Third Quarter – 4th January

Garden

  • If you lack a comprehensive garden plan, now is the time to create one. Utilise The Kōanga Garden Planner for assistance in developing an efficient, regenerative plan tailored to your vegetable preferences.
  • For those with existing plans, review them meticulously to ensure all required seeds for February planting are secured.
  • Prepare beds and transplant seedlings for late summer and autumn crops.
  • Safeguard transplanted brassicas with row crop cover or frost cloth to deter white butterflies and protect plants from intense midsummer heat.
  • Continue regular watering and maintenance of tomatoes and peppers.
  • Weed and aerate newly planted beds.
  • Ready the ground for autumn-flowering annuals.
  • Harvest main crop garlic, dry, clean, and select mother seed for the next year.

Forest Garden

  • Conduct summer pruning on stone fruit trees post-fruiting.
  • Plan for upcoming season plantings using resources like “Design Your Own Orchard” and the Koanga Designing and Managing Forest Gardens Booklet.
  • Watch for potential branch breakage under heavy fruit loads; thin, stake, or tie up branches as needed.
  • Make use of abundant plums by creating vinegar, bottling fruit, and making juice. Waste fruit can be fed to chooks, ducks, and geese.

New Moon – 12th January

Garden

  • Implement bird protection measures, as outlined in the Kōanga Garden Guide and Growing Grains on the Knowledge Base on the Website, for all summer grain beds (e.g., millet, amaranth, quinoa).
  • Collect, dry, freeze, and store vegetable and flower seeds.
  • Harvest onions and shallots, dry, and select mother seeds for separate storage.
  • Plant seeds for cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, peas, celery, coriander, and parsley to avoid gaps in May and June.
  • Harvest shell-out or dry beans promptly when the sun is out and it’s warm.
  • Weed and aerate beds; plant fast-growing green manure crops in gaps between crops.
  • Plant a variety of flowers for autumn and spring flowering.
  • Continue storing and processing excess crops for future use, considering recipes from “Change of Heart.”

Forest Garden

  • Monitor moisture levels throughout.

Perennials

  • Maintain moisture.

First Quarter – 18th January

Garden

  • Plant empty beds with carbon crops, particularly leguminous varieties for soil building. Incorporate Ramial wood chip into the top 5cm of garden bed soil for enhanced soil fertility, moisture retention, and fungal network development.
  • Carbon crops such as blue lupins and crimson clover are recommended.
  • Perform foliar feeding or soil drenching if necessary three days before the full moon.

Forest Garden

  • Vigilantly monitor moisture levels.

Full Moon – 26th January

Garden

  • Water as needed, especially around the full moon, to support plant growth.
  • Sow root vegetables like carrots, beetroot, parsnips, radish, daikon, turnips, and swedes.
  • Consider feeding three days before the full moon. Explore the new Making Regenerative Fertilisers online workshop for insights into creating your own fertilisers.
  • Maintain tomato and pepper plants.
  • Apply Kōanga Psyllid Solution for psyllid and shield bugs. Check for signs of water or nutrient stress.
  • Layer carnations for optimal growth.
  • Plant bulbs in garden beds, orchards, or pots.
  • Deadhead dahlias and other flowers to promote continuous flowering.

Perennials

  • Allow asparagus to grow large fronds for photosynthesis and carbon sequestration. Water deeply, feed, and mulch.
  • Trim globe artichokes for regrowth; divide clumps once shoots regrow.
  • Mulch Welsh bunching onions to prevent hot, dry roots.

Forest Garden

  • Be vigilant for water or nutrient stress; consider foliar feeding.
  • Document fruit ripening times for future plantings.
  • If planning a winter break, prune fruit trees as you finish harvesting each crop.