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Smart Gardening in August
- It’s time to get your summer seeds in! The soil is still too cool for most warm season veggies to be sown directly into beds or pots, but you can start planting in punnets in a warm, sheltered microclimate (greenhouse or sunny window sill) while the nights are still cool. Hold off on cucumber, capsicums, eggplants, chilli and basil a bit longer as these plants need very warm conditions to germinate. Check out our website for help getting started growing veggies and learn how to grow plants from seed
- When lockdown restrictions have eased, why not save money and have fun sharing seeds and plants with your local gardening group this spring?
- It’s better to reduce pest levels in your garden is before planting fragile seeds and seedlings so now is also the time to set oil or newspaper traps for earwigs, set beer traps and do night patrols for slugs and snails, and make cloches to protect your seedlings (these mini greenhouses will also help them grow faster!).
- Are possums your garden nemeses? Some tried and tested solutions include a wire cage, tree guards, building a floppy fence, or installing a low voltage electric wire. Remember that it’s illegal to trap possums unless they are in your building, and any trapped possum must be released no further than 50m from the trapping site.
- Your soil will appreciate some food in preparation for the rapid growth ahead. Compost contains beneficial microorganisms that support plant health, and holds more than it’s own weight in water to help drought-proof your soil. Spread a 2-3cm layer of compost across the entire surface of your veggie bed, and follow up with about a handful per square metre of poultry manure, blood and bone or pelletised organic fertiliser. Aerating your soil gently with a garden fork will incorporate these goodies into the top layer of your soil and loosen the soil to allow roots to get down deep.
- Give your fruit trees a helping hand and increase your yields by planting a multilayered food forest. Deep rooted plants like comfrey will accumulate nutrients and shelter beneficial insects, groundcovers like warrigal greens, violets and alpine strawberries can suppress weeds and form a living mulch, and flowers with umbrella shapes (e.g. parsley, fennel, coriander, dill), daises and other small flowers (e.g. alyssum) will attract beneficial predatory insects and pollinators.
- Avocados are a valuable fruit and there are many specimens growing and fruiting well in Melbourne. There are two groups of avocados (known as A and B types) and usually you will need one from each group to ensure pollination. They need protection from sunburn on exposed branches, shelter from extreme heat and cold when young, good drainage and consistent moisture.
- Are you considering installing a water tank? Check out the Tankulator for advice on sizing, materials, pumps and siting. If you have a tank already here’s some tips on maintaining your tank for best performance.
- Planning a new garden? Thoughtful design will make the most of your time, effort and space. We have some notes on the permaculture design process, plus ideas for very small spaces like a balcony, courtyard or a few pots.
For a list of what to plant in August, see Gardening Australia’s Veggie Guide.
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Beginners guide to growing your own veggies
When: Thursday 20 August, 6:30-8:30pm
Where: This is a free online session for Melbourne gardeners. Book your ticket at Eventbrite.
Want to start growing your own food but don’t know where to start? Be guided through the basics of veggie patch design, soil fertility, watering, pest management, harvesting and easy herbs and veggies to ensure first time success. We will emphasise low or no-cost organic methods and discuss growing in pots for renters and small spaces. No prior knowledge or experience required!
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Food gardening online Q&A
When: Saturday 22 August, 10-11:30am
Where: This is a free online session for Melbourne gardeners. Book your ticket at Eventbrite.
Why aren't my seeds growing? How do I prepare my soil? What's eating these leaves?
Join some of Melbourne's expert food gardeners for a special live online Q&A. We'll share some photos and videos of what's happening in our patches, then answer your questions to help you keep growing during the pandemic.
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Permaculture primer
When: Thursday, 27 August, 2–3:30pm
Where: This is a free online session for Melbourne gardeners. Book your ticket at Eventbrite.
Join Karen Sutherland from Edible Eden Design as she guides us through some of the basics of permaculture.
Permaculture is a holistic approach to gardening where the elements of nature: wind, sun and water are integrated into the garden design to not only produce the best yield but also greatly reduce the work and energy required to maintain the garden. Karen will guide you through some of the basic principals of permaculture and how you can implement these easily into your home garden to create a living environment that is harmonious and sustainable.
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Habitat gardens in Hobsons Bay
When: Saturday 29 August, 10-11:30am and Saturday 12 September, 9:30-11:30am
Where: This is a free online session especially for Hobsons Bay residents. You must be able to attend both sessions. Book your ticket at Eventbrite.
Are you interested in creating a Habitat Garden to attract native wildlife?
Hobsons Bay City Council is looking for 30 households from across the municipality to participate in an exciting new program! Learn about our local flora and fauna and how your garden can become a stepping stone for native wildlife, then create a beautiful and biodiverse garden for local plants and animals with free plants and expert landscaping advice.
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Know your soils
When: Sunday 13 September, 10am-12:30pm
Where: This is a free online session for Melbourne gardeners. Book your ticket at Eventbrite
Getting to know your garden soil is an important step towards healthy plants and delicious produce. In this workshop you will learn the basics of what constitutes soil, and how to improve it. You'll learn simple techniques to identify soil structure, know how to test and amend soil pH, and meet some of the soil life only visible under a microscope. We'll also cover dealing with contaminated soils, and strategies for boosting soil health.
