Blog

Spring

It’s certainly been a cold and wet winter this year and at last we are starting to see a rise in temperature and a few more sunny days ahead on the weather forecast!

As we launch into spring, it’s a great time to get back out into the garden and tidy up any mess the winter months have made! A job that will be waiting for just about every gardener is eradicating weeds. Even if you have been diligent with them over the winter months, they have certainly appeared thick and fast these last few weeks! Unfortunately, the spring conditions will only encourage them to thrive even more, so they need to be dealt with! Depending on the weeds you have in your garden, you should either hand weed, dig out or spray any emerging weeds now

With the weeds taken care of, now is a great time to add some new vitality to your garden! Select a few new plants to add some colour and vibrancy and find something that will change the look of an existing space in your garden. It’s a great time to plant just about anything! 

Your lawn will also need some love and attention after the cold weather and the winter frosts. A feed of PowerFeed followed by a good dose of fertiliser will help with the recovery process along with the promotion of new growth. 

You can also start your spring vegie patch now, and rejuvenate your garden mulch.

Spring is such an enjoyable season, and for those of us that love our gardens, it’s a great time to be out in it! We can help you with all the right advice and gardening products you need to complete your gardening tasks, so call in and see us today!

Winter

Winter is the perfect time to wander through your garden and see what needs attending to!

Use this opportunity to tidy up your garden beds, build compost, do some pruning and spraying as well as introduce new plants, or reorganise old ones, to give your garden a boost. Also apply a soluble potassium fertiliser such as Sulphate of Potash to open up the circulatory system of your plants to help thicken foliage and protect it from cold stress.

Many plants and bulbs can be safely lifted and divided now, as often perennial plants become overcrowded and benefit from this splitting and replanting process. It’s a wonderful way to introduce new plants, trade with other plants and bring new life to an old favourite within the garden.

You may have a rose that would be better suited in a new position, or a sun loving plant that has become overshadowed and no longer flowers. Winter provides a great opportunity to take stock of your garden and outdoor area, and make changes and improvements that you will really enjoy the benefits of come spring.

Autumn, the perfect time to plant beautiful bulbs!

Bulbs are very versatile and are a must for any gardener that enjoys a good display of colour in the spring. Planting bulbs is best done between March and May for most varieties. Good drainage is absolutely essential for your bulbs, so choose your spot carefully. If you are planting your bulbs in a garden we recommend using Premium Garden Soil and if you are planting them in pots, use a good quality potting mix – both available at ASQ Garden & Landscape.

Soil preparation for your bulbs is preferable a month or so before planting (so, right now). Dig in some Grow Better All Purpose Plant Seed and turn the garden bed over to at least the depth of your spade. Add compost or other fibrous material to enrich the soil and keep it open.

Mass planting in garden beds will be quite spectacular, but smaller plantings can look good too.
It is your garden, so you should do whatever suits your particular style!

Effective summer watering

Soil quality
The single most important thing in the long term, in relation to summer watering, is to consider the soil you’re watering and not just the plants in it. This means digging through generous amounts of organic matter, either in the bagged ‘all-in-one’ form of Enriched Organic Planting Mix, Organic Compost and/or one of the various aged manures from one of our ASQ landscape yards.

With existing gardens, it is very important to continue to feed the soil. This is best done by using the same materials you used when planting, but putting them on top of the soil instead. Then the worms and other good guys will incorporate them deeper into the ground, without damaging soil structure - as you would if you were to dig them through using a shovel. Doing this each year will have your garden continually building soil in a structured fashion, creating depth for roots to more easily grow. This will allow the smaller and larger pores, or pockets, to hold both water and oxygen evenly through a plants root ball, instead of pooling up on the hard clay base stopping the oxygen and leading to root rot.

Mulching
Second on the list for effective summer watering is good mulching. Once the soil has been considered and ‘fed’, you then want to protect it with mulch. It really doesn’t matter what mulch you use, sometimes the style of house and garden will dictate this. Needless to say, there is a huge range of materials from straws, barks and pebble mulches, available at ASQ Garden & Landscape. Mulching helps so much over summer (and winter for that matter), by smothering competing weeds, insulating soil temperature and stopping moisture loss due to sun, heat and wind.

