August in the Kitchen Garden

It’s still winter here in the south with the promise of more cold conditions to come - so don’t be fooled by the occasional warm springlike days we will get this month. They do get the sap rising in both gardener and garden alike however, so it is okay to get excited about the new season.  There’s always plenty to do, even if that may involved sitting in front of the fire planning, but planning is important to get the most our of ll the hard work we put into our gardens.

Here’s a list of what you can be doing early on this month.

• Prune deciduous shrubs such as Hydrangea.

• Prune gooseberries, currants and other berry fruits

• Prune Roses.

• Fertilise garden with general fertilizer or blood and bone.

• Lift and divide perennials.

• Finish planting trees and shrubs.

• Feed citrus Trees

• Dig in green crops giving them time to break down for planting.

• Get tools sharpened or repaired including the lawn mower ready for spring.

• Sort out your potting shed, tidying up and prepping all your pots for planting or seed raising.

• Order seed.

The more you can tend your soil at this end of the season the more successful this new season’s results will be.    Get in and dig over your beds, removing any perennial weeds such as dock and couch, add plenty of manure and compost, dig in green crops, turn over winter mulches, add blood and bone and depending on what you plan to grow, some lime.  Leave the beds to settle and for the earth worms and all the microcosms in a healthy soil to do their work. Cover if necessary to protect from too much rain.  Check the Crop Rotation plan for specific treatment of each bed for the season.  (See store for your copy)

In the meantime get yourself prepared for when spring fever hits in force. Clean and tidy your potting shed. Recycle your old seed trays by washing in a 1/10 bleach solution. Clean and sharpen tools, buy some seed raising mix and get your seeds ready for planting. You still have time to order online from Kings Seeds or just purchase from your local nursery. Get the whole family to work out the plan of what to eat and when and make your plan.  Check out the new planning template that goes with the crop rotation poster. Download it and print out as many copies as you you like to plan your beds.

Later in the month.

• Start sowing herbs for summer garden.

• Sow peas and broad beans. Sow peas now in time for Christmas

• Start Chitting potatoes – plant earlies now in time for Christmas

• Sow in the north; beetroot, cabbages, capsicums,(indoors)carrost, caulli, celery, lettuces, radishes, silverbeet, spinach, spring onions, Punnets; asparagus crowns, Jerusalem artichokes, lettuces, garlic, rhubarb, shallots

• Sow in the south: broad beans, cabbages, kohlrabi, lettuces, onions, radishes. Punnets: cabbage, celery, garlic, rhubarb crowns, salsify, silverbeet spinach, swedes, turnips

• Get a head start with most veges by sowing in pots indoors.  Onions sown for planting out late Sept.