WHAT TO PLANT NOW!

Suggestions for what to plant in Winter in the Blue Mountains in June, July & August. These can be either direct sow into the ground or into seedling trays ready to plant out in a few weeks.

Much of the list is similar to the Autumn list for up here in the Blue Mountains but will vary according to your own local climate and conditions.

As we approach the shortest day of the year in late June and then slowly the days start to lengthen again, we start to get the bulbs and other day length sensitive plants like the alliums (onion & garlic family) starting to grow roots and build up growth. There are many traditional homilies and sayings for these types of plants like ‘plant on the shortest day of the year to harvest on the longest day of the year’. This does not really apply that well in our climate as we have fairly mild winters compared with some continental weather patterns and can grow a lot of plants all the way through winter and so get much longer growing seasons. But it is a useful reference point to help remember what triggers certain types of growth and germination etc.

If you are planting into containers that are covered by eaves near a warm wall that reflects and holds heat you may be able to grow some warmer growing plants right through the winter. Out in the open they are liable to frosts and wind. Often it is the wind that damages the plants and not so much the cold.

We are moving into the period where you will be selecting and planting all your bare root trees, bushes and canes that are due to burst into growth in spring. This also goes for similar things like berries, vines and roses and such.

Our winter usually breaks at the end of August when we generally get the first bud burst on the stone fruits, apples, pears, quinces etc. However the weather is often variable and it can take longer or start and then get very cold again in late September/October so it’s best to start planning how to protect them with any temporary or permanent structures you might decide to build as well.

Winter is the best time to consider the structural elements of your garden spaces and how to better lay them out or change them. It is also the time to consider the soil structure and how it might be improved with better drainage or raised beds etc.

This is also the classic potato and tuberous root planting season – as well as the brassica leafy greens which can handle and prefer the colder times of the year.

• Potatoes
• Chives, garlic, shallots & onions
• Carrots
• Broad Beans
• Beetroot & Mangelwurzel
• Spinach
• Silver Beet & Chard & other perpetual leaf beets
• Brassicas like Collards, Kales, Kohl Rabi, Cabbages, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Pak Choy & other related brassica greens
• Endive, raddichio & chicory
• Lettuce
• Mizuna, Mibuna & Mustards
• Rocket, Corn Salad & other salad greens
• Coriander (cilantro)
• Fennel (florence)
• Daikon and other radishes
• Turnip & swedes & parsnips
• Peas
• Snow peas
• Salsify & Scorzonera
• Oregano
• Artichoke – both Globe and Jerusalem
• Parsley, celeriac & celery
• Calendula, Dandelion and other wild salad greens

Planting of any left over Garlic is still OK right through till spring.

There are many decorative flowering plants that like the cold to get started and it is worth looking about for any that you want to flower in Spring – this includes all your flowering bulbs.

Seedlings growing right now!

Garlic and Broad Beans

Corn salad

Wombok cabbage

Please suggest any others you are growing or planting now…