AUTUMN GREEN NOTES
INDEX
Improve the Pest Balance in Your Garden
IMPROVE PEST BALANCE
Autumn is a great time to work on improving the balance between predators and pests. Plant flowers such as
sweet alice (alyssum) to attract beneficial insects for biological control, try our
Good Bug Mix
or simply allow
coriander
and dill (pictured) to go to
flower.
Build
a pond to encourage frogs, dragonflies and birds. Plant
native shrubs in groups to create habitat for
ground-dwelling predators and nesting sites for small,
insect-eating birds. Keep a few
chooks in the orchard to clean up over-wintering fruit fly
and codling moth.
More
information on design for pest balance ....
USING THE ROSELLA HARVEST
If you found space to plant rosellas, now is the time to
process them. Rosellas are a joy to grow, no pest problems,
hardy and productive; we use them mainly as a tea, jam or
cordial.
The tea is very similar in flavour to rosehips and
high in Vitamin C. To make it, strip off the red calyx
(fleshy cover surrounding the seedpod) and dry it in the
solar dryer or a slow oven until leathery. Only two small
pieces are needed per cup, try mixing it with dried
lemongrass or lemon verbena and dried organic orange peel,
for a wonderful herb tea, it is also good as an iced tea.
Rosella jam
is a
good jam to start on if you are new to jam making as it sets
easily, stores well and is delicious!
This information is based on the southern hemisphere and mainly applies to subtropical and tropical areas such as northern NSW and Queensland.
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Citrus Leaf Miner causes ugly distorted leaves with silvery trails in the leaf tissue. Meyer lemons are particularly susceptible. Pest Oil is a non-toxic control, spray when new growth is about 1 cm long, reapply every 2-3 weeks. Februar
y
is a crucial time to spray.
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Maintain fruit fly traps, destroy spoiled fruit.
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Lightly prune deciduous fruit trees and remove dead wood when the fruit is finished. Prune all summer flowering shrubs that have finished blooming.
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Water deeply if the weather is dry, keep mulch topped up.
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Protect bunches of grapes with exclusion bags. Pinch out all the shoots that grow beyond the grape bunches. This prevent excessive shading and encourages air movement, keeping the vines healthy.
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Fertilise autumn flowering shrubs and bulbs with a side dressing of blood and bone or a complete organic fertiliser. Prepare bulb beds and beds for spring-flowering annuals with deep digging, addition of organic matter and mulching.
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Order new bulbs. Plant early-spring flower seedlings of torenia, salvia and petunia. Leave the main planting of spring annuals until March/April.
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Prepare soil for an early April sowing of sweet peas and garden peas by liming the area now, so there will be time for the pH to rise to the desired level.
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Lift irises and divide if necessary, discarding older rhizomes. Apply lime to iris beds.
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Save seed from annual herbs for planting next spring. Harvest fresh herbs to dry or for herb vinegar.
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Watch out for the hawk moth caterpillar, they can quickly defoliate sweet potato and taro. Handpick or spray with Dipel or Success.
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Propagate cuttings of evergreen shrubs. Take softwood cuttings of lavenders, thyme, pelargonium and scented geraniums.
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Citrus trees are very hungry feeders with high requirements for trace elements; a regular spray with a seaweed fertiliser such as Natrakelp will supply trace elements.
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Fertilise mango, avocado, custard apple, pawpaw, carambola and macadamia.
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Band trees, such as citrus and custard apple, with sticky barriers, use Tanglefoot or Trappit Barrier Glue, to keep ants an
d
other crawling pests out of trees. Sticky barriers are
very effective at reducing scale attacks.
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To control White Louse Scale on citrus, spray with Lime-sulphur in winter, other scale outbreaks can be controlled with Eco Oil or Pest Oil. More information on scale control......
De-sucker bananas and fertilise. -
For Queensland strawberry runners should be planted now into well-mulched beds with added organic fertiliser. Try to find suitable varieties for warmer areas. More information on growing strawberries ....
