Urgent jobs in the garden for March

• Save seeds from the garden.
• Net fruit trees including citrus, guava, feijoa, pear, apple, quince, loquat, persimmon, grape and olive. Also net tomatoes, eggplants, capsicums and chillies. Use fine net to prevent Queensland Fruit Fly entry and to protect from birds, rats and possums. To prevent rats and possums running up the trunks of trees, drape insect exclusion netting over the tree tent-like with the hem as distant as possible from the trunk and then weigh the hem down with mulch or soil, or bricks making sure there are no gaps for rodents to crawl through.   
• Microwave or solarise (in double black plastic bags tied at the top for 14 days) any fallen fruit or fruit infested with Queensland Fruit Fly and dispose in the (red) waste bin.
• Check citrus for scale and any sign of Queensland Fruit Fly. Lemons are particularly susceptible.
• Water citrus trees once or twice a week especially in extreme heat as they are shallow rooted and need water near the surface.
• Spray summer vegetables with seaweed solution fortnightly.
• Fill wicking beds weekly but daily in extreme heat.
• Plan a winter garden, dig over beds incorporating compost and other nutrients and water well even if there is nothing planted so that the soil becomes hydrated. (Avoid soil becoming hydrophobic through lack of water). Be ready to plant in April.
• Make compost.

Written by Robin Gale-Baker