Have some fun in the warmth of a spring garden!
There’s nothing as wonderful as a perfect spring day and October usually delivers plenty of lovely days. With warming temperatures, flowers are blooming and everything is growing. Keep plants well-watered as temperatures climb and spend time outdoors enjoying the garden.
Lime green is on trend
Gardening is almost as fashion conscious as women’s clothing especially when it comes to colour. Each year, a US-based media company called the Garden Media Group, announces trends for plants and gardens, and this year it is lime green that’s ‘hot’.
Lime is a vibrant colour in the garden, and there’s plenty of it right now with the appearance of new growth on deciduous plants. Once the bright green of new leaves fades, there are plenty of plants with green flowers or bright green leaves. For lime green flowers think about euphorbias, hellebore and, for the warmer months ahead, the beautiful ‘Envy’ zinnia.
Lime green is very popular as a colourful variegation in the foliage of shrubs including the bright green toned nandina ‘Lemlin’. Indoor plants including pothos and philodendrons also feature glowing lime green patterns. For a lime green touch indoors also enjoy the dainty foliage of maidenhair ferns.
Revving up the vegies
The warmer weather signals it’s time to get stuck into the vegie patch, reinvigorating soil by digging in homemade compost, organic matter and/or Seasol Super Compost and get planting.
Even in colder areas, it is safe to bring the tomatoes out of the glasshouse to plant into the garden and to start sowing bean and corn seeds and planting out cucumbers, pumpkins and zucchinis. To stagger harvest, plant some vegetables now, and more in late spring for a repeat harvest throughout spring and summer.
Water in seeds and new plantings with Seasol to aid plant establishment and healthy growth, and liquid feed regularly every 1 to 2 weeks with PowerFeed PRO SERIES for Tomatoes & Vegetables to encourage new growth. On warm days, make sure all vegies are well watered. On very hot days, new plantings such as lettuce seedlings may need shade.
Roses are starting to flower
Mid-spring sees roses bursting into flower. Keep them in bloom through spring and summer with regular feeding with a fast-acting fertiliser such as PowerFeed PRO SERIES for Roses & Flowers, mulching with an organic mulch like sugar cane mulch, lucerne or pea straw.
Deadhead roses to keep the blooms coming, and deep water roses once or twice a week to ensure their roots go down deep into the soil for moisture and nutrients.
Keep an eye out for signs of pests such as aphids on new growth or scale. Check for natural predators such as ladybirds and their larvae, which feed on aphids. If there are no natural predators, squash aphids or wash them away with a jet of water from the hose. If a pesticide is needed to treat aphids, consider an organic control such as EarthCare White Oil insect spray. Spray both sides of the foliage and ensure not to spray around beneficial bees or insects.
Trees for birds
Mature trees, both native and exotic, are highly valuable for birds and other animals. While it can be hard to live with a large tree in a small garden, the value that it brings to the neighbourhood is immense. As well as providing food, shade and shelter, old trees with hollows or nesting boxes are valuable breeding habitats.
Trees with flowers or fruit are naturally attractive to both birds and insects. Look around your neighbourhood for inspiration, but trees that attract birds and suit gardens include dwarf eucalyptus, firewheel tree (Stenocarpus sinuatus), Illawarra flame tree (Brachychiton spp.) along with larger grevilleas, hakeas and banksias.
When considering a tree with flowers and fruits, also consider putting in a bird bath as a drinking source and a cool place to go in summer. When placing it, consider a protected shady spot that is not in the open to attract predators.
Five important jobs for mid-spring
- Remove the weeds in the lawn and mow it regularly but not too closely. For beautiful, lush green growth, give your lawns a feed and health treatment with Seasol for Lush Green Lawns.
- Give the whole garden including natives, a boost with a fast-acting liquid fertiliser such as PowerFeed All Purpose including Natives.
- Deadhead spent flowers including roses, to encourage continuous flowering throughout the coming seasons.
- Take indoor plants outside for some fresh air and top up pots with a premium potting mix such as Seasol Indoor Potting Mix.
- As the weather warms up, check pot plants and hanging baskets daily to see if they are dry. Water as needed.
Do you know the pH of your soil?
Soil pH is a measure of hydrogen ion concentration to reveal the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. The pH scale runs from O to 14 with a pH of 7 as neutral. It is a logarithmic scale, so each increase is 10-fold.
Knowing pH matters as the pH level affects the availability of soil nutrients and the suitability of certain plants. It is measured by taking soil samples from around your garden and using a pH test kit (available from your hardware or local garden centre).
You can also take soil samples to some garden centres who will test the soil pH for you and give you advice on what you need to do to improve it or what plants will be best for your soil.
For more information on soil, check out our understanding soil guide.
How to test your soil’s pH.
After testing, a colour chart is used to work out soil pH and the higher the pH reading, the more alkaline the soil. With very high (or very low) pH vital nutrients become unavailable to the plant. Without the right nutrients – including trace elements – plants can’t grow and develop.
Adding more nutrients without checking and adjusting soil pH won’t help the plants get the nutrients they need. Most plants prefer soil where the pH is around 6 or 7 however many native plants along with azaleas and camellia need more acidic conditions.
If plants are showing signs of distress such as stunted growth or yellowing leaves that could be due to a high or low soil pH, it can be modified. Adding lime to soil raises pH while adding acidifying products lowers pH.
Although it is best to undertake a soil pH to get a good idea of conditions in your garden, the colour of hydrangea flowers can act as a rough guide. Hydrangea flowers are generally blue in acidic soils and purple to pink in alkaline soils. White hydrangeas don’t change colour.
