Traditional Christmas fare to plant this July

Christmas in July is the proper season here for Christmassy plants like Brussels sprouts, poinsettias and holly. So embrace the festive cheer.

Holly.

Christmas in July makes sense for eating roasts and pudding – but it’s also the proper season here for Christmassy plants like Brussels sprouts, poinsettias and holly. Love them or loathe them, Brussels sprouts are part of traditional Christmas fare and are at their peak in winter. They grow best in cold regions where frosts help sweeten the crop. Sprouts are tightly packed leaf buds that form progressively up the tall stems and must be picked before they open up.

More from our gardening expert:

• These crops are a long-term investment
• Don’t fence this joyous garden in
• Add colour to your garden for winter
  

Poinsettias are tall, usually red shrubs that brighten gardens at this time of year, but we’re used to seeing potted, dwarf versions sold at Christmas; these are tricked into flowering in December by growing them in glasshouses with blackout curtains to mimic the short days and long nights of winter. Holly is an evergreen shrub or small tree found in cool to cold regions; its stiff, spiny leaves last well in a wreath. The bright red berries look decorative but birds love them and spread the seeds, making holly an environmental weed in southeastern Australia. Plants also sucker freely, forming dense thickets. Holly plants are either male or female; both are needed for the female plants to produce the glossy berries in winter.

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Pick your favourite

Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima), originally from Central America, usually have striking red and green foliage – but there are also poinsettias in shade of pink, cream and white, as well as marbled or patterned varieties.

Poinsettia.

There’s varieties with pink, cream and white foliage.

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Q&A

Runners from one remaining strawberry plant have formed a solid mass of plants over 1sqm. How can I ensure a great crop? When will they flower? Jeremy Lawrance, Sydney

Strawberry plants produce runners with new plantlets over summer. Thin overcrowded plants for better crops; if they’re healthy you can replant elsewhere or give to friends. Replace exhausted mother plants after two or three years. Strawberries crop from May to October in sub-tropical areas (and from October to June in temperate regions). They’re hungry plants so apply liquid fertiliser fortnightly or an organic fertiliser every six weeks. Slightly acidic soil of pH 5-6 is best.

Our bay tree has dropped seed and we now have many tiny seedlings. What’s your advice on potting them on? Simon Staines, Mudgee, NSW

Crystal Rain Gauge.

You have a male tree nearby that has pollinated your female tree to produce the black berries with seeds. Bay seeds aren’t easy to germinate, so your conditions must be ideal. You can gently dig up the seedlings in spring and plant them into small pots of propagating mix. Re-pot or plant out when the roots fill those pots. Be aware that bay trees commonly send up multiple suckers around the tree’s base; you can cut these off and use them as cuttings in summer to make new plants.

Are finger limes biennial bearing? Our ‘Pink Ice’ had few fruit last year and a glut this year. The ‘Red Champagne’ had many fruits last year and only five this year. Mathilde Schaefer-Buss, Adelaide

Some cultivars are prone to biennial bearing but others can crop three times a year. ‘Red Champagne’ should have regular fruit set. Crops can be affected by sunlight, successful pollination, water stress or excess, and wind.

Send your questions to: [e-mail]. The best question for June wins a superb Crystal Rain Gauge worth $120. It records up to 200 mm of rain and you can read from the ute.