It’s certainly been an eventful start to Autumn with ex-cyclone Alfred bringing intense rain, wind, and flooding to the area.

While the cleanup around Brisbane continues, gardens are resilient and will be back to their former glory in no time at all. Join the Capalaba Produce team as we share our tips to help to heal your gardens after the storms.

Begin by clearing out, any fallen branches, leaves and other debris from the garden. It is also a good idea to clear away soil and mulch that has built up around your plants to increase airflow and reduce the likely hood of fungal problems. 

Heavy rain can wash nutrients away in the soil. To help restore nutrients into your soil we recommend adding compost to your soil and garden beds. Also apply a generous amount of fertiliser such as Searles 5 in 1 Organic Fertiliser to garden beds to replenish the nutrients and goodness that has been washed away. Adding dolomite is a fantastic way to help raise the PH levels in your soil, one cup of dolomite per square metre is a good measurement to work with.

Storms and heavy rain can also compact your soil so aerate the soil by loosening it with a gardening fork.

Heavy rain can strip nutrients from the soil, so restore them by adding a fertiliser to help rebalance your soil, the range from Earth Life has a product to suit all gardens.

If your lawn has been waterlogged over the last few weeks, aerating will help improve the drainage. Dispose of any debris and apply a light lawn fertliser to encourage new growth in your lawn. Avoid heavy mowing until your lawn has recovered. 

A good layer of mulch will help retain the moisture that’s been gained and help restore the natural balance of organic matter. Now is the time to top up and replace lost material, we recommend using sugar cane mulch as it will break down and continue to add nutrients to your soil over time. 

With the strong winds we’ve experience over the last seven days, there will be some casualties in the garden. some plants may be beyond saving. Autumn is a perfect time for adding new plants into your garden and the nursery at Capalaba Produce is full of beautiful plants to replace the ones that have been damaged through the storm.

Storms can disrupt and displace local wildlife, if you miss the sights of wildlife in your garden be sure to provide a water source and fill your garden with native plants to attract pollinators back into your garden. 

By following our tips, your garden will return to life and the glory of nature will be on display. As always, if you have any questions about restoring your garden be sure to come in and talk to the knowledgeable team at Capalaba Produce.