What to Plant In August | Aplus Farms

"Breath a huge sigh of relief this month as spring is in the air. Late winter is a changeable time. It can be the coldest month, but one that's peppered with bursts of warm, spring-like weather"

The Vegetable Garden

Whatever the weather, it's safe in all areas to plant perennial vegetable crops such as globe artichoke and asparagus. 

As the days lengthen and soils begin to warm, there's an urge that comes over most gardeners to plant! If all threat of frost has passed, plant away, but if there's still the chance of a sneaky late frost, hold off planting out cold-sensitive summer crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, basil and pumpkin.

Farming

• Dig well-rotted manure and compost into the planting bed then plant the crowns.
• These sound impressive, but crown is just the name for the dormant roots of perennial plants.
• It's also the ideal time to get in a quick crop of English spinach and that crowd-pleaser, the snow pea. 
• These are fast crops to grow and harvest and can be grown in the ground, raised bed or even in a pot. 
• Look for spinach seedlings but it's easy to grow snow peas from seed. Direct sow where they are to grow.

Veggies

• Winter vegies are in peak production now. 
• Keep plants producing by urging them on with daily watering and regular liquid feeding. 
• Most leafy vegetables – such as oak leaf lettuce, herbs, Asian vegies and silverbeet – benefit from applications every 7-10 days.
• Keeping plants well watered with access to nutrients reduces the likelihood of these plants bolting (that is, moving into the premature production of flowers and seeds). 
• Where leafy crops have bolted, pull them out to make room for new plants.

When edible leafy plants flower and seed, their leaves become bitter. Put them in the compost or feed them to the chooks who'll be grateful for extra greens. Sow more seeds for a follow-up crop.

Also plant beans, including borlotti and snake beans, along with tomato, chilli, capsicum and zucchini. Grow flowers such as nasturtiums among vegetables to encourage pollinators.

Fruits To Grow In Garden

Late winter is the ideal time to pay attention to citrus. Many are coming into new growth and flower now and welcome an application of citrus or pelletised chicken manure fertiliser.Protect new growth from citrus leaf curl with a preventive spray of organic pest oil as new growth appears. An insect feeding in the leaf tissue and leaving behind silvery trails causes the new leaves to distort and curl.

A fungal infection also causes a problem in peaches and nectarines called peach leaf curl. Apply an organic fungicide based on lime or copper to control this and other diseases of stone fruits before deciduous trees re-leaf.

Late winter is also the last chance to plant bare-rooted fruit trees, shrubs and vines. Trees that can't be planted now should go into a large pot using potting mix with added compost. They can then be kept in the container or planted out in early spring.

Where space is tight, consider growing a fruiting hedge for shelter and privacy instead of a purely ornamental planting. Citrus and Tillypillies are good choices.

Backyard Farming

Check grafted plants, particularly citrus and passionfruit, for suckers. These appear below the graft. Remove any to keep the main part of the tree or vine healthy. The best way to remove suckers is to rub them off while young and soft. 

More mature growth can be cut below the graft or carefully ripped off where it's growing from the root system. Clear back the soil to expose the origin of the sucker. Feed citrus this month with an organic citrus food and continue to deeply water fruiting trees. 

Feed according to the recommended rates. If applying fertiliser to potted plants, provide smaller amounts on a monthly basis, watering well before and after applying plant food.

How To Prepare Soil For Planting

A late winter clean-up is an organic way to keep garden soils free of pests, diseases and weeds. Weedy areas can be smothered with layers of cardboard laid over the ground. If the area is windy, hold them in place with some stones. 

Slash or mow weeds first or lay down the cardboard barrier before the weeds begin to grow. To grow on top, build up a no-dig bed using layers of straw and compost.This method smothers weeds but it is also possible to use the sun's energy to kill weed seeds in the soil and also remove pathogens. 

Moisten the soil that's being treated then spread clear plastic sheeting over problem areas, allowing the sun to heat the soil below in a process known as solarisation. 

Weigh down the edges to keep the plastic in place for at least two weeks or longer if the weather turns cloudy.After the clean-up, remove the plastic to use elsewhere and plant into the solarised soil with minimum soil disturbance. Add a layer of mulch around crops.

Prepare Soil For Planting

Prepare for the wet season's return by creating raised beds. They are made by digging extra organic matter into the soil to increase soil depth or by building raised beds edged with termite-resistant material such as brick, recycled plastic wood or metal. 

For a quick raised bed, edge with straw bales and fill with an organic garden mix or use weed-free soil mixed with compost and aged manure. In the vegetable garden,dig in green manure crops, turning the leafy stems into the soil before they flower and set seed. 

This allows the maximum amount of nutrients to go back into the soil and reduces self-seeding. Hoe over soils where weeds are germinating to stop them growing, or cover weedy areas with layers of newspaper or cardboard.

Sweet potato can be planted now as living mulch. Any mulch, including leafy groundcovers, also helps to protect the soil from erosion when the wet season rains return and keep soils cool.