After better than average rainfall around Melbourne so far this year, it seems likely that water restrictions will be moved down a notch, meaning that gardens will be able to get their fair share of water through the coming warmer months.
This being the last month of Winter with Spring just around the corner, its a great time to get your garden ready for Spring planting if you have not already done so.
Gardens will soon awaken from their Winter slumber and will begin their growing frenzy.
Looking around Melbourne I see many trees are already active with showy flowering plums and cherries beginning with a burst of early bloom.
However there is still time to bring your garden up to date and following below is a brief list of tips and advice for the last month of Winter.
Last chance to get your deciduous, bare rooted fruit trees and ornamentals planted.
If you still intend to plant bare-rooted trees, then you better hurry.
The days are slowly getting longer and slightly warming, meaning that planting bare-rooted trees can be a little risky.
From mid-August onwards, The Plant Whiz will stop sales of bare rooted trees, but we are currently potting up many leftover varieties.
With some care, these will be okay to transplant anythime except on hot summer days.
If you haven't already done so, prune back standard roses and rose bushes, fruit trees, grape vines and ornamentals.
Because they grow quite vigorously during Spring, Summer and Autumn, do not be afraid to prune back these trees hard.
Remove dead wood and inward growing branches.
Try to keep trees vase shaped to allow maximum sun penetration.
Now is a good time to aerate the soil in your lawn.
Using a garden fork, go around the lawn and push the fork deep down every 25cms.
or so.
This will break hard, clumping soil, provide aeration, allow easier water penetration and fertilisation.
Scatter lawn seed over bald patches and cover with soil or sandy loam.
Remove dandelion clumps and other weeds.
Dig around your trees, breaking up and loosening the soil.
Establish a circular channel around the roots to allow for more efficient watering and fertilizing.
Remember that trees (and most plants in fact) feed and drink from the outer most roots.
As a rule of thumb, you can determine the position of these roots by drawing a straight line downwards from the trees outer most branches.
Be very careful when loosening soil around citrus trees.
Their fine, rather delicate roots are easily damaged and once this happens growth can be radically retarded.
Use a garden fork and do as you do with lawns.
Press it down once, good and deep and remove it.
Repeat the process all around your tree.
With cool and moist conditions, slugs and snails are having a field day all over Melbourne right now.
During the day, these slimy critters seek refuge in your garden by hiding under old pieces of tin, plastic pots or timber,tall grass and weed clumps.
Removing such debris around your garden gives them less of a habitat.
If you are reluctant to use snail bait, then there are a couple of other methods you may wish to try.
1) Snails are attracted to the smell and taste of yeast.
Place some beer in a shallow dish around a strategic point in your garden and chances are you will capture quite a few drunk snails the next day.
2) Scatter coffee grounds and/or crushed eggshells around your tender seedlings.
If snails and slugs do happen to slither across, they will trap themselves and have a tough time going any further.
3) You can lay your own snail and slug traps.
Hollowed out orange, lemon and grapefruit halves can be place upside down around your garden.
This is seen as a refuge and the next day you can find snails and slugs hiding beneath the hollowed out fruit, disposing of them as you wish.
This being the last month of Winter with Spring just around the corner, its a great time to get your garden ready for Spring planting if you have not already done so.
Gardens will soon awaken from their Winter slumber and will begin their growing frenzy.
Looking around Melbourne I see many trees are already active with showy flowering plums and cherries beginning with a burst of early bloom.
However there is still time to bring your garden up to date and following below is a brief list of tips and advice for the last month of Winter.
Last chance to get your deciduous, bare rooted fruit trees and ornamentals planted.
If you still intend to plant bare-rooted trees, then you better hurry.
The days are slowly getting longer and slightly warming, meaning that planting bare-rooted trees can be a little risky.
From mid-August onwards, The Plant Whiz will stop sales of bare rooted trees, but we are currently potting up many leftover varieties.
With some care, these will be okay to transplant anythime except on hot summer days.
If you haven't already done so, prune back standard roses and rose bushes, fruit trees, grape vines and ornamentals.
Because they grow quite vigorously during Spring, Summer and Autumn, do not be afraid to prune back these trees hard.
Remove dead wood and inward growing branches.
Try to keep trees vase shaped to allow maximum sun penetration.
Now is a good time to aerate the soil in your lawn.
Using a garden fork, go around the lawn and push the fork deep down every 25cms.
or so.
This will break hard, clumping soil, provide aeration, allow easier water penetration and fertilisation.
Scatter lawn seed over bald patches and cover with soil or sandy loam.
Remove dandelion clumps and other weeds.
Dig around your trees, breaking up and loosening the soil.
Establish a circular channel around the roots to allow for more efficient watering and fertilizing.
Remember that trees (and most plants in fact) feed and drink from the outer most roots.
As a rule of thumb, you can determine the position of these roots by drawing a straight line downwards from the trees outer most branches.
Be very careful when loosening soil around citrus trees.
Their fine, rather delicate roots are easily damaged and once this happens growth can be radically retarded.
Use a garden fork and do as you do with lawns.
Press it down once, good and deep and remove it.
Repeat the process all around your tree.
With cool and moist conditions, slugs and snails are having a field day all over Melbourne right now.
During the day, these slimy critters seek refuge in your garden by hiding under old pieces of tin, plastic pots or timber,tall grass and weed clumps.
Removing such debris around your garden gives them less of a habitat.
If you are reluctant to use snail bait, then there are a couple of other methods you may wish to try.
1) Snails are attracted to the smell and taste of yeast.
Place some beer in a shallow dish around a strategic point in your garden and chances are you will capture quite a few drunk snails the next day.
2) Scatter coffee grounds and/or crushed eggshells around your tender seedlings.
If snails and slugs do happen to slither across, they will trap themselves and have a tough time going any further.
3) You can lay your own snail and slug traps.
Hollowed out orange, lemon and grapefruit halves can be place upside down around your garden.
This is seen as a refuge and the next day you can find snails and slugs hiding beneath the hollowed out fruit, disposing of them as you wish.
Source...