It's that time of year again. A long Easter weekend where you can work in your garden, in autumn!
The heat is winding down and most of the harvests from the previous planting have been gathered. There are still some things to do though - autumn gardening done correctly will benefit the health of your garden and ease the workload come next planting season.
Plus, it's a lot cooler outside so the work isn't nearly as daunting, let's get prepared for the long Easter break!
1. Plant More
It may seem counter-intuitive, however, now is a great time to plant some cool-weather crops. Beetroot, kale, lettuce, broad beans, coriander, parsley, rocket, and spinach all love the cool temperatures. Planting now will have you enjoying fresh vegetables for months to come.
Autumn is also the best time to plant shrubs, perennials, and trees because they like the cooler air combined with the still warm soil. It is also a good time to start transplants.
2. Soil Improvement
Add compost and mulch to build up a rich, nutrient-dense canvas for next years' plants. Mulching has so many benefits for your garden - do not skip it.
Mulching will keep moisture in and reduce weeds which will help your soil. Mulches and composts also break down over time and this improves the soil for a very long period.
3. Prune
Removing the dead or diseased parts of plants and trees helps them grow greater, remove a few of the older and thicker branches at ground level too. Pruning stimulates new bud growth and also improves the look of the trees. Don't remove more than 1/3 of a plant when pruning.
Not all plants or trees need pruning so be sure to research each one before getting at it with the clippers.
4. Plan Next Years' Garden
Assess how the garden did this year. What successes did you have? And what failures? Now is the time to plan for next year while it is still fresh in your mind. By next Spring, you may not remember exactly how everything grew.
Take note of varieties that thrived and those that didn't. Take the time to draw out a rough plan of where you'd like to plant each item and how much of each one. This will make seed ordering and the Spring gardening marathon much easier!
WLS Landscape Supplies stores in Brisbane and Gold Coast are open for you to visit and you can get expert opinions from our experienced staff. The best part is, you could also Shop Online!
