Kerrod Trott 
Spring is in full swing around the country. The football is finished and cricket season hasn’t started – It is the perfect time to get into the garden with these handy hints from Richgro and ambassador Charlie Albone.
Roses and Flowering Plants:
Wisteria is growing a mile a minute. About 4-5 weeks after flowering is the ideal time to start pruning off the vigorous new growth back to 5-6 buds from the older wood. This will encourage the plant to put its energy into next year’s flowering.
Check the watering system for your roses and flowers to ensure there are no leaks, and the plants are getting the recommended amount of water. Applying Richgro Ezi-Wet will make sure the water is absorbed by the soil and getting to the roots of the plants. If the water is pooling around your garden bed or running down the side of pots, this is a good indication that it is time to apply a soil wetter. Then don’t forget to Mulch or top up your existing mulch so your garden beds remain well hydrated as the temperature warms up.
October is the perfect time to plant summer colour.
It’s also rose season, with your pruned roses now starting to shoot with new life. Fertilise and protect your roses now. Use Richgro Black Marvel Premium Rose food and add some Richgro Bug Killa to control aphids from damaging your new shoots. Roses may be suffering from Blackspot, so it would be good idea to spray them now with a good rose fungicide. Improving your rose garden soil with a good compost will help in making them more resistant to diseases and pests.
Control bugs with Bug Killa on gardenias, azaleas, camellias and lilly pilly.
Natives
As a general guide, prune spring flowering shrubs such as Callistemon (Bottlebrush) after they have finished flowering. This includes pruning spring flowering varieties.
Mulch or top up Mulch to protect plants against weather extremes and keep soils moist.
Add the recommended rate of Charlie Carp Liquid Fertiliser* to give them an added boost during this busy time.
*Charlie Carp concentrate recommends 45ml per 9L of water for native plants.
Fruit Trees and Vegies
Thin the fruit on the stone fruit trees, as this will ensure what fruit is left is large and well formed. Make a decision on what treatment you are going to use for fruit fly as it will soon be time to spray some of the early varieties. Unfortunately, if you elect not to do anything and you know there is fruit fly around not one fruit on that tree will be free of larvae.
Follow up planted Summer vegies, and apply Charlie Carp Liquid Fertiliser every 4 weeks during the flowering and fruiting season or add a good organic fertiliser like Richgro Vegetable and Herb Mega Booster to see it through till November. Pests will start to attack your lovely vegetables so make sure you use Richgro’s Beat-A-Bug Naturally Based Insect Spray. Apply at the first sign of attack and then keep in a good routine of spraying over the leaves (don’t forget underside) every 10-12 days during October to repel them.
General Garden Maintenance Tips
- Weeds – Keep up with either digging them out or spraying (or both). Remember this year’s flowers are next year’s weeds.
- Keep up with your pest control, using Richgro Bug Killa if applied in August or regular applications of Richgro Beat-A-Bug Natural Insect Spray.
- Don’t forget to apply some rich Blood and Bone fertiliser to give everything in your garden that great natural boost.
- Good time to clean out your pond. Replenish no more than 50% of your water, divide any water lilies and remove any muddy build up on the bottom.
- As it warms up, apply a wetting agent to ensure the water being applied is soaking into the soil. This includes your vegie gardens and pots.
- Mulch garden beds to keep in moisture, and control weeds. Beds that aren’t mulched will dry out quickly.
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