Watering
Now the building and protecting has been done, it’s good to think about how you actually water. Little, shallow waters done too frequently will make your plants lazy and stop them developing a strong, deep root system. This causes them dry out much quicker than a plant that is well established. It is best to water slowly and deeply, so water an area until it looks like it’s running off instead of soaking in. Once you’ve finished watering everything, go back to the start and water again. Watering this way leads to stronger, more self-reliant plants.

Due to the summer extremes often experienced in our part of Australia, there are other things that can be of tremendous benefit. If soil has been neglected for a time, and exposed to harsh sun and wind, it becomes hydrophobic. This means the water will not penetrate properly and any watering is a waste until the issue is fixed. Rapid soak is a very quick, effective and economical way to increase the water holding capacity of the soil.

Wind protection
Another thing that is very common late in the hot Victorian summer, is strong north winds. These winds can literally toast a garden. If the weather prediction is a period of strong, prevailing northerly’s, Envy is a great protectant foliage spray that is somewhat like sunscreen for plants.  It will stop wind burn and excessive water loss due to evaporation. It is equally as good for frost protection too.

Butterflies

From mid-spring, the butterfly display at ASQ Skydancers awakens from its winter slumber with a colourful array of beautiful butterflies. Summer is the peak time for our butterflies, when you can come in and enjoy observing their magical life cycle.

We have a special observation incubator where butterfly chrysalises are displayed and you may even be lucky enough to see a brand new butterfly emerge, showing a celebration of spring time and new life.

There is no charge to enter the butterfly enclosure and we stock an extensive range of butterfly attracting plants so you can create your very own butterfly garden at home.

Bring your camera, peruse the garden for some spring time inspiration, and you can even book a table for lunch.

Freshen up your lawn for spring!

Spring marks the time to get back outside and get your lawn ready for the spring!

Getting rid of any weeds that may have appeared in your lawn over winter is a good place to start. The type of lawn you have will dictate the type of weed killer you can use, or you may choose to remove them by hand.

Once the weeds are under control, you need to feed your lawn. A good quality fertiliser that is great for root stimulation is Seasol. Apply this every four to six weeks to keep your lawn green and healthy.

About two to three weeks after the Seasol application, it’s time to fertilise. Choose from a granular Sir Walter fertiliser, Professional Turf fertiliser or Grow Better’s Organic fertiliser. Make sure it is spread evenly over the lawn and watered in well.

Planting fruit and ornamental trees

Winter is the best time of year to plant fruit and ornamental trees. It is a great thing to have your own fruit trees, and the best thing about grafted fruit trees is that they can produce fruit within the first year...if they are healthy.

Some of the nicest small ornamental trees grow between four and six metres. These varieties include Japanese maples, ornamental pears, crab apples and flowering cherries. Larger, quick growing trees which are great for shade include gleditsias, robinas, Chinese elms and red maples.

Other plants that are really good options to plant during winter and give vibrant colour throughout the season and into the start of sring include hellebores and camellias. They both come in many different varieties and colours and prefer a semi-protected area where they will receive morning to early afternoon sun, but are protected from the late afternoon sun.

Fertilising in winter

It is commonly thought that plants and fruit trees do not need fertilising in winter, but this is not true. Plants will flourish with the right winter fertiliser.

What is important is the type of fertiliser used. High nitrogen fertilisers are more suited for spring through to autumn, but not the best for the winter months. Sulphate of potash is a soluble form of potassium which will assist to improve the colour of flowers and stimulate the growth of more flowers and develop plant strength.

A healthy plant has a higher resistance to fungal diseases and insect attack. Sulphate of potash can also be used in the vegie patches and can be found in all ASQ Garden & Landscape nurseries.

If possible, water in the mornings and try not to wet the foliage during the cold winter, which will aid the reduction of fungal disease. Do not forget to water plants under trees and the eves of the house, as they may miss the winter rain.