Your garden, August 4th

You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image.

Seed sowing does not really get under way until next month, but a start can be made if protection is available.

A glasshouse is the place to sow trays of seeds now for planting out later.

When sowing under cover, warmth and moisture are essential. Be cautious at this time of the year, as too much moisture without sufficient warmth will cause many seeds to rot, so if in doubt, wait until conditions are warmer.

If they are overcrowded, young seedlings will be weak and can die in the seed tray, so thin sowing is advisable.

Lift out young seedlings as soon as possible, usually once the first pair of true leaves have formed, and place in bigger containers of good soil or potting mix to grow until big enough to put in the garden.

Early varieties of peas (Dwarf Massey needs no staking) can be sown as soon as the soil surface is dry enough.

Rich soil that was well dug in autumn can be used for peas. Add some lime and general fertiliser before seed-sowing. With a hoe, make a channel (drill) about 30cm wide. If the soil is likely to dry out from late spring, make the drill about 8cm deep so moisture will be held in hot weather because the plants are below the surface of surrounding soil. Sow seeds 5cm apart and cover with about 1cm of soil.

Broad beans may be sown from now until the end of September. Choose a variety, such as Imperial Green or Evergreen, that is recommended for spring sowing.

Lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage and silverbeet can also be sown this month, ideally in boxes of sandy soil or seed-raising mix covered with a sheet of glass or plastic. They should be ready for planting out in early October.

Potatoes for a December harvest should be in early next month. Plant them closer than main-crop varieties — 30cm between tubers and 50cm between rows is enough. Place them 20cm or deeper in sandy soils, but if the ground has a heavy, clay-like consistency, 10cm deep is sufficient. Some superphosphate can be added to the soil at planting time.

SUBSCRIBER

News