Yes! At last, Spring is here!
Spring is a great time of year to get active in the garden.
The Magpies are rearing their young, the flowers are budding, ready for a fantastic display and the warmer weather encourages us to get outside and enjoy nature.
The end of September to early October is the best time of year to think about lawn maintenance. If you are planning a lawn renovation or re turfing, now is the time to start getting it organised.
Fertilising
We like to fertilise lawns in the coming weeks. Usually we like to fertilise the lawn with an organic fertiliser in Spring using chicken manure like Dynamic Lifter. We like to use an organic balanced fertiliser as the lawn is just waking up from its winter slumber and needs to be coaxed back into life.
We like to rotate between organic and chemical ferilisers to avoid chemical toxicity in the soil and to provide an all round healthier and more resilient lawn.
Tip:
Keep your eye on the weather forecast and fertilise when a big rain event is about to happen. Yes, my neighbours think I’m crazy fertilising in the rain when a thunderstorm is due but the rain will wash the fertiliser in and prevent burning of your lawn. Thunderstorms are excellent for lawns because the lightening infuses the rain with nitrogen from the air and the enriched rain fertilises your lawn. Free fertiliser – how good is that?
If you want to know more about lawn care, turfing or lawn renovations click on the button below.
Garden Maintenance
Garden Maintenance is a must in Spring.
As everything in your garden is starting to burst back into life, Spring is a great time to get on top of the weeds before they get too far out of control.
It’s also a great time to prune and open the garden up ready for the new growth about to emerge.
Now is the right time to prune Hibiscus, Camellias and Callistemons (Bottle Brush).
Citrus need good watering and feeding now if you haven’t already fed them.
It’s time to increase your watering of all of your garden especially after windy days as flowering plants use a lot of water and windy days dry out the soil very quickly.
It’s time to put the Confidor away and look at alternatives for any pest problems. Confidor is a systemic chemical, which travels through the plant. Never use Confidor on plants coming into flower as it kills bees.
It’s also time to move bulbs like dahlias (especially if neighbours have been stealing the flowers).
If you want to know more about our garden maintenance services click on the button below.
Vegetable Gardens
If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to get those Woollies Discovery Garden Seedlings happening.
It’s time to prepare your vegetable garden for planting out with your seedlings in the next couple of weeks.
Add all the compost you have been preparing over winter and incorporate with existing growing media (soil) with a garden fork.
Try to rotate your crops if you have room. For example plant tomatoes (Fruiting plants) where you had leafy or root vegetables last year (like lettuce or carrots) and vice versa. It helps to spread the nutrients around in the soil.
If you have one, make sure your irrigation system is working correctly and pop a new battery in if you have a timer.
Veggies to think of planting now include:
- Beans
- Beetroot
- Cabbage
- Carrot
- Celery
- Cucumber (If you have room)
- Eggplant
- Garlic
- Herbs
- Leek
- Lettuce
- Melons (If you have Room)
- Potato
- Pumpkin (If you have room)
- Radish
- Silverbeat – Spinach
- Squash
- Sweet Corn
- Sweet Potato
- Tomato
Tip: Try adding sweet potato leaves into a stir fry – Trust me, its a winner.
If you want to know more about vegetable gardens just click on the button below for more information.
Happy gardening this Spring.
Gardening is such a meditative experience and could be just the thing to help you and the ones you love to get through this lockdown.
Take some time, this Spring, to stop and smell the flowers.
If you need any help just call or text Neil on 0418 266 220 and book in a free quote or click on the big green button below.