Planting Times in the Sub Tropics Mar (mid):- Beans, Beetroot, Brassicas (Cauliflower, Cabbages, Broccoli, Wong Bok, a big no to Brussels Sprouts), Carrots, Capsicum, Celery, Chinese Veg's, Tomatoes, Lettuces, Onions & Shallots (in seed trays), Peas, Parsnips, Radish, Rhubarb, Silverbeet, Spinach, Swedes, Turnips, Apr:- Beans, Beetroot, Brassicas, Carrots, Capsicum, Celery, Chinese Veg's, Eggplant, Tomatoes, Lettuces, Onions & Shallots (plant-out the seed trays), Potatoes, Peas, Parsnips, Radish, Rhubarb, Silverbeet, Spinach, Swedes, Turnips, May:- Beans, Beetroot, Brassicas, Carrots, Capsicum, Celery, Chinese Veg's, Tomatoes, Lettuces, Shallots, Potatoes, Peas, Parsnips, Radish, Rhubarb, Silverbeet, Spinach, Swedes, Turnips, Jun:- Beans, Beetroot, Brassicas, Carrots, Capsicum, Celery, Chinese Veg's, Tomatoes, Lettuces, Shallots, Potatoes, Parsnips, Radish, Rhubarb, Silverbeet, Spinach, Swedes, Turnips, Jul:- Beans, Beetroot, Brassicas, Carrots, Capsicum, Celery, Chinese Veg's, Tomatoes, Lettuces, & Shallots, Potatoes, Radish, Silverbeet, Spinach, Aug:- Beans, Beetroot, Brassicas, Carrots, Capsicum, Celery, Chinese Veg's, Eggplant, Tomatoes, Lettuces, Shallots, Radish, Silverbeet, Spinach, Sep:- Climbing Beans, Eggplant, Corn, Tomatoes, Lettuces, Rockmelon, Watermelon, Shallots, Cucumber, Radish, Squash, Zucchini, Oct:- Carrots, Corn, Cucumber, Radish, Shallots, Tomatoes, Lettuces, Squash, Zucchini, Nov:- Tomatoes, Lettuces, Shallots, Radish, Dec:- Pumpkin (mulch up your garden) Jan:- Have a rest, to hot for planting, keep up the mulch Feb:- Also to hot for planting, so harvest your Pumpkins, have a big clean up and make heaps of compost out of the Pumpkin, Watermelom vines and the weeds, then prepare your garden for the autumn crops
It is starting to get a little hot up here in sunny Queensland, you can still plant:- Tomatoes, Eggplant, Lettuce, Carrots, Spring Onions, Radishes, Sweet Corn, Cucumber, Squash, Zucchini, Pumpkin, without too much trouble as long as you mulch up and have lots of water. Beans (climbing and dwarf) maybe you can try to get in another crop, before it gets too hot. Hint:- with Cucumber, Squash, Zucchini and Pumpkin, water in the mornings to avoid mildew don't water late in the afternoon. the same with Peas. If you have mildew try spraying with MILK. Hint:- Plant Cucumber and/or Climbing Beans amongst the Corn, Hint:- for Sweet Corn to produce larger and sweeter corn:- you could try cutting off the flower stem (top half of the corn plant) just above the corn cob, after the flower has fertilised the corn (you can tell whether the corn is fertilised by the colour of the tassels which should be brown). Tomatoes:- like rich soil, mulch and lots of water, they love comfrey water, if you have the time to hand water, water around the roots, for better results and this will also help to avoid the spreading of disease. A friend of mine who is a member of "BOGI" grows her Tomatoes without staking, straight on to the ground, and to avoid the fruit fly she covers the fruit with a rag, about the same size as a small hanky. I prefer to stake my Tomatoes and I also pick the fruit just as they start to turn colour. (works most of the time) Hint:- plant Lettuce in between the Tomatoes also Basil, Chives and Marigolds, Hint:- Use heaps of MULCH, and you should only have to water very second day. Mulching will keep the heat out in the summer time, and in the winter mulching will also keep the warmth in, which also means your garden will require less water. Don't:- Plant any of the Brassicas Family (Cabbage, Cauliflower and Broccoli) too hot and too many bugs around (remember plant the right thing at the right time). Don't:- Plant Peas this time of the year, that is in QLD Don't:- Mulch Carrots, Beans they will rot Don't:- use fresh lawn clippings for mulch as the grass breaks down it will take out the nitrogen from the soil, either let the grass break down into compost in the compost bin or keep turning the grass over until it has completely dry-out. DON'T DIG MULCH INTO THE SOIL, THROW IT ON TOP OF THE SOIL, and also give the garden a good water first.
