It's not until late April that we actually feel like things start to cool down and it actually starts to feel like Autumn.
Sweet Potato Harvest
We always wait for Anzac Day (25th of April) for our sweet potato harvests for those that were planted in December. In cooler climates the tell tale sign of harvest is when they die back. they generally don't die back for us, just start to go a little yellow. If you want to keep your crop for a while remember not to wash them and let them cure before storing away. We lay ours out on our outdoor (undercover) table for a few weeks before putting them in a dark tub. You can see our harvest last year with our no dig bed. I am expecting our harvest to be a bit smaller this year as I've tried to contain them and I was a bit late getting out a second bed.
Rosella Harvests
If you want loads of Rosella, make sure you keep up with the harvests. If you need some ideas on how to use up your harvests I wrote a few options we did last year.
Prune Citrus
This is the time that we cut back any citrus trees if they need it. Of course if your citrus is laden with fruit, hold off on any pruning until you've harvested.
Succession Crops
If you're lucky enough to not get a frost, you can keep succession planting right through the cooler months. We always try to stagger our crops so we don't end up with a glut all at once. The general saying is - if you want to eat something out of the garden every month, you need to plant something every month. See below for a list of things you can plant now.
Bugs and pests and other nasties to look out for
Fruit flies will be starting to slow down, but don't become too complacent. I also put out a 'test' bean to see if bean fly are still around. Last year they didn't disappear until May.
- Aphids
- Fruit fly
- Caterpillars (Army worms, Cabbage Moth, Cluster, Cutworms*)
- Grasshoppers
*Cutworms hang out in the soil and generally you won’t see them unless you dig a bit, or come out at night when they are active. They literally cut baby seedlings off – you may blame possums or rats. Check for these guys before you blame our furry ‘friends’.
What to plant in April
For our full lists of things to plant during April head over here. You can also sign up to our list to get a chart of things to plant throughout the year.
What will you be planting this month? Leave a comment below!
