We’ve now ticked over into autumn, my favourite time of year and in my opinion the very best time of year to get out into the garden and plant.
The soil is still warm enough for a couple of months so plants can establish some root system before the winter chill sets in. Days are generally milder too and hopefully we’ll get some decent rain so we’ll need to spend less time watering. The little bit of rain we have had is nice but it’s not enough to soak in so don’t switch off your irrigation yet! While I include all plants in this, it rings particularly true for natives, get them in now, there’s a good range in stores ready to go.
A small amount of rain will have one effect though; weeds will soon be popping up everywhere. If you had winter grass in your lawn last year you can help to prevent weed seeds from germinating with an application of “Winter Grass Killer” now, remember please that while it’s suitable for couch and buffalo lawns you can’t use it on kikuyu lawns. It’s also easier to deal with other weeds now, before they get too large, either by hand pulling or a quick spray with one of the many sprays available. There are environmentally friendly options in store too, just ask one of our staff for guidance to choose the right product for you.
Winter veg and flowers are now here in reasonable numbers, so get these in now too while the soil is still warm. Remember to still apply mulch to help keep weeds down and conserve water. If planting cabbage, broccoli and other brassica keep an eye out for the notorious white cabbage moth, the small green caterpillars that hatch from their eggs can decimate your plants very quickly. You can pick them off by hand, use one of the tomato and vegetable dusts and as they are attracted to the colour yellow, hanging sticky traps around the garden helps too.
All in all it’s a great time to be out in your garden and garden centre; we look forward to seeing you soon.
Contact us or visit your local Stratco store for further expert lawn and garden advice.