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Propagation
When: Sunday 13 September, 2-4:30pm
Where: This is a free online session for Melbourne gardeners. Book your ticket at Eventbrite
Fill your garden with amazing edible and useful plants for low or no cost, and grow your own gifts in time for the festive season! In this hands-on workshop you'll learn all the secrets of propagating plants from seed, cuttings and division.
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Beat the heat – how to keep your cool with trees and vines
When: Tuesday 22 September, 12-1.30pm
Where: This is a free online session for Melbourne gardeners. Book your ticket at Eventbrite
Growing the right trees and vines in the right places can make such a difference to the beauty and comfort of not just your garden – but also your house. In this workshop we'll help you design your garden to protect your home from winds and summer heat and to make the most of precious winter sun. With a little thought, your garden can help you save money from those heating and cooling bills while doing something good for the environment too.
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Climate action through gardening
When: Thursday 24 September, 7-8.30pm
Where: This is a free online session for Melbourne gardeners. Book your ticket at Eventbrite
This webinar will introduce you to simple actions you can take to reduce your personal CO2 emissions at home and help you prepare your garden for the changing climate.
Topics will include:
- recycling organic waste to reduce methane emission
- productive gardening to reduce food miles
- re-purposing materials to reduce embedded carbon emissions
- irrigation strategies for a dryer climate
- supporting biodiversity and indigenous wildlife in your gardens.
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Backyard Fruit: Jobs to do in Spring
When: Saturday 26 September, 10am-12noon
Where: This is a free online session for Melbourne gardeners. Book your ticket at Eventbrite.
Fruit Trees for Melbourne Backyards was such a hit that we're running a sequel. Backyard Fruit: Jobs to do in Spring will go deeper into topics like feeding, mulching, orchard hygiene, soil health, pruning water shoots, pre-bud burst sprays, thinning fruit for best quality and all the important questions about why your lemon trees have strange looking leaves.
Join Scott Hitchins from the Werribee Heritage Orchard in another informative session about your fruit trees in Spring.
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Charlie Silly Pants
If you're looking for something fun to entertain the little ones? Charlie Silly Pants has moved into a new house but there’s a problem, the house is very sad! The bins are all sick, the creatures have left the garden and Charlie is using up all the electricity and water. Join Charlie on this two-part adventure as he re-builds his house into a happy sustainable home! You can take a look at Wyndham City Council.
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Biodiversity workshops
The City of Maribyrnong is proud to present a series of online Biodiversity Workshops, which have been created in collaboration with Wild Action, an environmental activation organisation led by TV Zoologist, Chris Humphrey.
The six-part series highlights our gorgeous Maribyrnong River as a wonderful environmental resource in our municipality, and some of the easy steps everyone can take to take pride in and protect it.
The first two clips in the series are now available for viewing.
Plastics - focuses on the elimination of single-use plastic.
Trees - focuses on how important trees are to reduce carbon in our atmosphere and provide habitat for living creatures.
Look our for further clips including the topics:
- The science of frogs
- Biodiversity and bats
- Water birds
- Water
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My Isolation Garden photo contest
With longer and warmer days on the increase we're starting to anticipate Spring. It's a time for gardens to shine with bursts of fresh blossoms and seedlings.
Share with us an image of your Spring garden preparations and enter our competition to win a $50 gift voucher.
Photos may be featured in our newsletter as well My Smart Garden’s Instagram page. Simply post a picture of your Spring garden and tag us @mysmartgarden also include #msgspring in you caption. No Instagram, no worries, simply email us at contactus@mysmartgarden.org.au. to be in the running.
By entering this competition entrants agree to the MSG competition T & Cs.
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Good bugs, bad bugs in your garden
When: Wednesday 9 September, 6.15 - 7.15pm
Where: This is a free online session for Melbourne gardeners. Book your ticket at Hobsons Bay Library.
This session will introduce you to the amazing world of pollinators and other beneficial insects as well as how to strike a balance between the desirable and undesirable insects in your veggie patch.
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EnviroCentre online chat
When: Thursday 3 September, 6:15-7.15pm
Where: This is a free online session for Melbourne gardeners. Book your ticket at Hobsons Bay Library.
Calling all sustainability minded folk of Hobsons Bay. Maybe you’re a food gardener, a climate change activist, an expert zero waster, or someone who wants to knows more about what’s happening in Hobsons Bay. We want to get you all together, and just chat! Whether it’s about what you are growing, or reading, if you’re chooks are laying, or the little snippets of nature you’ve been exploring around your block, this is an opportunity to come together online and make sure we’re still getting that eco-bubble around us that we might be missing out on during this time.
This event will be held online via MS Teams. You will be emailed a link prior to the event along with instructions on how to participate.
Registrations will close at 4pm on Tuesday 3 September.
If you need any help you can contact us by phone 1300 462 542 between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, via email at library@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au, or via Instagram DM or Facebook Message.
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August Reading
Creating a Forest Garden: Working with Nature to Grow Edible Crops – Martin Crawford
Forest gardens grow edible and useful crops in a way that mimics natural ecosystems so that they require less maintenance once established. This book is a very readable introduction with chapters on design, suitable species and how to design a self-fertilising ecosystem. The book is written for a UK audience however most content is applicable to Melbourne gardeners.
Edible Forest Gardens v1 and 2 – Dave Jacke
In-depth coverage of forest ecosystems and forest garden design, implementation and maintenance
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If you would like to submit a relevant gardening event to the My Smart Garden eNewsletter, please send a 50 word summary to contactus@mysmartgarden.org.au
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