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Many plants in the garden are seeming a little confused after such a long, warm and dry Autumn. But deciduous trees are definitely getting themselves ready for dormancy and the winter weeds are just starting to germinate I've noticed. (They never seem to go away, do they?) Winter in Perth - by world gardening standards - is actually pretty mild. Some countries lose their gardens under thick layers of snow, and can only garden in the warmer months once the melt comes. But we're lucky - there's really no end to the amount of things we can grow through our Winter season, so rather than hibernate away, take advantage of the Winter rains doing the watering for you; and get busy outdoors! Hopefully we've got info in this newsletter to get you inspired.
Remember - the Winter sprinkler ban is now in place. You're not permitted to use your retic system BUT you are still allowed to hand water. If we have dry spells, do check your soil (your finger is the most reliable water meter available!). You won't need to water daily as cooler temperatures won't be stressing your plants; but some plants more than others will still appreciate a weekly drink. We're in the process of putting together more workshops for the 2nd half of the year - but we've got one coming up in a couple of weeks all about designing (and using) a herb garden. For more details and bookings - click here. As always - your feedback is welcome; we're always open to ideas of things you'd find useful to read about in future newsletters. Until next time - happy gardening!!
In this newsletter:Jobs to do in the garden in June Jobs in the June Garden
What to Plant Now
It's time to grow: Globe artichokes, Asparagus, Beetroot, Broad beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Coriander, Fennel, Garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, Kale, Kohl rabi, Leek, Lettuce, Onions, Peas, Potatoes, Radish, Silverbeet, Snow peas, Spring onions, Strawberries, Swede, Turnips. (Turnips & Beetroot pictured right.) See our free fact sheets for how to grow info.
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Welcome to Winter! It has officially arrived; and after a few days AT LAST of decent rain - it feels like it! It's the time of year for hearty soups, stews and lots of fantastic winter vegies - if you haven't got them planted out yet you'd better get cracking!
In last month's newsletter we featured an article on the successful growing of indoor plants. The resurgence of interest in bringing plants back inside is quite amazing! We're aware this is a potentially a whole new generation of people getting their hands dirty (so to speak) and gardening for the first time. It's pretty much how I got started being interested in plants - some years ago now! So to provide something of value to this group of gardeners, GLSC is excited to launch a NEW indoor potting mix. We're packaging it in a 10L tub (smaller than bags & resealable) with a label giving some good pointers on keeping indoor plants healthy. We'll be adding it to our website very soon - we're just waiting on labels. So keep your eyes open for it & tell your indoor plant mad friends!
Linda & the Team @ The Green Life Soil Co
Weed! As the first winter weeds show their heads, it's easy to rake or hoe them back into the soil. Once they get bigger and more established, they may need individual pulling out by hand - which is slower work. So as the old adage goes - a stitch in time saves nine! 
Slugs, snails & slaters. Damp conditions bring the return of our slimey garden munchers who have been dormant in summer. (Slaters are still active in summer but I find at our place their numbers boom in Autumn.) Make some traps (beer or yoghurt in a small container buried in the ground that the creatures can easily access), or bait material such as potato peelings, upturned citrus halves after juicing etc - that can be collected and removed once they're full of slaters (check every 1 or 2 days). Snails and slugs can be removed by hand and disposed of in a container of warm, salty water. There's no magic bullet if you're gardening organically. If you are OK with using pellets - the iron based kind are acknowledged to be a little more environmentally friendly than the blue pellets which are a stronger poison. Iron based pellets can still be toxic to pets but need to be consumed in much larger quantities. We carry two brands. Multiguard pellets, and the Protect-Us pellets. The latter are the only Certified Organic pellet currently available. Multiguard are also the iron based formula, but contain a chelating agent ETDA which is a known carcinogen, so they cannot be Certified. (ETDA is a common ingredient in many household goods - soap powders, shampoo, cosmetics, - even some foods - something to think about.) 
