Plan For Success
The Gardener|July 2017

July is when winter really starts to bite. Everything goes dormant, including the gardener, which makes this the month to plan for spring and summer, look back at lessons learnt, and undertake the basic garden tasks at a leisurely pace.

Plan For Success

There’s a reason why July is a quiet time in the garden – it gives us time to plan for the next season.

Review the past season: jot down your successes and failures, problems with pests and diseases, oversupply or undersupply, which veggies you would like to plant more of, others that you can ditch, and perhaps what you would like to try.

Factor the first and last frost dates into your planning. Sean Freeman of Living Seeds advises that the last winter planting in the ground should be at least 3-4 weeks before the first frost. In areas that don’t get frost the cut-off is when the night temperature drops below 10°C. In spring, don’t sow in situ until after the last frost.

Once you have decided what to plant, set up your sowing/ planting schedule, which includes succession planting and estimated harvest date. This can be done on a weekly or monthly basis with the aid of computer programmes, a year planner, even with your smartphone!

Incorporate soil preparation, compost making, feeding and pest control into the plan.

Getting a head start

While the first part of July is all about planning, the second half can be devoted to kickstarting that plan, by starting seed indoors in seed trays or pots, under warm, controlled conditions.

Veggies that can be started in this way are fruiting or ‘aboveground’ crops like brassicas, squashes, leafy greens, tomatoes, brinjals, peppers and chillies. Carrots and other below-ground crops are not suitable.

After the last frost it’s safe to plant out hardened seedlings, which brings harvest time forward by up to a month.

3 must-haves for starting seed indoors

Seeds need moisture, the correct soil temperature and light (sometimes) to trigger germination.

Warm soil

この記事は The Gardener の July 2017 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は The Gardener の July 2017 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

THE GARDENERのその他の記事すべて表示
FIRE AND Feathers!
The Gardener

FIRE AND Feathers!

On a dreary winter's day, a screen of fiery and feathery leaves puts up a fight against dullness!

time-read
2 分  |
July/August 2024
GET THE ladies in!
The Gardener

GET THE ladies in!

At this time of year, early-flowering shrubs vie with each other to get the most attention. We say: Trust those with female names for frills and butterflies. They go the extra mile to flower their hearts out.

time-read
1 min  |
July/August 2024
Vegetable Soups and dumplings
The Gardener

Vegetable Soups and dumplings

Vegetables make the most delicious soups and classic combinations are always a winner.

time-read
4 分  |
July/August 2024
Yummy sweet potatoes for your good health
The Gardener

Yummy sweet potatoes for your good health

Boiled, baked or braaied, sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are a delicious and healthy winter comfort food. Just a dollop of butter, a little seasoning and you are good to go.

time-read
3 分  |
July/August 2024
Pretty and functional
The Gardener

Pretty and functional

If cooking is your main thing, you would probably be more interested in the culinary value of the three herbs and some of their varieties we are describing.

time-read
5 分  |
July/August 2024
Dried Seedheads & Pods
The Gardener

Dried Seedheads & Pods

Autumn and winter are the best times to see what flowers produce the best seedheads that can be left on the plants to feed the birds and bugs and for harvesting for dried arrangements.

time-read
4 分  |
July/August 2024
SO MANY FACES and so many choices...
The Gardener

SO MANY FACES and so many choices...

Whoever associated a Cotyledon orbiculata (pig's ear) with the ear of a pig obviously did not know about all the varieties and cultivars this species in the genus Cotyledon has.

time-read
3 分  |
July/August 2024
COLOURFUL Cold Weather WINNERS!
The Gardener

COLOURFUL Cold Weather WINNERS!

If it comes to a vote, these dependable shrubs will be the top candidates for prime performance in winter and in other seasons...

time-read
5 分  |
July/August 2024
What makes a garden sustainable?
The Gardener

What makes a garden sustainable?

It is interesting to note that the United Nations defines sustainable development as: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

time-read
4 分  |
July/August 2024
Nurturing NATURE-The Story of Kraal Garden's Transformation
The Gardener

Nurturing NATURE-The Story of Kraal Garden's Transformation

Nestled within Prince Albert's rustic embrace lies a gem that is a testament to the transformative power of human vision and nature's bounty.

time-read
4 分  |
July/August 2024