Conserving moisture becomes a priority with warmer days so start mulching garden beds.
Plant potatoes, tomatoes, capsicums, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, broccoli, silverbeet, egg plant, capsicums, horseradish, celeriac, lettuce, leek, cucumber, pumpkins, squash and zucchinis.
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Sow beans, beetroot, sweet corn, radish, carrots, onions, peas, summer spinach and swedes.
Plant zucchini, pumpkin and squash seeds in a sunny position in soil that has been enriched with plenty of well-decayed organic matter.
Build a mound of soil and make a shallow depression at the top. Sow four seeds, about 2cm deep, into the centre of the depression. Keep the soil moist, but not too wet, and after the seeds have germinated choose the strongest two plants and discard the others.
Cucumbers also love growing through the hot months so plant seeds now the same as for the zucchinis.
There are many different varieties from the traditional Long Green form, the round, creamy skinned Apple, the Burpless, the Lebanese to the Gherkin which is picked when 5-10cms long for pickling or adding to salads. The Richmond Green Apple is low acid.
Keep vegetables growing quickly with a fortnightly feed of a liquid or all purpose fertiliser to keep them tender and sweet. Vegetables that have to battle on for months tend to be coarse, tough and bitter.
As potatoes grow keep mulching around the stems with straw or compost to prevent light from reaching the tubers. Give peas and beans something to climb on.
Top summer tips
Snapdragons have two great advantages for no fuss, summer-long beauty in that they bloom throughout the hottest days without deteriorating and are non-fading.
When planting strawberries it’s essential to plant them at the right depth, that is, with the crown of the plant at soil level. Firm planting is also important. After planting you should be able to take a leaf between your fingers and give it quite a tug without the plant starting to come out of the ground.
Conserving moisture becomes a priority with the longer, warmer days so start to mulch garden beds. Spring flowering shrubs can be given a tip pruning to promote vigorous growth. Plant annuals in hanging baskets to give a lift to outdoor entertaining areas.
Container grown shrubs and trees can be planted now.
To hide unattractive features in the garden plant a clematis or if the position is suitable a passionfruit, grape, choko or kiwi fruit could be a good choice. Repot indoor plants using a good quality potting mix that is specific to the plant.
