“All dahlias, summer and autumn annuals should be in the ground and the last sowing of tomatoes, capsicums and zucchinis can be done for late-autumn cropping,” says gardening writer JACKIE WARBURTON. 

As Christmas looms, it serves as a deadline for me to get all planting and pruning done before some holiday down time. 

All dahlias, summer and autumn annuals should be in the ground and the last sowing of tomatoes, capsicums and zucchinis can be done for late-autumn cropping. 

Growing seed this time of year can be tricky and it will need watering several times a day. A misting system to water and create humidity will increase growth and get them quickly to seedling stage. 

Once they’re growing well, the misters can be reduced, and the seedlings moved to larger pots or planted in the garden. 

DECEMBER and January are not good months to do any large hedge pruning. It’s best done in the cooler months. If there are plans to hard prune hedges in autumn, watering and fertilising now will help with a quicker recovery when the job is done. 

KEEPING vegetables and gardens watered in the heat of summer can be tricky, but there are ways to reduce watering and reduce stress. 

The first and most important thing to remember is to encourage good soil practices with extra nutrients and compost. This will help the water-holding capacity around the roots of plants, and fibrous roots can access moisture. 

Keeping the soil moist at all times and not allowing it to dry out stops it becoming hydrophobic and repelling the water. Once soil has dried out, plants can become stressed and it takes a lot of work to rebuild the soil to take up moisture again. 

My two other important must-do’s for summer are mulching with any organic mulch such as sugar cane or pea straw to keep the roots and soil cool and only water when the garden is in full shade – morning or night, but morning is preferable. 

Try not to do any fertilising in the hotter months, but fortnightly use of Seasol or any microbial soil additives is beneficial to the overall growth of the soil and the plants. 

FLOWERING now is a terrific little, old-fashioned plant called baboon flower (Babiania angustifolia). Its electric blue/purple flowers can self-seed over time, or the corms will multiply and can be a good ground cover in areas of dry shade and where very little can grow. 

Once they’ve flowered, deadhead to prevent them becoming a weed and cover with mulch as they go dormant over the summer months and don’t need any water until new growth appears in autumn. 

FOR a handmade Christmas gift, a jar of preserved lemons is a simple present to make. The cost is only salt and free lemons from the tree. Sterilise small jars, squeeze in as many salted lemon slices as possible. Top up jars with half lemon juice and water, and seal while jars are hot. Once cool, label and shake once a day until the salt is dissolved and then they will be ready for eating. 

Preserved lemons and rind can be thinly sliced and added to salads or chicken or fish dishes. Unopened jars will keep for at least six months. 

Jottings

• Ensure all irrigation is working before going on holidays. 

• Have a peek at bulb catalogues for autumn planting 

• Keep citrus bugs at bay by hand picking and putting in hot water.

• Pick berries to encourage more fruiting. Keep them watered, too.

jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au