Time to plant winter-spring bulbs!

Time to plant winter-spring bulbs such as Daffodil, Freesia, Jonquil, Snowflake etc. Bulbs are great in pots or plant in a well-drained area. Planting depth should be double bulb length. Water with Seasol after planting and wait for bulb shoots before applying bulb food. You will need to wait until the end of this month or early next month if you are from a warm/tropical zone.

Keen to grow your own lemons? Select the ‘Prior Lisbon’ lemon which is less prone to root rot than the ‘Eureka’. ‘Meyer’ is frost and heat tolerant making it suitable for inland areas. Dwarf variety ‘Meyer’ is recommended for pots. Citrus prefer a well-drained sunny position. If you have clay soil improve the drainage and plant on a mound to reduce the risk of water logging. Always keep grass and weeds away from the base of your citrus. Fertilise your citrus every couple of months.

Start April by fertilising your whole garden. Use Dynamic Lifter (except around natives, especially Grevillea) or a complete plant food product. Dynamic Lifter is an organic fertiliser that provides long term benefits with increased earth worm activity. An inorganic fertiliser such as Complete Plant Food provides plants with all nutrients that are essential for plant growth (organic fertilisers do not have all nutrients). Make use of both types of fertilisers and rotate them annually.

TIPS AND TASKS:

1. Rust affected Canna Lily leaves/stems should be removed. Dispose of the debris in the waste bin.
2. Begin disbudding Camellia. The blooms are bigger when you have one bud per stem.
3. Surplus lemons should be picked and stored in dry sand when the colour begins to change from dark green.
4. Herbs are great in pots. Plant basil, coriander, chives, mint, parsley, oregano, rocket, thyme etc
5. When planting a garden ensure a balance between mass (trees, shrubs, structures etc) and void (lawn, paving, water etc).
6. Aphids love tender new season seedlings, control with a pyrethrum based insecticide or soapy water.
7. Divide strap leaf plants such as Agapanthus, Day Lily, Mondo Grass etc. Dividing is a great way of creating new plants at minimal cost.
8. Reduce watering as the weather cools.
9. Stake your Anemone and Chrysanthemum plants or you can use supporting perennial cradles (available from your nursery).
10. Reduce brown-rot fungi by removing and disposing of mummified stone fruit.
11. Flowers to plant include Bellis, Candytuft, Carnation, Cineraria, Cyclamen, Delphinium, Lupin, Pansy, Primula etc
12. Vegetables to plant include broad beans, broccoli, brussel spouts, celery, lettuce, radish, spring onion, spinach, turnip etc.
13. Worthwhile indoor/shelted patio plants:
– Aluminium Plant (Pilea)
– Caladium
– Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra)
– Chinese Lucky Plant (Aglaonema)
– Cretan Fern (Pteris)
– Croton (Codiaeum)
– Happy Plant (Dracaena)
– Fig (Ficus)
– Flamingo Flower (Anthurium)
– Maidenhair (Adiantum)
– Palm Lily (Cordyline)
– Parlour Palm (Chamadorea)
– Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
– Prayer Plant (Maranta)

FLOWERING PLANTS FOR APRIL:

TREES & SHRUBS:

Camellia
Ceratostigma (Chinese Plumbago)
Gordonia (Fried Egg Plant)
Hebe (Veronica)
Hibiscus
Justicia (Plume Flower)
Lantana (Trailing Lantana)
Plectranthus (Blue Spur Flower)
Tibouchina (Lasiandra)

ANNUALS & PERENNIALS

Anemone (Japanese Windflower)
Aster (Easter Daisy)
Chrysanthemum
Impatiens
Primula
Viola

BULBS

Dahlia
Hemerocallis (Day Lily)

CLIMBERS

Allamanda
Tecomaria

NATIVES

Banksia
Crowea
Stenocarpus (Qld Firewheel Tree)