Gardening by
the Moon Cycles
Southern
Hemisphere
January 2008
Gardening Jobs
in January
This is the recommended month to plant deciduous trees, shrubs and climbing plants so they can settle in ready for spring growth. Scale on lemon trees can be treated with white oil, mixed and used as directed on the container. Garden beds or farm paddocks you are resting can have the soil improved by growing a crop for green manure and digging it before planting in spring. You can plant field lupins, tick beans, dun peas or ryecorn; otherwise you may prefer to dig in an assortment of blood and bone, together with your own mixed fertilisers and compost. Check any stored vegetables for rotting, pumpkins, potatoes, etc. Prepare garden frames, cloches and plastic tunnels for early sowing. Make sure you buy early seed potatoes for planting and don’t forget to sharpen spades, hoes and secateurs.Prepare for spring planting by covering your garden beds with a mixture of compost and manure and dig in. Sprat stone fruit trees with copper oxychloride at leaf fall to protect against scab, shot hole and gum spots. Check and remove any diseased leaves from rose bushes and check bushes for scale, then spray. Protect early-planted bulbs from snails, like freesias, etc, as they may now be showing their shoots. Grafting of lemon and sweet orange can take place this month. Keep all tall growing plants and trellises to the south so the shadows will not affect the smaller plants on the northern end. Spray on the appropriate days for aphids, plant lice and white scale. Blast insects off with the hose or spray containing a mixture of soapy water and white oil. A pyrethrum spray gives good control and has little residual affect.
.
Flowers and Shrubs
(depending on your climate)    
Baby blue yes, dianthus, godetia, Iceland poppies, Shasta daisies, gerberas, carnations, delphiniums, lupins, alyssum, all cuttings from shrubs and climbers, oleander, summer lilac, gladiolus, pineapple lily, Iilium, alstroemeria, cyclamen, red hot pokers, and Watsonia.
Planting Trees  
All bear rooted trees should now be planted. Fruit trees and citrus should also be included. Most natives and winter variety of trees can be planted this month, especially in cooler climates. These include conifers, pines, oak, ash, Judas tree, nut trees, horse chestnut, poplar, elm and rowan. Hedges can also be planted.
Planting of
above
ground vegetables and shrubs   
Best days: 16st, 17th, 23th, 24st,
25th, 26th, 27thst.
Brussel sprouts, broad beans, runner beans, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, celery, silverbeet, spinach, Chinese cabbage, peas, herbs, endive, asparagus crowns, artichoke, capsicum, tomato, lettuce and chicory.
rhubarb, strawberries.
Planting
of below ground crops & transplanting trees &
shrubs    
Best days: 3rd, 4th, 7th.
Leek, carrots, onion, beetroot, turnip, parsnip, radish, sweet
potato, swede, and seed potato.
Garden maintenance     
Best days: th, 8th, 9th, 10th,
11th, 12th, 13th, 14th. For all types
of spraying, destroying pests, killing weeds, pruning, preparing
or cutting lawns, turning soil and preparing garden beds for
planting, fertilizing, spreading compost, making new compost,
conservation, watering and irrigation, sharpening your garden
tools and taking all rubbish to the tip.
Happy
Gardening!
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