It’s National Gardening week so we enlisted horticulturalist and Victa ambassador, Adam Woodhams to share some wisdom for all the green and not so green thumbs out there.
Spring is the most important time of year for your garden. It’s the time it wakes from its winter slumber and when a few hours well spent will save you possibly days further down the track.
Here are a few traps to avoid falling into:
Forgetting to feed – If you are only going to feed your garden and lawn once a year then make it in spring. At this time of year plants of all sorts are making new growth and possibly recovering from winter damage. Apply a quality controlled-release fertiliser to your garden and slow-release to your lawn and they’ll perform at their peak and be better able to survive the summer ahead.
Skipping the weeding – At this time of year, weeds need to be a major priority. Most weeds are annuals, so they’ll grow super-fast right about now. Their mission in life is to get to flower and seed fast so the sooner you get them the better but aim to remove them before they go to seed or a minor problem can quickly become a major one. You’ll find most weeds can be easily removed by hand when smaller too.
Putting it off – Don’t see getting your garden in order and prepping it for summer as one big task and put it off. If it all feels a bit overwhelming break the overall job into separate tasks – get in early and often. Leaving it for longer will only amplify the demands on your time.
Not mulching – Laying new mulch or topping-up old should be your spring ritual. Mulch makes your garden look much neater and tidier but it’s much more than that. It helps to improve your soil as it breaks down, protects the soil from erosion by water or wind, helps retain moisture in the soil, protects from temperature extremes and it keeps weeds down.
Overlooking pruning – Many of the plants in our gardens don’t just look better for seasonal pruning, they perform better too. Trimming off flowers as they finish can often bring on a new flush of flowers or encourages the plant to develop more flowering wood for next year. Light all-over pruning encourages new growth and bushiness.
Removing dead or dying material can also prevent the spread of some pest and diseases. Just make sure you know what you are pruning and check if there are any special tricks and that your timing is right.
Tip – Use the right tools for the job to make your spring tasks easy and effective.
