Top 5 Things to Do in Spring

1. Feed the Plants….and SOIL!

Rain easing off in spring is your sign to start spreading some organic slow release fertiliser all around the garden. But did you know that by also feeding the soil you can boost your plant’s health? Composted manure, worm castings, seaweed and compost are just some of the easily accessible ingredients you can mix in your soil to build and feed the menagerie of teeny tiny wildlife living in it. How does this help your plants? The microscopic life in a healthy soil help breakdown materials to make nutrients easily available to plants and create a soil structure that prevents nutrients and moisture leaching from the soil. The result: stronger and healthier plants!

2. Mulch On!

Apart from giving the garden a finished look, there are many other benefits to using mulch. It keeps the moisture in the soil by reducing the amount of water evaporating when you water your plants. Applying mulch also suppresses weeds germinating under it and makes it harder for new weed seeds to take hold.

In our hot summers here in Southwest WA, it is one of the useful ways to protect plants from heat stress as it keeps soil temperature down. And if you are using organic mulch, it will break down over time to nourish your soil.

Apply mulch between 50mm to 75mm over your garden beds. I prefer to use coarse grade mulch like pine bark in my ornamental gardens as it breaks down over a long period of time and it won’t form a mat layer that weed seeds love to grow in. For vegetable gardens, it’s best to use straw-type mulches that break down in a few months and add nutrients (particularly nitrogen) back into the soil.

3. Check your retic!

Reduced rainfall in Southwest WA means less water goes into our dams and aquifers according to this report. This means a lot of precious water is wasted if your retic is leaking or discharging more water than it should. So before you turn on your retic, check it for any damage and if needed, change it to a more efficient watering system. You can read some great information on setting up the right watering system and more from this guide from Water Corporation.

4. Go on a pest patrol!

We all welcome the arrival of warmer spring weather after the wet, cold winter. But so do bugs. Watch out for ants which love to farm aphids and scales, chewy caterpillars and leaf miners on citrus trees. But before you nuke them, be sure you know the garden friend from the fiend as the beneficial bugs can help you control the real pests (Ladybugs love to feast on aphids!).

There are plenty of websites online to help you identify bugs and treat them. If you’re after a book, Garden Pests, Diseases and Good Bugs: The Ultimate Illustrated Guide for Australian Gardeners by Dennis Crawford is a great read.

5. Get Planting!

While you soak up the mild September sun in your garden, look around to see if you need new plants to cheer up a sad spot or to get the garden ready for the summer shindigs with friends and family. The wet soil from the winter rains and the mild weather in spring give new plants a fantastic environment to grow strong before the onslaught of our hot and dry summer months.

For plants that keep on giving, Federation Daisy (Argyranthemum sp.) never fail to impress with its endless flowers. If you want a stand-out plant, Rose of the West (Eucalyptus macrocarpa) is a serious contender in the “Stop and Stare” category.  Whatever plant you choose, make sure you pick the right plant suited for your condition and with the right TLC, you’ll be rewarded with a garden you’ll love spending time in.