Garden Diary of Grant Douglas - 4th Week of August

Hi Everyone

Definite signs that spring is on the way - Tree Lucerne and Wattle in flower and spray buses humming throughout the district.  A few warm nights and things are moving.  With some fruit trees such as plum coming into blossom, lack of wild bees is a real problem and if your trees are still quite small, you may need to consider doing some hand-pollinating.

 Lots of your plants that have been over-wintering will now start going off to seed such as carrots, beetroot, leeks and parsnips.  Use them up or break the flowering heads out of them to slow the process down.  Sprouting brocolli are producing lots of side shoots at the moment so keep them well picked to extend the plant's useful life. 

There are many plants that will go off to seed early if they're sown at the wrong time of year or receive a transplanting shock.  Chinese greens, rocket, corriander are all more likely to go off to seed if they are planted, rather than sown direct.

Always choose the right variety of seed/plant for the time of year.

Sparrows are getting stuck in.  If your leaves have sharp, cut edges, it is bird-damage, not slug or snail, so protect those tender young plants.

For early planting of tomatoes, you can try potting on seedlings at planting out size into larger containers, so that when the weather warms up, you can plant out bigger specimens.

Sowing or Planting this week:

Peas (this year I am growing Easy Peasy - low growing, heavy cropping)

Sugar Snap Peas

Silverbeet (Plants can go in now so that they will be ready by the time your existing plants are going off to seed)

Perpetual Spinach

Brassicas - Cauli, Cabbage, Broccoli

Lettuce

Chinese Greens (Sow direct)

Spring Onion

Raddish

Red Onions

Garlic (still time to get these in)

Rocket

Potatoes (If you already have some in, get a second lot sprouting)

Sow now for early outdoor planting:

Tomatos

Peppers

Aubergine

Sow now for Greenhouse planting:

Basil

Cucumber

Zuchini

Plant now in Greenhouse

Tomatoes

Peppers

Aubergine

Happy Gardening!   Grant