The end is nigh! Of winter, that is. But don’t confuse winter with downtime – there’s plenty of jobs and things to consider in preparing a garden for spring.
- Now is really the time to do your winter pruning. Daylight hours have already started to lengthen and temperatures will begin to creep up very soon, so plants will start to wake up and respond to pruning much faster now. Prune back your hydrangeas: cut back any stems that flowered this past summer by about two-thirds, but leave or only lightly tip-prune any stems that did not flower, as these will be the main flowering stems this coming summer. Other deciduous shrubs are also ready for pruning!
- It’s also a great time to amend your soil, for the plants that will benefit from it, because things have died down or been pruned and it’s a lot easier to walk around the garden! If you’re on a typical sandy Sydney soil, a light top dressing of compost will steadily improve nutrient and water capacity in the soil, which is particularly good for exotic garden plants, although many native species will also enjoy it. The same can also (slowly) help to loosen clay soils, as long as the soil is not already starved of oxygen, by encouraging worms and microbes to the surface. Once you’ve gently raked in the compost, finish with a good cover of chunky mulch that will last you at least until the next winter!
- It’s been several years of normal to high rainfall in Sydney, but meteorologists are predicting a new El Nino event in the coming year. This weather pattern is associated with hotter and drier conditions. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to review the plant selection and watering regime in your garden. Drought hardiness is always a worthwhile factor when choosing plants, but there’s a big difference between plants that can survive a drought, and plants that perform well in drought. Waterwise irrigation such as timed driplines can also be a big benefit in some gardens, especially if water restrictions return.
OUTHOUSE offers in-person consultations with qualified horticulturalists to help you get the most value out of your landscape. We can provide verbal advice, planting plans or a full landscape design. Get in touch with us to discuss your needs.
View past tips for August here!
