Gardening in the Wheatbelt

As predicted we’ve had a mild summer, however, it has been a very dry one and any residual moisture, from the wonderful rains of last winter has certainly gone by now. Our tanks are lasting so far but we could do with an early break in the season, which according to the forecaster I listen to, is not going to happen any time soon! The predicted first significant rain is not till May and even then this winter is apparently going to be on the dry side. So what we can hope for is milder temperatures during March when we can start thinking about putting in more drought hardy perennials and planting our winter veggies. The next meeting of the QGLG is Friday 24th February in the meeting room of the CRC at 10am. Please feel free to join us, we are a very welcoming group of fun loving people who know a little about gardening and love to share what we know.

Plant of the Month – With last month’s article I hope you were inspired to perhaps think about growing stone fruit in your garden. This month we will look at how to care for your stone fruit trees throughout the year to have a healthy tree and to get the best harvest. So we’ll start in summer: modern day thinking says that summer is the right time to prune established stone fruit trees. However, in the Wheatbelt, because of the heat which can linger into March, I would suggest that you wait to prune until mid to late March when hopefully the high 30s are behind us. The canopy protects the branches from the sun so if you were to prune too early sunburn could indeed kill your tree. The first prune is done after the first summer and shaping is the prime object of this prune. You should aim for a vase shape which allows good air circulation and a balanced canopy will develop from this first prune. During summer young trees should be watered at least once a week, established trees will survive quite well without water but of course the following harvest will not be as good. In autumn and into winter the trees will lose their leaves and at this time, on a dry day, you should remove any dead or diseased wood. The pruning equipment must be kept sterilized between each cut and each tree so as not to spread diseases such as stone fruit canker and gummosis which is particularly an apricot problem. In early winter it’s good to put a mulch of manure around the drip line of the tree and then in late winter fertilise with a fruit tree specific fertiliser. If you know that your tree has a problem with ‘leaf curl’ then the spraying regime should start right back in autumn as the tree is losing its leaves. The second liquid copper spray is done at bud burst. Early fruiting peaches are particularly affected by leaf curl and sometimes all your efforts to fight this fungal disease can be to no avail. In spring the flowers and then leaves will cover your tree and as the fruit sets check your tree for over-reaching intentions. Some stone fruit trees think they are responsible for feeding the whole world so fruit thinning is very important. Fruit should be taken off when it is at about the size of a large marble. In late spring when the rain stops the trees should receive regular water at least once per week until harvest has finished. If you live in a built up area where fruit fly may be a problem there some things you can do to keep this pest at bay. Firstly collect any fallen fruit during the harvest period. Then, allowing your chooks to forage around your trees will mean they will pick up the grubs which develop on the ground in these stung fallen fruits and lastly either use the various sprays and lures available or use exclusion netting for the tree or for the individual fruits.

This Month in the Garden –

It’s time to – keep the water up to citrus trees which are carrying their fruit during this time and because of their shallow root system they can dry out very quickly. This drying out can lead to spilt fruit when later in winter they get a heavy down pour. In mid March apply a complete fertiliser to roses, other flowering shrubs and climbers. Lawns should be fertilised now to keep them green over the winter months. Hedges and almost any shrub can be pruned in March and many of these prunings can be propagated at this time of the year. Check citrus trees for scale and on a day of below 30 degrees spray with white oil and repeat in two weeks and two weeks later spray trees with water to remove the dead scale and any black sooty mould on the leaves and branches.

Sow –all winter veggies can be sown in March

Plant – March is too early to plant winter veggies; that is, unless we’ve had an early break in the season and temperatures in the twenties are being forecast.

Harvest – In the orchard the bounty is amazing at the moment. There are Mariposa and Narrabeen plums, Fantasia Nectarines, Globe grapes, rock melon, water melon, Black English mulberries, figs and Cape gooseberries. In the veggie garden there are zucchini, cucumbers, snake beans, capsicums, eggplants, tomatoes and carrots. The next crop of lettuce and chillies are almost ready.

The last word –“Why try and explain miracles to your kids when you can just have them help you plant a garden.” Robert Brault (with my modifications)