Compost those leaves! We've talked about it a couple of months in a row now - but it really is the perfect time to take advantage of deciduous leaves, young weeds (with no seed heads yet), prunings - etc. to get a compost pile going. If you manage it well - it will be broken down in time to be useful for your spring garden. Add a handful or two of blood and bone to kick it off (Jackie French advocates using your urine in compost as a good source of nitrogen!) and turn it every couple of weeks. While a good compost pile needs moisture, in times of heavy rain it might be an idea to use a tarp to keep it from getting too soaked, which will cool off the pile and slow decomposition. A cover will help insulate the pile too. 
Lots of great vegies & herbs can be planted now! You can try brassicas from seed as a 2nd crop (assuming you've got some in already) - but if you're in a hurry to get to harvest, you're better off looking for healthy seedlings which will give you at least 4-6 weeks head start on your crop. 
Who doesn't like sweet strawberries? Just the imagery shown here makes you drool, & picked fresh from the garden they have a wonderful flavour. However - if you've grown them yourself, you know that they are also enjoyed by a number of pests, and are a fairly fragile fruit. So for commercial growers to get plenty of good looking fruit to the shops, they are grown with a number of fungicide and pesticide treatments (if conventionally grown) that often sees strawberries on the 'dirty dozen' lists of fruit that contain the highest levels of 'icide' residues. So if you're trying to eat as clean as possible - they're definitely one fruit to grow yourself. 
While they can be planted year-round, Autumn/early Winter is a great time - as the plants can get established in time to bear fruit for Summer. If your first crop is a little disappointing, give the plants a chance to mature and keep up their feeding (not too much nitrogen) and you should get better results. They will often crop heaviest in their 2nd year.
Strawberries like a well drained, fertile soil, and a sunny spot in your garden*. A couple of weeks before planting out, incorporate compost, rock dust, aged manure and a handful of blood and bone and potash into the soil. Like most berries, they prefer an acidic soil between 5.5 - 6.5 pH. Using Charlie Charcoal when digging through your soil improver (our Vegetable Concentrate would be ideal) will help to lower pH if you have more alkaline soils. If growing your strawberries in planters, we'd recommend our Blueberry potting mix as it is formulated with a lower pH for acid loving plants.
When planting out, they need about 30 cms spacing and make sure you don't bury the crown (growing centre of the plant) or it may rot. Water in well with a seaweed tonic. Mulch your strawberries well and in summer make sure they get plenty of water - you'll need to hand water every day if you want plump, juicy fruit. They are shallow rooted - so don't let soil dry out too much, and top up mulch regularly as it breaks down. Try and avoid overhead watering if possible to avoid fungal problems. Trim back foliage to allow improved airflow if this is an issue. A light liquid feed every 2-4 weeks in their fruiting season will keep them happy (and producing well).
Strawberries grow well in planters/pots (15 - 20 cms diameter - don't use anything too small) and even hanging baskets - provided they're not allowed to dry out. Personally, I've not had any luck with strawberry towers - probably the combination of planter height/gravity means drainage is too good - and unsealed terracotta also tends to promote drying of soil. You may have better luck with plastic towers for vertical growing. I find self watering pots are really good for strawberries; as they ensure plenty of water is available on hot days when they need it. Wicking beds are good too - once plants are established. Flowers and fruit look lovely hanging over the edge of your pots, and keeping the fruit off the ground can mean less creatures find the fruit before you do.
Strawberries are self-fertile. The flowers (which have multiple male and female parts) are pollinated by wind and insects. The more insects (bees, ants, beetles, etc.) that visit a flower and spread the pollen around it the better. It has been proven that well pollinated fruit is larger, redder and has a higher sugar content. Apparently you can also hand pollinate strawberries with a small paintbrush; so if there's a lack of insects around your garden it would be worth a try. Poorly pollinated fruit is often misshapen and smaller - which might have been my problem in the picture to the right. Most Strawberry varieties have white flowers - but there are pink flowering varieties available. (I haven't noticed any difference in fruit flavour; but perhaps I haven't paid enough attention.) 
CONGRATULATIONS to Miranda from Wembley - who sent us in this photo of her garden recently. I'm sure you'd all agree that our gardens can be a sanctuary and a refuge from our busy lives - Miranda captioned her photo: "My precious little patch of planet earth in Autumn."
Yep - if you're spending $50 or more in store, and mention you're a VIP - you can select any two packs of regular seeds from available stock (normally $4.00 RRP each) for FREE.
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