Summer Tips
Episode: # 28 08/12/07
Presenter: Sue McDougall
If there is one tip that Sue can give you to take the hard work out of the garden throughout the coming hot months, it is to start re-potting. Take all the plants you have in small pots and pot up into bigger pots. There is more soil around the root system so the plant keeps cooler on those really hot days.
If you haven’t already done so add some Yates Waterwise Water Storing Crystals to all existing pots by creating a small hole with a trowel and sprinkling a few in. These need to go under the soil surface as ultra violet light breaks them down. This will hold extra moisture around the roots and is taken up when needed, perfect for when you go on holidays.
Wisteria is one hardy fast growing climber. New shoots that are spreading everywhere will wrap themselves around anything that gets in their way. A little tip to get them to flower next year is to prune all this new growth off back to the 5th or 6th bud from where it shot away. This allows the plant to put its effort into the flowering buds for next year, and by removing the new growth will reduce the amount of water it needs over the summer. You can tell the new growth by the green colour of the stems grown in the last 6 or 8 weeks. This will keep the plant in control so it doesn’t take over your backyard and the neighbours.
You may be familiar with the Princess Lily or Lily of the Incas (Alstroemeria, Hybrid Cultivar) in a bunch of flowers and not realise how easy they are to grow. These tough summer perennials grow from underground rhizomes and will thrive with a little care. The cut flowers last for weeks and if you are planning to use them as a cut flower, rather than getting out the pruners out just pull the stem up, then cut the bottom off. This encourages more stems to come up and you’ll get better flowering.
Nothing says you’re in a tropical garden more than a Frangipani. They create a lovely peaceful feel to a garden. Luckily for us they are so easy to grow, and if you live in a frost prone area they will need a little protection. Grow them in a large pot and keep them in a warm spot over winter. They are gearing up to look gorgeous over the next few months so the addition of a controlled release fertiliser will ensure they look brilliant.
A wide tree such as a large frangipani has a fairly extensive shallow feeder root system. To ensure a good flowering season apply controlled release fertiliser to the surface and scratch around if there are other plants under the canopy. If you have mulch on the garden beds pull the mulch away, apply the fertiliser and then put the mulch back. This ensures the fertiliser will not wash away. Yates Controlled Release Fertiliser is a good way to feed plants over summer because there is less chance of burning those fine feeder roots when there is limited water being applied to the garden.
Waterwise gardening is easy for more information visit www.watercorporation.com.au.
Presenter: Sue McDougall
If there is one tip that Sue can give you to take the hard work out of the garden throughout the coming hot months, it is to start re-potting. Take all the plants you have in small pots and pot up into bigger pots. There is more soil around the root system so the plant keeps cooler on those really hot days.
If you haven’t already done so add some Yates Waterwise Water Storing Crystals to all existing pots by creating a small hole with a trowel and sprinkling a few in. These need to go under the soil surface as ultra violet light breaks them down. This will hold extra moisture around the roots and is taken up when needed, perfect for when you go on holidays.
Wisteria is one hardy fast growing climber. New shoots that are spreading everywhere will wrap themselves around anything that gets in their way. A little tip to get them to flower next year is to prune all this new growth off back to the 5th or 6th bud from where it shot away. This allows the plant to put its effort into the flowering buds for next year, and by removing the new growth will reduce the amount of water it needs over the summer. You can tell the new growth by the green colour of the stems grown in the last 6 or 8 weeks. This will keep the plant in control so it doesn’t take over your backyard and the neighbours.
You may be familiar with the Princess Lily or Lily of the Incas (Alstroemeria, Hybrid Cultivar) in a bunch of flowers and not realise how easy they are to grow. These tough summer perennials grow from underground rhizomes and will thrive with a little care. The cut flowers last for weeks and if you are planning to use them as a cut flower, rather than getting out the pruners out just pull the stem up, then cut the bottom off. This encourages more stems to come up and you’ll get better flowering.
Nothing says you’re in a tropical garden more than a Frangipani. They create a lovely peaceful feel to a garden. Luckily for us they are so easy to grow, and if you live in a frost prone area they will need a little protection. Grow them in a large pot and keep them in a warm spot over winter. They are gearing up to look gorgeous over the next few months so the addition of a controlled release fertiliser will ensure they look brilliant.
A wide tree such as a large frangipani has a fairly extensive shallow feeder root system. To ensure a good flowering season apply controlled release fertiliser to the surface and scratch around if there are other plants under the canopy. If you have mulch on the garden beds pull the mulch away, apply the fertiliser and then put the mulch back. This ensures the fertiliser will not wash away. Yates Controlled Release Fertiliser is a good way to feed plants over summer because there is less chance of burning those fine feeder roots when there is limited water being applied to the garden.
Waterwise gardening is easy for more information visit www.watercorporation.com.au.
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