the hunter call of the wild diamond footprint

But such is the race to get tomatoes in that many gardeners have sown seeds and are protecting them in glasshouses or a warm spot until they're ready to be planted out. Which leaves the perennial question: when to plant tomatoes? According to tradition, tomato seedlings should be planted out by, at the latest, Melbourne Cup Day. Plus, if you've got a peach tree, spray with a copper fungicide for curly leaf.'' ''The nurseries sell out very quickly these days, so you need to get in early. If you're hunting for bare-rooted fruit trees, it's imperative that you buy them now because home orchards are so popular, Sutherland says. Plant coriander in the cooler weather rather than summer, when it bolts. Sutherland recommends dividing herbs such as parsley for a more productive supply in spring and summer. Potatoes can be planted later in August, when the danger of frost has gone. She holds classes on how to create an edible garden in the suburbs.Īt the moment, you can still plant asparagus, strawberries and rhubarb as well as brown, Spanish and cream gold onions. She says growing produce is a plus for the environment, especially if you adopt organic principles. Karen Sutherland is an advocate for the grow-your-own brigade, having turned her garden into a vegetable nirvana. For zucchini and cucumber, sow seeds in late September when it's warmer.

Another group of vegetables needs temperatures of 15 to 25 degrees - cabbage, celery, leek, parsnip and radish - so sow seeds at the right time, otherwise they can bolt. Beetroot falls into this category and, if you are planting it now, soak seeds overnight so they swell with moisture, then direct sow. Root crops such as carrots and parsnips can run to seed if planted too late in autumn or winter. Warm-season vegetables need temperatures of 20 degrees or more and include beans, capsicums, potato, sweet corn, sweet potato and tomatoes. Spring onions, too, can be planted all year. Think lettuce (some varieties can run to seed if sown in warm weather, so choose carefully), bok choi, pak choi, silverbeet, rocket and kale and either sow seeds or plant seedlings and you'll have a constant supply for salads and stir-fries. Leafy greens, including Asian vegetables, are perennials in the vegetable garden. You can use this technique with a range of vegetables such as radishes and broad beans if you want to move them along.

Once the seedlings have sprouted, plant them out. Hurry them along by sowing the seeds on damp kitchen paper, put in a plastic container and leave in a warm spot such as on a sunny window sill. It's not too late to sow pea and snow pea seeds but be quick, otherwise you'll miss out.

Beetroot can run to seed if planted too late in autumn or winter.

The hunter call of the wild diamond footprint