Food Gardening Guide - Week 5/2012

After a very busy Week 4, Week 5 is just as exciting in the food garden. It is perfect for a whole range of activities.

Moon planting conditions are ideal for composting and mulching; sowing and planting leaf crops, fruiting crops and flowering crops; harvesting for storage; and fertilizing.

Remember that my garden is situated on the north-eastern side of Pretoria, so you may have to adjust some activities to suit your garden. If you want to understand the thinking behind these checklists, and get descriptions of the activities invest in the Go Food Gardening e-Class or 1-Day Workshop.

Weather permitting, and where possible, I try to garden by the moon. The days indicated with some activities are therefore the best moon gardening days.

Planning Activities

• Adjust sowing quantities and bed allocations for succession sowings of leafy salad crops; flowering annuals and fruiting crops.
• Start making tentative plans for the winter garden.

Digging

• Remove all disease bearing plants, especially cucurbits that show signs of mildew infestation. Do the same with plants, like beans and cabbages, that have very high aphid populations. Don't compost diseased material, and don't use it as a mulch.

Planting Activities

• Sow or plant fruiting crops. In most parts of South Africa it is too late to sow eggplant, sweet and green peppers. But there's still time to plant seedlings or potted plants. The same goes for tomatoes but if you sow a determinate variety you might just make it before winter. Best days: Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday.
• Sow brassicas: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kale. Best days: Monday - Tuesday.
• Sow leaf lettuce to be harvested as baby leaves. Best days: Monday - Tuesday.
• Plant chilli peppers.
• Sow or plant flowering annuals. Best days: Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday.
• Take cuttings of perennial herbs. Best days: Monday.

Growing Activities

• Do your daily observations. First note the general appearance of crops, and then start looking at detail. Note any pests and tasks such as watering, thinning and weeding that needs to be done.
• Water daily if needed. Best days: Saturday & Sunday.
• Weeding. Don't miss a weed.
• Trim plants where needed to increase their growth. Best days: Thursday & Friday.

Harvesting Activities

• Daily Needs. Harvest daily for the table as needed.
• Harvest for storage (those crops that store well). Best days: Thursday & Friday.

Composting and Mulching

• Sow green manures and compost crops. Best days: Monday & Tuesday.
• Make compost and mulch beds. Best days: Monday - Wednesday.