Snake beans are a reliable standby this month

Summer school holiday time and the weather has been glorious so far – in stark contrast to last year’s torrential rains. I keep my garden work to a minimum in January, doing any taxing work in the cool early morning hours or late afternoons. For my up-coming plantings I keep trays of new seedlings in boxes on the verandah, out of the sun and in easy reach of a watering can.

This year’s weather has been cooler and I noticed a drop in fruit-fly numbers – making for a bumper tomato harvest, but fruit-fly control is still important. Collect all affected fruit in black bin bags and place them in the sun to ‘cook’ the larvae. Another option is to place affected fruit in a rubbish bin filled with water to drown the larvae (make sure the lid is on against smells and mosquitoes). Both results can be composted afterwards. I keep a lidded bin in the vegetable garden for this purpose, weeds and comfrey leaves can also be added to this mix – a good liquid fertiliser.

Bunya Nuts, very large indigenous pine nuts - a traditional food

Snake beans, silverbeet, eggplant, cucumbers are some of the vegetables that keep producing throughout this hot month. Great ingredients for Thai curries and Asian dishes. And look out for ‘free’ Bunya nuts at the end of January, a traditional bushfood with many possible applications.

Sow direct: sweet corn.
Sow or plant out: capsicum, tomato, eggplant, rockmelon, summer squash, watermelon, zucchini, French marigold and sunflower, also cucumber and leek in late January.
Sow direct: bush and climbing beans.
Lightly prune: all established bush roses, except species.

Sow or plant out: lemon grass and mango. Take cuttings of hyssop, marjoram, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, watercress, carnation and pelargonium, dandelion, watercress, carnation and gazania.
Sow direct: beetroot (pre-soak seed), carrot, parsnip, potato and radish.
Lightly fertilise: kangaroo paw, also natives not fertilised in spring.
Prune: ceratopetalum not cut at Christmas.
Harvest crops for storage on non-fertile days.

No sowing or planting this phase, but weed, dig or plough, prepare beds and prune back unwanted growth, if required.
Prepare beds for: leeks and prepare and mulch beds for: strawberries.
Mulch: top up mulch around bananas and where necessary.

Sow or plant out: celosia, ageratum, French marigold, also leek in late January.
Sow direct: silverbeet (pre-soak seed) and sunflower.
Grow a green manure or cover crop of: adzuki bean, cowpea, lablab, mung bean, pigeon pea, Japanese millet or sorghum, amaranth and millet.
On damp soil, apply fertiliser tea to: melons sown in December, also cabbage, silverbeet and young passionfruit, if necessary.
Apply seaweed tea to: asparagus seedlings and young crowns and potato bed for February planting. Water fruit trees and vines regularly after harvest.

Bergamot & borage flowering - growing alongside basil, watermelon & cucumbers

December is a busy month for families which is good reason for you to have done your work over the spring months so you can now scale back and still have fresh things to pick each day. This summer looks like a good growing season here and I’ll put in more lettuces for fresh Christmas salads.

If you haven’t already done so in November, now is the time to mulch your garden well to avoid moisture loss during the day. It will also help to keep the weeds down which will cover any exposed soil in no time after a bit of rain.
Net mangoes and apples and bag banana bunches to protect fruit from fruit bats, possums, brush turkeys.
Bag or net tomatoes to protect from fruit fly and king parrots who just love to nibble them (plant some extra cherry tomatoes out for them to enjoy at Christmas time).

In hot weather zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant and capsicum keep producing as long as the water or rain is kept up to them. I am very proud of my Christmas harvest of Oxheart tomatoes this year. Herbs like basil, parsley, chives, thyme do well now as long as they get enough water and you will be able to provide fresh salads, antipastos and herb dressings or pesto on those hot summer days.

Seed Saving:

At the end of spring I collect seed heads from herbs like parsley, kale, broccoli, tomatoes, coriander, watercress, highland cress, carrots, dill, fennel and rocket as they complete their flowering and place them in paper or cloth bags to dry out. I also save seeds from my favourite Farmer’s market bought tomatoes as I use them, by spreading the seeds on a piece of newspaper to dry, writing the variety alongside for later identification.

