Here’s another weekly burst of great gardening advice from columnist JACKIE WARBURTON.

REMOVING overgrowth to increase the air flow and ventilation around plants will minimise pest and disease problems that are currently around. 

There are a lot of white fly and fungus gnats in potted plants, which are hard to kill as they fly away when disturbed. Sprinkle a little cinnamon from the kitchen cupboard in the potted plants where insects are a problem. Ventilation and cool weather will not see this pest around for long. 

SOWING seeds of coriander, corn salad and other cool-season herbs can be started and planted out next month. 

A cute little addition to my herb garden this year is miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata). It’s also known as Indian lettuce. The flavour is delicate, mild and sweet. A delicious salad green with the flowers and stems that are edible, too. Miner’s lettuce can be eaten raw or cooked and is a great source of vitamin C. 

This plant needs to be cool and moist. It does self-seed with the right conditions and can be a very good edible ground cover. 

THERE’S still time for transplanting veggies to the garden bed before the weather cools. 

Peas can be planted into the garden from March until May. They will need something to climb and will need to be on a sturdy trellis. 

Peas generally take 60-70 days to grow after planting and, for best results, need at least four to six hours of sunlight a day to produce well. The pH of the soil for peas should be around 6-7.5 and they can be grown after anything from the Solanaceae family (ie tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, capsicums and vegetables) has been in the veggie patch. 

These vegetables take a lot of minerals and nutrients out of the soil. Leguminous plants in the same spot will replenish the soil and help to monitor pest and disease problems in the garden. 

KEEP the water up to pumpkins as they are putting a lot of energy into growing and will be nearly ready for picking. Try and turn heavy pumpkins so there are no white spots developing or place a piece of cardboard under them to stop moisture being drawn from the ground. 

LIQUID fertilising in the garden is an important job to do in autumn. Knowing the difference between a fertiliser and soil conditioner will help with the plants taking up nutrients at the right time. 

Soil conditioners such as fish emulsion, some organic products, rock minerals and manures are designed to get the soil healthy so that the roots grow well and have lots of moisture, air and drainage to grow. Fertiliser is food for the plants to grow. Unless the soil is healthy, the plant can’t take up the nutrients it requires and will show signs of yellowing leaves, leaf colour and leaf drop. 

A SHOW-stopper native plant Persoonia pinifolia is growing well in south Canberra and its flowering is the best in years. The pine leaf geebung is endemic to the Sydney region and, with a little patience and winter protection, is a worthy addition to a native garden. It is of the Proteaceae family and will need native fertiliser and well-draining acid soil, but most importantly avoid heavy clay soils. It grows up to two metres tall. Photo: Jackie Warburton

Jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au