Tips
for Melbourne the month of March
After the last few months of focusing on drought protection, as
the summer heat dissipates, it is now time to look forward.
With any luck it will be moister as well as cooler.
What to sow or plant...
Flowers:
ageratum, alyssum, antirrhinum, aquilegia, bellis, calendula,
candytuft, cinereria, cornflowers, cyclamen, delphinium,
dianthus, foxglove, godetia, gypsophila, hollyhock, impatience,
larkspur, linaria, lobelia, marigold, nemesia, pansies,
polyanthus, Iceland poppy, primula, statice, stock, strawflower,
sweet peas, sweet william, verbena, wallflower.
Vegetables:
broad beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower,
celery, endive, garlic, globe artichoke, kohlrabi, lettuce,
onions, parsley, parsnips, peas, radish, shallot, silverbeet,
snow peas, spinach, spring onions, turnips.
Pests & Diseases
Watch azaleas and rhododendrons for lacebug and mites.
These make the new leaves silvery. The underneath of the
leaves need to be sprayed well with a chemical labelled
specifically for these pests, eg confidor.
As it cools down earlier at night and takes longer to warm
up in the morning, watch out for fungal diseases (eg mildew
or rust ). For this reason it is better to water in the
morning so the plants dry off.
Snails and slugs are more active now with more moisture.
Watch for the white cabbage moth on brassicas and spray
with bacillus thuringiensis.
Jobs to do...
Divide spring and early summer flowering perennials, eg
bearded iris (discard the ‘mother’ rhizomes
in the middle )
Feed and snail bait cymbidium orchids as they are forming
flower spikes now.
Take semi hardwood cuttings of shrubs of Australian natives,
lavenders, pelargoniums, hydrangeas, wisteria, and buddleias.
See last month on taking cuttings.
Stake chrysanthums and other autumn flowering plants.
Maintain the roses by removing dead or dying leaves, lightly
prune by removing spent flowering stems on hybrid tea roses
down to the first (or second) 5 leaflet leaf, and fertilise.
Watch for pests and fungal diseases.
Work the soil where you will plant bulbs soon. Incorporate
organic matter and blood and bone (50 gm per sq.m). Water
in and let rest at least one week, several weeks if the
organic matter is fresh.
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