DOWN TO EARTH

Hello, I am writing this column only two days after the freak windstorm that caused so much damage in Helensburgh. I personally was absolutely devastated when a healthy and vigorous five year old West Australian flowering gum, that I have nurtured from a seedling, blew over, snapping a large supporting root. There was no saving it and I had to saw it up and put in the green bin. With the strength of the winds that afternoon I’m sure a lot of people would have lost or suffered damage to their garden plants. Depending on the size of the specimen, some can be rescued and re-established with the aid of stakes.
We seem to suffer extremes of weather in the Illawarra, especially in Helensburgh, as we are elevated around 200 metres above sea level. The lesson I have learned is not to let any plant, be it native or non-native, get too top heavy because, whether it is wind or rain or a combination of both, this makes it more vulnerable to blowing over. Anyway, I suppose one can always comfort oneself by purchasing a replacement plant, and in the case of natives, they are usually fast growers and will quickly fill up the gap left by any plants that have had to be removed.
Lawns: In the next few weeks your lawns will start showing signs of growth. That is the time, and not before, to top dress and fertilise. My Sir Walter has really suffered this winter and is looking pretty ordinary. I have had to resist the temptation to top dress because if I cover the grass up when it is not growing, then I will kill it. Wait until you see new growth before doing anything. Fertilise during the spring growth period with some organic lawn food such as Dynamic Lifter and then the following month with something inorganic such as Scotts Lawn Builder. If your buffalo lawn is spongy and shows signs of too much thatch, a good rake over to remove any dead material from the base of the grass is beneficial. It helps the grass to breathe and reduces pest and disease problems.
Vegies: Tomatoes and beans are good plants to start with early in the season, the bean seeds are large and easy to handle. They germinate quite quickly as the soil warms up. Tomatoes are easy to germinate. It is best to grow them in trays or individual seedling pots (depending on how many plants you want) and then transplant when about 6-10cm tall. Later in September sow your pumpkins, melons, etc.
Fertilise: Everything in the garden could do with a feed over the next few weeks. For natives, some slow-release fertilise with a touch of Dynamic Lifter or blood and bone would be a good idea, especially if you scrape the mulch away and apply the fertiliser and then cover up again. For the non-native species, some liquid fertiliser is good but needs to be applied ideally every two weeks. Much easier to apply a complete food in granular form that will last over the months ahead. Citrus can be fertilised now.
Pruning: Tidy up any straggly plants, especially after flowering (such as winter flowering natives) except spring flowering shrubs such as Ceanothus.
Lyn Johnson, Horticulturist