You know how they say summer bodies are made in winter? Well, fabulous spring gardens are prepped in winter!
Winter is an awesome time to prepare the garden for the warmer months of spring and summer. So, what should you do?
We asked The Fold’s gardening guru, Michael Nichols of Turf 2 Trees Horticulture, to put together a month by month guide of tasks we can get done in the winter and there are plenty!
“So, I think we can all say it’s been a mild summer, a wet autumn so far and, according to the BOM, another wet winter ahead!” says Michael.
“We certainly have learnt a thing or two on how to keep things going during high rainfall periods – what will survive and what will thrive, so feel free to get in touch with us to tap into that knowledge!”
Where To Start
This is what Michael is doing at the moment in his own garden and in client gardens to get you started.
“First I’m checking for hanging branches, bulges within the root zone may indicate a tree root system is failing, so check tree branches for weak points.”
“I’ve also seen a lot of conifer species continuing to yellow – this would more than likely be moisture stress. Cypress canker is definitely getting around now too.”
“However,” Michael adds, “I have heard from a nursery fella about a canker-resistant Cypress! Apparently, in Florida, USA they have had issues with canker, so they have bred a canker-resistant Cypress. It’s had promising trials in South Australia, but in Australia, we have a lot more strains of canker than in the USA, so stay tuned.”
In regards to shrubs and smaller plants waterlogged soils may show reduced vigour within the plant.
Make sure the base of your trees and shrubs are kept clear and dry – collar rot is thriving at the moment. Photinia hedges are suffering from leaf spot disease too but the good news is there are treatments.
Here’s some of Michael’s tips to identify, manage and control leaf spot disease:
- Remove and dispose of infected leaves and debris around the plant, as the fungus can overwinter on fallen leaves.
- Water the plant deeply and regularly to promote healthy growth and resilience.
- Avoid overhead watering, which can spread the fungus.
- Apply fungicides labelled for Photinia leaf spot, such as copper-based fungicides, chlorothalonil, or myclobutanil, in the spring before the leaves emerge, and continue at intervals as recommended by the product label.
- Prune and thin the plant to improve air circulation and reduce humidity, which can create favourable conditions for the fungus.
Remember, early intervention and prevention are key to controlling Photinia leaf spot and keeping your plants healthy and beautiful.
And what about those summer bulbs?
“I have dug up and stored most of mine early this year as they were rotting in the ground,” says Michael.
WHAT TO PLANT
JUNE
Bare rooted plants are now readily available in the nurseries so grab a bargain as bare root stock is usually cheaper than the potted or wrapped versions sold at nurseries later in the year. Transplant deciduous stock around the garden while deciduous plants are dormant in the winter.
Clumps of violets can be lifted and divided now. The best flowers are usually on younger stock. Dahlias can now be lifted and divided if necessary [if not already from all the wet soils]. Rhubarb is another dormant plant which will benefit from dividing every 3-4 years.
JULY
Onions, leeks and broad beans are now ready for planting, and strawberries can now be dug and divided for the coming season.
“We’ve got early frosts this year,” Michael tells us. “So, things are going to sleep a little earlier than usual at the moment. I do love a frosty morning, though. You just know it’s going to be a cracker of a day then!”
As the cold really sets in, keep your plants protected from frost by moving pots to sheltered positions, draping shade cloth over sensitive species and leaving dead foliage on the plant to cover the crowns of the plant from frost setting.
AUGUST
Winter is a good time to select stock for your garden that you can plant in both winter and the coming warmer months.
“Ask yourself, what zone am I in?” says Michael.
“Most reputable websites will classify plants according to their “zone”. This is a climatic zone which relates to a specific area, and the zones range from 1-13.
“The Southern Highlands is considered as being in zone 9 for plant hardiness zones so if you choose your plants within this zone you will have a great head start!”
WHAT TO PRUNE
Winter is the time to complete the pruning and spraying of most orchard trees. Be careful to prune the right wood as you may cut off the coming season’s crop.
August is the time to start thinking about pruning those frost tender plants – roses, evergreen perennials, and hydrangeas.
Do you have a warm season grass like Buffalo, Kikuyu or Couch?
“You can oversee these with annual ryegrass to keep in green in the dormant month.” Michael says.
Because it’s annual, it will die off in the summer when your normal grass is back and growing again.
“You can also spray a pigment dye to keep them green too. Oh, and weeds in these lawns are going to be apparent, so keep on top of them whilst the grass sleeps”.
Remember, when pruning your dormant shrubs, most can be pruned without issue. However, for certain spring-flowering species, it’s best to wait unless you want to remove all those lovely flowering canes. These are better pruned in late spring.
Oh and be aware, there has been a lot of Lace bug and mite damage on azaleas/ viburnums and other ornamental species already this season.
“And the lawn grub! Terrible season!,” Michael shakes his head.
“Luckily we preventatively spray our lawns every year so we never have to worry, however we have been reseeding a lot of damaged lawns for new clients lately.”
WHAT TO PLAN FOR
JUNE
Now is a great time to test all the watering systems in the garden. It’s cold I know, but it gives you ample time to fix those faults before you really need the water!
Spread mulch but don’t mulch too close to your tree trunks. The excessive continuous moisture around the trunk can cause the trunk or ‘collar’ to rot.
“I would avoid your heavy compost mulches in heavy soils this year. With all this rain forecast we will need to allow the soil some breathing space.” Michael advises.
Large organic matter mulches (leaf mulches, barks, woodchips) starve your plants of nitrogen in the early stages of decomposition. This results in yellowing of the leaves and poor growth of the plant. Make sure your mulch is a few months old before use or sprinkle a fast-acting fertiliser over the area before mulching to counteract this effect.
Using straw or Lucerne bales for mulching is a cost-effective way to cover large areas.
JULY
Start spraying your fruit trees for fungus and overwintering pests. Whilst the sprayer is out, better spray those roses too!
Keep fertilising – don’t stop just because it’s winter. Bulbs, citrus, camellia, daphne and all your annuals are still growing.
Solarisation is a great chemical free way of sterilising your soil before planting. This raises the temperature of the soil which wipes out pests and soil-borne diseases. All you need is a piece of plastic and some sun!
Mushroom compost is cheap, effective and it’s good to know you’re making use of a waste product from another industry! I use mushroom compost on all my plants with the exception of these:
- Azaleas and Rhododendrons
- Camellias
- Peris
- Heathers
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Hydrangeas as this will change the colour of your flowers to pink.
AUGUST
The month of strong westerly winds! Be vigilant to check soil moisture as the cold winds will dry the soil out (especially if not mulched).
You may notice herbicides are not as effective in these cooler months. This is simply because the plants are not as actively growing as they are in say summer, so the plant takes longer to take effect. But don’t worry, this can be as long as 3-4 weeks.
And here’s a hot tip from Michael:
“Did you know that if you water your plants with warm [but not boiling] water, it will maintain or even increase the soil temperature to keep your plants active for longer?”
Cool!
Okay green and all-coloured thumbs! Time to pull on the puffer and get out and busy in the garden.
And don’t forget Michael has put together a month by month guide of what to do and when in the garden during this season. You can check out the spring, summer and autumn guides here (bookmark these for later this year).
Turf 2 Trees Horticulture is a Landscape and Estate Management biz, specialising in acreage, formal gardens and show gardens with over ten years of horticulture and turf management experience. A local business who has mastered the art of their craft in the unique Highlands climate, the team at Turf 2 Tree focus on efficiency and high-quality property maintenance.