Last month in Autumn
Harvesting yams. Photo: Sol Morgan
May marks the end of autumnal colours before the freeze of winter chills all growth away. Leaves are falling off deciduous trees, making a valuable organic carpet that feeds earthworms, woodlice, millipedes, springtails, slugs and snails, and those unseen micro-organisms like fungi and bacteria. We can replicate this in the garden by mulching beds now.
There are still plenty of materials to make large, hot composts or cool, leaf-mould composts in preparation for spring planting. A final tidy up before winter also provides an opportunity to redesign the garden and move plants to add pathways, garden structures, etc, or create space for new plantings of herbaceous perennials (eg dahlias, hostas, globe artichokes, Shasta daisy), woody perennials, shrubs and trees (rosemary, port wine magnolia or dogwoods). While cutting back old growth you can take semi-hardwood cuttings from figs, lavenders, currants, blueberries, etc. Simply half-sink 20cm stems (remove most leaves) into coarse sand (eg Wainui granite) in a container, water with willow water and put in a cloche or hothouse. Those struck last year can be planted out now.
Planting slows down in the vege garden, focusing on brassicas and garlic (especially serpent), plus sowings of peas and broad beans. Lime the beds first. Frost-protect tender crops like silverbeet, as well as covering late carrots and beetroots sown last month to keep them growing. Growers fortunate enough to have a hothouse can sow tender crops and spring carrots, for example.
In the orchard, complete the autumn tidy-up of diseased materials, and burn. It’s a good time for pruning and removing fruit trees that just haven’t performed over several years. This allows space for new varieties that may be better suited to your microclimate, or perhaps a late apple to complement the early and mid-season varieties. Check out Waimea Nurseries’ website for options, and order through our local garden shop soon.
Fruit care
Plant fruit trees when available. Create swales or terraces if on slope.
Harvest late apples and pears, chestnuts, feijoas, tamarillos, persimmons, pepinos and kiwifruit. Store fruit in boxes in a cool, rodent-free place. Check often and throw away rotten fruit.
Support laden persimmon branches, and net.
Complete sowing and planting of orchard understorey plants, including spring bulbs.
Feed orchard with dolomite lime (if needed), rock phosphate, manure and woody compost.
Mulch fruits with woody compost, especially stone and subtropical fruits.
Put frost covers on young citrus and other subtropicals. Spray citrus with all-purpose oil for scale insect and mites. Prune citrus when harvesting.
Finish pruning fruit trees, shrubs and berries.
Prepare new strawberry beds and plant runners to replace old plants.
Spray neem vs aphids, copper oxychloride vs fungal/bacterial diseases after leaf fall, and all fruits with diluted seaweed.
Herb care
Transplant rooted cuttings taken last year, like lavender and pineapple sage.
Plant herbs, eg parsley, or transplant self-seeded perennials like thyme.
Harvest herbs for drying or seed for next year.
Weed and mulch.
Vegetable care
Harvest last kumara and cure well.
Prepare ground for garlic and onions. Add lots of compost, or well-rotted manure, lime, rock phosphate and wood ash.
Save seed: Collect from annual flowers, silverbeet, lettuces, etc. Dry, clean and freeze for a week, then store.
Stay observant for slugs and snails.
Remove celery leaves infected with leaf spot. Spray with seaweed.
Cut back asparagus ferns when brown, add manure/compost and mulch heavily.
Liquid fertilise weekly, eg diluted urine on newly planted brassicas.
Mulch planted beds with seagrass, seaweed, grass clippings, old baleage or straw. Add manure and compost to vacant beds and mulch. Black-plastic-mulch new areas for spring preparation.
Collect stakes to reuse next year.
Hothouse
Make a compost heap inside to aid warming. Add salads or green crops. Spray diluted milk solution vs powdery mildew on late cucumbers. Clean plastic or glass for better winter light.
For transplanting: Onions (red), spring onions and leafy greens (Chinese cabbage, pak choi, spinach (winter), spinach beet, lettuce, endive, cabbages)(also 7-8 and 26 May). Flowers, eg violas (also 6 and 24-25 May).
Sow direct: All seeds 4 May. Salads and spring onions and green crops (in hothouse)(also). Broad beans and peas (1-2 and 27-28 May). Carrot (cover), radish, Swede and turnip (also 4-5 and 30-31 May). Flowers, eg wallflower (also 6 and 24-25 May).
Plant: Best 9-21 May. Salad greens, spinach, beet/chard, cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli. Flowers, eg love-in-a-mist for spring.
General garden care
Wrench trees and shrubs for later transplanting.
Sow new lawns or replace patches.
Trim hedges and shelterbelts for airflow, and shred for mulch.
Soil-test garden and orchard areas (try www.hillslaboratories) and organise minerals to offset deficiencies.
Deadhead herbaceous perennials like agapanthus.
Sol Morgan, GroWise Consultancy
