
Your Monthly Planting Guide
January
It’s hot, hot, hot...
There’s no such thing as a “typical” Australian summer, despite the glossy marketing brochures showing bronzed Aussies and miles of stunning surf beaches. In tropical coastal areas, Summer is warm to hot and very humid, with torrential downpours and the occasional cyclone thrown in for good measure.
Gardening in January
So, what should you do in the garden in January? Get your gardening year off to a good start this month.
Spring Onion
Spring onions (also known as green shallots and green bunching or salad onions) are a delicious addition to a whole...
Runner beans
Runner beans, or more correctly scarlet runner beans, (Phaseolus coccineus) are among the easiest and most rewarding...
Salad leaves
Bags of salad leaves are quite expensive to buy and have a fairly short lifespan in the fridge. Grow your own and you...
Sweet Corn
Sweet Corn, or maize, won't really grow as high as an elephant's eye, but it will be sweet, tender and delicious -...
Cauliflower
Drizzled with olive oil and baked whole or sliced into steaks, cut into individual florets and wok-tossed in a stir fry...
Brussels Sprouts
You might not like the cold weather, but Brussels sprouts do! Brussels sprouts grow best in cool climates with cold...
Silverbeet
Silverbeet is also commonly referred to as Swiss chard, chard or rainbow chard. The rainbow variety has brightly...
Watercress
Watercress is a peppery, nutrient-rich leafy green that’s delicious on sandwiches and in salads. It’s easy to grow in...
Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes rambling vines grow tubers beneath the ground. These vigorous and productive vines can be grown in a...
Globe artichokes
Globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) are thistle like plants that produce edible flowers - harvested and eaten in their bud...
Horseradish
Horseradish is a vigorous plant related to broccoli, cabbage and kale - but unlike its brassica cousins, horseradish is...
Patty Pan Squash
Squash or patty pan squash as they are often called - because of their UFO like shape - are an easy to grow summer...
Mustard greens
Mustard greens (Brassica juncea) are a cool season vegetable, grown for their peppery edible leaves. You can eat young...
Blueberries
Eaten fresh, baked in muffins or as the star attraction in jams or desserts, blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are...
Strawberries
Who doesn’t love strawberries? If you’re a strawberry fan, the many varieties of Fragaria × ananassa are easy to grow at...
Raspberries
What could be better than a bowl of sweet, fresh-picked raspberries in summer? These delicious fruits are easy to grow...
Blackberries
Blackberries sometimes get a bad wrap thanks to the wild, thorny, weedy ones! But growing blackberries in your garden is...
Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit grows on a climbing cactus that produces stunning white flowers in summer. These flowers develop into pink...
Passionfruit
Passionfruits are a popular and productive vine that will grow in most climates around Australia. They particularly...
Pineapples
Pineapples are an easy care tropical fruit, that will also grow in other frost-free climates around Australia too...
Watermelon
Watermelons grow on sprawling vines during the warmest months of the year in Australia. These sun-loving plants can be...
Pear Trees
Pear trees love a garden with cool winters, but if you choose the right variety (with ‘low chill’ requirements) you can...
Gooseberries
Gooseberries (Ribes uva-crispa) are native to parts of Europe, but they’ll happily grow in the cooler parts of southern...
Plum Trees
Plum trees are productive fruit trees, ideally suited to growing in the average backyard or in a large pot. There are...
Pomegranate
Pomegranates (Punica granatum) are heat-loving trees, native to the Middle East, that grow well here in Australia. The...
Sunflowers
If you want to grow something spectacular, plant sunflowers. They come in a whole range of sizes from dwarf to giant and...
Sweet peas
The sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) is an incredibly popular flowering climbing plant that produces masses of flowers from...
Snapdragons
Snapdragons are bright and cheerful flowering plants that grow in most climates. If you live in a region with heavy...
Carnations
Carnations are grown for their beautifully fringed, fragrant blooms that make a long-lasting cut flower to enjoy in a...
Poinsettia
Poinsettia is a Christmas favourite - their red and green colours are commonly used to bring festive cheer indoors over...
African Violets
African violets are typically grown as indoor plants, but they will also tolerate growing outdoors in a protected warm...
Forget Me Nots
Forget Me Nots produce dainty pale blue, pale pink or mauve flowers in spring and summer. These pretty low growing...
Rhododendron
Rhododendrons are spring flowering shrubs or trees that are closely related to azaleas, so they like similar growing...
