Living in Taungurung Country, Central Victoria, where the climate is cool and the warm season is very short, gardeners like me have to be strategic and use every space.
Here are some gardening chores that I recommend you do before summer arrives.
sliced tomatoes
Tomatoes are a staple in most summer gardens and will do well in warmer climates.
But in my cold climate, they go underground after growing to an advanced latent stage.
Once planted, they grow quickly and require pruning and training.
I made this with steel pins that last forever and can be washed and stored at the end of the season.
When it comes to pruning, many garden varieties are "indeterminate," meaning they continue to grow and bear fruit on the main stem.
To focus energy on the growing tip, remove the side stems that appear on the branches of the leaves.
It is important to remove the leaves that touch the ground, as they can provide an avenue for fungal infections, as well as to concentrate the energy of the side branches on the main stem.
Is your floor in season?
When temperatures are warm, soil temperature is the most important factor for most plants.
I use a thermometer to monitor underground conditions and see which plants in the garden show seasonal changes.
When indoor nasturtiums sprout, it indicates that the soil is warm enough for crops such as beans, basil and squash.
In general, soils above 18 degrees Celsius are good for spring and summer planting.
Mulch is only applied in a thin layer to the soil so that the sun continues to warm the soil.
Preparing the pumpkin
To prepare a patch of grass for pumpkins, make a large pile of organic matter.
I started with a layer of cardboard that was wet and covered in old bird droppings.
Next comes a drainage layer of wood chips and cabbage stalks. They are also mixed with compost and manure. At the end, the pile is covered with a thick layer of straw.
Four pumpkin seeds are planted in a deep bag of compost and soil.
To make the most of these warm months, I plant shoulders between the first plantings.
We immediately harvested the green lettuce in the beds where the winter cabbage was growing. This particular variety can only be planted during this short spring season, but as an early maturing plant, it uses space efficiently.
looking forward
Not only did I focus on spring crops, I started sowing winter crops! Cabbage, such as Brussels sprouts, and several varieties of broccoli have been planted, and it's time to introduce radishes.
Plant the seeds in large single cells, as seedlings prefer undisturbed roots. Cut one plant per cage when they sprout and in 2-3 weeks they will be ready to go into the garden.
Most radicchio varieties have two distinct growth stages, producing large, leathery leaves in summer, followed by hearts of different colors as the days get shorter and cooler.
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