Nature does an amazing job of self-nurturing and uses incredibly smart and well-honed systems to keep things green and growing. But our carefully designed home gardens tend to work outside nature with our desire to have them green year-round and use of plants which aren’t native to our location. So sometimes nature needs a little help to provide the nutrients needed to maintain a healthy garden (especially when all leaves and green wastes are removed on a regular basis to maintain a tidy garden)
The Why’s and How’s of Fertilising your garden in Perth.
One of the effective ways to do this is by using the right fertilisers as part of our regular gardening activities.
March is the start of Autumn in Perth… and we’re finally starting to feel it! Prepare to be fighting those pesky leaves for the next few months, but also take some time to enjoy those glorious colours of Autumn! We just love how it goes from stunningly royal displays of purple in the Summer to those golden and warm orange tones – always something beautiful to spy around our home here in Perth.
As always, at the beginning of a new season, there is plenty to do, so we have compiled some March gardening tips for you.
Gardening Tips for March
In our March gardening tips we’ll look at what to plant and what needs doing in March. Let’s get started with what needs planting in March.
What to Plant in March
This is a great season to be planting all sorts of things and even to begin planning your spring bulbs!
TIP: Before the end of the month you want to have planted your citrus, avocado and olive trees.
March is ideal for planting trees and shrubs. This month it is getting cooler but the soil is still warm enough to encourage growth in your new greenery – so they have some time to establish their roots before the cold weather sets in!
With that in mind, now is also great for planting new lawns. Summer is the time for outdoor play, and can cause a lot of wear and tear on your grass – often in the form of bare patches in the most used areas, not the best look! By planting now, the new grass seeds will also be able to get their root systems established before the cold, like your trees and shrubs, as well as having months of good growing time before it’s hot again! Make sure you get a qualified lawn expert to help you out if you haven’t done it before, they will be able to make sure it is done right, as well as teach you exactly how to look after it in the following months to ensure it grows lush and green.
Composting and Garden Cleanup in March
You know those lovely leaves that will start to cover every inch of your garden? A great way to get rid of them is to add them to your compost where the worms will love them and you don’t have to see them! You can also add some used coffee grounds to the mix for an extra boost.
March is also a great time for a general garden clean-up to prepare it for the colder months ahead.
Trim any branches on your citrus trees that might be hanging lower than 1m – this helps prevent the spread of brown rot.
Remove all weeds and any plants in your garden you don’t want to spread – they will all be starting to seed.
We hope that this guide has been helpful and we are sure with the application of these tips and tricks your garden will flourish this month!
Enjoy being out gardening in March in these last warm days – we certainly will!
Have a read through some of our other blogs for some more info on gardening in Perth, or check out some of the gardening services we offer. As it becomes colder your garden still needs lots of TLC, but you might not feel so excited at the thought of getting out in the cold to give it! Contact us and let our friendly and professional landscape gardeners take care of it for you…
Many things change when the New Year rolls around. It is the time for self-improvement and discovery — at least for the first few weeks. Every year brings an opportunity to plant seeds of personal growth, as well as the distractions to make us forget to water them. We here at Perth Gardening feel your pain. Why not plant actual seeds today, and try the personal ones again next year? Or the year after that?
Extremely high temperatures are a reality during summers in Australia, and it isn’t just people who face the risk of dehydration. Your garden’s plants are especially vulnerable during this time and you can lose all the hard work you did back in spring in a day if you aren’t careful.
Keeping your plants healthy during the long summer months may prove troublesome, but it isn’t impossible to do. Read on below for some ways you can ensure your garden’s health during summer.
Watering and keeping your soil moist
Make sure you give your plants an extra dose of water when the heat starts to climb. The important thing here is to make sure the soil is moist at all times so that the plants don’t dehydrate under the heat. Make sure your reticulation system is the right one for your garden and installed and optimised properly to keep your garden at its best even in hot seasons.
If you have potted plants, make sure to give them extra water. Plants like these generally have shorter roots and they are often the first to wither away during summer since they can’t get that much water from the soil. You may want to move them somewhere shady when you water them so that the soil doesn’t dry out quickly.
Speaking of soil, take special care handling plants that have generally sandy soil. These tend to dry out really fast, which can prove fatal if you don’t water them regularly. To help improve sandy soil keep it moisturized, mix it with some clay or add a wetting agent to help retain moisture better.