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Caterpillar activity increases in March, check plants early that have had problems in previous years. Procession or White Cedar caterpillars will be on the move, protect young trees from defoliation by wrapping hessian around the trunk for the caterpillars to congregate in during the day. Check regularly and destroy. More information on caterpillar control......
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Spray
Dipel
or
Success to control white cabbage butterfly, which can seriously damage young broccoli and cabbage plants or protect with the
Pest-Guard Cover.
- Plant a green manure crop in any unoccupied beds to improve the soil for spring planting. First check the pH, as too acid or alkaline a soil may be preventing nutrient uptake by your plants. Legumes, used in green manures, generally prefer a neutral soil and dislike acidity.
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Continue to check for Citrus Leaf Miner and if necessary, spray Pest Oil when new growth is about 1 cm long and reapply every 2-3 weeks.
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Cut back perennial flowers and herbs to ground level that have finished flowering. It is a good time to dig them and divide if needed.
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Put snail pellets out in containers close to young seedlings
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Whitefly, a small sap sucking insect, may be attacking your tomatoes. Give the leaves a shake and if a cloud of whiteflies is disturbed, it is time for a spray with Pest Oil or Natrasoap. More information on whitefly control......
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Fertilise winter flowerers like sasanqua camellias now for a good winter display.
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Cut back globe artichokes; every 4-5 years these should be lifted and divided. Dig and eat Jerusalem artichokes.
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In subtropical and tropical areas prepare the soil well with homemade compost, mushroom compost, worm castings or organic fertiliser before planting vegetables, as the soil will be depleted by wet-season rain. Applying fertiliser earlier than this is often wasteful due to leaching by heavy rain.
APRIL
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This is a great time to be planting vegetables in subtropical and tropical areas.
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Harvest pumpkins leaving 4-6 cm of stalk at the top, to improve storage qualities.
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March to April are often the worst months for caterpillars such White Cabbage butterfly, spray with organically acceptable Dipel or use a PestGuard Cover. In warmer areas keep an eye out for Hawk Moth caterpillars; they can decimate taro and sweet potato plants.
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Bananas should all have been de-suckered by now.
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Keep an eye on citrus for signs of scale, if present spray with Pest Oil or Eco Oil. Do not spray if a frost is likely to occur.
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Plant evergreen fruit trees, defer planting deciduous fruit trees until July-August. Remove runners forming on young strawberry plants. More information on growing strawberries ....
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Remove any mummified fruit from trees and pick up fallen fruit from the ground and dispose of appropriately.
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Remove codling moth bands from apple trees and destroy. Give the bark a cleanup with a wire brush to remove pupating caterpillars. More information on codling moth control......
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Prune the passionfruit vines, cut the laterals back to 2 buds.
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Prune stone fruit which have finished fruiting and are still actively growing. Wounds will heal faster, reducing the risk of disease. Remove suckers from all fruit trees as close to the bark as possible.
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This is a good time to weed and mulch under fruit trees and spread lime. Prunings can be added to the mulch. Woody additions to mulch build organic matter levels in the soil.
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In cooler areas raspberry and currant bushes can be pruned.
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A good time to re-pot potted plants and hanging baskets. Add Organic Link slow-release fertiliser to the potting mix.
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Humid weather will encourage fungal problems on roses, keep dead-heading.
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If herbaceous perennials have finished flowering, cut off the old foliage to ground level. This is also a good time to divide clumps, if they are overgrown and congested.
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This is the last chance to use herbs such as basil before they die back. Herb vinegars are a delightful addition to salads and pesto freezes well.
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Plant a winter green manure in any empty beds. Choose rapeseed or BQ Mulch™ for any garden beds that had problems over summer with either nematodes or soil-borne fungal diseases.
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In subtropical and tropical areas weeds are setting seed. Try to at least cut the seed heads off even if you don’t have time to do all the weeding. Remember to organise a mulch delivery beforehand so that your effort weeding is rewarded by months of weed-free garden beds.
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Clean up the last of the summer vegetable crops. Don’t leave old stalks in the ground, as this just spreads disease. This is one of the best times of the year to make a big compost heap with all the prunings and remains of summer vegetable crops that have finished.
