 Tips
for Melbourne the month of June
Tips...
This month plants/ seedlings are better than seeds unless noted,
because of the cool soil temperature.
What to sow or plant...
Flowers:
Alyssum, calendula, candytuft, Canterbury bells, carnation,
cornflower, Livingston daisy, dianthus, forgot – me
– not, foxglove, kale, larkspur, nigella, pansy, polyanthus,
Iceland poppy, primula, snapdragon, stock, Virginia stock,
sweet William, viola, wallflower.
Vegetables:
Asparagus, broad beans (seed), chives, endive (seed), garlic,
leek, lettuce (seed), onions, peas (seed), radish (seed),
rhubarb, rosemary, sage, thyme.
Pests & Diseases
Pests and Diseases:
*examine your azaleas. If you have had brown mushy flowers,
then you have a fungal disease “petal blight”.
It requires spraying monthly with a spray such as bayleton
or mancozeb, from when the flowers are showing colour.
*snails. You can squash them or put out bait or a beer trap.
A beer trap is a container with the rim at ground level,
with 25 mm of beer in the bottom. Remember to remove the
dead snails and slugs, and to renew the beer daily.
*caterpillars. Squash them, or spray with dipel.
Jobs to do...
Plant:
Citrus, bare rooted fruit trees, vines and roses. Buy these
as soon as these are for sale, while they are in the best
condition. As soon as possible plant these in the ground
or in pots. Protect from frost if necessary. If the plant
needs staking, 3 stakes are better than one. Three stakes
in a triangle pattern will protect the plant from strong
winds while allowing the plant to develop its own flexibility.
Propagation:
*Divide late summer flowering perennials, such as cannas,
phlox and Shasta daisies.
*Early winter is the time to take cuttings from deciduous
plants such as hydrangeas, fig, spirea, lilac, roses, forsythia,
weigela, philadelphus and gooseberry. Take at least 3 nodes
(where a leaf was), a cutting at least 10 to 20 cms long,
and pencil thickness being preferable. Cut the bottom end
just below the bottom node, after removing any leaves .For
plants with large leaves such as hydrangea, reduce the leaf
area by 2/3rds.Apply rooting hormone (as per package instructions).Plant
cuttings into “Your Choice Premium Potting Mix”
Cover with a clear soft drink bottle, (that has had the
top cut off) This makes a mini greenhouse. Place in a warm
light place. Keep the mix just moist – be careful
not to over water.
Fertilise:
*apply aluminium sulphate to hydrangeas monthly so the flowers
will be bluer in spring.
*liquid feed potted colour and vegies, as the cold soil
makes it hard for the plants to extract the nutrients.
Other Jobs:
June is a good month to take time to repair tools. Sharpen
blades such as secateurs, spades axes etc. Wooden handles
can be treated by painting on a 1:1 mix of mineral turps
and linseed oil.
If the garden looks bare now then check out natives, especially
plants like “Correa” or “Crowea exalta”.
Correas can be clipped and kept dense and some even trained
as a standard. Try Correa pulchella or C. reflexa. Correas
come in a variety of colours of cheerful bell shaped flowers.
The honeyeaters love them also. They grow in semi shade
to full sun. They need to be well watered when young, but
once established they will tolerate drier conditions.
Another show stopper on a sunny winter day is “Arctotis
hybrid” These bright (yellow, orange, pink and red)
gerbera like flowers are displayed above a ground cover
plant .The flowers will close on dull days and at night.
Treat yourself to some potted colour (eg cyclamen). These
are especially effective when placed at a highly visible
spot, such as at an entrance, or where they can be seen
from inside.
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