January can be a difficult month for gardening in some warm and temperate parts of Australia. Prolonged periods of heavy rain can cause seeds to rot before germination (or encourage fungal problems), and it is usually too hot for lettuce seeds to germinate. In some cool climate areas, summer has been unseasonably cold.
During January and February, gardeners will have to adjust their planting to suit local climate conditions. If it is too hot to grow things in your area, use the time to do a good job of preparing beds for strawberries, leeks and winter vegetables.
The following planting guide is an abbreviated list for popular vegetables, fruit trees and culinary herbs that can be planted in January in Australia and New Zealand. A comprehensive guide that includes the best planting times for the entire garden, as well as when to fertilise, prune, take cuttings or divide plants, can be found in my book Easy Organic Gardening and Moon Planting.

WARM CLIMATE – South of Rockhampton
Before the Full Moon, silver beet (pre-soak seed), and sunflower can be sown direct, as well as a green manure crop of adzuki bean, cow pea, lablab, millet, mung bean, pigeon pea, Japanese millet, or sorghum. Leek can be sown in late January.
During First Quarter phase, capsicum, eggplant, rockmelon, summer squash, tomato, and watermelon can be sown, also cucumber in late January. Bush and climbing beans, and sweet corn can be sown direct.
During Full Moon phase, lemon grass, mango, pineapple and watercress can be sown or planted out. Beetroot (pre-soak seed), carrot, parsnip, potato (Brisbane and areas south), and radish can be sown direct.

WARM CLIMATE – North of Rockhampton
Before the Full Moon, a green manure crop of adzuki bean, cowpea, lablab, mung bean, pigeon pea, Japanese millet, or sorghum can be sown in suitable areas.
During First Quarter phase, sweet corn can be sown direct in suitable areas.
During Full Moon phase, lemon grass and mango can be sown or planted out.

TEMPERATE CLIMATE
Before the Full Moon, Brussels sprouts, leek and spring onions can be sown or planted out. Cabbage, lettuce, and silver beet (pre-soak seed) can be sown direct, (also sunflower in warmer areas), as well as a green manure crop of cow pea, mung bean, pigeon pea, millet, Japanese millet, or sorghum.
During First Quarter phase, bush and climbing beans and sweet corn can be sown direct. Cauliflower and cucumber can be sown or planted out, also rockmelon, summer squash, tomato, watermelon, and zucchini in warmer areas.
During Full Moon phase, beetroot (pre-soak seed), carrot, parsnip and radish can be sown direct, and lemon grass and watercress can be sown or planted out. Pineapple, potato and mango can also be sown or planted out in warmer areas.

COOL CLIMATE
Before the Full Moon, Brussels sprouts, leek, lettuce, spring onions, sweet basil and parsley can be sown or planted out (also dill in colder areas). Cabbage, grain crops, lettuce, silver beet (pre-soak seed) and dwarf sunflower can be sown direct, as well as a green manure crop of mung bean or millet. In colder areas, bulb fennel, open Chinese cabbage, mizuna, and tatsoi can also be sown direct.
During First Quarter phase, broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini can be sown or planted out, and bush and climbing beans can be sown direct (also peas in colder areas).
During Full Moon phase, beetroot (pre-soak seed), carrot, parsnip, and radish can be sown direct, and mint, sage, and watercress sown or planted out (also pyrethrum in colder areas).

A problem I am frequently asked about is why do immature fruit of the Cucurbit family become soft or discoloured, and fail to mature. The squash or Cucurbit family includes chokoes, cucumbers, grammas, gourds, pumpkins, rockmelons, squash, watermelons, and zucchinis.
If your cucurbit plant is producing small fruit that yellow and fall off before maturity, or turn mushy at the end furthest from the stem, it does not have a disease, or a pollination problem. Your plant is deficient in calcium. Calcium deficiency also causes blossom end rot in tomatoes.
Like us, plants need a good balance of calcium and magnesium to form a strong structure. Calcium and magnesium are required for growing tips of plants as well as fruit production and, if there are not enough of these nutrients to go around, growing tips will get priority. Calcium deficiency can occur in several different ways.
Most commonly, it occurs when soil is too acid (soil pH less than 6) and there are insufficient calcium ions in the soil. Rarely, it also occurs in extremely alkaline soils (soil pH above 9) where calcium becomes in soluble, and plants are unable to absorb it.
In soils with a suitable pH of 6 - 7.5, erratic watering can cause it, as plants are unable to absorb nutrients from dry soil, when needed.

