TO DO THIS WEEK IN THE GARDEN

1

Heavily prune roses to promote new growth for winter flowering. Check for black spot and spray with wettable sulphur if observed.

2

Observe water run-off during heavy rain and dig out low spoon drains to direct water away from buildings to prevent rising damp. 3

Mound up soil alongside a tall trellis and plant wilt resistance snow pea seeds like mammoth melting; ready to harvest in two months from planting.

4

Interplant broccoli with celery in between two rows of spring onions. The broccoli will blanch the celery and the onions will deter the caterpillars.

Q AHelen Alvanon from Innisfail asks: “My lovely rosemary and all my parsley has died over the last month, why?”

Helen, rosemary is susceptible to soil pathogens that are endemic to the Wet Tropics, it is best to grow rosemary in a pot on a sunny patio but out of the rain. Rosemary likes water but will not tolerate wet feet (ie. a saucer full of water).

Water rosemary plants every second day in summer and once a week in winter and damp weather. Rosemary does not like to be overpotted, so pot up only one pot size at a time. We had many weeks of very hot weather this year and parsley likes to be kept cool and moist. If you let the parsley dry out in the heatwave conditions, that would have been the cause of its demise. Try again Helen, the weather is perfect for parsley now.