For avid gardeners in Perth, winter is far from a quiet and gloomy season. The weather between June and August in the city isn’t as extreme as in other places, so horticulturalists here can indulge in their hobby and enjoy the fruits of their labour year-round. But before you can look forward to winter blooms and harvests, you need to ensure that your garden is prepared properly. If you’re new to the hobby or to winter gardening, here are some of the things you need to do to make sure that your patch is ready:
Clean up your garden.
Before planning your garden, you need to do a thorough clean-up first. After your most recent harvest, look at the remaining plants. Specifically, take note of plants that are already done for the season and clean them up. Perennials should be pruned and fallen leaves should be raked away from the lawn. Doing these tasks not only tidies up the area and keeps the plants in tiptop form, it also lets the maximum amount of sunlight into the garden.
The resulting pruning and grass clipping can be turned into mulch or compost. You can also check out skip bin prices in Perth and rent a bin to instantly get rid of all the green waste generated by your garden.
Combat weed growth.
After cleaning up your garden, the next step is to pre-empt the growth of weeds that can hog water and nutrition and overtake the growth of your plants. The perfect time to take care of them is before the start of the winter season. Dig up the weeds, even the wilted ones, and promptly dispose of them by placing them inside a green waste bin. Don’t be tempted to place them in a heap on the ground after pulling them out; weeds can still find their way back to the soil and spread this way. You can also use weed killer sprayer to get rid of weed in your garden.
Pamper the lawn.
It’s also the best time to prepare the lawn and make sure that it’s ready for colder weather. Feed the grass with slow-release, winter-specific lawn fertiliser and apply hose-on stimulant to increase the soil’s bioactivity. Carry out the instructions of the product manufacturer to maximise its effectivity and reduce run-off, which can pollute waterways. Apply a bit of fertiliser at regular intervals to ensure consistent nutrition for your lawn.
Get plants that thrive in winter.
Tropical plants and roses stay dormant during winter, but the good news is that many flowering plants, fruits, vegetables, and root crops do well in the cool weather. Camellias shine in the colder months, as well as other shrubs like azaleas, lavender, and rosemary. You can also grow vegetables and root crops, such as cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, garlic, onions, and potatoes.
As a general rule, when planting root crops in autumn, the hole should be double the width and just a little bit deeper than the root. Water the spot before and after planting, add a bit of fertiliser, and blend compost into the hole. Also, when backfilling, make sure that the top of the root ball is no deeper than the top layer of the soil.
Think beyond the cold season.
Winter is also a great time to expand your options when it comes to flowering plants. Aside from plants that do well in the cold, you can also start planting bulbs that will blossom in time for spring. Species that are planted in autumn will grow twice as fast come the right season.
A little bit of forward planning goes a long way when it comes to winter gardening. Work hard ahead of time, and you can look forward to a blooming and fruitful garden once the season sets in.
