Garden Guide

Here are some useful tips which you can use to make your gardening more effective. If you live in the Newcastle or Lake Macquarie area and districts, you may consider using the services provided by HOLTS to meet your specific requirements. We are happy to offer a free appraisal of your gardening needs.

Garden guide: July & August 2010 (temperate climate)

Remember these tips are a guide only. Your individual situation may require professional help: Call HOLTS if you live around Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and areas as far as Thornton and East Maitland

July:

Just like last year, we have been blessed with winter rains, only it hasn’t been limited to our coastal areas but has resulted in the best rain we have seen in this country for a long time. People say that I must hate the rain as a gardener trying to do his work and I laugh at them. This week, as of last year also, it’s only just starting to really cool down for us. But when that sun comes out it’s worth the wait and after all, the cold weather doesn’t last too long here. In no time at all we will have spring flowers. Winter can be a very enjoyable and colourful affair for gardens, provided you have the appropriate plants. Camellias are absolutely magnificent now. Jonquils, in some places Daffodils, Snowdrops and other winter & spring bulbs are flowering. A number of annuals such as Pansies, if planted earlier, are filling gardens with colour. Keep these moving with liquid fertiliser. Certain Azaleas and Grevilleas are in bloom to varying degrees, along with Banksias and magnificent flowering gums. Then there are Cyclamen, Bromeliads, Bergenias (one of my favorites, commonly called Pigsqueaks) and many others. The colourful foliage of numerous plants is another dimension. One persistent Pelargonium, interwoven in our cyclone wire fence is providing a splash of pink colour as it enjoys the morning sun. It looks great in combination with our creamy yellow flowering thorn less native rose when it also blooms. Oranges and lemons are producing, so those who have these can enjoy their contribution to the cool weather spectrum. My Thai chillies are loaded with super bright red produce. So winter is certainly not a dull time in the garden.

Make it a habit to walk around and poke about in your gardens all year round on a daily basis if possible. Eternal vigilance is one of the major keys to gardening. There is plenty of ground moisture now in our district, which is great for plants and also the weeds. So don’t over water garden areas and lawns which are already moist. Remember to shove a trowel in and monitor the need for water. However, be aware of areas which may not have taken in much water or which dry out easily.

Garden mulch should be topped up if needed to maintain moisture, soil warmth and reduce shallow rooted weeds. Noxious bulbous weeds, such as onion weed and Oxalis should also be kept under control by careful removal (so as not to disperse tiny side bulbs) or by spraying with glyphosate based sprays (follow label directions). Beware of snails and slugs which thrive in the current moist environments created by the rains we have received. The tiny snails are hard to see and will often defoliate plants before you realise. Check the underside of leaves. Use snail bait and hand removal (squashing). Check for snails hiding under the rims of pots and try to remove unnecessary hiding places around the garden. There is child/lizard/pet friendly snail bait available, though it dissolves quickly. The more toxic ones last longer but caution should be used so that your pets don’t eat them.

As a general rule, keep outdoor pot plants slightly moist but not too wet at this time, especially while it is so chilly. If you use water crystals in your potting mix (don’t overdo this) it will help to prevent the mixture drying out. You can also place mulches around some potted plants. Because it is cold and damp outdoors, it is easy to forget about and neglect them.

A lot of herbs will not be in season now and will have to wait for spring. I keep some lettuce growing in containers in warm sunny spots away from snails. Encourage them (not the snails!) with liquid fertiliser.

Don’t mow lawns too low. Look at Camellias at the nursery while they are in flower to decide which ones you may want. Be mindful of their eventual size. They make excellent container specimens.

