Cooler days are here with the arrival of Winter after the continued warmer weather of Autumn. We received the edge of Tropical Cyclone Debbie with heavy rains and strong winds spelling the end of the humidity that had stuck around for far too long seeing increased insect infestation of plants. We trust you all fared well through the storms and the welcomed rain has benefited your garden.
Let the cooler weather bring you motivation to get out into your garden, planning and completing bigger jobs along with the necessary important maintenance. Plan new garden beds for screening and privacy, adding your own views and vistas and filtering winter rain and wind.
Mealy Bug.
Container plants will need a refresh after the stress of summer heat; it’s time for repotting, maybe to a bigger pot or the same pot with a root trim. Always use good quality potting mix containing water crystals, compost and plant nutrients, allowing plants to thrive. Relax your frequency of watering as opposed to meeting plants summer thirst. Check indoor plants for sap sucking insects like Mealy Bug and Scale, these can be washed off with a soapy water, hand soap in water works to suffocate these little creatures. Eco Oil or White Oil works well too.
Winter is a great time for the bigger job of mulching garden beds. We recommend an initial layer of Forest Mulch to feed the soil, followed by a shallow layer of Pine Bark to keep the weeds at bay. The winter weeds can be hand pulled or sprayed to avoid the spreading of seeds; your timing is imperative to ensure you have eradicated the weed before it flowers and sets seed. We encourage hand pulling weeds to support the survival of our bees but this is not always practical in the world we live in but essentially the survival of our planet is at stake.
Garden tools maintained now, at least once a year, are a joy to use. Secateurs and pruning saws become blunt over time and will require sharpening or replacing. Bow saw blades are easily replaced. Do it yourself or call on a local knife sharpening tradesperson. Brush lightly over the flat sides of secateurs with steel wool and WD40 to clear any old sap.
It’s a great time to maintain your trees safely. Engage the services of your local arborist to clear dead or borer infested wood, remove branches over hanging neighbours fences, power lines or maybe your sitting area, to let in some Winter sun.
