Thinking of growing garlic this year?   If you are, now’s the time to prepare your soil.  Dig it over and blend in some vegetable fertilizer before planting.  Garlic are best planted when the soil is cool, and are traditionally planted on the shortest day of the year.   (The reality is you can plant them anytime from mid-May to the end of July).  To plant, pull off the individual cloves from your garlic bulb and plant 10-15 cm apart and 5cm deep with their pointy ends facing up.

 

June Planting & Sowing

Citrus trees, and deciduous fruit trees such as plums, pears and apples are all available for planting now. It’s a good time to plant these permanent trees as the cooler weather and damp soil helps them to get off to a good start in our gardens.  Make sure you choose varieties that suit your garden climate.

 

Missing those crunchy summer salads?  Why not plant some lettuce in pots.  They’re quick to grow as the soil temperature is warmer in a pot.  They’re also easy to move to a sunny position or sheltered spot if the weather turns nasty!  You can grow from seeds or seedlings.

 

There are lots of other seeds and seedlings you can plant this month too.

Seeds you can sow

Broad Beans, beetroot, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, celery, florence fennel, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mesclun, parsley, peas, onions, radish, silverbeet, rocket. (As a general rule, allow eight weeks to seedling stage).

Seedlings you can plant

Broad beans, beetroot, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, florence fennel, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mesclun, parsley, peas, onions, radish, silverbeet, spinach.  (A good handful of blood and bone on planting will benefit your leafy seedlings).

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​​June 'can do' Garden Tasks

• Thinking of extending your garden or making changes to the space you have?  Winter is a good time for this as the pace in your garden slows down.  If you add to your garden space during winter you'll have time to fertilize and condition any new soil in time for your spring planting.

• If your soil is damp or lumpy, you can help seedlings out with a little soil sleeping bag.  Make a planting hole about the size of a mug in your beds and fill this with softer potting mix. Plant individual seedlings into these holes and they'll get off to a good start. By the time roots reach the slightly rougher soil outside the sleeping bag they should be getting strong enough to push through.

 

June Harvest

Citrus fruit are on the menu with orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime, and mandarin all ripening. Remember to wait until fruits have fully coloured up before you pick them as they won’t continue ripening when off the tree.  Tamarillo, persimmon, and guava are also ready to enjoy at this time of year.  In the vege patch we’ve been enjoying the first of our winter lettuces, along with beetroot, bok choi, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, celery, kale, lettuce, mesclun, parsnip, radish, rocket, silverbeet, spinach and turnip.