Spring Gardening Guide

After a cool winter, the garden awakens and we are welcomed into a new season. With daffodils bursting out of the ground, ornamental plums and cherries are blossoming, and magnolias exploding into flower. Spring is the most wonderful time of the year for gardening. We can look forward to filling our veggie gardens with warmer climate vegetables, an abundance of flowers in ornamental gardens, and warmer and longer days. As spring is the main growing season for many plants, fruits and vegetables, there is much to do to ensure they flourish and thrive.

Vegetables and Herbs

Whether your vegetable garden beds have been lying dormant over winter or a winter harvest was enjoyed, it is important to add some nutrients back into your growing space at planting time. Below are some tips on how you can help your garden grow.

Using organic compost or some well aged manure will provide nutrients and add organic matter. They are also an effective soil builder. Poultry manure such as chicken is beneficial for veggie gardens, as it contains nitrogen and will assist with leaf growth. Cow manure and sheep manure are other great manures to use.

Blood and bone can be used for adding nutrients. As well as improving soil structure, it will also encourage micro organisms and earthworms. Adding garden lime is also beneficial as most vegetables like an alkaline soil.

A rock mineral fertiliser such as Rockdust is also of great benefit in spring as it adds 67 different minerals to your soil that have more than likely leached away over time. Rockdust also improves the flavour of fruit and vegetables. There is no risk of burning plants or adding too much to the soil, plants will take up the nutrients as they need it. This can be applied again in Autumn.

Seasol will also give your plants a boost as they grow, aiding resistance to pests and diseases, as well as tolerating dry conditions. Fertilise though the growing period as required. A pelletised fertiliser such as Yates Dynamic Lifter can be used every 6 weeks, or a liquid such as Seasol Powerfeed can be applied every 2 weeks to soil and foliage.

Warmer climate seedlings can be planted mid-spring including tomatoes, chilli, capsicum, corn, pumpkin, and sweet potato. Cucumber, zucchini, and eggplant can also be planted. Protection may be needed from cool overnight temperatures from early to mid spring.

Seedlings that can be planted all throughout the season are lettuce, spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, beetroot, carrot, radish, peas and beans.

We have a large range of tomatoes throughout spring. We stock varieties of heirloom tomatoes, bush tomatoes, truss tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes plus many more.

From mid-September, we have our Chandler’s English tomatoes available in seedling punnets. This is a variety that we started over 40 years ago, and we have been growing them ever since. Chandlers English is a highly disease resistant, heritage bush tomato producing tasty medium-sized fruit. A very popular variety for it’s flavour and strong growth.

A large range of herbs can be planted throughout spring. It is also the beginning of the season for basil, which thrives in the warmer weather. We stock a large variety of seasonal herbs year round, which are very easy to grow and more cost effective than buying by the bunch from the store.

Herbs can be planted in the ground or in pots, where harvest is easy. Troughs are also great to plant herb varieties together, but we always recommend to plant mint, oregano and rosemary in pots by themselves to allow them to grow without taking over space for smaller herbs.

Ensure your vegetable garden beds are well weeded prior to planting to eliminate any competition for space and nutrients. Turning the soil gently with a fork whilst adding nutrients will also aerate the soil and assist to create the ideal environment of worms and microbial activity.

Fruit and Other Edibles

There are plenty of different types of fruits trees available at this time of year. Potted fruit trees are now available, along with a great variety of citrus trees. Many of these trees are available in dwarf sizes. Strawberries and blueberries are in stock and are ready for planting in pots, or in the ground. There are plenty of other berries varieties available. Olive trees, bay leaf trees, and currants are also available for planting this season.

Seasonal Colour

There is an abundance of options when it comes to colour in spring. Whether it’s some instant colour in pots by the front door or a feature plant in the garden, there will be a plant to suit your outdoor space.

There are many annual seedlings for spring planting including petunias, marigolds, alyssum, begonias, impatiens, lobelia, salvia and snapdragons.

There are also a huge range of perennial shrubs which become available throughout spring and beyond. Roses in are also in abundance, freshly potted after the bare root season and will flower prolifically through spring.

Weed Control and Mulching

As the weather warms, the germination of weeds in the garden also increases. It is important to control weeds in your garden as they compete for nutrients in the soil and steal valuable water from your plants and if allowed to flower and set seed, will cause further seeding and spreading.

Hand weeding, spraying and mulching will all assist in weed control. There are some great hand weeding tools available which will make the job much easier. There are both long handled and short handled tools, depending on the space you are weeding. Fiskars Xact Weed Puller is a useful and effective tool for pulling out rooted weeds.

