The one gardening job you should always do in June
The first month of winter is a relatively quiet time in the garden, but there is one thing you can do now that will make your plants thrive. Spend some time tending to your compost or, if you haven’t got one, set it up now.
Compost is brilliant for adding beneficial nutrients to the soil in your veggie patch, but it takes a few months for your grass clippings and food waste to break down.
Now is the time to start your own compost so that it's ready to add to garden beds by spring. iStockphoto
“Winter is time to feed the soil and ready your patch for spring action. Now is the time to add compost and organic matter. If you take care of the soil in June, the soil will take care of your plants in spring,” Darryl Nichols, Grow It Local co-founder, told nine.com.au.
Gardener Sarah Rani from In My Patch agrees.
“Winter’s a good time to get your compost started so that it’s ready for spring. So if you’ve got room for compost or you’re thinking about setting up a veggie garden in spring it gives your compost enough time to get ready to use it when the time is right,” she says.
If your compost is sorted there are plenty of other things you can do in the garden, including pruning, mulching and even planting.
“Winter is actually one of the most important times of year for gardening. It’s the time for structure and dreaming. It’s when we plant bare-rooted plants (like roses, grapes, and fruit trees) while they are dormant,” Nichols said.
“It’s also the best time to clean your tools, sharpen your shears, and plan your spring layout without the pressure of weeds growing a foot a day.”
For Rani, her hard work in the garden earlier in the year is paying off.
“This time of year, I’m usually picking my broccoli, cauliflower, picking most of my winter veggies – the first rounds that I planted early. Then I’m planting like my second or third lot so that I’ve got a consistent supply,” she says.
Bare root plants should be planted in winter to give them time to develop strong roots before the main growth period in spring. iStockphoto
“So I’ll be planting things like broccoli, cauliflower, probably doing another round of peas, snow peas. I keep growing the quick-growing things, so as I’m picking lettuce, I’ll plant fresh seedlings in.”
Speaking of lettuce, now is a great time to start growing your own. Despite being thought of as a summer vegetable, lettuce grows well in the colder months.
Loose leaf is probably the best option because you can harvest only what you need when you need it.
Lettuce can be started from seed or by purchasing seedlings from a nursery or garden centre, but seed is the best value and gives you more control over quality.
Just take care when sowing the seeds as they are tiny.
Loose-leaf lettuce is a great option for home gardens because you can take as much as you need when you need it and it will keep growing. Darryl Nichols
“You really just want to plant them like a millimetre or two under the soil. So I find getting some dry potting mix in like a little sieve and just sieving a light layer of soil over the top of my seeds gives me the best germination rate,” Rani says.
Once your seedlings have their second set of leaves plant in the veggie patch or a bigger pot.
Put them in a sunny spot and make sure the soil is moist but not wet and you’re on your way to having your own lettuce in eight to 10 weeks.
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