THINGS TO DO IN FEBRUARY

COOL & TEMPERATE

VEGIES

• While it’s still warm, put in some lettuce, spinach and silverbeet. Asian greens can go in at the end of the month as can broccoli, leeks and spring onions as nights start to cool down. The same with garlic, but best hold off on herbs for now — though you could try parsley and basil.• Stay on top of pests like 28-spotted ladybirds and pumpkin beetles, which can skeletonise the leaves of cucurbits like pumpkin and zucchini. Squash adults, larvae and eggs. Also check• Edibles need daily watering while it’s hot, dry or windy. Leafy crops may bolt to flower and seed if they dry out while tomatoes can develop blossom end rot.• Liquid feed summer’s strong growth of leafy vegies every 7–10 days with organic plant food.• Shade crops to prevent sun damage and allow new plantings to establish. Seedlings are particularly vulnerable to sudden heat and drying winds.