining, build up small mounds of soil on which to plant the tubers.
As gladioli flower about 100 days after planting, maximise flowering time by spreading out planting from now until December. Plant in full sun in free-draining soil that has had plenty of compost incorporated, 8-10cm deep and 15cm apart.
– Mary Lovell-smith