Gardening Guide (following Moon Planting)

Sow or plant out: bush and climbing beans, sweet corn, eggplant, pumpkin, capsicum, tomato, watermelon, cauliflower, cucumber, leek, rockmelon, spring onions, summer squash, tomato, zucchini, cosmos, nasturtium, sunflower, African and French marigold.

Prune: climbing roses, ramblers and species roses after flowering. Tip prune young fig trees.

☺ Full Moon 11 December at 12:37 am

Sow direct: beetroot (pre-soak seed), carrot, parsnip and radish.

Sow or plant out: banana passionfruit, passionfruit, dandelion, lemon grass, mint, pyrethrum, watercress, banana, mango and pineapple.

Take cuttings of: hyssop, lavender, marjoram, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme and watercress.

After watering, fertilise: all banana trees. Lightly fertilise: Hawaiian hibiscus.

Harvest crops for storage on non-fertile days.

☾ Waning Moon 18 December at 10:49 am

No sowing or planting this phase, but weed, dig or plough, prepare beds and prune back unwanted growth, if required.

Mulch: pineapple with well-rotted manure.

Sow or plant out: More basil and parsley.
Sow direct: cabbage, lettuce, silver beet (pre-soak seed), leek, spring onions, cosmos, nasturtium and sunflower.

Grow a green manure or cover crop of adzuki bean, cowpea, lablab, mung bean, pigeon pea, soybean, Japanese millet, sorghum, amaranth or millet. I often use mixed bird seeds or a soup mix to grow for my chickens.

On damp soil, apply fertiliser tea (made from comfrey or manure soaked in water, diluted 1:10) to: asparagus seedlings and crowns, young grapes, young avocado, mango and pawpaw, melons sown in November, also cabbage, celery, leek, young rhubarb, silver beet and young passionfruit.

Apply seaweed tea to: pawpaw, Hawaiian hibiscus and potato bed for January planting. Apply at half-strength to kiwifruit and young pawpaw.

This may be the busiest time in the garden, harvesting spring crops, seeds for saving and getting prepared for summer. All the hot season crops are going in now, the zucchini are thriving already, finished spring crops are pulled out and fed to the chickens. The other important task is to feed everything and to mulch now before the weather heats up and the rains start – this will protect the soil and nutrients. Hopefully we won’t have a repeat of last year’s torrential downpours. To prevent losing my crop of carrots this year I decided to plant them in a deep planter box filled with organic soil.

Many herbs and vegetables are flowering now and setting seeds which I will save for next year. So far I have collected broccoli, kale, daikon, marigold, echinacea, purple cauliflower, beans, snowpeas and broad beans. 

Nigella - Love-in-the-mist

Gardening Guide (following Moon Planting)

☽ Waxing Moon 3 November at 2:39 am

Sow direct: eggplant and sweet corn.

Sow or plant out: capsicum, tomato, watermelon, bush and climbing beans, rockmelon, spring onions, summer squash, zucchini, African and French marigold and verbena.

Sow direct: pumpkin, cosmos, nasturtium and sunflower.

Prune: climbing roses, ramblers and species roses after flowering.

☺ Full Moon 11 November at 6:17 am

Chamomile

Sow direct: radish and sweet potato.

Sow or plant out: passionfruit, pawpaw, dandelion, lemon grass, banana, pineapple, beetroot (pre-soak seed), carrot, pyrethrum, watercress, banana passionfruit, pelargonium, bromeliad, gerbera and frangipani.

Take cuttings of rosemary, thyme and watercress.

Harvest crops for storage on non-fertile days.

☾ Waning Moon 19 November at 1:10 am

No sowing or planting this phase, but weed, dig or plough, prepare beds and prune back unwanted growth, if required. Check roses and citrus for ‘suckers’.

Dill

Prepare beds for: a late crop of potatoes.

☻ New Moon 25 November at 4:11 pm

Sow or plant out: sweet and purple basil, parsley, spring onions, African and French marigold and verbena.

Sow direct: cabbage, lettuce, silver beet (pre-soak seed), NZ spinach (pre-soak seed), cosmos, nasturtium and sunflower.

Grow a green manure or cover crop of adzuki bean, cowpea, lablab, pigeon pea, soybean or millet. ln suitable soils, grow amaranth, mung bean, Japanese millet, or sorghum.

