August
August
Theoretically, August is the last month of Winter with lots of cool to cold days, although somewhat warmer than previous months.
It's more likely that there'll be a few perfect Spring days, ahead of moving straight to Summer.
For me, the message is to dive in and start Spring gardening, before the heat arrives and makes gardening more of a chore than a joy. Most locals would contend that Winter is our peak time for edibles gardening. Through Spring and Summer, it will largely depend on lots of factors like available shade, pest management and watering.
Seeds can be started now and planted out as soon as they get to size. To speed up the process, I'll keep them in a crude cold frame to speed up the process of getting the plant to size.
Don't forget the Spring Seed Swap - https://fb.me/e/4mukt3vhX - a great opportunity to potentially pick up acclimatised seeds to grow in this region.
Seedlings will get you up and running much quicker.
Consider Days to Maturity when choosing what to plant. Eggplant has about 120 days to maturity from seed. That means it could be December before you're picking eggplant. A tough time to keep fruit looking its best. I'll be choosing faster-growing crops, or those more suited to a subtropical climate.
If you haven't started yet, grab some seedlings to plant as a succession crop. Bok choy can be harvested as cut and come again. But if you're taking the whole plant, it'd be great to have a follow-up crop to keep up your supply.
I use a 4-bed rotation - Legumes to leafy greens to fruiting crops to root crops. It doesn't matter what method you choose, but you need to ensure some crops aren't in the same ground season after season. Tomatoes are a good example! It's a relatively easy way to keep disease at bay.
Preparation
Soil preparation is required to ensure the success of directly sown seeds or seedlings.
Rotation of crops is advised to help manage the nutrients in the soil, and therefore the success of the crop.
The addition of compost is ideal for almost any soil type, and is best incorporated with the use of a broadfork to avoid turning the soil.
Visit this thread to get some insights - https://www.facebook.com/groups/887764887978830/posts/3094125090676121/
The addition of worms will aid this process if your garden doesn't have lots of soil life.
A healthy soil will ensure a healthy, nutrient dense food - https://bit.ly/3XOw7Ud
Harvesting
August could be the month to harvest garlic. In previous years, I've harvested in September, but with the forecast, I'm prepared for an early harvest. It will depend too, on when you planted.
When the leaves start turning brown, you’ll know that it's almost time to harvest. Hold off watering and consider harvesting within 2 weeks.
Propagating
To get seeds and cuttings bouncing away, some extra warmth may be required. A simple cold frame can be made with either a window or a picture frame. It'll ensure plants have the best opportunity over the next few weeks,
I've been taking cuttings of basil, thyme, westringia, cat's whiskers, nutmeg bush, grevillea, myoporum and lemon balm.
I've been pleasantly surprised to see most striking readily.
Keep your cold frame in a warm spot, not in full sun. It'll get surprisingly hot.
Succession planting
Succession planting is about having regular small quantities of produce pickable, rather than a glut of produce that you either pickle , donate to Food Relief or take to the monthly Produce Swap.
This spreadsheet might be useful if you're a bit geeky. Otherwise, the aim is to plant smaller quantities more regularly. https://bit.ly/3xGlfxd
Check out the guide below to work out when to plant different seeds for succession planting.
https://bit.ly/3IHRthQ
Mulching
Top up mulch on your edible patch. Sustainable mulches could include straw, sugarcane, or leaves. If you're using lawn clippings, throw some old leaves onto your lawn before you mow, to ensure a much more open product that won't compact as much when used around your edible beds. If the summer they're predicting arrives, you'll need to have as much organic material as possible to prevent soils from drying out.
Green manure
If the list of crops for the legume bed don't appeal, you could choose to plant a green manure crop instead. The purpose of green manure is to build both organic matter and nitrogen levels to improve the soil. Crops are grown to the flowering stage, then cut down, and then left on the surface to break down. By building the organic content of the soil, you'll improve its water and nutrient-holding capacity. Although I've shown peanut, you'll probably cut it before it produces peanuts. I grow peanuts alongside my other legumes, rather than as a green manure crop.
An example of suitable seed for warm-season gardens can be found here.
Legumes
Snake Beans
Poor Mans bean
Green manure
Leafy greens
Lettuce
Spinach substitutes (longevity, brazilian, egyptian)
Kale
Brassicas
Asian greens
Coriander
Silverbeet
Rocket
Mustard greens
Fruiting
Tomatoes
Capsicum
Chilli
Okra
Zucchini
Pumpkin
Cucurbits (melons, cucumber etc)
Root
Leeks
Shallots
Beetroot
Radish
The list above is for Spring planting in the subtropics.
I won't bother with many root vegetables (like carrots) because I can't grow them quick enough to get the flavour I like. Here's a pretty good guide to help you plan the sowing of seeds in punnets or trays, so they're ready for planting out when you're ready - https://www.boondieseeds.com.au/blogs/news/plantingguide Read seed packets to check which seed should be soaked prior to planting.
Again, you could choose to sow seedlings to get plants established quickly and producing quickly.