While summer tomatoes are juicy and plentiful, the time has come to think ahead and start planting seedlings for winter. Photo / Getty Images
Late summer is a transition phase in the garden as flowering gives way to fruit and seed production. As the days shorten and temperatures start to fall, plants move into reproduction mode.
Tasks we can do now will improve the structure of our gardens and keep them looking shapely as we head towards autumn.
It is also time to get quick crops in and begin planning our winter vegetable gardens.
Fruit trees can get a little out of hand during summer, and there are no hard and fast rules about pruning only in winter. In fact, it is probably safer to prune in summer on a dry day, than in winter.
Wet weather helps spread fungal spores and it takes wounds longer to heal and form a "callus" when the tree is dormant.
It is preferable to prune stone fruit in summer (once fruiting has finished) to avoid the spread of silver leaf disease, that occurs in winter.
Remember the "3Ds" rule - remove dead, diseased and damaged branches.
Prune inward-facing shoots and shorten vigorous upward growth to an outward-facing leaf bud, to give an open-vase shape.
Use clean tools. Wipe blades with methylated spirits between diseased and good branches and between each tree you prune.
Shorten vigorous growth on grapevines and cover vines with nets to protect ripening fruit from birds. Albany Surprise and Bishop Pompallier purple grapes are now ripening at home and in the Sustainable Living Centre garden, but blackbirds demolished the green Niagara grapes well before anyone had a chance to net (or eat) them.
And despite netting, ravenous birds are somehow getting to the community garden's tomatoes while they are still green.
I've come to the conclusion that the hot, dry summer has left birds without as much food or water. Tomatoes and grapes provide both.
Only one community gardener, Beate, has had little damage to her tomatoes, even without netting. She has grown smaller cherry-type red, yellow and even black varieties, which are ripening later.
I planted our tomato seedlings later than usual, so the fruit will provide a good harvest in autumn. I sowed the variety Cuore di Bue Liguri from Franchi Italian seed, bought from Nelson's Country Trading Company. Planting was fortuitously timed so the young plants would be small and not too thirsty while we were away on holiday.
We planted pumpkins as ground cover below our new mandarin hedge, and we're getting some sizeable specimens. Musquee de Provence, in particular, is producing well, but young Amish Pie pumpkins are more susceptible to mould so we will get a modest harvest. Luckily, we hedged our bets. Both were bought from Kings Seeds.
Although the weather is still lovely and warm, it's time to start planning your winter vege garden. Plan to sow seed in trays or punnets, for better value for money. Use good quality seed-raising mix, and share leftover seeds with friends. Even better, sow multiple trays of the same seed, and get your friends to sow another few types of veg, then share seedlings.
Keep trays covered in clear plastic on a table under dappled light.
When true leaves appear (after the first seed leaves) transplant seedlings into individual pots or a deep tray and grow until they're a good size and the roots are strong enough to survive in the garden.
Sow in trays: brassica family (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale), cos lettuce, silverbeet, spinach, chicory and leeks.
Carrot seed can be sown directly in a garden bed. Carrots prefer deeply dug, fine, moist soil, that is low in nitrogen - ideally after another crop has vacated the spot. You can also sow a quick crop of leafy mesclun greens, spinach and beetroot.
Keep seedlings consistently damp; cover with shade cloth to reduce sun exposure and bird damage.
While you're waiting for your brassica seedlings to grow, prepare your garden. Dig in bokashi or compost and break up soil to a fine tilth after a few days of decent rainfall.
If you don't have homemade fertilisers, dig in sheep pellets and blood and bone instead, as brassicas are heavy feeders.
Add a handful of lime or dolomite per square metre as they also prefer slightly alkaline soil.
Give yourself a workout and dig to spade or fork depth for best results.
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