On damp soil, apply fertiliser tea to: young rhubarb, melons sown in October. Also to cabbage, lettuce and silver beet and young passionfruit, if necessary.

Apply seaweed tea to: young grapes, citrus. Apply at half-strength to kiwifruit.

It’s been hot and windy these last few days and I’m waiting for a change in the weather and hopefully some rain to plant out the summer vegetables. In the meantime my purple cauliflowers and sugarloaf cabbages are ready to pick. Broccoli and Tuscan kale are flowering (I’m planning to save seeds) and need a replanting.

I’ve started vegetable seeds in trays which will be ready to plant later this month. Most of my flowers have started to self-seed, but I will sprinkle some more seeds out straight on the soil as well. I prefer a naturalised garden which provides colour with little extra work.

Currently I am still harvesting my winter and spring crops, lettuces, cauliflowers, cabbages, kale, asparagus and all sorts of berries: Yellow raspberries, strawberries, black mulberries, white Shantoot mulberries, and the blueberries are swelling too.

Gardening Guide (following Moon Planting)

☽ Waxing Moon 4 October at 1:16 pm

Sow direct: bush and climbing beans, grain crops, sweet corn, popcorn, cosmos, everlasting daisy, nasturtium and sunflower.

Sow or plant out: capsicum, cucumber, eggplant, leek, pumpkin, rockmelon, rosella, spring onions, summer squash, tomato, watermelon, zucchini, chamomile, ageratum, celosia, dianthus, livingstone daisy, African and French marigold, petunia, phlox, snapdragon and verbena.

Prune: mature passionfruit, climbing roses, ramblers and species roses, after flowering. Hawaiian hibiscus when old leaves yellow. Dead-head roses regularly through the growing season.

☺ Full Moon 12 October at 12:07 pm

Sow direct: beetroot (pre-soak seed), carrot, radish and sweet potato.

Sow or plant out: asparagus seed, banana passionfruit, passionfruit, pawpaw, catnip, chives, dandelion, hyssop, lemon balm, lemon grass, marjoram, meadowsweet, mint, oregano, pyrethrum, rosemary, rue, sage, Virginia scullcap, thyme, watercress, yarrow and dahlia seed.

Plant: banana, blueberry, citrus, cherry guava, tropical guava, macadamia, mango, lavender, pyrethrum French tarragon, bromeliad, chrysanthemum gazania, gerbera, pelargonium, Shasta daisy dahlia tubers and frangipani. Divide chives and gerbera. Repot pot plants, if necessary, until December. In cooler areas, also sow or plant out herbaceous perennials, olive, potted roses and evergreen trees, shrubs and vines.

After watering, fertilise: mature passionfruit and herbaceous perennials after aerating bed.

Lightly fertilise: young citrus, fig, cherry guava, palms, French tarragon, marjoram, oregano, mint, Hawaiian hibiscus, carnations and marguerites, also natives after flowering, except for kangaroo paw. Apply a very small amount to wisteria.

Harvest crops for storage on non-fertile days.

No sowing or planting this phase, but weed, dig or plough, prepare beds and prune back unwanted growth, if required.

Mulch: banana, passionfruit and Hawaiian hibiscus with compost and well-rotted manure, also asparagus after harvest. Lightly mulch rhododendrons and azaleas with well-rotted manure. Mulch as required to keep organic fertiliser damp and protect garden from heat or dry conditions. Lift spring bulbs as soon as foliage dies back.

☻ New Moon 27 October at 5:57 am

Sow direct: open Chinese cabbage, grain crops, rocket, silver beet (pre-soak seed), NZ spinach (pre-soak seed), tatsoi, dill, cosmos, everlasting daisy, nasturtium and sunflower.

Sow or plant out: cabbage, leek, lettuce, silver beet (pre-soak seed), spring onions, sweet and purple basil, chamomile, parsley, ageratum, celosia, dianthus, livingstone daisy, African and French marigold petunia, phlox, snapdragon and verbena. Grow a green manure or cover crop of red or white clover, pigeon pea, soybean. millet or Japanese millet, also sorghum late in month In suitable soils, grow alfalfa, amaranth or buckwheat.