Everlasting Daisies
Everlasting Daisies (Xerochrysum bracteatum) are a colourful Australian native daisy often called Strawflowers or Paper...
Ranunculus
Ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus) make the perfect spring and early summer cut flower. They grow from dormant corms...
Nasturtium
Nasturtiums are an easy to grow, flowering companion plant that’s also edible. Nasturtium flowers have a peppery flavour...
Fiddle Leaf Figs
With their lush, upright stature and huge, glossy leaves, the Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata) is one of the most popular...
Peace Lily
With their dark green foliage and pure white flowers, Peace Lilies are a stunning addition indoors. Being just as...
Philodendron
There’s a reason why Philodendrons make such great indoor plants… well several actually! They look good, aren’t fussy...
African Violet
Cheerful, bright and compact, African violets are the perfect indoor pot plant. They have eye-catching purple, red, pink...
Devil's Ivy (Pothos)
Devil’s Ivy (Epipremnum aureum), also known as Pothos, is most commonly grown as an easy going indoor plant - it’s one...
Snake Plants
Snake Plants are the easiest houseplant of all to grow. This undemanding plant will grow in the most challenging of...
String of Pearls
String of Pearls is a cascading succulent with pearl-like foliage, hence its name! These succulents thrive best in a...
Maidenhair Ferns
Maidenhair Ferns have a reputation for being fussy and tricky to grow, but they don’t have to be!
Air Plants
Air Plants (Tillandsia spp.) do not need soil to grow and they don’t really have roots like other plants - the roots...
Chain of Hearts
Chair of Hearts, despite their delicate appearance, are actually a succulent plant! Their long trailing tendrils can...
Dragon Tail
Dragon Tail (Epipremnum pinnatum) is a popular Australian native, mostly grown as an indoor plant. In the wild, it grows...
Rubber Plant
Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica) are very popular indoor plants because they’re so easy to grow. Rubber Plants are loved...
Spider Plant
Spider Plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are possibly the easiest and most adaptable house plant to grow! They are happy in...
Zanzibar Gem (ZZ Plant)
Zanzibar Gem, also commonly called the ZZ Plant, is a low-maintenance houseplant characterised by its shiny, wide, oval...
Chinese Evergreen
Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema sp.) have lots of large leaves with either silver, green, pink or yellow variegation. They...
Weeping Fig
Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina) are elegant houseplants loved for their glossy leaves that hang gracefully from arching...
Mistletoe Cactus
Mistletoe Cactus (Rhipsalis campos-portoana) are easy to grow, lush plants that suit growing in hanging baskets or wall...
Parlor palms
Parlour Palms (Chamaedorea elegans) bring a tropical vibe to any home without the need for a tropical climate. They...
Tradescantia
Spiderwort (Tradescantia zebrina) is an easy-to-grow, trailing plant with multi-coloured green/purple leaves for real...
Buffalo Grass
A popular stalwart in Australian gardens for good reason, buffalo grass makes for an incredibly resilient lawn. It is...
Kikuyu Grass
Kikuya grass, or Pennisetum Clandestinum, is a vigorous plant often used in Australian lawns and common in public...
Vegetables
What to harvest now:
There should be plenty to harvest from the veggie garden now, including beans, lettuce, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, beetroot, spring onions, snap peas, silver beet and sweet corn. Pick early in the day before the sun becomes too intense. Give them a quick rinse in cold water before eating.
What to plant now:
Seedlings of salad and Asian greens may still be planted now into well prepared, moist soil. Water in with a half strength solution of liquid fertiliser. Alternatively, grow them in planter boxes filled with Osmocote Professional Vegetable, Tomato & Herb Potting Mix. Move them into the shade on days of extreme heat.
Check your local garden centre to see what other veggies are on offer.
Plant seedlings of the following:
- Asian greens
- Lettuce
- Radish
- Silver beet
- Spring/Green onion
Veggie patch tips for January:
Keep vegetables and herbs growing and producing well with a liquid plant food like Scotts Osmocote® Pour+Feed for Tomatoes & Herbs or a certified organic fertiliser.
Check the ties on bush tomatoes and other veggies to ensure they are not too tight.
- Make sure your climbing crops like peas and beans are growing up their supports and not smothering other crops close by.
- Hand pull or hoe out weeds that compete for nutrients and moisture and may also harbour pests that could attack your crops.
- Water early in the day direct on to the soil – avoid wetting leaves because this could encourage diseases.
- Bird netting over the entire veggie patch will keep birds and possums out. Make sure the mesh size is less than 5mm to prevent birds or animals being caught in it.
