Strawberry bed time

Edibles

Plant strawberries and rhubarb if the soil is not still too wet.

Dig compost into the garden once it dries out enough. Working wet soil will only damage its structure.

Order vegetable seeds and start sowing in seed trays under glass for a head start on spring.

Chit potatoes for planting in a few weeks when the sprouts are about 1cm long. Then plant in a sunny spot on rows running north to south.

Beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflowers, celery, kale, onions, silverbeet, spinach, coriander, parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme may all be planted now – in all but the coldest districts.

To rid over-wintering diseases and pests in fruit trees and berries, spray copper oxychloride or lime sulphur for the likes of leaf curl and botrytis. Then, a couple of weeks later, spray with an oil insecticide such as neem or Conqueror Oil to smother the larvae of insect pests.

Do not use lime sulphur on apricot trees (and some say also apple and pears) – they are sensitive to sulphur. Be generous in your applications.

A basic oil spray insecticide can be made by mixing a cup of vegetable oil with a tablespoon of detergent. Mix thoroughly, then dilute by adding two teaspoons of it to four cups of water, shake well and apply with a sprayer.

Ornamentals

Tidy up ornamental grasses. As a rule, deciduous grasses can be cut back hard, almost to ground level, while evergreen ones may just need a tidy up, such as a comb-through with your hands or a rake or garden fork to remove loose or dead strands.

However, check each clump before tackling it. Some deciduous ones start to regrow earlier than others, so are best cut before this begins. If it has begun already, cut these clumps back with more care so as to not destroy or mutilate the new growth.

Some evergreens may benefit with a more earnest going over with secateurs to remove individual flowers’ stems or diseased blades.

Prune winter-flowering shrubs, such as early flowering camellias and flowering currants, once blooming is over.

After pruning any plants, a generous top-dressing of a general fertiliser or a compost mulch will help the plant get back on its feet and ensure new growth is full of vitality.

Rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas may all be planted now.

There is still time to shift plants around before the sap rises in early spring. While most plants can be shifted virtually all year round if done with care, winter – when they are dormant – is usually optimum for most.

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