| February / March
Summer in the garden means using whatever water we have available, mulching to conserve moisture and enjoying our gardens in the early mornings and evenings when it is cool and pleasant.
With the recent high temperatures it is easy to forget that autumn is just around the corner and we need to plan and prepare for winter and spring.
Now is an excellent time to take note of the performance of your plants under very hot and difficult conditions, and perhaps replace those that have struggled, with some of the many plants more suited to our Mediterranean climate. It is also a good time to assess areas of the garden which could benefit from suitable shade trees.
Planting a deciduous tree or trees on the north side of the house provides valuable shade and cooling in summer and allows winter sun to warm your house.
In the vegetable patch continue to mulch tomatoes, corn, pumpkins cucumbers beans and capsicum.
It is important to get late winter and spring crops in to ensure there
isn’t a gap between summer and spring vegetables, delay now means that
plants will not make enough growth before the soil temperatures drop in
winter.
If you can, transplant seedlings early in the morning or evening preferably on an overcast or dull day.
Make a hole which is deep enough to contain the roots, fill with soil or
compost and gently press down soil around the plant. Water in with
seaweed fertilizer and provide some shade if the weather is hot.
Plant carrots and parsnips in an area which has been fertilized for a
previous crop, fresh manure will cause forking of roots. Deeply dug,
friable soil will ensure long tapering roots.
Parsnip seed has a very short life so be sure to purchase fresh seed each year.
Plant broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower, use compost and
dolomite or lime and keep them growing strongly with fortnightly doses
of liquid manure. White cabbage month can be a problem at this time of
year, small wire tunnels covered in bird netting work very well or you
can check the underside of the leaves each day.
Plant lettuce in soil which has good humus and nitrogen levels, mulch and
keep moist, this will keep them growing strongly and prevent them from
becoming bitter.
Turnips and swede turnips are great for winter soups and stews, sow directly and thin to 10 cms apart.
Silver beet is a biennial which goes to seed in its second season, hardy and
prolific it likes nitrogen and a mulch in dry weather.
Garlic needs good drainage and soil rich in humus, plant cloves 4 to 5 cms deep.
A dressing of lime or dolomite provides the alkaline conditions which
beetroot prefers, add some compost and plant about 15cms apart. Keep
moist and weed free.
In the ornamental garden
Roses have again proven to be winners flowering prolifically despite the extreme heat.
Now is the time to prune them lightly, fertilize and water for an autumn flush of  blooms.
Take your secateurs with you into the garden and continue to deadhead perennials and annuals to keep them flowering.
Tip prune fuchsias and give a liquid feed to encourage flowering.
A sprinkle of lime around hellebores will help developing flower buds, water in well.
Fertilize camellias, daphne, rhododendrons, azalea and magnolias now for a beautiful display in late winter and spring.
Geraniums (Pelargoniums) should be cut back now to keep them shapely and allow them to put on growth before winter.
Group pot plants together, watering is quicker and easier and pots stay moist for longer periods.
Cover sensitive plants with shadecloth, if sun damage has already occurred resist the urge to remove the damaged leaves until temperatures become milder in autumn.
Remove emerging weeds before they seed and throw them in the compost.
Autumn is the best time to divide clivia, agapanthus and daylilies. Prepare soil with some compost and keep them moist.
Trim hedges such as box, westringia, lilly pilly and lonicera.
Soil Preparation and Improvement.
Late summer and early autumn is the best time to prepare soil for winter and spring planting.
Any good garden starts with the soil and water wise gardening is no exception, whatever your soil type, (sandy, clay or loam) it will improve, become more friable and have increased water holding capacity with the addition of organic matter.
Continue to mulch with animal manures such as sheep, cow, horse or chicken, and mulch using peastraw, sugarcane, or your own compost or leaf mould. If soil is acidic add some dolomite or lime, about two handsful per square metre.
These materials are necessary for long term soil improvement, forming valuable humus as they decompose.
Green Manure
Organic matter can be added to the soil by growing a green manure crop which is dug into the soil about six to eight weeks after planting, this is an excellent way of introducing a lot of organic matter into the soil very quickly.
Trench Composting
A compost trench is a simple alternative to a compost heap and is a method which can be used during autumn and winter when activity slows in compost bins.
Most suited for vegetable gardens where nutrient loss is high or for improving soil fertility in specific ares of the garden.
In late summer or autumn dig out a trench about 30 cm wide and 30 cm deep.
Gradually fill the trench with plant debris, vegetable scraps and other kitchen waste.
Dig a second parallel trench and cover the material in the first trench with the soil that has been dug from the second trench.
Woody materials such as brassica stems and plant prunings may need to chopped roughly or shredded before being buried.
Some pelleted chicken manure or blood and bone to supply nitrogen will help to speed up the process.
The Deep Bed System
When using the deep bed system soil is removed to one spade deep and the exposed subsoil in the bottom of the trench is broken up with a garden fork to allow roots to penetrate deeply.
Place a generous layer of manure, compost or other organic matter in the bottom of the trench and cover with soil.
From this point on cultivation is kept to a minimum and additional organic matter is only added as top dressing or mulch.
Making Leafmould.
Leafmould is an excellent soil conditioner,a valuable source of organic matter, is simple to make and needs very little preparation. Deciduous tree and shrubs will soon be dropping huge amounts of this valuable soil conditioner so gather it up and put it to use.
For large gardens a wire sided bin or pen to hold leaves as they decompose is all that is necessary, while for smaller gardens black plastic rubbish bags are all that is needed.