Fruit
What fruits to harvest now:
Stone fruits like apricots, peaches, nectarines and plums should all be ready to harvest this month, depending on the varieties being grown. Pick ripe fruits early in the day, before they heat up. Leave those still very firm to the touch on the trees until they are fully ripe. If you find any rotting fruits, pick and discard them immediately, before they release fungal spores.
Never put diseased fruits (or plants) in the compost bin – wrap them in newspaper and place in the household rubbish bin so they’re removed from the property. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and other berries will be plentiful this month. Enjoy them while they last because some have quite short seasons. Passionfruit will also be ripening now. Tropical fruits and citrus are still cropping in warmer areas, and honeydew melon, watermelon and cantaloupe are still in season in hot, dry climates.
What fruit to plant:
Planting of evergreen and potted deciduous fruit trees is not recommended in mid-summer.
Flowers
What flowers to plant:
Plant seedlings of the following into pots, tubs or baskets (not into the garden):
- Candytuft
- Carnation
- Linaria
- Nasturtium
- Petunia
- Portulaca
- Salvia
- Scabiosa
- Sweet William
- Verbena
- Wallflower
- Zinnia
Garden jobs for the month:
- Summer is all about the outdoors, so make sure you spend plenty of time relaxing and enjoying your garden, with a cool drink in hand, a wide-brimmed hat and plenty of sunscreen.
- If the mulch on garden beds has compacted or is starting to break down, top it up with fresh material to a total depth of about 100mm. Pea straw, lucerne or sugarcane mulch will keep the soil cool, moist and weed-free.
- Fortnightly applications of Osmocote Boost+Feed All Plant Types will keep your garden healthy and growing well.
- Continue regularly trimming evergreen trees and shrubs to keep them neat, particularly those being trained as topiary, mop-tops or other geometric shapes.
- Any spring flowering bulbs still in the soil should be lifted now. Leave them to dry off for a day or so before brushing loose soil off them, then store in a cool, airy and dry place until it’s time to plant again in autumn.
- When high temperatures or strong winds are expected, take down hanging baskets and move them, together with outdoor pots, to a sheltered spot where they won’t get burned to a crisp.
- Some flowering plants may need dead-heading now to keep them neat and encourage more flowers. Roses in particular appreciate having faded flowers trimmed off. They will produce new shoots that will produce a second flush of flowers in late summer and autumn.
Pest Control:
- Watch for thrips on young plants and flowers. This insect is tiny and may be hard to see but the damage it causes is highly visible – white streaks or blotches on flowers and leaves. You may only learn of its presence when you see hundreds of dark specks on white washing hanging on the clothes line. Thrips are attracted to light colours. Defender Pyrethrum Insect Spray will control them. Don’t forget to spray the undersides of leaves as well as the top surface.
- If you don’t want to use chemicals, hang yellow sticky traps among plants to attract and catch pests.
- Watch for powdery mildew on roses and other plants including pumpkins and zucchinis, especially when nights are warm and humid. Use a copper-based fungicide to control them.
Indoor Plants
Tips for Indoor Plants:
- Water indoor plants when the top 5cm or soil of potting mix feels dry to the touch. Allow excess water to drain freely from the base of the pot. Don’t leave pots standing in saucers of water.
- Keep the air around indoor plants humid by regularly misting plants with a water atomiser.
- Feed fortnightly with ready to use Osmocote Pour+Feed Indoor Plants – no mixing required. There are also Pour+Feed products for orchids and cacti. When you come home from holidays, give all your indoor plants a good drink before returning them to their usual positions.
Lawn
Maintenance tips:
While regular mowing will keep existing lawns looking neat, avoid cutting the grass when extreme temperatures are forecast or when heavy rain is predicted. The longer the grass, the better insulated the roots and soil will be and the risk of soil erosion will be minimised.
- Make sure the lawn is well watered at least once a week, if permitted by local water authorities. The earlier in the day you water, the less risk there is of the sun burning the grass through moisture droplets.
- If you have a broadleaf weed problem, buffalo and lawn substitutes can be treated and fed with Lawn Builder Buffalo Weed, Feed & Green Up, a hose-on product that can be safely used on all lawn types.
- If bindii is spreading through the lawn, get on top of it quickly with Lawn Builder Bindii, Clover & Broadleaf, a ready-to-use, hose-on lawn weeder that’s safe to use on all grasses.

Find your local store and start growing your garden.
Find your local store and start growing your garden.