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Vegetables
- Make sure the garden is ready to be planted by adding compost and peat.
- Sprouted potatoes can be planted out later this month once the ground temperature has warmed up. Plant out Cabbages, Cauliflower, Broccoli.
- Make sure to put Slug bait down - if you have animals in your home use Quash.
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Lawn Care
- Start fertilising the lawn, making sure to water well if using a general lawn fertiliser and treat for Moss by using Iron Sulphate.
- Keep an eye out for puddle spots and plan to put in some irrigation in the warmer months.
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Fruit / Edibles
- A variety of Fruit Trees and Roses are still available in most Garden Centres. Did you know there's some cute little Dwarf Peach and Nectarine Trees available these days? They are perfect for smaller gardens as they only grow to a width and height of 1.5 metres. They can be grown in a tub and hardly require any pruning and you get just the right amount of fruit.
- Finish pruning Roses & deciduous trees. Apply a dressing of Rose Food to establish Rose plants. Water in well. At bud burst spray Peaches, Nectarines, and Plums with Copper to avoid leaf curl and Bladder Plum.
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Indoor Gardening
- Don't forget to feed your indoor plants because they are still growing. Take caution not to over water them though.
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Trees & Flowers
- Gladioli, Dahlias, and Peonies are all available this month and should be planted out once the soil has drained sufficiently and the ground is able to be dug over.
- Look out for Camellias "Sugar & Spice" and "Rossetta" later this month. They have wonderful fragrances.
- Sow seeds of Begonias, Gloxinias, Delphinium, Lobelia, Marigold, Pansy, Phlox, Statice, Snapdragon, and Stock. Sow seeds under shelter or in colder areas, under glass. Use Seeds Raising Mix for best results.
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General Gardening
- If some leaves on your plants are turning yellow it is because they need Iron, Magnesium or Zinc. Feed with Nitrosol liquid fertiliser or Complete Plant Food until the plant recovers.
- Think about the hot Summer approaching (hopefully) and consider putting in a watering system to get maximum use and least water wastage during the Summer months. Dahlias, gladioli, and peonies are also coming in this month and can be planted from now until September.
- Feed your Annuals with a liquid fertiliser to give them a boost. Remember to take off spent flowers to prolong and encourage longer flowering.
- Prune your grape vine now the weather is at its coolest.
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Organic Gardening
- Organic Sheep Pellets are made from pelletised sheep manure and wool waste. As well as being a gentle source of nutrients, the pellets make an excellent soil conditioner. They improve moisture retention and, like most other organic matter, they help to aerate the soil.
- Turn over your compost now and add some moisture if the pile is dry. Cover with plastic or pea straw to maintain the heat.
- Rake up the least of the winter leaves and place in large rubbish bags, sprinkle with water and leave to rot. Next season you will have a wonderful composted leaf mulch.
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Container Gardening
- Complete rose pruning this month. Pruning removes unproductive wood and thin, soft stems while controlling the size and shape of plants.
- Prune just above a strong bud, preferable one pointing outwards.
- Standard roses should be pruned to about 25cm above the main stem and bush roses can be cut back about two-thirds, leaving 3-4 buds on each branch. Climbers can go back leaving 5-6 strong canes.
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Plant Care / Spraying
- Spray stone fruit trees with Champion Copper and Guardall when buds start to swell to control leaf curl, Bladder Plum, Aphids, Thrips and Mites.
- Use Guardall or Shield on Shrubs, trees and roses if Aphids or powdery Mildew are a problem.
- We are seeing more moss, mildew, algae, slime and liverwort around the section these days. There is a very effective method for controlling moss which is also very safe to use. It is called "Surrender". Use a good strong spray, not a mist, and it will leave a residue that will prevent re-infestation for weeks or even months. Surrender is also excellent for cleaning up algae in outdoor ponds but only 1ml per 100 litres of water as too much can result in fish losses.
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