If spraying is a preferred method there are great glyphosate-free alternatives which are also very effective. Slasher Organic Weedkiller is made by OCP and works rapidly. It will also work on moss and algae.

Another way to control weeds and stop them from seeding in your garden is by using mulch. In addition to suppressing weeds, mulch also helps prevent moisture loss from your soil. This makes watering efficient, and during mild weather, decreases the frequency to which your garden will need to be watered. Some mulches such as lucerne mulch, in addition to the above, also add nitrogen to the soil which is essential for plants growth.

We stock a large range of mulches such as pine bark, sugar cane mulch, pea straw and lucerne mulch. Our favourite mulches are Seagreens Garden Mulch, and Neutrog Who Flung Dung. Both will provide nutrients as well as supressing weeds and retaining moisture.

Watering

As the weather warms and the spring wind increases, soil can be more prone to drying out. This can make it hard for newly planted trees, small shrubs and annuals to get the moisture they need to thrive. A good deep soaking through the soil with a hose, sprinkler or a watering can twice a week is usually sufficient to keep your plants healthy, as opposed to shallow frequent watering.

During hot weather, gardens with sandy soils may find a third deep watering is needed.

It is also a good idea to water with a seaweed solution such as Seasol once a fortnight during the growing season – studies have shown that consistent use of seaweed builds resistance to dry conditions, and can help plants become more tolerant to heat and moisture stress during hot weather. Can also assist with resistance to pests and diseases. Setting up a micro irrigation system with a timer in spring ready for the summer season is a bit of work to set up, but makes life easier in the long run. We stock timers, and all the pieces you will need to set up a system. Please ask us in store if you need assistance.

Fertilising

Spring is also the main growth period for many plants, trees and shrubs. During this growth period, it is crucial that plants have enough nutrients to sustain health and maximise new season growth. Fertilisers are the best way to ensure your plants are getting all of nutrients they need. There are many different types of fertilisers that can used, from liquid, to powder, to pelletised and even fertilisers with a microbial coating! Please ask us in store which fertiliser would best suit your plants, as there are a number of different fertilisers for different plants and uses.

There are some products which do not contain fertiliser, but can still be very beneficial to you garden and can be used in conjunction with fertilisers. These can improve the soil structure, soil health and plant health.

Neutrog POPUL8- contains a diverse base microbiome of more than 200 naturally occurring bacteria and fungi. Plus a further 42 specifically selected bacteria and fungi have been added for their individual and joint symbiotic purpose and beneficial characteristics. Popul8 was formulated to populate and occupy the biological space in the soil, and on plant roots which may otherwise be available space for plant pathogens to inhabit. Promotes healthy soil and plants thrive as a result. Can be used once every season.

Seasol– Seasol seaweed is a health tonic for both plants and soils. It will stimulate root growth, reduce transplant shock and assist plants with becoming resistant to heat and drought, as well as frost. Will also give better resistance to pests and diseases and can be used monthly on all plants, including natives.

Biochar– Biochar is a carbon rich charcoal created by the undergoing of pyrolysis and is highly beneficial in garden soils. It is very porous, so it can hold onto water and nutrients rather than them leaching away. It is perfect for improving sandy soils. It also improves aeration in the soil and helps reduce soil compaction. It can take many many years to break down so it is great for improving soil structure long term. Activate pure charcoal by mixing with compost, manure, worm juice or a fish liquid like Charlie Carp.

Munash Rockdust– A rock mineral fertiliser such as Rockdust is of great benefit as it adds 67 different minerals to your soil that have more than likely leached away over time. Rockdust also improves the flavour of fruit and vegetables, and there is no chance of burning plants or adding too much, plants will just take up the nutrients as they need it. This can be applied again in Autumn.

Lawns

New lawns can be sown in spring – sow seed with lawn starter fertiliser on raked soil. Using a lawn aerator tool will also assist with compacted soils. It is imperative that the newly sown seed is kept moist at all times to ensure germination and survival of the seedlings into mature grass.

Spring is also a great time to rejuvenate your lawn by using a weed and feed fertiliser. This feeds your lawn and kills broad-leaf weeds at the same time.

Hot Tips for Spring

Always keep an eye on soil moisture in your garden.
Check irrigation/set up automatic water systems before summer.
Planting hardy natives in spring will provide food, shelter and shade for our native fauna in summer (grevillea, callistemon, banksias etc).
Check your plants for bugs/diseases once a fortnight.
Spring is good time to repot indoor plants.
Feed your citrus.

Happy gardening!