Story: Garden Highlights After Winter
Episode: 3
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane
Air Date: 4 September2021

Much of Australia has had record rainfall this past July – because of this, gardens will be coming into full form as we head into spring.

• As your plants begin growing and flowering, make sure to add a controlled release fertiliser. If you want to give your plants an extra boost, add a liquid feed as well.
• Weeds grow during the spring months – use a cultivator in your soil to remove them without using chemicals. Gently tilling the topsoil opens it up, buries weed seedlings and encourages a more friable growth base.
• This is a great time to harvest fruits such as the custard apple. This unusual fruit should be picked wile firm – let it soften indoors.
• Once you’ve harvested your fruit, give the tree a prune. Thinning out the tree will allow light and air right into the centre.
• Aquaponics can be used to grow fish and plants together. Winter is the perfect time to grow trout- the water from the tanks circulates into the grow beds, which have a hydroponic medium in them. The plants strip the water of excess nutrients, particularly ammonia.
• As your fish grow, they begin producing more waste. Make sure to add more plants.
• As November hits, you can begin growing barramundi.
• This is the time to plant – get out into the garden, prep your soil and get to work! Feeding is vitally important, so add a plant tablet into the planting hole of each new plant to give them a handy kick start.