To avoid this problem, ensure that your cucurbit bed has a suitable soil pH before planting out seedlings. See Changing soil pH. If your soil is slightly too acid, and the problem has already occurred, you can raise soil pH slightly by dissolving a generous handful of dolomite (a mixture of calcium and magnesium) in a full watering can, and apply this around the root area (under mulch) of each plant – one full watering can per plant, or two around large vines such as pumpkin and watermelon. If you know that your soil has plenty of magnesium, use agricultural lime instead. This treatment will take several weeks to work, so good bed preparation is worth the effort.
Where erratic watering is the problem, mulch around your plants to reduce fluctuations in soil moisture, and water plants thoroughly once or twice a week, rather than giving them a light watering every day. Pumpkin vines require a lot of water to produce a good crop.

I wish all “Aussie Organic Gardening” readers a very happy, healthy and safe Christmas and holiday season.
Best wishes to you and your families.
Lyn

This very practical and decorative calendar was created by Thomas Zimmer for Australian gardeners. It will show you all the moon phases for 2009, plus the days when the moon is in fertile or barren signs.

You can order it direct from: WAHMania

Jenny has previously not had a lot of luck growing tomatoes and wants to know whether she should prune the side shoots that form on tomato stems.

When growing staked tomatoes, it is common practice to prune the small shoots that form in leaf axils because tomato plants do not have strong apical dominance. That means the leading shoot does not contain a lot of the hormone that prevents side shoots from growing. If left to their own devices, tomato plants produce multiple stems that flop onto the ground, producing additional roots from where stems touch soil. In removing the side shoots (by snapping them sideways when small, or cutting with a sharp knife when larger), growth is concentrated in the lead shoot. A second leader can be allowed to form from just below the first bunch of flowers and, once the plant reaches the top of the stake, you can pinch out the tip of the leaders.
This type of cultivation originated in cooler climates to allow more sun to get to the fruit by removing excess foliage, and make weeding easier. Where summers are hot, plants are better left unpruned once the main leaders are established because fruit can become sun scalded, especially where air pollution is low.
Where summers are very hot, tomato plants can do better under light shadecloth (which reduces transpiration) because it is actually warm air that allows tomatoes to ripen, rather than hot sun. As you know, tomatoes that have started to colour can be ripened indoors, although these will be lower in the anti-oxidant lycopene than vine ripened tomatoes.
Removing side shoots will also increase the size of fruit by limiting the amount of fruit that forms. However, other factors are more important in fruit quality. They are: providing a soil pH of around 6.5–7 because tomatoes will develop blossom end rot if they don’t have access to adequate calcium; providing sufficient well-balanced fertiliser such as mature compost, worm castings or poultry based fertiliser; regular deep watering rather than a daily sprinkle; and mulch to reduce fluctuations in soil moisture.
Just another hint: Plastic plant ties can cut into plant stems. When staking tomatoes, use a piece of knit fabric cut across the stretch, instead. Being more flexible, this type of tie won’t damage soft plant tissue.

I thought I’d share with you an interesting experiment with seedlings. The tray on the left was sown during Full Moon phase, which is an incorrect moon planting phase for leafy annuals. The tray on the right was sown two weeks later during New Moon phase.
As you can see the younger seedlings planted in the correct phase have not only had a better germination rate, they caught up with or surpassed the ones sown two weeks earlier. Both were sown in the same seedling mix and received the same amount of care.
In the past, we found this a common occurrence with germinating seed, and always try to sow seed in the correct moon phase for its type.

It can be too hot for lettuce in warmer areas of Australia during summer, although some of the loose-leaf varieties are more heat tolerant. Some light shade and a cool spot will allow lettuces to be grown in containers. If your area has a wet season in the next few months, it might be wiser to skip sowing sweet corn this month, as heavy rain will prevent good pollination.

