FEBRUARY In The Garden

IN THE VEGGIE GARDEN

We know it been hot and not the best weather for planting anything, let alone thinking about winter

crops but if you are wanting a good harvest during the winter months now is the time get in all the

brassica (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussel sprouts).

Unfortunately, it is difficult to find seedlings at hardware stores and nurseries so try to raise your

own seedlings. This way you can successively sow seed and plant out seedling in small batches over

the next 6 to 8 weeks to spread out your harvest.

It is also a great time to sow lots of carrots seed. They will reach a usable size by autumn and then

keep in the ground during the colder months so you can be picking carrots until early September.

Keeping them moist till they germinate is hard during warm weather. Try covering the newly planted

seed with a wet hessian bag for 4 to 5 days to ensure they do not dry out. Remove before you see

any seed germinating.

Plant now

Raise seedlings of winter crops:

• kale

• cabbage

• cauliflower

• broccoli

• Brussel sprouts

• leek

• hearting lettuce (iceberg and cos)

Tip: Liquid feed weekly to encourage the development of large healthy plants before cool temperature set in.

Sow directing in the ground

• Snow peas

• Beetroot

• Carrot

• Radish

• English spinach

• Broad beans,

• Peas

• Chinese cabbage

• Asian greens

• Spring onions

• Open leaf lettuce (mesclun mix), rocket

• Coriander

February’s harvest - Beans, Blackberries and Basil | Image K.Finigan

If you have a mountain of beans, try freezing some to add to winter soups and stews.

Tomato harvest should be in full swing, if you have excess start turning them into sauce, passata,

paste and pickles.

This is the time of year you should be harvesting your basil and turning it into pesto.

---

In The Orchard

Blackberry harvest should be in full swing. What you can’t eat now freeze or make into jam.

Blueberry harvest should be just about over. Once completed, prune plants by removing any dead

wood, cutting back older canes (3 or more years old) to ground level and clearing out any weaker

growth in the middle of the plant. This allows more sunlight into the middle of the plants giving

better ripening of fruit and good air flow around the plants to help preventing mildew outbreaks.

Then fertilise your plants with a balanced fertiliser (containing poultry manure, rock phosphate,

blood and bone, potash, warm castings rock minerals, fish meal and a seaweed extract). I scatter

about 2 cups of fertiliser around the base of each plant and water it in well.

We then mulch with either pine needles or mixed wood chip to at least a depth of 10cm. This helps

keep the pH of the soil acid, conserves moisture, keeps weeds under control as well as adding an

annual boost of organic matter to the soil.

Fertilise strawberries with high potassium mix to encourage a plentiful autumn crop. Try a tea made

from comfrey and/or banana skins.

Apples should be starting to ripen.Keep an eye on your pears, cherries and nashis for pear and cherry slug. Treat as necessary.

Check out this article from organic gardener for control and prevention measures.

https://www.organicgardener.com.au/blogs/pear-and-cherry-slug

Image of a pear and cherry slug | Photo: Penny Woodward

---