On damp soil, apply fertiliser tea to: young grapes, young rhubarb, young mango, young pawpaw, all bananas, melons sown in September, asparagus seedlings and young crowns, also cabbage, celery, leek, lettuce and silver beet and young passionfruit, if necessary.

Apply seaweed tea to: young grapes, mature pawpaw, bulbs after flowering, all passionfruit after rain. Also to strawberries in cooler areas. Apply at half strength to kiwifruit and young pawpaw.

Fragrant orange blossom

I’m into the spring planting as well as harvesting the vegetables that have matured over the winter months, like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbages and leeks.

Some of last year’s deciduous tree plantings are looking well. Meanwhile citrus and fruit trees are in flower and for the first time I have a colourful flower garden, even potted tulips!

My main task this month apart from pruning and maintenance is to seed out trays of more vegetable and flower seeds to be planted halfway through to the end of the month. This will be the Christmas crop. Below is a selection of seeds that can be sown or planted now for the first summer harvest.

Gardening Guide (following Moon Planting)

☽ Waxing Moon 5 September at 3:40am

Sow direct: grain crops.
Sow or plant out: leek, spring onions, chamomile, ageratum, dianthus, snapdragon and verbena.
In a cold frame, sow: capsicum, eggplant, pumpkin, rockmelon, summer squash, watermelon and zucchini. Also: bush and climbing beans, cucumber, sweet corn, tomato, flannel flower, celosia, cosmos, everlasting daisy, livingstone daisy, African and French marigold, nasturtium, petunia, phlox and sunflower.
Prune: dwarf tibouchina. Lightly prune mature fig trees. Dead-head roses regularly.

☺ Full Moon 12 September at 7:28pm

Sow direct: carrot, jerusalem artichoke, potato and radish.
Sow or plant out: beetroot (pre-soak seed), burdock, catnip, chives, echinacea, hyssop, meadowsweet, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, yarrow and shasta daisy.
Plant: potted grapes, lavender, herbaceous perennials, pelargonium, potted roses and evergreen trees, shrubs and vines.
Divide chives, lemon balm, Virginia scullcap, French tarragon and gerbera, also globe artichoke and shasta daisy in cold areas.
Sow: asparagus seed, sweet potato, pyrethrum, dahlia seed and gerbera.
After frost risk, sow or plant out: avocado, blueberry, citrus, cherry guava, macadamia, lemon balm, marjoram, rue, Virginia scullcap, French tarragon, Valerian, watercress, bromeliad, chrysanthemum, dahlia tubers and gazania. Also sow lawn seed or lay turf.
Sow or plant out: banana passionfruit,  passionfruit and tropical guava.
After watering, fertilise: mature pawpaw, tropical guava, olive, pecan, plum, gerbera, also established lawns after aeration and rain.
Lightly fertilise: fig, cherry guava, pistachio, bay, lemon grass, rosemary, sage, thyme, frangipani, pelargonium and palms.
Prune: remove unwanted suckers from globe artichoke.

Harvest crops for storage on non-fertile days.

☾ Waning Moon 20 September at 11:40pm

No sowing or planting this phase, but weed, dig or plough, prepare beds and prune back unwanted growth, if required.
Mulch: fig, mulberry, with compost and/or well-rotted manure and pineapple, ceratopetalum, camellia and protea with well-rotted manure. Lightly mulch macadamia with compost and manure. Mulch as required to keep compost damp.

☻ New Moon 27 September at 9:10pm

Sow direct: headed and open Chinese cabbage, grain crops, lettuce, mizuna, rocket, NZ spinach (pre-soak seed), tatsoi, sweet basil and parsley and coriander.
Sow or plant out: celery, leek, lettuce, silver beet (pre-soak seed), spring onions, chamomile, motherwort, dianthus, snapdragon and verbena, also dill, actinotis (flannel flower), celosia, cosmos, everlasting and livingstone daisy, African and French marigold, nasturtium, petunia, phlox and sunflower.
Grow a green manure or cover crop of chickpea, clover, barley or millet. ln suitable soils, grow alfalfa, amaranth or buckwheat.
On damp soil, apply fertiliser tea to: young rhubarb, asparagus seedling and young crowns, also celery, leek, lettuce and silver beet, if necessary.
Apply seaweed tea to: tropical guava, pistachio, established rose. Apply at half-strength to pineapple, established natives and gerbera.