Small landholder seasonal activity list

Page last updated: Wednesday, 13 December 2017 - 1:32pm

Please note: This content may be out of date and is currently under review.

February

Keep on top of the following issues during February to ensure your property is well prepared for the coming months:

Topics Issues to consider

Livestock
  • Pastures are becoming less available and stock will be at greater risk of eating poisonous plants. Many garden and native plants are toxic to stock, so it is important to make sure that animals cannot reach over or get through fences to lush green plants.
  • Sheep owners will need to make sure they have supplies of ear tags for new lambs. Check out this years’ colour NLIS sheep ID.
  • Monitor pasture quantity and quality if you have stock grazing. This will help you decide how much supplementary feed is required. It is important to monitor ground cover, if it falls below 50% coverage then there is an increased risk of soil erosion by wind and heavy rain. Stock should be moved out of paddocks which have eroded areas to prevent the problem from getting worse.
  • Pinkeye is a bacterial infection that can cause blindness in sheep and cattle. Pinkeye will cause the eye to water profusely, increase blinking and redden the membrane. There are several factors that increase the likelihood of pinkeye occurring; these include dusty conditions, flies, bright sunlight and physical irritation. If you are concerned and think your stock may have pinkeye contact your vet.

Crops and pasture
  • To reduce the risk of erosion occurring on your property leave 80% pasture cover on paddocks to provide protection against wind and water erosion.   

Fresh produce
  • Prune apricots and cherries after harvest on a warm dry day, rather than in winter, as both types of fruit tree suffer from disease invasion. It is also important to destroy (burn when season re-opens) pruning if disease presence is evident. 
  • Ensure adequate irrigation to reduce plant stress. Cover susceptible fruits with netting to prevent bird damage. Pick figs, beans, capsicums, cucumbers, eggplant, grapes, melons, passionfruit, pumpkins, stone fruit, tomatoes and avocados (in the south-west).
  • Maturing crops of cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, squash and zucchini may be affected by powdery mildew disease, which is seen as a white deposit under the leaves. Preventative sprays are available.
  • Pick up fallen fruit and control Mediterranean fruit fly in crops with baits or traps. Remember to keep baiting for a minimum of 4 weeks after harvest. Baiting is the best way to control fruit fly in citrus; early varieties are very prone to attack.

Land and infrastructure management
  • Now is a good time to undertake any maintenance on your earthworks (contour banks, dams, level banks etc) before the first winter rains. Make sure your banks and dams can handle the new season’s rain.

Pests and weeds
  • Monitor crawlers, scale, aphids, and snails on your citrus trees. Spray main leaf flush of trees less than 3 years old for citrus leaf minor. Start baiting and copper sprays for snails. 
  • If you have declared weeds on your property now is a good time to plan for controlling winter growing weeds. One method of being able to monitor the success of your weed control is to map infested areas or take regular photographs.
  • Now is the time to monitor and control feral pigs. Pigs are omnivorous and can damage crops or prey on livestock. These animals can be aggressive, especially during breeding season or when threatened. For appropriate control methods search pig control on our website.

Pages

Topics

Small landholder seasonal activity list

  1. January
  2. February
  3. March
  4. April
  5. May
  6. June
  7. July
  8. August
  9. September
  10. October
  11. November
  12. December
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See Also

Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS)

Regions

Goldfields-Esperance
Great Southern
Peel
Perth regions
South West
Wheatbelt

Seasons

Autumn
Spring
Summer
Winter