Your checklist for Autumn!
Welcome March and the beginning of Autumn! The cracking of popping seed pods has been a common sound that fill have those warm summer evenings. This is nature preparing for an abundant future as the next generation of plants explode out of their pods and capsules and make their way to the warm earth. The warmth of the baking summer sun is retained as the mulch of Autumn leaves begins to fall to form the perfect places of for germination as the Autumn rains arrive. Autumn is nature’s time for planting.
Garden jobs for March:
- Continue to harvest as summer fruits and vegetables mature.
- As crops finish, prepare garden beds for planting once the Autumn rains arrive by adding compost and mulch.
- Consider some crop rotation to give your garden beds a break and rejuvenate the soil. Plant a Green Mature Crop for a season to give back some much needed nutrients.
- Autumn is time to plant spring flowering bulbs. These are beginning to arrive at garden centres now.
- For areas with a lower ph – Add lime to lawns and garden beds to be washed in and to sweeten the soil. Note: do not use lime where acid loving plants such as Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Pieris or Daphne are grown.
- Feed Citrus trees and continue to water well until good soaking rains arrive.
- Control pear and cherry slug – ask your garden centre expert about the best solutions.
- Watch for caterpillars attacking leafy crops in the veggie garden. Once again, we will have an answer.
- As Autumn rain begin to arrive, fertilise lawns to help to recover from the stress of summer
- Sweet peas are very colourful and very popular. Now is the time to sow. Tall, medium or dwarf sweet peas all share the same desire for sun and good drainage.
- Prune back roses for an abundant Autumn show.
- Feed cymbidium orchids now to encourage flower spikes and larger flowers.
- New season’s Cyclamen, Primulas, Polyanthus, Violas, Dianthus and Pansies are beginning to arrive ready for autumn planting
- Autumn is the perfect time for planting natives and advanced trees.
What to grow in March:
Flowers:
- Alyssum
- Calendula
- Cineraria
- Dianthus
- Nemesia
- Pansy
- Snapdragon
- Virginian Stock
- Violas
- Sweet Pea