Weeds tend to proliferate during the summer, and this can prove troublesome to your garden’s plants if they start popping out. Unlike your choice plants and flowers, they thrive in the heat as they are able to consume water more efficiently. The downside is that these weeds will start consuming all the water in the soil, leaving your plants parched and at risk of wilting and withering away.
You need to get rid of weeds as soon as possible after you see them growing in your lawn or garden them as soon as possible. Use a spade to remove the entire weed as it can regrow even if just a small part of its root remains in the soil. If there’s a persistent root, then you may want to get help from a professional to remove the weed thoroughly. Head here for methods of weed control you can use in your garden.
At Perth Gardening, we know that hydrating your plants and soil isn’t the only thing that you need to do to ensure your garden survives the harsh summer months. We provide extensive gardening services, from organic gardening, mulching, to weed control services.
Do you need help with your garden or lawn? Contact us today and let’s discuss how we can help.
Many gardeners are discovering that by using companion planting they can discourage garden pests with the additional benefit of not harming helpful insects such as bees and ladybugs. Through their odours or root secretions some herbs and flowers are able to deter pests naturally as well as improving growth and flavour.
Companion Planting
Many herbs and flowers are natural insect repellents that can keep your garden pest free and eliminate or reduce the need for potentially harmful pesticides.
Companion planting is the ultimate way to bring the balance of nature into your garden. When choosing what to grow in your garden, just do your best to match the suitable herb with the suitable plant when planting and the results will follow.
Companion Plants That Grow Well Together
BASIL: Plant with tomatoes to improve growth and flavour and to repel flies and mosquitoes. Do not plant near rue.
BEE BALM (Oswego): Plant with tomatoes to improve growth and flavour.
BORAGE: Companion plant for tomatoes, squash and strawberries. Deters tomato worms.
CARAWAY: Good for loosening compacted soil
CATNIP: Deters flea beetles.
CAMOMILE: Improves the flavour of cabbages and onions.
CHERVIL: Companion to radishes for improved growth and flavour.
CHIVES: Improves growth and flavour of carrots.
DILL: Improves growth and health of cabbage. Do not plant near carrots.
FENNEL: Most plants dislike it. Plant by itself.
FLAX: Plant with carrots, and potatoes.
GARLIC: Plant near roses to repel aphids.
HORSERADISH: Plant in the potato patch to keep away potato bugs.
HYSSOP: Companion plant to cabbage and grapes, deters cabbage moths. Do not plant near radishes.
MARIGOLDS (Calendula): The workhorse of pest deterrents. Keeps the soil free of nematodes; discourages many insects. Plant freely throughout the garden.
MARJORAM: Improves the flavour of all vegetables.
MINT: Deters white cabbage moths and improves the health of cabbage and tomatoes.
NASTURTIUMS: Plant with tomatoes, radishes, cabbage, cucumbers, and under fruit trees. Deters aphids and pests of the curcurbit family.
PARSLEY: Plant with tomatoes and asparagus.
PEPPERMINT: Repels white cabbage moths.
PETUNIAS: They repel the asparagus beetle, tomato worm and general garden pests. Also, a good companion to tomatoes, but plant everywhere.
PURSLANE: This edible weed makes good ground cover in the corn.
ROSEMARY: Companion plant to cabbage, beans, carrots and sage. Deters cabbage moths, bean beetles, and carrot flies.
RUE: Deters Japanese beetles in roses and raspberries.
SAGE: Companion plant with rosemary, cabbage and carrots to deter cabbage moths, beetles, carrot flies. Do not plant near cucumbers.
SOUTHERNWOOD: Plant with cabbage, and here and there in the garden.
SUMMER SAVORY: Plant with beans and onions to improve growth and flavour. Discourages cabbage moths.
TANSY: Plant with fruit trees, roses and raspberries. Deters flying insects, Japanese beetles, striped cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and ants.
TARRAGON: Plant throughout the garden as not many pests like this one.
THYME: Deters cabbage worms.
WORMWOOD: Keeps animals out of the garden when planted as a border.
If you need some help in determining the right plants for your garden, or assistance in maintaining your gardens just contact the team at Perth Landscaping and Gardening for a free quote.
