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Get ready for Winter

April 18, 2012 by Peter Butler Leave a Comment

Well the weather is changing and Winter is on its way, so it’s time to prepare.

Plants and turf can be affected by the cold, wind and rain. Plants tend to go dormant and growth slows due to the drop in temperature in the air as well as the ground.

Luckily there are some simple things that we can do to help keep your garden healthy.

  • Reduce water in the garden through the Autumn months as plants need less water when they are in this period, and turn off reticulation as directed by the water restrictions through the Winter months, but keep an eye out for any dry spots under trees etc or pot plants that are under cover.
  • Protect plants that may be affected by the cold, wind or heavy rain by staking and tying plants or trees in the garden.  Moving pots to a sheltered area and removing the water dish from under the pot to allow drainage.  Watch for stress due to the change in weather and position.
  • Remove any Autumn/Winter weeds by hand,cultivation or weed treatment as the seeds from previous weeds will start to germinate and some weeds such as winter grass prefer the cooler months to germinate and seed.
  • Fertilize the garden and turf areas before Winter to give them the best chance to survive the cooler conditions. Also add a wetting agent at the beginning of Winter and again in the last month of Winter so as to get great results from the rain soaking it in.
  • Winter can be a great time to prune back plants like citrus because they get less stressed when they go dormant or to allow for new growth in spring. 
  • Although we will cut the lawn less through out winter, now is a good time to mow it lower to help reduce thatching and promote new growth.  But be careful not to scalp it, especially if it looks stressed. If the turf is very spongy (thatch) you will need to get it verti-mowed. 
  • Try adding some winter colour, like Dianella with its many varieties and colours or even Pansies for instant colour.
  • Keep an eye open for disease like Black Spot or Rust Fungus and treat with lime sulphur. And pests such as aphids or scale and treat with Confidore.
  • Prune roses in July to avoid the worst of the winter cold, wind and rain and give the delicate new shoots the best chance.  Immediately after pruning soak the rose with Lime sulphur and remove all waste to prevent pest and disease in new growth. 
  • Top up mulch at the end of Winter to hold in all the moisture from the rains and be ready for the warmer months. 
 
Call Perth Garden Works now for your Free garden appraisal and get ready for Winter the easy way.
Ryan 0403 248 594

Filed Under: Latest News Tagged With: Autumn gardening, buffalo, commercial garden maintenance, couch, Fertiilizing, garden maintenance, Grass, lawn care, lawn mowing, perth, pest and disease, plants, prune, reticulation, rose pruning, weed control, weed treatment, weeds, winter gardening, winter prune

Rose pruning

July 14, 2011 by Peter Butler Leave a Comment

It’s Rose Pruning Season.

If you haven’t pruned your roses yet then now is the time.  Rose pruning should be done all year round but the one hard prune of the year should be done in the winter months.  I recommend towards the end of winter because after you have pruned your roses and the new buds and young leaves start to grow, the cold weather can affect their growth.  You also want the best show when you are starting to head back out side with the warmer weather and the fresh new growth and flowers. 

You will need a good sharp pair secateurs, a small hand saw, a thick pair of gloves and some loppers. All your tools should be clean so as to not spread disease.

When pruning a rose there are some rules that will ensure a great looking rose and will help to make pruning easier in the future.

  • Remove any old ugly grey wood or dead wood, you want new growth.
  • Remove any branches that are crossing each other or growing into the center (roses should be pruned into a open vase shape).
  • Remove any branches smaller than a pencil width.
  • Cut just above an outward facing bud (every leaf has a bud at the base).
  • Stand back and have a look, If it doesn’t look right cut it out.
  • Remove all leaves off the rose as disease can hide here.
  • Now you have finished pruning you should be left with a third of what you started with in height and about 3-5 main branches.
  • Remove all prunings and waste, disease can hide here too and it looks, well like rubbish.
  • This is important, treat the rose with a insecticide and fungicide. I think lime sulphur is best, make sure you soak the whole plant including top side, under side, in all the nooks & crannies and even the soil below the rose. (Only treat with lime sulphur in winter to avoid burning leaves and buds).
  • Fertilize with a slow release fertilizer or blood and bone. 

It will take about 6-8 weeks for your roses to flourish.

Now stand back and enjoy.   

Filed Under: Latest News Tagged With: lime sulphur, mulch, perth, plants, prune, reticulation, rose, rose pruning, soil conditioner, sprinkler, water saving, water wise, watering days, wetting agent, winter prune

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