Warm climate – South of Rockhampton
Before the Full Moon, silver beet and sunflower can be sown direct, as well as a green manure crop of adzuki bean, cow pea, lablab, mung bean, pigeon pea, soy bean, Japanese millet, millet, or sorghum.
During First Quarter phase, bush and climbing beans, capsicum, eggplant, pumpkin, rock melon, summer squash, tomato, watermelon and zucchini can be sown.
During Full Moon phase, beetroot, carrot, parsnip, radish, and watercress can be sown direct. Banana, banana passionfruit, lemongrass, mango, passionfruit, and pineapple can be sown or planted. Cuttings of mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, and watercress can be taken.

Warm climate – North of Rockhampton
Before the Full Moon, sow a green manure crop of adzuki bean, cowpea, lablab, mung bean, pigeon pea, soy bean, Japanese millet, or sorghum.
During First Quarter phase, capsicum, tomato and watermelon can be sown.
During Full Moon phase, lemon grass can be sown, and mango planted.

Temperate climate
Before the Full Moon, cabbage, lettuce, silver beet, dill, and sunflower can be sown direct. Leek and spring onions can be sown as well as a green manure crop of adzuki bean, cowpea, mung bean, pigeon pea, soy bean, millet, Japanese millet, or sorghum.
During First Quarter phase, bush and climbing beans, sweet corn, nasturtium, and sunflower can be sown direct. Capsicum, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplant, rock melon, summer squash, tomato, watermelon and zucchini can be sown.
During Full Moon phase, beetroot, carrot, parsnip, and radish can be sown direct. Banana passionfruit, passionfruit, dandelion, lemon grass, mint, watercress, banana, mango, and pineapple can be sown or planted. Cuttings of marjoram, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, and watercress can be taken.

Cool climate
Before the Full Moon, cabbage, grain crops, lettuce, silver beet, spring onions, tatsoi, dill, and sunflower can be sown direct. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, leek, lettuce, spring onions, sweet basil, parsley, can be sown as well as a green manure crop of adzuki bean, mung bean, soy bean, cereal rye, millet, Japanese millet, oats, sorghum, triticale, or wheat. In warmer areas, NZ spinach can be sown direct, and in colder areas bulb fennel, open-headed Chinese cabbage, and mizuna can be sown direct.
During First Quarter phase, bush and climbing beans, grain crops, sweet corn, and sunflower can be sown direct. Cucumber, pumpkin, suitable rock melon, suitable watermelon and zucchini can be sown, as well as summer squash in warmer areas only.
During Full Moon phase, beetroot, carrot, parsnip, and radish can be sown direct. Dandelion, pyrethrum, sage, and watercress can be sown, and mint planted. Cuttings of rosemary, thyme, and watercress can be taken.

Karen is new to organic gardening and is wants to know what to do about the green vegetable bugs that are attacking her tomatoes.