Autumn is a very different planting time depending on whether you live in the subtropics, tropics or cooler temperate areas. In cooler areas winter vegetables are planted earlier in January and February so they grow through the autumn months and mature in the cold winter months. In the subtropics it is unwise to plant winter vegetables such as brassicas (cabbage, broccoli etc) too early as before mid March it is generally too hot and humid with major caterpillar problems.
SUBTROPICAL and TROPICAL AREAS
FEBRUARY
Lettuce can be planted from now until June; choose non-hearting types (Cos, Oakleaf, Saladbowl) until the weather cools down; Iceberg types (Ice King) do best through winter. Continue successive sowings of snake beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, watermelon, Ceylon spinach, parsley (the flat leaf types e.g. ‘Giant of Italy’ are hardier in humid areas and less prone to crown rot) and sweet corn. Tamarillo and pawpaw can be planted now. Seedlings of cabbage and broccoli can be raised in a shadehouse for planting in March/April when conditions will be more favourable.
MARCH
In frost-free areas beans, capsicum, cape
gooseberries, cucumbers, eggplant, melon, pumpkin, okra,
zucchini and tomatoes can be planted until the end of April.
Brussels sprouts take at least 4 months to mature so have to
be planted now. After mid-March plant seed or seedlings
of broccoli, kale and collards, mustard, cabbage,
cauliflower, parsley, rocket, spinach, silverbeet, beetroot,
Florence fennel, the onion family (early and mid-season
onions, shallots, spring onions, leek, garlic), celery,
coriander, mizuna, tatsoi. P
lant carrots, radish, parsnips,
kohl rabi and turnips from seed only, root vegetables should
not be transplanted.
Potatoes
can be planted into well-mulched beds, only use certified
seed potatoes to avoid introducing damaging virus diseases
to your garden.
Strawberries
can be planted from March to the end of April. Late March to mid-April is
the best time in warmer areas to plant spring flower
seedlings of lobelia, dianthus, stock, viola, cornflower,
alyssum, pansy, clarkia, nemesia, phlox, lupin, alyssum,
primula, dianthus, statice, verbena, poppy, nigella,
snapdragon and calendula. Sweet peas are a
delightful, easy to grow, fragrant flower that can be
planted until the end of April. Soak the seeds in hot water
and leave them overnight to improve germination. Check the
soil pH and lime if necessary, as they dislike acid soil.
Try our colourful Good Bug Mix, a cottage garden mix with 12 types of seed in 1 packet and attract beneficial insects to your garden.
APRIL
This is the best time to sow
peas,
if you haven’t tried Sugar Snap peas, now is your chance!
Most of the brassica family can be planted now (Asian
greens, broccoli, kale and collards, mustard, cabbage).
Continue sowing root vegetables (beetroot, carrots, radish,
parsnips, kohl rabi and turnips).
Japanese turnips
are sweeter than common turnips and very hardy. Continue
sowing the onion family and greens including silverbeet,
celery, rocket and spinach. Broad beans can be sown
until May.
Garlic
can be planted until the end of April, planting after this
date reduces the size of the bulbs. Best month to plant cool
season green manures. Wait until April to plant heat
tolerant bulbs such as babiana, ixia, freesia, autumn
crocus, and sparaxis. Try not to be tempted by displays in
supermarkets of tulips and hyacinths, as they are very
unlikely to do well.
TEMPERATE and MEDITERRANEAN AREAS
FEBRUARY
Last sowing for the year of bush beans and sweet corn in
warmer areas. Most of the brassica family can be planted now
(Asian greens, broccoli, kale and collards, mustard,
cabbage, cauliflower). In cooler areas plant brassica
seedlings. Plant carrots, beetroot, radish, parsnips,
salisfy, kohl rabi and turnips from seed only, root
vegetables should not be transplanted. Sow greens including
silverbeet, chicory, endive, rocket, spinach, celery. Try a
few less common vegetables such as
celeriac or fennel. The
onion family (early and mid-season onions, shallots, spring
onions, leek - as seedlings only) can be planted through
March. Potatoes and peas in warmer areas only.
