Don’t let the cooler weather deter you from getting stuck into the garden. There is a lot you can do during winter. While it might be cold outside, working in the garden will give you a warm glow in both body and mind.
If your soil has been dry for a extended period it can become water-repellent (hydrophobic) even after heavy rains. Look for water pooling on the surface, which can be fixed with a good soil wetting agent and or seaweed-based additives. Remove heavy layers of autumn leaves that can stop the rain getting to the soil. Use these excess leaves to make nutrient-rich compost.
Get stuck into week control. With rain comes weeds. Make sure you remove weeds before they mature and set seed. Be careful to remove roots and all. I have even laid layers of newspaper over large areas and covered it with leaf mulch to kill weeds.
Winter Gardening Tips To Keep Your Garden Healthy
Winter is the time to prune your existing fruit trees or buy new ones to put in the ground. It’s also a great time for planting brussels sprouts and cauliflower, lettuce and Chinese vegetables. Take the time to tidy up your veggie garden, enrich the soil with compost and start thinking about what you’re going to plant next season.
Winter is a good time to prune for structure on young deciduous trees. Because these trees are without leaves, the form of the tree can be seen easily, so crossing wood, double leaders and a plethora of other problems can be picked up early.
Hydrangeas pruning can also be done now the flower buds have set. The old wood can be pruned out and the shrubs pruned back to those healthy fat flower buds for a good display next year. Rose pruning is a winter must. Any time from July onwards is fine. When you’ve finished, apply a seaweed – based product to condition the soil, which will help the plant with drought tolerance, resistance to frost and attack from pets and disease.
And why not come to one of our Club meetings which are held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month in the Galston Community Hall, 37 Arcadia Rd, Galston at 7.30 pm. It is cold but once inside the hall it is warm and inviting as the members enjoying the comradery, speakers and a delicious supper. Our guest speaker for June will be Judy Horton. The Topic – Irish Gardens.
For further information please visit our website www.galstongardenclub.com.au or email [email protected]
