Berry Christmas
Edibles
Mulch raspberries with pea straw, compost or well-rotted animal manure.
Remove tomato laterals (the shoots growing between a leaf and the stem) regularly. Continue to tie tomato plants to their stakes as they grow up, and water deeply and often. Lack of water can cause the undesirable blossom end rot in fruit.
Harvest garlic when the tops start to die off. Dig up by loosening the soil with a fork and pulling up the bulbs by their tops. Trim off the fibrous roots. To dry, hang in a dry place (in the sun if you like) for at least a fortnight. Keep the best for planting again next year.
Sow cabbage, silverbeet and spinach for winter cropping.
Plant savoy cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli.
Going away
The biggest worry for gardeners going on holiday at this time of year is the possibility of their garden drying out.
Depending on the temperature and the winds, soil will dry out at different rates – but always, the warmer the times and the stronger the winds (especially if they are hot ones), the faster water will evaporate.
Bigger trees and shrubs will last longest without water – though ones planted this past season will not do as well in drought conditions. Perennials will fare better than vegetable seedlings.
Gardens without an automatic watering system – or someone keeping an eye on them – will need the most attention, but all gardens at this time of year will benefit from having plants protected by an organic mulch such as straw or compost. Prior to leaving, the garden should be watered thoroughly.
Pots in containers can be moved to the south side of the house or structure, or under a hedge, in shallow trays of water.
Indoor pot plants can be moved into a cool room such as the bathroom or washhouse, and placed in a tub, basin or bath with about 5cm of water in it, to keep them damp. Otherwise, fill a container with water and leave in the room to increase humidity.
Tidy up
Mow lawns and trim edges. Weed the garden and deadhead.
Sharpen up hedges and shaped shrubs with a light going-over with the shears.
Sweep paths. De-cobweb and hose down garden furniture and any other structures in the garden such as fences, sheds, verandahs, trellises, letterboxes and so on.
– Mary Lovell-Smith