 Tips
for Melbourne the month of January
Tips...
Water
At this high use time of the year, assess how well your system
is working. Has your garden changed over time and the watering
not been altered to reflect this? Maybe some plants are now established
and don’t need as much water.
Are there dry spots?
Have you considered laying out a garden so you water in a trench
following a contour? This can work well in a veggie garden where
there is often no permanent watering as the plants get rotated
each season. It has another advantage as you don’t splash
the leaves, which helps in fungal control.
Consider timers as a way of making watering easier if you are
going away or if you forget to turn the hose off. Remember the
Victorian government is giving rebates for some of these products
[see your retailer or www.savewater.com.au
for details].
Some plants that need special care at this time are the shallow
rooted ones, (eg. Azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, citrus, hydrangeas)
and the ones with large leaves that burn.
Don’t over fertilize tomatoes with nitrogen as you want
to encourage fruit not lots of foliage
What to sow or plant...
Flowers:
Ageratum, alyssum, aquilegia, aster, calendula, cleome, coleus,
cosmos, dahlia, gerbera, impatiens, linaria, marigold, nasturtium,
nicotania, pansy, petunia, phlox, poppy, portulaca, primula, salvia,
snapdragon, stock (seed only), sweet peas, verbena, wall flower,
zinnia.
Vegetables:
Beans, beetroot, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower,
celery, Chinese cabbage, cucumber, herbs, lettuce, onion, parsnip,
silverbeet, shallots, sweet corn, tomato, zucchini.
Pests & Diseases
With the hot weather mites are a problem. Check your azaleas,
fuschias, camellias and rhododendrons. Do not spray in the heat
of the day and spray when the plant is well watered
Jobs to do...
Prune
Remove spent flowers. If your petunias are getting “leggie”
then cut them back and give them a light liquid feed.
Other
If you are in a fire prone area. then check with your CFA on appropriate
precautions.
Assess your plants for tolerance to hot weather. Some more drought
resistant shrubs may be plumbago, oleander, or abelia. Under a
canopy, plants such as cast iron plant (Aspedistera ) or bromilliads
or crucifix orchids will flourish once established.
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