Rake up fallen leaves after rain and place them in bags or bins.
To every 30cm layer of leaves add a handful of organic fertilizer such as pelleted chicken manure, and water thoroughly when bag is full.
Over a period of about two years the leaves will decompose and settle to produce mulch or soil conditioner.
If this is done every autumn you will always have an excellent supply of mulch or organic matter to add to your soil.
To accelerate leaf decay run the lawn mower over them with the grasscatcher attached and empty into bin or bags.
Site preparation for revegetation and shelterbelts.
Adequate preparation of the site is crucial to the survival of seedling trees and their subsequent growth.
Weed control prior to planting and for the first year is the most important step to take to avoid seedling death and stunted growth, competition for stored soil moisture is eliminated and active growth is possible in spring and summer.
The site should be deep ripped in late summer/early autumn to achieve soil “shatter”, well tilled soil allows any moisture to be absorbed, better root development and uniformity of growth.
Water Storing Crystals.
Pre soaked water storing crystals placed in the planting hole or mixed into potti ng mix or soil, are essential to give your plants the best chance of success. Only small quantities are needed (1/2 teaspoon per plant) and it is important to soak them in a seaweed solution before placing them in the root zone. The crystals absorb the liquid fertilizer and moisture and provide the plant with both nutrients and moisture.
Soil Wetting Agents
Soil wetting agents come in both liquid and granular form and are particularly useful where soils are water repellant. They break down the water resistant layer on top of the soil preventing wasteful run off, help soil retain moisture longer after rain and move water faster into the root zone.
After the prolonged dry summer period soils will benefit from the application of a soil wetting agent to ensure penetration of water and lessen “runoff”.
Both these products are invaluable in a waterwise garden
In the home orchard it is time to feed citrus, limes, lemons, mandarin, oranges, grapefruit and cumquats.
Use a citrus fertilizer or pelleted chicken manure, water well,and mulch.
Citrus grow best in well drained loam in full sun with some protection from strong winds, roots grow very close to the surface so avoid deep cultivation and fertilize and mulch out to the dripline.
Fertilize other fruit trees from early to mid autumn, good hygiene will help to prevent pests and diseases so pick up and dispose of apples with codling moth infestation, (place in a plastic bag and dispose of in the bin), other fallen and mummified fruit should also be discarded.
Continue to mulch cane fruits, currants, blueberries and strawberries, keep moist and apply some leafmould if available.
Rhubarb should be deep mulched and kept moist, if you intend to plant rhubarb crowns in winter it is important to prepare the soil now. Rhubarb is a cool climate plant and thrives in humus rich soil with lots of nitrogen.
If you are planning to plant fruit trees or cane fruit, ensure your site is well drained, dig deeply and incorporate some compost and or aged manure. Mulch with an organic mulch and you will have given your plants an excellent start in spring.
In the native garden autumn is an excellent time to establish new plants which will make good growth before the short days and lower temperatures of winter slow growth.
When choosing native plants for your garden it is important to remember that one size definitely does not fit all, Australia has many different climatic regions and it is best to choose plants which will thrive in your area.
As with all plants soil is important, while many native plants are hardy most will benefit from some care taken with soil preparation prior to planting.
Heavy clay soils which have poor soil structure do not allow easy penetration of water however when water does get through waterlogging can occur. Creating raised beds will enable plants to be grown in these areas
In sandy soils moisture retention and low levels of nutrients can be a problem,using small amounts of compost and mulching with organic mulches will help, however organic mulches which contain high levels of nutrients should be avoided as they may be too rich for some natives.
Fertilizer should be chosen from formulations which are low in phosphorus.
Tip pruning when young creates a more compact plant which will flower well.
Attracting native birds to your garden is best achieved by planting a variety of species which provide shelter and food.
Plants should include necter bearing plants such as banksias, callistemon, correas and grevilleas as well as seed bearing native grasses, banksias, hakeas and leptosperman, are just a few of the many plants which are available.
The use of native plants as hedges has become increasingly popular, many native plants grow quickly to provide dense shelter and privacy
As plants in a hedge must compete for nutrients and moisture it is important to prepare the site by digging deeply and incorporating some organic matter into the soil.
A little care may need to be taken initially with watering, weeding and tip pruning but most are hardy and will need minimal attention when mature apart from a trim to keep them bushy and dense.
Do not be tempted to allow your hedge to grow tall to quickly, clipping and tip pruning will encourage your plants to grow from the base and you will have new growth from base to top.
Hakeas such as H. salicfolia if tightly clipped make a great hedge or screen and are particularly useful in a narrow area beside a driveway or fence.
Westringia fruiticosa the coastal rosemary can be clipped hard for a drought tolerant hedge in a waterwise garden, and W. “Wynyabbie Gem’ makes a lovely low hedge to define driveways and paving.
Grevilleas, banksias and callistemon make softer, less formal, colourful and attractive hedges while the sticky wattle A.howittii has pale yellow flowers in spring and a slightly weeping habit which makes a stunning backdrop to any garden.
For low hedges there are the correas which can be clipped quite hard if necessary, Callistemon “Little John” has red flowers while G “Scarlet Sprite” has beautiful scarlet spider flowers.
The increasing popularity of the lillipillies is well deserved and Syzygium “Bush Christmas” a fine leafed lillipilly with new growth an attractive crimson, is an excellent choice for a small hedge.
Well that’s all for this month, enjoy the milder autumn weather,
Marg and the team at Meredith nursery.
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