The green vegetable bug is a sap-sucking pest. They use weeds as hosts and attack vegetable plants that are stressed in some way. Of the chemical sprays required to kill these bugs, one will poison any birds that eat the bugs, and the other is deadly to bees and other beneficial insects. It can also metabolise in humans to a more toxic chemical, and is currently under review.
Chooks show no interest in eating these bugs. The best way to get rid of these organically is to put some methylated spirits into a soup tin or similar container. Put on gloves to protect your hands from any smelly juice they excrete and use a stick to knock them into the tin. Then get rid of weeds and plants that have finished bearing to prevent these pests continuing to breed.
To prevent further attacks (and this is the most important part of the treatment) have a look at why your tomato plants are stressed, and correct the problem. Some gardeners find it difficult to understand that pest and disease attack are only symptoms of unsuitable conditions for a particular species, but it is true. I noticed yesterday, that similar bugs are attacking some silver beet plants we have. We decided after picking the first of this silver beet that we did not like this variety as much as ‘Fordhook’ and decided to just feed the plants to the chooks, a plant or two at a time. Consequently, the silver beet did not receive the same attention as the other vegetables and, before long, these bugs moved in. The bugs are not attacking other vegetables that are receiving normal care.
When pests attack plants, the answer is always in the soil. It may be too dry or poorly drained. If water is in short supply in your area, hill up your tomatoes about 5 cm at a time. They will produce more roots along the stem and allow them to access water more efficiently. Tomato plants need a deep watering (under mulch) several times a week in dry weather, rather than a light daily watering.
Or, the plants may be short of the nutrients they require to produce pest-deterring pheromones. If you have skimped on fertiliser, after a thorough watering, give each plant a light feed of complete poultry-based fertiliser and a drink of seaweed extract tea.
Or, the soil may be too acid or alkaline for the plants and the nutrients they require can be locked out and unavailable to the plants. This can be difficult to determine without testing, except that, with tomatoes symptoms of phosphorus deficiency (purple colouring under leaves and slow growth) are a clue that soil is too acid or alkaline if you have applied adequate complete fertiliser. If soil is too alkaline, put some well-rotted horse or cow manure under the mulch around the plants. If soil is too acid, water in some dolomite or lime around the base of each plant. See Changing soil pH.

For future reference, here are some general tips for growing strawberries.
• Strawberry plants should be replaced every 3 years as young plants are better croppers.
• The bed should be positioned where it receives winter sun, as shaded foliage in cool conditions does not dry quickly, and wet foliage encourages the establishment of several diseases.
• Choose a bed that that is rich in organic matter and has not contained any of the tomato/potato family for 3 years.
• Prepare the strawberry bed in early to mid summer with compost and well-rotted manure covered with a thick layer of mulch. Compost has a pH close to neutral and the break down of the manure will make soil slightly more acid, which strawberries prefer.
• If you don’t have a lot of compost to spare, starting preparing the bed in early summer by sheet composting manure (without lime) under a thick layer of mulch. Strawberry plants respond well to organic cultivation as beneficial fungi in organic matter help keep soil diseases under control and provide roots with nutrients.
• In autumn, plant out strawberry runners from only healthy plants that have produced well. I find that Full Moon phase is best for planting out strawberry crowns. See post on Propagating strawberries
• I don’t recommend growing strawberries in beds covered with black plastic. Strawberries need regular watering, and an occasional dose of liquid fertiliser applied to soil. A plastic soil covering requires drip irrigation to be set up before planting. The plastic not only makes it difficult to apply supplementary fertilisers and clear blocked drippers, it also gets very hot and can also burn fruit in many areas of Australia.
• Manures will provide the nutrients the crowns need for strong roots and good foliage growth. Good foliage cover is important to protect fruit from birds. If growth seems slow, an application or two of weak manure tea will help. But, don’t overdo it. Excess nitrogen will attract aphids that carry virus disease.
• In warm climates, plants will grow quickly and produce fruit through the cooler months. In warm temperate, temperate and cooler climates, fruit is produced through spring or summer. In cold areas, plants can be protected from frost by covering them with clean straw.
• When flowers start to form an application of seaweed extract tea will help both fruit quality and disease protection. Several flowers will produced at the end of stout stems, which stand above the foliage. If plants have produced good foliage, after flowers are pollinated, the weight of the fruit will gradually bend the stems until the berries are protected by the foliage.
• Excess watering as fruit forms will result in watery strawberries.
• If you have not mulched the bed to conserve moisture, clean straw or wood shavings should be placed under developing fruit to keep it clean.

As described in my book, Easy Organic Gardening and Moon Planting, to catch snails and slugs, you only need a small amount of beer in the bottom of a plastic jar, or yoghurt or dip container that is buried in soil under mulch. Bury the container at an angle with the lip of the jar just above soil level so that it is easier for the slimy creatures to enter the jar.
You don’t have to buy beer especially, as these pests are are attracted to the yeast smell of beer. It does not matter if the beer is flat. You can keep left over beer in a screw top jar in the fridge for topping up snail traps as required.
Use plastic containers, not glass, as glass can shatter in a hail storm, scattering shards and beer in all directions. Beer in soil is very detrimental to earthworms.