Sweet! Peas
Gardening Mary Lovell-Smith
Peas can be sown directly into the ground, though they will need protection from frost. Twigs inserted amongst them will give young seedlings something to cling to as they grow.
Plant strawberries in soil with plenty of compost incorporated. Add a couple of teaspoons of blood and bone into the planting hole, and water in well.
Strawberries also grow well in containers – great for those who love the fruit but lack space.
Beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, kale, mizuna, onion, silverbeet and spinach may be planted now – in all but the coldest districts and unless the soil is too wet.
So can coriander, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme.
In frost-prone areas, new shoots of potatoes poking up through the soil are best covered with the likes of frost cloth, pea straw, or even large pots.
Sooty mould on citrus trees is caused by sap-sucking insects such as aphids, scale, whitefly and mites, which exude a sugary substance called honeydew on which the sooty mould grows. Rid the tree of the insects and the mould will flake off. The best organic solution is to attract predatory insects that prey on pest species by planting flowers that they like, such as alyssum borage, lavender and phacelia. Although available in garden centres now, some experts recommend that tuberous begonias are best bought in spring when they are just budding.
Plant the tubers, buds facing up, in trays filled with a 50:50 mix of seed-raising mix and either coarse river sand, perlite or vermiculite to ensure excellent drainage.
Place the tray on a heat pad or in a warm, sunny spot and once two leaves have formed, pot up or plant out in the garden, avoiding full sun.
To increase your stock of plants, divide snowdrops as soon as flowering is over. Dig up a clump – digging deep enough to get to the bulbs – then prise apart with your fingers, discarding any diseased or damaged bulbs. Replant in groups of about three at the same depth they were before you lifted them.
Keep on top of weeding – as soon as the soil and air temperatures lift, the weeds will grow like mad. At this time of year hand weeding can be an advantage – down on your hands and knees will make it easier to spot the self-seeded gems from treasures in your garden.
Practice and experience will teach you how to distinguish the keepers from the biffers; the freesias from the grasses, the nigella from the fennel.
Camellias that have finished flowering can be pruned back and fed.
Edibles
Ornamentals