You can either buy seedlings from your local nurseries such as:- Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cabbage, Cauliflower and Broccoli (Brassicas Family) but not Brussels Sprouts they do not grow well in the Redlands (where I live) at all. Plant Lettuce amongst the Brassicas this helps to confuse the Cabbage Moth which dislike Lettuce. An Organic insect deterrents for Brassicas: you could try boiled Lettuce leaves - allow to cool and use the juice as an insect spray; also try Molasses. The recipe is 1 tablespoon of molasses with 1 litre of hot water until the colour is like weak tea. Allow to cool, then mix in one tea spoon of detergent, which will help the molasses to stick to the leaves. Or you could do what I do which is the pick and stomp trick, pick the grub of the plant and stomp on it. Also note that Brassicas and Tomatoes don’t like being planted beside each other. Transplanting Seedlings Transplant seedlings in the late afternoon, after the heat of the day, when it is cooler. Lightly fork in some fresh compost, then transplant the plant and water in well to insure that the roots are firm and that there are no air holes around the roots (but don’t over compact). Spread a couple of handfuls of mulch around the plant but not too close to the stem as this will cause rot. For the first couple of days, water and cover the plants, until they are over the shock of transplanting. You could use either an up turned flower pot or margarine container for this. If you are forgetful, as I am, I use a small tree branch with leaves on. By the time the leaves dry out and fall off the branch, the plant will be established, (not dead under a pot a week later). Sowing seeds directly into the garden soil such as; Sweet Corn in blocks or rows 150mm apart and in rows 600mm apart around 1 to 2m long, depending on how much room you have. Corn likes heaps of compost and liquid fertiliser. Carrots plant in rows carrots like good deep loam and dislike manure and fresh compost. Too much organic fertiliser and they will be all tops and no bottoms. Dwarf Beans in a row 150mm between seeds. They do require some support (don't over water and keep mulch away from the stems as they will rot). Climbing Beans require a 2m mesh or wire rack. You could try planting climbing beans amongst your corn if you are looking for some room. Beans like compost. They dislike the onion family, fresh manure and liquid fertiliser and being in a wet spot. Tomatoes require staking. Hammer in a 1.5 to 2.0 metre stake, before transplanting, to avoid damage later on. Pinch-off the bottom two leaves. Bury the plant three quarters up the stem. Tomatoes are prolific feeders. They like fresh compost, manure - not too fresh, mulching and liquid fertiliser. Pour the liquid fertilizer over the plants; once a fortnight is ideal. This will help to deter bugs.. And of course Basil; plant a couple of Basil plants, Chives and Marigolds around your plants; these will also help to deter bugs. Raising Seedlings in seed boxes or pots Use well decomposed compost (sieved) with 20% coarse river sand. Water twice daily. Keep the soil moist but not saturated and do not allow let it dry out. Plant out as soon as the seedlings are sturdy enough to be handled. Liquid Fertiliser (Brewing) Liquid fertiliser is a great asset for the organic gardener; not only is it a very good plant booster and foliage spray but it can also be used as a form of pest control. The equipment you will require is a container (metal or plastic) around 45 litres (10 gallons) capacity; a lid is necessary to keep the flies and mozzies out. You will also require a watering can, a small bucket and a sieve to strain the brew into the watering can to prevent clogging of the watering can’s nozzle. Be careful not to burn young plants. A good brew is 1 part to 5 parts of water once a fortnight. Dilute more for seedlings. In my garden my main source of fertiliser is the herb plant comfrey, as a liquid fertiliser. At the same time it is a foliage spray and insect deterrent. It is also a compost activator. The leaves will break down the compost heap in half the usual time (in two to three months). Or just chop up the leaves and place around the garden. You can also try trench digging. Dig a trench 150mm wide 150mm deep as long as you require, then half fill the trench with chopped up comfrey leaves, replace the soil, then sow your seeds on top. As the leaves decompose they will feed your plants the nutrients they require.
June 1998
Now is the time to start planting out your Spring crops, including Brassicas, Beans, Beetroot, Carrots, Lettuce, Silverbeet, Spring Onions, Tomatoes and Radishes, in the frost free areas. Corn and Curcurbits (Squash, Zucchini, Cucumber) can be planted in late August, early September
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