Coming up

Guest presenter Emmaline Bowman shows us how to encourage small birds into the garden; Jerry explains the vital role of phosphorus in the garden; Costa visits a preschool and makes a turtle using succulents and Millie demonstrates how to make an impressively simple plant hanger using nothing more than a piece of cord! 

Gardening Australia Weekly Quiz

A) You can never have too much phosphorus.
B) High levels of phosphorus can be found in chicken manure. 
C) Australian soils are usually rich in phosphorus.

Answer to last week’s quiz question: 
Q – The potato belongs to which plant family? 
A – a) Solanaceae

What to plant this weekend

Tropical Climate Zone 

• Beetroot 
• Celery 
• Lettuce
• Sweet Corn 

Subtropical Climate Zone 

• Broad Beans 
• Capsicum 
• Chives 
• Parsley 

Arid Climate Zone 

• Cauliflower 
• Florence Fennel 
• Onion 
• Rocket 

Temperate Climate Zone 

• Brussels Sprouts 
• Coriander 
• Oregano 
• Spinach 

Cool Climate Zone 

• Celery 
• Carrots 
• Kale 
• Tomatoes 

Jobs for the weekend

COOL

• Bung in some biochar to improve soils. A combo of wood waste, manures and weeds slowly burned with restricted oxygen, biochar is brilliant for prepping beds before planting.
• Got a spot in your garden that’s sunny in winter and shady in summer? Then how ‘bout a hellebore?  These ornamental perennials are fantastic in flower over winter and can be planted now.
• Pak choi, bok choi, choy sum and tatsoi – your favourite Asian Greens are ready to grow now. These fast growers will produce a heavy, hearty harvest before the cool winter weather kicks in. 

TEMPERATE  

• It’s time to start ordering bare root trees for winter planting. Whether they be fruity or ornamental, compact or colossal, bareroot trees are better for planting, and the budget!
• It’s a busy time in the garden this month, and preparation is key. Clear out compost produced over summer to improve garden beds and replace with autumn pruning’s from perennials.
• Flowering now are Belladonna Lilies, Amaryllis belladonna. While their pink flowers and bare red stems may be attractive, they are often environmental weeds, and efforts should be made to safely remove them.  

SUBTROPICAL

• Take your salad from garden to gourmet and plant some Corn Salad (Valerianella locusta). A lovely lettuce substitute, this quick growing green has a mild, nutty flavour.
• Flowering bulbs aren’t just for cooler climates – add some awesome autumn colour to your patches and pots with Blood Lilies, Autumn Crocus and Nerines from your local nursery.
• Weeds are jumping out of the ground right now, threatening to take over. Spend 20 minutes a day in the garden removing weeds and re-mulching – great for you and your gardens well-being. 

TROPICAL  

• Time to start prepping for the dry season, so get capsicums, chillies and eggplants into the ground, followed with a layer of straw mulch to minimise weeds and water loss.
• If you’ve ‘bean’ craving more protein, why not plant some tropical legumes this weekend. Mung beans, soy beans and snake beans are good to go, and can be ready to harvest in just 40 days.
• ​​​​​​​March can be an active one for cyclone activity in the tropics, so spend some time in your garden making sure outdoor furniture, sheds, shade structures and the like are secure. 

ARID  

• Loads of plants are about to put on an autumn growth spurt, so now is the perfect time to prune. Remove dead or diseased wood, and tip prune to improve shape.
• ​​​​​​​If fungus gnats are causing you grief, its time to treat your indoor plants. Drench the soil of affected pots with diluted neem oil, and repeat weekly for 3 weeks, and mulch pots with gravel.
• Jerusalem artichokes are delightful, delicious and dead-easy to grow! Pop some tubers in the ground this weekend, leaving about 30cm between each and feed with a whack of wood ash.