C is for compost, D is for daffodil
Buy spring-flowering bulbs
There’s a lot of choice – daffodils, freesias, hyacinths, tulips, irises and more. Look for firm, plump, healthy looking bulbs and avoid any that feel soft or are mouldy.
Daffodils can be planted any time from mid-March to the end of May, but don’t plant tulips yet. Keep them chilling in the fridge for at least six weeks prior to planting in May or June.
Chilling allows the bulb to complete its development and ensures the flowers will have nice, long stems.
Put the bulbs in the fridge in a paper bag and keep them away from your fruit and veges that produce the ripening gas ethylene, such as apples and bananas, which can prevent flower and root formation.
Harvest and store ku¯ mara
It can be hard to tell when to dig for ku¯ mara as the tops don’t die down when the tubers are ripe. Before committing yourself to digging up the whole bed, do some careful bandicooting in a couple of places to see what’s happening underground.
Despite being known as sweet potatoes, ku¯ mara aren’t as easy to store without mishap as standard potatoes. Unlike main crop potatoes, whose skins harden off when the plants die down, ku¯ mara skins stay soft and tender in the soil, and rot can often set in post-harvest.
Ideally, lift your ku¯ mara after three or four days of dry weather when the soil feels dry as you run your fingers through it. Dig with care to avoid breaking or scraping the ku¯ mara. Then lay the tubers in a single layer in a sun-warmed shed for a few days after harvest. Check each tuber after curing and eat any that are scratched or scraped.
Medium-sized ku¯ mara are the optimum size for storing. Very big ones don’t store too well, as they contain a lot of moisture. Wrap in sheets of newspaper and store in a cool, dark cupboard.
If you’ve got a lot of tiddlers, peel or scrub them well and cut into pieces roughly the same size. Blanch in boiling water for two minutes, then free-flow freeze. They’ll come in handy for winter soups and stews.
Build a compost bin
Make hay while the sun shines ... and make compost while your green waste supply is in full steam. Autumn’s a season of composting action, with loads of grass clippings, spent crops, prunings and kitchen scraps going spare, not to mention the arrival of fallen leaves.
The ideal compost bin has a capacity of at least 1 cubic metre, with slatted sides to allow good aeration with bays for fresh, decomposing and usable compost. But simple a ring of chicken wire held in place with stakes will do the job too.
Build your bin within reach of the garden hose, as the occasional damping-down does the world of good in hot weather. If compost gets too dry, decomposition slows down.
Fill your bin with layers of brown carbon-rich materials (prunings, autumn leaves, crumpled newspaper, cardboard) and green garden waste and grass clippings high in nitrogen. Small pieces break down more quickly than large ones. Lay lighter materials such as hedge prunings, autumn leaves and spent vegetable plants on the lawn and run over them with the lawn mower to shred them up and mix them with grass clippings. Use a catcher for quick and easy collection.