Lots of citrus makes up for slow growing | In Your Patch

It’s time to plant stone fruit trees.

Any fruit tree that has a true dormant stage over winter should be planted now.

Ensure your site is well draining, and if you’re on clay like many of us in this region consider planting a mound above the soil and planting into that.

It’s now also time to spray your citrus with white oil several months running and you may just get on top of citrus leaf minor that finally slows down during the colder months.

What to plant right now?

Some of the peas and most of the Asian greens, strawberry runners can go in, rhubarb doesn’t mind the cold, beetroot in sunny spots, and there’s now some all-year radishes and carrots that can both be direct sown.

It is however, a slow time for planting and growing on the whole at this time of year. It makes sense given our soil temperatures are low and we’ve just passed our winter solstice.

Fortunately it’s a busy time in the kitchen with an abundance of citrus. We’ve had bumper crops of limes, mandarins, and lemons in the school garden and have been busy preserving all three.

We did attempt jams using only half the recommended sugar but I have to say, they weren’t as successful as earlier attempts. My advice with citrus jam recipes is to use the recommended sugar! Unlike other fruit, the tartness and bitterness in citrus skin and even the flesh must be worked on to improve taste.

I was looking back over previous articles and it was this time last year that lettuces were selling for $12 each in the eastern states and up to $8 each locally. Madness.

So even though it’s cold, wet, and the warmth of the sun sometimes feels like a distant memory, we can celebrate the time of $12 lettuces has passed.

If you’re about to head north as many of us are, take a quick look at your stone fruit before you go and apply a leaf curl spray if needed. It’s all about timing for this disease and if you miss the treatment window (when the tree is leafless and the flowers are budding but not yet open), you’ll be in for a world of pain until next winter, when you’ll get your chance again.

Happy gardening.

Terri Sharpe is Coordinator and Garden Specialist of the Margaret River Primary School Kitchen Garden Program.