 Tips
for Melbourne the month of November
Tips...
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Start sprucing up the garden for the festive season –
in early November you can still put in flowering annuals.
Remember that one big pot looks more effective than several
small ones. It also provides your plants with better root
growth along with better water retention and less temperature
fluctuations which all give better quality plants.
Plant up a basket or tub to give to a friend. For bright
colours try drought tolerant portulaca.
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What to sow or plant...
Flowers:
Ageratum, Alyssum, Amaranthus, Arctotis, Aster, Begonia, Calendula,
Californian Poppy, Candy Tuft, Celosia, Chrysanthemum, Cleome,
Coleus, Cornflower, Cosmos, Dahlia, Delphinium, Dianthus, Gazania,
Gerberas, Godetia, Gypsophila, Lobelia, Nasturtium, Petunia, Phlox,
Portulaca, Rubdekia, Snapdragon, Sunflower, Verbenia, Zinnia
Vegetables:
Beans, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbages, Capsicum,
Cauliflower, Celery, Cress, Cucumber, Eggplant, Endive, Herbs,
Kohlrabi, Leek, Lettuce, Marrow, Melon, Okra, Parsley, Parsnip,
Peas, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Raddish, Rhubarb, Shallots, Silver beet,
Spinach, Spring Onion, Squash, Sweet Corn, Tomato, Turnip, Zucchini.
Pests & Diseases
1. Check the roses for fungus (mildew, rust black spots) and
insects (aphids & mites then thrip once the hot wind blows)
2. Mildew on cucurbits eg. Zucchini and pumpkin.
3. Azaleas – spray the foliage for lace bugs. These turn
the leaves silvery as they suck the sap. Spray the underside for
the leaves well. You may need to follow up in 6 weeks. The bugs
are too small to see but black spots on the underside of the leaves
are the faecal matter.
Jobs to do...
Watering Systems: Check all joints and fittings,
clean nozzles, put in taller risers if necessary. Maybe put a
timer in the system. As the weather warms up and dries out check
your more sensitive plants eg. Hydrangeas, fuchsia, citrus and
azaleas. Mulch well.
Weeding: Keep on top of this. Pull the weeds
out by the roots to save you re weeding them when they’re
tougher. Spray weeds on paths.
Fertilise and Thin: Fruit trees – fertilise
out past the drip line with complete fertiliser. Thin fruit to
a couple of fruits per fruiting site for better-sized fruit and
to limit premature fruit drop.
Fertilise: Continue with blueing solution on
the hydrangeas altering the pH.
Prune: Winter and spring flowering shrubs eg.
Camellias, azaleas diosma, weigelia, wattle, mint bush.
Prune: Staked tomatoes – Train 1-3 main
shoots up stakes. Pinch out all other shoots. Mulch around plant
to keep evenly moist and to prevent blossom end rot in the fruit.
Prune: Spent rose blooms need to be removed.
For a hybrid tea rose cutting to a leaf with 5 leaflets is recommended
for longer stems, preferably pruning by removing the top 2 5-leaflets
down from the flower. Remember to spray for fungus diseases, black
spot, mildew, rust and insects.
Plant Now for Autumn Colour:
Dahlias - early in November. Place stakes next to plants. Protect
from snails.
Autumn flowering bulbs eg. Nerines, amaryllis
Re pot: Cymbidium orchids
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