The threat of frost has more than likely finished now, and tomatoes and tender vegetables can be planted into the garden says gardening writer JACKIE WARBURTON.

A CANBERRA folklore amongst gardeners is that we get our first frost in Canberra around Anzac Day and our last around Melbourne Cup Day. Now is the race to get home produce on the Christmas table. 

I have been trialling diatomaceous earth in my vegetable garden with great success in reducing slaters, earwigs and other nocturnal insects eating my seedlings, but not snails. 

Diatomaceous earth is effective against any insect that has an exoskeleton and crawls across the powder. It is an amazing product and there is a lot of information on the internet about its uses and properties. Sprinkle around the base of seedlings and small plants. Be careful not to get any on flowers as it is important to keep diatomaceous earth away from bees. 

MOST fruit trees have finished flowering by now and, hopefully, the bees have done their job and pollinated the flowers. Now’s the time to cover trees or use codling-moth traps that can be hung in the tree to lure moths and trap them. 

Codling moths are tiny and have three generations per season, which means their numbers can build up very quickly. They are a moth and attracted to night lights, so keeping the tree away from spotlights can help reduce the population of moths. 

A homemade moth-bait trap is to hang a plastic milk container in the tree with holes in the side. Fill the bottom with molasses and cover with vegetable oil. The oil stops the moths from escaping the trap. Monitor the trap every few days and clean and replace when required. 

APPLE trees will benefit from an application of boron, especially through flower formation and fruit set stage. It is an essential element for production and growth and if a tree is lacking in boron it will show in small twiggy growth and bud drop. Sprinkle a little around the base of the tree around the drip line and water well.

THERE is fragrance in the garden air from lilacs. Even the smallest flowering branch can fill an indoor room with a sweet and delicious smell. They are an attractive, deciduous shrub and a tough, old-fashioned plant. They grow 2-4 metres tall and can be trimmed to shape if required after flowering. 

Lilacs like an alkaline soil and would benefit from some dolomite lime twice a year, now and in autumn. My lilac, Syringa vulgaris “Sensation”, is grafted so it does not sucker, but the rootstock is a privet and I am always making sure the rootstock shoots are removed. 

MULCHING the garden is important for holding moisture and minimising the fluctuation of soil temperature. 

There are many commercial products that can be bought from landscape supply companies in Canberra and the organic Forest Litter mulch is the best for most gardens as it breaks down and adds organic matter to the soil. It increases the microbes in the soil and helps the development of healthy soils. 

Mulch should be placed around the plants, but not too close to the stem, and should be about 100 millimetres thick. Water the garden before and after mulching to lock in the moisture and keep the plant roots cool. 

jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au