Prune roses and treat with lime Sulphur 20ml/litre to combat pests. Also remove wild rose rootstock suckers growing from the roots as they appear. Below is an illustrated guide to pruning of roses from The NEWS CHRONICLE – Home Gardening book (1940’s UK) which belonged to my English grandmother, Evelyn Smart. She would be horrified to find out that I often use a power hedge trimmer to prune standard roses. Regarding rose maintenance, there is a great video on their site by Graham Ross of ‘Better Homes & Gardens’ which describes a simple spraying regime to keep roses healthy and looking good. I plan to follow this myself, as the products recommended are low to nil levels of toxic chemicals. If your soil is workable, add well aged cow manure and a sprinkling of blood and bone to help condition your soil prior to spring. Even a layer on top covered with mulch, such as sugar cane will help.

August

For the 1st August Happy birthday to all horses and other lucky people. Also this day is the NSW Wattle Day and has been since 1916, though the national day is 1st Sept. The splendour of wattles in bloom can be enjoyed from now on, particularly along roadside verges. This month is winter’s back door and very shortly we will be enjoying the wafting perfume of Freesias, my favourite scented flowers.

Gorgeous Magnolia x Soulangeana varieties should be in full bloom in many districts this month, with explosions of various shades of pink and white. Now is still the time to renovate and prepare your gardens for warmer days ahead. Many plants can be shifted or divided, such as perennials. Prune hydrangeas. Thin out and mulch strawberries using straw or sugar cane. Prune Callistemons, Grevilleas and other natives which have finished flowering. Check for aphids on new growth of plants and treat with warm soapy water. Keep annuals moving with liquid fertiliser. Think about planting Petunias.

Fertilise perennials and shrubs. Use any combination of cow manure, pelletised chicken manure and blood and bone. Then mulch. Fertilise citrus with a complete citrus food. Later this month think about planting salad vegetables and fertilizing the lawn. You can have a go at lawn weeds with appropriate products, though success will depend on many different factors (ask at your local nursery). If you leave Bindii till spring you may be too late. Only if it dries out, begin deep periodic watering of the lawn as spring draws closer. Lightly prune Camellias which have finished flowering. Allow foliage of spent bulbs to die back. Plant rhubarb, azaleas, Camellias, bare rooted roses. Be mindful of frosts.

Healthy lawns

Usually lawns should be mown at a height which allows the remaining grass to photosynthesise and continue growing. If you mow too low you cut off too many leaves and the grass will be set back. It will also be less able to compete with weeds. Regular mowing keeps lawns healthier and promotes side growth of leaves. It also cuts off seeds of weeds, keeping them in check.

Lawns need sunshine, water and nutrients, but if you overdo it, you can create problems. Overwatering can create fungal problems. Over fertilising can create too much work for you or others. Fertilise in March and September and not too much. Lawns don’t need to be always dark green.

The type of lawn you choose will depend on personal taste. Kikuyu is a good all rounder. Buffalo is usually a tougher grass. Couch is a soft lawn but can be a garden invader and it doesn’t mulch - mow very well.

If choosing Buffalo, I like Palmetto as it doesn’t look drab in winter, staying greener. It also is less vigorous than Sir Walter and is easier to maintain.

No grass can cope with constant foot traffic, so remember to allow for paths or do something else with the area if it is going to be stomped to death. It will become compacted and need constant aerating.

Every now and then lawns become much too thick and in those cases, a really hard mow in spring can help reduce thatch. You will need to water and fertilise to aid its recovery.

Lawn weeds can be mostly dealt with by having a healthy lawn. Broad-leafed weeds, clovers and Bindii can be sprayed. Do this at the end of winter before Bindii sets fruit and seeds. Then follow up spray in spring.

Buffalo lawns can be killed by products containing Dicamba, so use the appropriate alternative which says “Suitable for Buffalo.” Follow the directions always. Kikuyu and couch can be sprayed with Yates Weed and Feed which I have found to work best.

Watch for Richardia weed in lawns. It is a weed which grows in star shaped clusters. If you see it, remove all of it with the soil, including the fine roots which go deep. Do it before summer when the seeds set. If you have areas covered with it, you will not be able to control it, as there is no registered chemical for this purpose. I have managed to remove it from lawns but only after a lot of constant work. It can be hard to spot.

Remember these tips are a guide only. Your individual situation may require professional help. Call HOLTS.