Next on: Tonight 7.30pm, Rpt Sunday 1.30pm on ABC + iview | | | | | |
| | | | | Sophie meets a caper cultivator, Costa learns about a composting critter, Guest Presenter Hannah Maloney helps a young couple blitz their backyard and Jane gets stuck into some winter pruning! | | | | | | | | |
 | | | | | | | | Tonight 7.30pm on ABC + iview | | | | Jane joins volunteers in the garden for some winter pruning at one Melbourne’s iconic garden clubs. | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | Fact Sheet | | | | Hannah helps a young couple get their garden into the ground with the assistance of a team of hardworking volunteers | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |  | | Gardening Australia Weekly QuizIf your soil pH is low, is it too acidic or too alkaline? A) Acidic B) Alkaline C) Neutral Tune in next week to test your knowledge! | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Tropical Climate Zone - Basil
- Celery
- Oregano
- Watermelon
Subtropical Climate Zone - Broad Beans
- Garlic
- Lettuce
- Radish
Arid Climate Zone - Beetroot
- Cauliflower
- Endive
- Rocket
Temperate Climate Zone - Chicory
- Onions
- Peas / Snow Peas
- Shallots
Cool Climate Zone - Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Endive
- Spinach
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| | | | | Cool - Resist the urge to prune deciduous fruit trees until the end of this month, to ensure they are well into winter dormancy.
- If cooler weather has you craving rhubarb pie, now is the perfect time to plant some crowns of this long-lived perennial. Find a spot in full sun, give them some space and they’re away!
- If your winter garden is lacking some colour and fragrance, pop in some stock (Matthiola incana) This annual is perfect for pots and bedding and has the most delicious spice scented flowers.
Temperate - In warm temperate gardens, sow some seed of the stunning schizanthus. This old—fashioned annual bares mases of glorious orchid-like flowers in a semi-shaded spot. A stunner!
- If you’ve had a bit of rain and your soil is really wet, let it drain before digging it over. Working damp soil can result in loss of soil structure, so wait a while before hoeing in.
- Rosemary is a winner in the garden and the kitchen. Protect from frosts and you’ll be rewarded with a mass of flowers and delicious foliage – perfect for roast vegies on a cold night.
Subtropical - Channel your inner sailor and sow some spinach seeds this weekend. Perfect for salads, soups and stews, spinach can be ready to harvest in as little as six weeks.
- Stay on top of winter weeds and brew up a batch of weed tea. Whack your weeds in a cloth bag, submerge in a bucket of water for a couple of weeks, dilute the liquid down and you’ve got yourself a great fertiliser.
- For a vine that’s vigorous and very tasty, give kiwi fruits a crack at your place. Deciduous and delicious, make sure you grab at least one male plant for every few females for fine fruiting.
Tropical - Have a ‘grow’ at tomatoes over winter. Hunt down some of the “Tropic” or “Russian” varieties which are proven performers in humid areas of the country.
- Fuchsias flower on new growth, so to promote blooms and bushiness, pinch prune the growing tips this weekend and give them a hard prune at the end of winter.
- Grevilleas are great for gorgeous winter colour in just about any garden, and their beautiful blooms will attract birds and beneficials to your place. Hunt one down from your local native nursery
Arid - As the weather cools many of us slow down a bit, including our worms. Ensure worm farms are not being overfilled with food as the worms have a rest.
- Cape gooseberries are ready to harvest now, and the fruits can be eaten fresh, turned into a preserve or even dried. Make sure you get to yours before the birds do!
- To extend your potted basil harvest, move them to a sunny spot for the winter so they are sheltered from frost and “hey, pesto”, you’ll be enjoying basil for months to come!
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Catch up on ABC iview | | | | Never miss a gardening moment! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
