Weekend gardener: poppy days
Ornamentals
Put the ornamental garden to bed by weeding then covering the soil with a hefty wad of mulch, such as pea straw, being careful not to smother perennials.
Generally, bulbs will work their way through the mulch, but if you are worried they will not then use it sparingly around bulbs. (Many spring bulbs will be sending shoots up above the soil about now, making it easy to know where they are located.)
In districts where pea straw is not readily available, oat or barley straw, pre-composted bark, leaf litter and, of course, compost are good substitutes.
Mulch will protect vulnerable plants from frost or snow damage, keep in moisture, and of course break down to make the soil more friable. It will also suppress weeds.
Perennial weeds such as twitch and convolvulus will grow up into the bottom layer of straw, meaning they are far more easily removed come spring than they would be growing in soil.
Sow poppies for spring flowering in all regions that do not have very cold winters.
While Shirley and Iceland poppies can also be sown in trays for transplanting in early spring, soldier (aka Flanders) poppies are best sown direct. All prefer a sunny spot with light, freedraining soil. Edibles
Any brassicas planted now are best covered with fine netting (even old net curtains are good) to protect them from the white butterfly. Leave on until plants are about 20cm tall, and not in such danger of being eaten all up.
Carrots, onions, winter lettuces, radishes, swedes, and turnips may still be sown. As can, coriander, parsley and rocket.
Harvest pumpkins, leaving the stalk attached, and store in a cool, dry place.
All spent crops, such as pumpkin, courgette, tomato and corn plants may be cleared from the vegetable bed and, preferably, put in the compost bin. That said, many gardeners prefer to chop them down and leaves them on the top of the soil to break down during winter. Cutting up some of the thicker stalks will speed up decomposition.
Leaving tomatoes in situ is not advisable with as any diseases they are prone to may overwinter in the soil.
Cut down asparagus stems to ground level before the berries ripen, weed and apply a seaweedbased fertiliser.
Feijoas and walnuts are reaching maturity. However, they should never be picked, rather wait till they fall, or in the case of the walnut, give the tree a good shake and the ripe will drop.