As the cooler weather approaches, your summer veggies have died back and in general, growth for plants and grasses reduces.
With all the rain we have been having it has been difficult to get into the garden but with a few drier weekends around, here are some tips to get your garden ready for winter produce:
Check your soil – after having heavy feeding crops in such as tomatoes, your soil will need a little bit of TLC. It’s a good idea to turn your soil over and add in compost, organic matter and nutrients where possible, even use your worm farm castings if you have them. If you don’t need the space, you can try sowing a green compost crop such as broad beans or peas, oats or herbs and let them grow but before they flower, cut them down and dig into the soil – this will really help with your spring soil health.
Get tidy – take control of any weeds, they will be easier to pull up now especially with the moisture in the soil after the rain. Prune any diseased plants from fruit trees and put these in your green bin (not your compost).
Get planting – just because it is colder, doesn’t mean you can’t produce your own food! in fact, with our relatively mild winters, gardening can be a lot more productive than the hot summers. Some great things to plant here in the sub-tropical areas (like us!) include:
- Beetroot
- Potatoes
- Silverbeet
- Spinach
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Beans
- Spring onions
- Leeks
- Fennel
- Peas
Try a greenhouse – if you have the space, try growing some things in a greenhouse. This will extend your seasons and it really helps with germinating seeds and making healthy seedlings. The opportunities are endless with a greenhouse, just give it a try and see what works. You still need to keep an eye on insect pests and rodents but it’s a fun (and warm) way to enjoy gardening through winter.
Enjoy the winter sunshine – is there a spot in your garden that is now getting some nice sunshine? Set up a chair and table out there so you can go outside and enjoy the sunshine (and the fruits of your labour!).
