January Growers' Guide
The citrus are beginning to flower and fruit.
Their smell punching the air as you brush past them.
The excess tomatoes are making their way into kitchen pots and preserves.
The days are beginning to become noticeably shorter again, prompting one to think about plans for the colder season ahead.
Flowers (seeds)
Alysum
Aster
Baby's Breath
Bergamot
Billy Buttons
Borage
Calendula
California Poppy
Carnation
Chrysanthemum
Comfrey
Cornflowers
Cosmos
Dahlia
Delphinium
Dianthus
Echinacea
Everlasting Daisy
Feverfew
Forget me not
Gladioli bulbs
German Chamomile
Hyssop
Impatiens
Larkspur
Lavender
Marigolds
Nasturtium
Petunia
Phlox
Pincushion
Poppy
Salvias
Snapdragon
Sunflower
Sweet William
Verbana
Yarrow
Zinnia
Vegetables (seeds)
Artichoke
Basil
Beans
Beetroot
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Burdock
Capsicum
Carob
Carrot
Celery
Chervil
Chickory
Chives
Chinese broccoli
Corn
Cucumber
Dill
Eggplant
Endive
Fennel
Garlic chives
Kale
Leek
Lemon balm
Lettuce
Malabar Spinach
Mizuna
Mustards
Oregano
Parsley
Peppermint
Purslane
Rocket
Rhubarb
Rosemary
Sage
Salsify
Silverbeet
Sorrel
Spearmint
Spinach
Spring Onion
Squash
Sweet potato
Tamarillo
Tarragon
Thyme
Tomato
Tulsi - Holy Basil
Turnip
Watercress
Zucchini
Add some calcium to your soil if you experienced blossom end rot last year
Fruits
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Check root stock growth and remove it from grafted trees
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Check on your fruit fly traps and refresh as necessary
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Regularly check whether your fruit has ripened and pick before it falls
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Water regularly and deeply
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Plant passionfruit, collect fallen fruit which have ripened and fallen to the ground
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Prune watershoots - which are branches growing vertically from a horizontal lateral branch
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Thin your fruit so there is air circulation between the fruit
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Plant citrus trees
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Plant avocado trees
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Decide which deciduous trees you want to plant this winter and order them from your nursery of preference
Soil, Compost & General
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Time to do lots of weeding, if that is your thing
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Actively check for pests, especially the brassica white moth
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Actively check for bronze orange bugs in citrus trees and remove using gloves and eye protection
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Mulch, mulch, mulch
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Cover your worm farm with a wet hessian blanket to keep them happy in the heat OR
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Transplant evergreen shrubs
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Water early in the morning and/or late at night
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Use your seaweed fertilizer or other fertilizer of choice to keep plants healthy
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Check on your pot plants so their roots do not bake in the warmth of the sunshine
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Compost, compost, compost
Tools & Equipment
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Check and maintain your fruit fly traps
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Clean and sharpen secateurs and saws for fruit tree pruning
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Ensure your irrigation systems are set for the holiday season
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Setup and maintain nets for trees and vegetables
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Check your compost thermometer is in good working order
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Check and maintain your sprayers
Cabbage Moth decoys: Print out these images and trace onto white plastic, place on sticks in the garden.
Garlic and Chilli spray:
8-10 chillies finely sliced
4 cloves garlic crushed and cut roughly
1 Tablespoon soap flakes
1 Litre boiling water
Combine in a glass jar and set aside for 24 hours. Strain and pour into a spray bottle.
Use within 2 weeks
Seed Saving & Harvesting
Harvesting
cucumbers, zucchini, beetroot, carrots, pumpkins, watermelons, beans, berries, lettuce, silverbeet, apples, stone fruit and citrus fruit as they ripen, spring onions, rhubarb, mustards, spinach, asparagus, squashes, tomatoes, herbs
Seed saving
Peas and snow peas, rocket, radishes, broccoli, silverbeet, coriander, chilli, tomato, dill, fennel
Seed from apples, pears, quinces, stonefruit
UPDATE: We have started work on updating our seed saving page.
