January growing guide
🔆 High 26° | 🌙 Low 19° | 🌧️ 8 rainy days
Summer temperate gardening can be a fickle thing and January is the best example of how varied it can be. Is it going to be soaking wet or scorching hot? Let’s hope it’s somewhere in the middle but either way, let’s get out and enjoy the new year in our lovely gardens.
Veggies
You’ve likely (or hopefully!) had a few days off during the holiday period, but there should be plenty to harvest from the veggie garden now: beans, lettuce, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, beetroot, spring onions, snap peas, silver beet and sweet corn. Pick early in the day before the sun becomes too intense. Give them a quick rinse in cold water before eating.
Try Lemongrass if you haven’t already. Its woody nature helps prevent too much damage from the heat. Best to wait until things cool down for any other herbs, though there’s still time to pop in some asparagus, just find a cooler spot in the patch. A happy plant can give you spears for over 25 years. Make sure your climbing crops like cucumbers and beans are growing up their supports and not smothering other crops close by.
Throughout the growing period, diluted worm teas can be added to your garden every couple of weeks. This will help keep up the growth and fruiting capabilities of your plants. Apply to the soil early in the morning, in the concentrations mentioned on the packet.
What to plant in the veggie patch.
If the weather’s hot, it definitely isn’t the ideal time to be planting much. That said, you can try eggplant, zucchini, cucumber, capsicum, chillies and tomatoes; towards the end of the month. Other possibilities include: beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflowers, chicory, leek, lettuce, parsnip, potato, radish, rhubarb, shallots, silverbeet, sweet corn, strawberries, rosemary, parsley and mint.
Fruit & Trees
It’s not too late for watermelon, rockmelon and pineapple. Mangos can go in this time of year also.
Stone fruits like apricots, peaches, nectarines and plums should all be ready to harvest this month, depending on the varieties being grown. Pick ripe fruits early in the day, before they heat up. Leave those still very firm to the touch on the trees until they are fully ripe. If you find any rotting fruits, pick and discard them immediately, before they release fungal spores.
Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and other berries will be plentiful this month. Enjoy them while they last because some have quite short seasons (we recommend on dessert!).
Passionfruit will also be ripening now. Tropical fruits and citrus are still cropping in warmer areas, and honeydew melon, watermelon and cantaloupe are still in season in hot, dry climates.
It’s even possible to grow tropical fruit such as banana, mango and guava with many new varieties now available for temperate areas.
Natives
People often ask what's the difference between a native and an indigenous plant garden? Well, a native plant garden uses plants from all over Australia, whereas an indigenous garden uses plants that are local to the area of that garden. That means they are especially well suited to the climate and soils.
Native grasses can have beautifully ornamental flower heads, provide habitat and food for insects and birds and are a great addition to the garden. Varieties such as Lomandra Tanika need little maintenance which is great this time of year. This plant does not need anything done to it for the first five to seven years, but after that cut it off low near ground level and it will put on fresh new growth. Take the time to choose the right plant, you will save yourself time and money.
Australian natives, like all plants, need to be mulched, and you can either choose an organic-based mulch like bark or you can use pebbles and river stones - a great option for bushfire-prone areas.
Birds are attracted to orange, red and yellow flowers, especially those that will provide nectar such as Correa, Camellia and Grevillea. Many Grevilleas have big showy flowers and are likely to attract big, bossy birds, so if you want to encourage smaller birds, try a smaller species such as Grevillea diminuta or Grevillea rosmarinifolia.
Flowers
Any spring flowering bulbs still in the soil should be lifted now. Leave them to dry off for a day or so before brushing loose soil off them, then store in a cool, airy and dry place until it’s time to plant again in autumn.
Some flowering plants may need dead-heading now to keep them neat and encourage more flowers. Roses in particular appreciate having faded flowers trimmed off. They will produce new shoots that will produce a second flush of flowers in late summer and autumn.
Watering
Water smarter at this time of year. Water first thing in the morning and instead of quickly irrigation, a nice deep drink a couple of times a week is far more beneficial!
If you haven’t done so already, look into drip irrigation. This will put the water where it is needed as well as reducing the risk of powdery mildew when the leaves get wet.
Water indoor plants when the top 5cm of soil or potting mix feels dry to the touch. Allow excess water to drain freely from the base of the pot. Don’t leave pots standing in saucers of water.
Make sure the lawn is well watered at least once a week, if permitted by local water authorities. The earlier in the day you water, the less risk there is of the sun burning the grass through moisture droplets.
Pest watch
Watch for thrips on young plants and flowers. This insect is tiny and may be hard to see but the damage it causes is highly visible – white streaks or blotches on flowers and leaves. You may only learn of its presence when you see hundreds of dark specks on white washing hanging on the clothesline as thrips are attracted to light colours. You can control them with an organic pyrethrum spray and don’t forget to spray the undersides of leaves as well as the top surface.
Watch for powdery mildew on roses and other plants including pumpkins and zucchinis, especially when nights are warm and humid. Use an organic copper-based fungicide or full cream milk to control them.
A little bit more
When high temperatures or strong winds are expected, take down hanging baskets and move them, together with outdoor pots, to a sheltered spot where they won’t get burned to a crisp or blown about and damaged.
While regular mowing will keep existing lawns looking neat, avoid cutting the grass when extreme temperatures are forecast or when heavy rain is predicted. The longer the grass, the better insulated the roots and soil will be and the risk of soil erosion will be minimised.