Let It Grow

Newcastle Herald

Saturday January 3, 2009

SEAN O'BRIEN GARDEN

There is always plenty to do in the garden and it is easy to forget what

to do at the appropriate time of year. Columnist SEAN OBRIEN provides

five monthly tips to keep your garden looking its best.

JANUARY

Top up your mulching.

Citrus trees will benefi t from a feed with a highpotassium

fertiliser to promote fl owering.

Gardenias should have fi nished fl owering and will need

a prune. They will benefi t from a feed as well.

Attack the weeds, especially if they have taken over

during the festive season.

Hedges should have a follow-up prune to hold shape.

FEBRUARY

Give the roses a cut back. This will prolong fl owering.

Follow-up fertilising is required throughout the garden

now to see it through to autumn.

Be on the lookout for caterpillar, aphid and

other pests as they are most active during the

hotter months.

Plant a second crop of summer veggies,

such as tomatoes.

Keep the water up to shallow-rooted

plants such as azaleas, camellias and

gardenias. They will suffer the most

through the hot weather.

MARCH

Feed the lawn one last time to keep it green

through the cool months.

March 17 is the traditional day for planting

sweet pea seeds.

Spring fl owering bulbs will be available now.

Buy them early to get the best pick but dont

plant them until the end of April.

Start a compost heap. Find a corner in the yard and pile

all your kitchen and garden waste up.

Indoor plants can have a final feed before winter.

APRIL

Winter/spring annuals can be planted  pansies, violas,

primula, stock, snapdragons and primroses are all available.

Redo the veggie patch with the winter veggies: broccoli,

cabbage, spinach, caulifl ower and peas will all grow now.

Summer fl owering perennials can be lifted and divided.

Citrus trees will be in full stock at the local garden

centre. Get in early to get the best pick.

Now is perfect for the development or rejuvenation of

any gardens and the planting of new plants.

MAY

Place your rose orders with your local nursery.

New-season roses will be available in July but

place your orders now so as not to miss out.

Ensure you do not over-water your indoor

plants. They will need little water from now until

spring.

Autumn leaves are great for the compost heap.

Catch them up in the mower and add them to

the pile.

Cymbidium orchids will start to fl ower. Once

they are fi nished they can be divided. Ensure they

are repotted into a good quality orchid mix.

Give a potted plant for Mothers Day.

JUNE

Lawns need to be sprayed for weeds.

Winter grass, clover, and bindi are all

growing and need to be sprayed before they

seed.

Azaleas will be setting bud and will need to be

sprayed for petal blight regularly.

Now is the time to transplant anything that

needs to be moved.

Many hardwood cuttings can be taken to

propagate from now until August.

Do not water succulents at this time of year.

They rot very easily and need no water.

JULY

Rose-pruning time. Give all the roses a good

winter prune back and spray them with lime

sulphur to prevent black spot.

Plant seed potatoes, rhubarb and

asparagus crown this month.

Deciduous trees and shrubs can be

planted now. A big range will be available

from your local garden centre.

Australian native plants will be at

their peak. Buy new ones now.

Protect sensitive plants from

frost.

AUGUST

Hydrangea should

be pruned back.

Pick full healthy

buds to prune

back for the

best fl owering.

Inspect the

irrigation system and give all the garden tools

a once-over to ensure everything is in working

order for the months ahead.

Aerate and top-dress your lawn and spread

some lime around to sweeten up the soil.

Spray your fruit trees with a copper spray to

prevent fungal disease through spring.

Repot all your potted plants this month. Make

sure you use a good-quality potting mix and

slow-release fertiliser.

SEPTEMBER

Spring/summer annuals are available.

Summer fl owering bulbs are available.

Hippeastrums, lilliums, dahlias and day lilies can

all be planted for great summer colour.

Summer herbs and veggies can be planted this

month: tomatoes, basil, zucchini and corn.

Mulch the entire garden where possible.

Ensure moisture stays where it is needed most.

Feed the lawn with a complete balanced

fertiliser. Ensure you water any fertiliser in.

OCTOBER

Hibiscus can be pruned back and fertilised to

encourage fl owering.

Feed and trim all hedging plants this month. A

general-purpose fertiliser can be thrown around.

Spring bulbs should be fi nishing fl owering and

will start to die back. Feed them up to improve

the fl owering for next year and lift them once

the foliage has died right back.

A lot of the Australian native plants can have

a prune this month after they have fl owered.

Annual plants are actively growing and will

benefi t from a liquid feed every two weeks.

NOVEMBER

Keep an eye out for stink bugs on citrus trees.

Hydrangeas will start to fl ower this month and

will be available in garden centres.

Lawn army worm can be a problem from now

on and can destroy a lawn overnight.

Water plants will be peaking and are great for

a backyard pond.

Spray roses regularly to keep them clean and

free from black spot and aphid attack.

DECEMBER

Keep an eye out for white fl y on

your veggies.

Hot summer days will dry the

garden out quickly. A routine is the

best way to remember to water.

Install garden lighting to get the

most out of your garden at night.

Poinsettias will be in full

fl ower now. After they

have fi nished, give them

a good prune.

Mow the lawn regularly.

This helps keep it thick and

discourages weeds.

Sean OBrien is the

horticultural manager at

Hunter Valley Gardens

© 2009 Newcastle Herald

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