Learn how to make your garden flourish
this spring/summer season.
Undertake a spring clean.
Just like your home, your garden will also benefit from a spring clean. Pull out weeds and trim hedges, trees and shrubs to remove any dead winter leaves and encourage new growth. If you have fruit trees or summer-flowering plants, prune before the new buds grow.
It’s also a great time to lay down fresh mulch, as it discourages weed growth and helps keep moisture in the soil. And don’t forget your outdoor furniture – shake off the covers and clean it off, maybe adding varnish to any wooden furniture to protect it from the summer sun.
Start planting.
Spring is the growing season and the perfect time to plant new additions to your garden.
While trees and shrubs are best planted early, summer-flowering plants can be planted a little later along with vegetables such as tomatoes, basil, sweet corn, chilli, capsicum and eggplant.
Time for a feed.
Spring is the best time to fertilise plants due to the temperature of the soil. Ask your local nursery if you’re not sure which kind to use, as different plants can require different types of fertiliser. While many will be fine with an all-purpose fertiliser, lawns, for example, need higher levels of nitrogen. Use compost and manure for veggie patches and liquid fertilisers for potted plants.
Watering in summer.
As spring turns to summer and the sunshine hours lengthen, it’s imperative to give your garden a good soak. Watering in the early morning is best, before the heat of the day, to avoid mildew and fungus growth. An irrigation system is a great option for efficient watering, minimising evaporation and delivering water directly to the plant’s roots.
Give your pot plants extra TLC.
Potted plants are more likely to overheat, especially if the pots are made from stone or terracotta. As the weather heats up, move your potted plants so they are in shade or have some shelter from the hot summer sun. Be diligent with watering them in the morning, during the cooler part of the day, to ensure the soil gets the moisture it needs throughout the season and doesn’t dry out.
Keep lawns high in summer.
While it might be tempting to mow your lawn short to reduce the number of times you need to pull out the lawn mower, during the hot months a short lawn can turn brown, get infiltrated with weeds and develop bare patches. Mow your lawn as high as your lawn mower will allow instead, to help your grass flourish during the summer.
Tackle weeds regularly.
Weeds grow the most in the spring and summer months and can quickly get out of control, with the prospect of cleaning them out all at once quickly becoming overwhelming. By weeding your garden regularly, perhaps by tackling a different section every week, you will avoid any long-term weed problems.
Protect your garden from pests.
The warmer and wetter conditions that spring brings means more growth, but also, more pests. These include aphids, thrip, mealy bugs, azalea lace bugs (which feed on azalea and rhododendron leaves), bronze orange bugs (which feed on citrus trees and flowers), and the usual garden snails and slugs – amongst many others!
Invest in a garden insecticide to keep them in check; there are plenty of natural and organic options out there. You can also try adding in plants that attract the right kind of bugs – the Choko Vine, for instance, attracts a certain species of ladybird that help control mealy bug, mildew and aphid.
Save 10% at Westlake Nursery!
Westwood residents can receive an exclusive discount at Westlake Nursery, one of the most well-stocked plant and garden nurseries in Melbourne’s west.
Just mention the Westwood community when checking out at the counter to get 10% off your purchase. Happy planting!
Open 7 days, 9am-5pm
1-13 Keating Rd, Rockbank 3335
0401 886 366
Please note: Open to Westwood residents only.