MARCH
In cooler areas the slower growing brassica (cabbage,
broccoli, cauliflower) should only be planted as seedlings.
Other brassica can still be planted now (Asian greens,
mizuna, tatsoi, kale and collards, mustard). It is the last
month to sow Brussels sprouts. Sow greens including
radicchio, endive, rocket, coriander, silverbeet, parsley,
spinach. Plant root vegetables (carrots, radish, parsnips
kohl rabi and turnips). First sowing of broad beans (cooler
areas only).
Sow seeds of spring flowers of pansy, viola, hollyhocks,
delphinium, lobelia, stock, dianthus, cornflower, alyssum,
clarkia, nemesia, phlox, lupin, alyssum, primula, poppy,
dianthus, statice, verbena, nigella, snapdragon and
calendula.
Sweet peas are a delightful, easy to grow,
fragrant flower that can be planted now, check the pH as
they dislike acid soil. In March and April plant spring
bulbs anemones, freesias, dutch iris, daffodils, jonquils.
APRIL
Best months to plant cool season green manures, carrots,
garlic, broad beans, beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, onions,
spinach, silverbeet, parsnip, carrots, peas (frost-free
districts).
SEED STORAGE: The best place to store seed is in a sealed container in your fridge. Seed stored in a hot garden shed or garage that can reach temperatures greater than 40° in summer will simply die. Seed stored open to the air where it can take up moisture will lose viability. The book Seed Production for the Australian Home Vegetable Garden explains the botanical basis and methods of saving seed in the home garden.
Permaculture design focuses on functional design, rather than design for appearances’ sake. Herbs can play many different roles in your garden and you can increase their usefulness by where you place them. As herbs are generally very hardy plants, it is best to avoid giving them the best soil. They need little watering, are resistant to pests and often have attractive flowers. As the gardener is the focus of a permaculture design, where you place the herbs depends on how often you use them and your cooking style.
Herbs used in cooking such as thyme, basil, coriander, oregano, zaatar, chives and parsley are best placed close to the kitchen door. Large terracotta pots on a deck allow for a quick harvest, even after dark. They can also be used as an edging to vegetable beds.
If you love to cook Asian-style in a wok then ginger, turmeric, galangal, lemongrass and chilli belong in your herb garden. Herbs such as ginger and turmeric require partial shade and can be grown as an understorey below pawpaws and bananas. If your garden is frost-free, pepper vines and vanilla orchids are attractive climbers.
Tea-making herbs such as lemon verbena, lemon grass and peppermint need to be close to the kitchen for easy harvest. Mints are best contained in large containers such as recycled laundry tubs or terracotta tubs.
Pest repellent herbs
include wormwood, rue, pyrethrum,
garlic chives,
lavender, rosemary and garlic. These are believed to
be repellent to pests so
should be scattered throughout the garden and in
clumps amongst your fruit trees.
Nutrient cyclers are herbs with very deep roots that are able to capture nutrients leached from the topsoil by heavy rain. When cut for mulch or compost these nutrients become available to other, shallow-rooted plants. The most useful are chicory, lucerne, daikon and comfrey (available July - September). Comfrey is a truly multi-purpose plant, no gardener should be without it! It is an excellent bee forage, provides good quality mulch and has deep roots that break up compacted soils. It accumulates silica, nitrogen, magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron and so makes a good liquid manure.
Hard-pruning your hybrid tea and floribunda roses in February is a good idea as it will give the plants a rest and stop flowering in the heat and humidity of the wet season, when flowers will just collapse anyway. Remember to remove all rose prunings as they can harbour disease. Your plants should be ready to flower again by late March, when it is cooler. Roses often flower well from March to July. Remember to dead-head regularly to keep flowers forming. Fertilise each bush with blood and bone and 100g of sulphate of potash per bush. Spraying with Natrakelp seaweed spray will help to prevent black spot problems. For more information on organic rose care
