Permaculture Design/How to/Planting Calendars/Darwin Australia

March

• Sow herb seeds in large pots
• Sow seeds for dry season plants in shade house
• Capsicum seeds in large pots
• Seed tomato in large pots in shade. Toms to avoid pests
• Cucumber seeds directly into beds, and replant each month
• Prep beds and renew mulch ready for dry season
• Fertilise crops that go dormant in the dry season, such as ginger, turmeric, and caladium
• Fertilise fruit crops for strong growth through the dry season
• Check or install irrigation system for dry season
• Prune mulberry and guava
• Cut back eggplant, okra and chillies, fertilise to encourage regrowth
• Cut off yam bean flowers to direct energy to tubers
• Take cuttings from a strong dragon fruit that is older than one year

April

• Begin to plant out dry season crops
• Sow cherry tomato seeds in seedling pots under shade. Plant out when weather starts to cool
• Coriander seeds directly into ground. Sow again each month to keep fresh leaves. Allow older pants to flower to encourage insects
• Mulch beds heavily
• Continue to shade seedlings
• Break flowers off banana bunches if fully formed, and fertilise heavily
• Clean irrigation system
• Thin out 3 year old bamboo
• Continue to build up compost, and liquid compost ready for the dry season