Get your Spring Garden ready for the hot Summer sun!
As we come out of July into August it is remaining cold! Although thankfully we did finally get some good rains, June was quite dry. There is still plenty that can be done in the garden at the moment, however when the sun shines or it’s not actually raining!
Summer Veggies?
This is the perfect time to be preparing your vegetable plot for all your summer veggies. Animal manure, cow manure for example, and compost can be spread over your plot and dug in. This will break down in the next four weeks or so, and when the soil has warmed up enough to plant your tomatoes etc, it will provide them with everything they need to get off to a great start.
It is still too early to plant most of the summer veggies: tomato, capsicum, chillies etc, but you can certainly buy them now to grow on ready for when the soil warms up. Pot them up using a good quality potting mix into pots at least 140mm across, keep them in a warm sunny spot in the garden, water and feed them and they’ll be well on the way by the time the soil warms up to planting temperature, high teens - 20 degrees, which given the cold winter we’re having may not happen until October at least.
If you like to grow veggies from seed get them going too! Tomatoes, capsicum and chillies can all be sown now and will be ready to plant out or pot on in four to six weeks. The first of the petunias and summer flowers are hitting the shelves in store too, a sure sign that spring is on the way!
Feed The Garden
Feeding your garden should be another priority at the moment. Fruit trees, although not producing many flowers or actively shooting yet, will have their root systems becoming active and looking for their first feed of the season. Likewise with roses, lawns, and in fact pretty much all the garden. Spring flowering bulbs which are just starting to show colour will appreciate regular feeding from now, right up until the foliage browns off after flowering.
Mulch Time
If the rains tail off this month, keep an eye on your garden for dry spots and consider getting some mulch down early to conserve the rain that we have had. A good application of mulch will help control weeds as well, reducing the need to hand pull or spray. There are plenty of weeds around so keep on top of them either by spraying or hand weeding.
Speaking of spraying, don’t forget to get a copper spray onto your peach and nectarines as soon they show some flower colour, to control leaf curl. Last year was reasonably severe and there will be plenty of spores around in buds and on the bark.
Check Your Lawn & Mower
August is a great month to do a little maintenance and pre spring preparation. Summer grass lawns will start to put on growth with a bit more sunshine this month, meaning we’ll need to drag the mower out of the shed again. Give it a good once over, book it in for a service if need be, but at least have a look at the blades and spark plug and replace them if not up to scratch. Irrigation systems can be given a test run to make sure everything is still OK too. Check that you don’t have leaks and that all the drippers, sprays etc are working, and replace any that aren’t. There’s nothing worse than getting a warm spell and finding out that you need to hand water everything!
The few moments of sunshine, even if not particularly warm yet, are a sure sign that the seasons are changing, so rug up and spend a little time in your garden now, the rewards will come in spring and summer!
Ask one of our knowledgeable garden staff members for advice if you have any questions regarding anything having to do with your garden, indoors or out. We would be pleased to lead you on the correct path. Call us on 1300 165 165 or visit your local store.