THE HEALTHY SUMMER GARDEN Summer is still a busy time in the garden, with all the great work done in spring preparing is now paying off. Like us, many plants struggle with Australia’s hot humid summers. We asked Richgro Ambassador, Charlie Albone, for some tips and tricks that you can apply to your own garden this summer.
Weeds This spring was particularly good for plant growth - including weeds too. Right now, there are many weed seeds in the ground waiting to germinate. Keeping weeds under control before they set seed saves a lot of work in the future. If you don’t have time to remove a weed completely at least remove the flowers before they drop their seeds. Fertiliser and fungicide usage To ensure roses are performing at their best, fertilise fortnightly with a liquid feed throughout the flowering season. A fertiliser with a ratio of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium such as 8-2-10 plus trace elements will do the job. To minimise fungal issues water in the early morning and a fortnightly spray of Fungicide until April will provide protection. Remove spent flowers and diseased growth throughout summer and autumn. It’s a good time to fertilise Camellias, Azaleas and Rhododendrons to encourage bud development for flowering in the cooler months. There are a few specialised Camellias, Azaleas and Rhododendrons fertilisers readily available. Don’t overuse fertilisers as these plants often have shallow sensitive roots which can be damaged by over fertilising.
