YOUR GARDEN
HINTS & TIPS
IN AND AROUND YOUR GARDEN
Gardening hints and tips for the season.
Watering Days
For more information regarding which watering days apply to you, refer to the Water Corporation website. Click on the Water Wise logo below.
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Check that your reticulation controller has been turned to "On".
Have confidence knowing we are an accredited "Water Wise" installer. If you need us to set your controller, check your stations or see if your gardens and lawns are receiving adequate water coverage please contact us for a reticulation check.
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PLANT OF THE MONTH
AZALEA SHIRAZ
Rhododendron indica
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Description: Shiraz is an ideal plant to give colour to your garden in the cooler months. From mass planting to give a dramatic hedge, underplanting or as a feature pot plant. These plants are perfect planting partners for Camellias and Japanese style gardens. It is very hardy, compact and single wine red blooms in spring, so autumn is a good time to plant.
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Size: Grows to 1 m x 1 m
Position: love dappled morning and/or afternoon sun. Full sun locations can be ok, but not too exposed hot dry.
Care: Mulch and water regularly until the plant is established, usually around 12 weeks. Prune after flowering to promote dense growth habit and prolific blooms during the next flowering season. Plant in a lime free soil which is medium to acidic. They are frost tolerant and apply slow release fertiliser before and after flowering.
GARDEN DIARY
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AUTUMN
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Autumn is a great time to be out in the garden before the winter rains and without the summer heat.
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Compost and give a "light" feed with liquid fertiliser if you see yellow leaves on the citrus trees. If the water is not soaking in, add some wetting agent. It is a stressful time for citrus holding onto fruit after summer.
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Prune Olives to open up the centre of the trees and remove branches and shoots growing into the centre of the tree. This will allow more light.
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Autumn is a good time to prepare vegetable beds for planting, by using soil improver, wetting agents and clay soil builders.
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Late summer to mid autumn is the time for mealy bug infestations. Use a control spray like Confidor to keep these at bay.
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Autumn is a great time to make compost as many trees are dropping leaves. Compost is a natural fertiliser and make sure you get the balance right between garden waste and kitchen waste for the best result.
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