WHAT TO DO IN THE GARDEN THIS WEEK

Vegetables to sow and plant in June

ot many edible crops appreciate a winter start, but garlic, elephant garlic and shallots are all traditionally planted on the shortest day of the year (and actually can all go at any stage over the next few months .

ou can sow broad beans now too. They germinate reliably in cold soil, so can still be sowed direct. Space broad beans

cm apart, and plant the big seeds about - cm deep. They’ll be up out of the ground in about two weeks but won’t flower and start producing pods until spring.

In warmer parts of the country where frosts are rare, you can also chance sowing some peas, but if the ground is fro en, start them in trays, or wait until spring.

Sow silverbeet, spinach and onions now in trays, and more brassica seedlings can go in this month too.

Plant a tree

Sunday, une was Arbor ay, so if you didn’t already, celebrate by buying (or ac uiring a tree and planting it. very garden needs trees, and if you don’t have any space left in yours, buy a tree for someone else. It’s an investment in the future.

Autumn and winter are the ideal times to plant trees, especially deciduous species.

ig a hole twice as big as the rootball or planter bag they came in, chuck in some compost and a handful of good- uality slow-release fertiliser and work the soil over. lant your tree, water it, backfill the hole and hammer in two sturdy stakes, one on either side. Tie the tree to the stakes with flexible ties that allow a little give (or the top of the tree is liable to snap under strain in high winds .

ruit trees are available in garden centres now, so finalise your wish lists and start shopping.

As well as planting productive trees, treat yourself to beautiful ornamentals for seasonal interest and trees to feed birds and beneficial insects. Try Paulownia imperialis, pussy willow or lombardy poplars for fastgrowing trees you could plant for more privacy.

on’t stop there. ack up your gumboots and spade and volunteer at planting days in your community and at regional parks over winter.

A touch of frost

hat should you do if your garden has been nipped by frost ell actually the answer is, do nothing. arly and late frosts can leave vegetable gardens looking like a bomb went off, with collateral damage slain spuds, shrivelled citrus, fallen annual herbs littered everywhere. Sadly, there’s nothing you can do to undo Jack Frost's evil work, so just cut your losses and clear out the last of those warm-weather crops. rost has many more positives for gardeners than negatives a short, sharp cold snap wipes out pests and fungal spores, breaks up heavy soil and sweetens the flavour of swedes, parsnips, and brussels sprouts. hatever you do, don’t cut off the frost-damaged stems and foliage of tender edible plants such as citrus or tamarillos. runing now serves only to encourage these plants to produce soft new growth, which ack rost will simply claim next time.

Although weather forecasters are predicting higher than average temperatures this winter, that doesn’t guarantee there won’t be a sudden cold snap buy a roll of frost cloth ust in case.

Deal to weeds with ruthless efficiency

eeding may be the last thing you feel like doing when it’s cold and wet, but spending time hoeing and hand-weeding now will pay off in spring.

As weeds aren’t actively growing, herbicides don’t work so well in cold weather. ull out weeds and rot them in buckets of water, add to your compost heap, or pile them up and shred them with your lawnmower.

Set yourself the task of clearing a small area at a time, and mulch heavily once you’re finished. Then rest your soil until spring.

Don’t squash your soil

Soil needs looking after year-round and is probably at its most vulnerable in winter. Sodden soil can hold a lot of water but, if compressed it becomes puggy, airless and once dried out in summer, rock hard.

A few strides through a bed on a wet day can cause damage that takes months to reverse. To avoid compacting the soil, lay wooden planks along the rows and stepping stones within your borders to help distribute your weight evenly and avoid standing anywhere else.

Put asparagus to bed for the winter

Asparagus beds should now be yellowing-off and entering dormancy. Cut the dried out brown stalks off at ground level. Some growers simply lay the tops flat over the rows and leave them to rot down over winter.

If you are short on space and want the area to do double duty, try this method of sneaking in an extra crop.

ay down straw, mulch or pea straw at least cm deep. This will settle over the winter and, if applied now, can be sprinkled with a thin layer of soil or compost and used as a uick growing medium for winter lettuce.

Clear it out as soon as the first spears appear in spring. Asparagus is hungry stuff and in no way appreciates competition.

eep chooks well clear of dormant asparagus beds. Although they will clean up any remaining invertebrate pests and apply no small amount of manure, they will also uncover and in ure the dormant crowns.