November – Gardening Diary
KITCHEN GARDEN
Plant now
All zones: Beetroot, capsicum, cucumber, lettuce, pumpkin, silverbeet, squash, sweet corn, tomato and zucchini.
Zones 2-5: Dwarf and French beans, Chinese and red cabbage, carrot, celery, eggplant, kohlrabi, leek, parsnip, peas, potato, radish, rhubarb, spring onion and turnip.
Zones 6-8: Snake beans, eggplant, marrow, melon and okra.
Plant your favourite summer veges now such as tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce, sweet corn, spring onions, watermelon and celery. By planting basil next to your tomatoes you’ll improve their flavour.
Plant a crop of seed potatoes into your garden or in a large tub or planter bag.
Sow your favourite seeds directly into the garden such as pumpkin, courgettes, parsnip, radish and sweetcorn; sow in trays for transplanting later: lettuce, cabbage, capsicum, eggplant, leeks, spring onions. For continuous harvesting sow at two to three weekly intervals.
Spray vegetable plants to guard against fungus diseases.
All vegetables will benefit from a side dressing of a Fish, Blood & Bone Fertiliser.
Tomatoes are growing quickly so need staking, lots of water and feeding. Regular deep watering is best.
Hang moth traps in the tree as soon as blossoms start to appear. Spray with a caterpillar biocontrol a week to 10 days after traps start catching adult moths or at 80% petal fall. Repeat in 10 days. Refresh traps and leave out to monitor for another generation later on in summer.eed all citrus trees with a Citrus Fertiliser, and other fruit trees with a general garden fertiliser.
To prevent white butterfly caterpillar plant nasturtiums near your brassicas, it draws Cabbage white butterflies away from your plants, they will lay on the nasturtiums that can then be removed and composted along with eggs and caterpillars.
Herbs and vegetables in pots need a water drip feeder. A cheap and handy way is to use old bottles that have had small holes punched in the throughout the bottle sides, leaving the top on, and the bottom cut off, turned upside down and fill with water. This is perfect for watering cucumbers who need regular and deep watering, remember to keep the leaves dry to avoid fungal infections due to moisture. Additionally, you can also use a light layer of mulch around the base of the plant to improve moisture retention.
FLOWER GARDEN
Plant now
All zones: Alyssum, amaranthus, cosmos, marigold, petunia, phlox, portulaca, salvia, sunflower, verbena and zinnia.
Zones 2-5: Ageratum, arctotis, aster, calendula, candytuft, carnation, chrysanthemum, cleome, cornflower, dahlia, delphinium,
dianthus, godetia, impatiens, lobelia, nasturtium and snapdragon.
Zones 6-8: Celosia, gomphrena, salpiglossis and sunflower.
Plant your favourite summer flowering annual seedlings, such as Lobelia, Impatiens, Phlox, Larkspur, Portulaca and many more.
Plant water lilies and other pond plants.
Plant new seasons Hibiscus plants for a tropical flavour in your garden.
Sow seeds of your favourite flowering annuals directly into the garden such as Californian Poppy, Nasturtium and Sunflowers. Sow in trays for transplanting later; Carnations, Livingstone Daisy, Petunia, Gerberas, Celosia and Geranium.
Place a layer of mulch around the base of your perennials, trees and shrubs to help conserve moisture; use compost, bark or peat.
Install in-ground watering systems for economical summer watering.
All Chrysanthemums and Dahlias can now be planted.
Liquid feed all flowering annuals and perennials with a seaweed liquid fertiliser and feed flowering shrubs with a side dressing of a general fertiliser.
Plant new roses using plenty of compost when planting, and water thoroughly at least once a week.
Side dress roses with a rose fertiliser. A layer of mulch around the base will help to retain soil moisture over summer.
Spray roses to prevent fungus diseases and pest damage, a seaweed liquid fertiliser with a little baking soda works a treat.
Water all plants in pots daily to prevent drying out and feed with a seaweed liquid fertiliser weekly.
Increase watering of all plants in containers or pots as the weather warms up, which will give you healthier plants and flowers.