Pittwater Life February 2018 Issue

Garden Life
Garden Life
Jobs this Month
February
Days of extreme heat
followed by thunder,
lightning, hail and wind
don’t make life easy for our
gardens! Sunburn and wind
damage look terrible, but wait
until the very hot days are over
before you trim back foliage,
as you will expose new growth
to more sunburn. Also, let your
lawn grow a little longer than
usual in the hot weather. This
will keep the roots cooler and
hold the moisture better. Also,
check gutters for leaves after
the windy days. Keep them
clear. Blocked gutters are a
danger during bushfire season.
Tree-mendous
myrtle
Crepe Myrtles are in full flower;
if you want to plant one this is
the month to see all the colours:
lilac, pink, dark pink or white.
Crepe myrtles make excellent
street trees because they
respond well to being pruned
and their size can easily be controlled.
Some are flowering very
late and some are not flowering
well. I believe that this is caused
by the very dry winter.
Care for roses
Lightly prune roses, removing
any old flowers, and feed the
plants with Sudden Impact
for Roses for a new flush of
flowers as the weather cools.
Spray with Eco Fungicide to
prevent blackspot. Fuchsias
have suffered in the heat but
will soon bounce back if you
trim them and water them
with a liquid fertiliser.
Orchids spiking
As the days cool bring your
cymbidium orchids into a
sunny position. They will be
starting to form their flower
spikes now. Feed them with
Strike Back for Orchids.
Feed citrus
Citrus should be fed this
month but as the new shoots
appear look out for leaf miner
and aphids on the tips. Spray
weekly while the weather
stays warm with Eco Oil. Spray
either early in the morning or
in the evening – never spray
if the temperature is over 30
degrees.
Buy bulbs
Spring bulbs are on the bulb
stands and bulb catalogues
are available online. Make
your choice as soon as possible
to avoid disappointment
but wait until the end of March
to plant them.
Switch vegies
There is still time to plant a
last crop of tomatoes, beans
and zucchini, carrots – but
remember to leave room for
winter crops of beans, broccolini,
cauliflower, onions, carrots,
parsnips and lettuce.
Get digging!
The holidays are over and it
is time to work in the garden.
Digging and getting dirty is
part of a gardener’s life! Pull
out flowers and veggies that
have finished and replenish the
soil with compost or cow manure,
to be ready for autumn
planting. Dig the garden well,
turning the soil. Add a wetting
agent to allow the water to
soak in. The rain has been
heavy but a few centimetres
down the earth is dry. If you
can, resist the temptation to
Graft a gum
If you love the birds, plant
a grafted dwarf flowering
gum. You will get
birds, bees for the garden
and huge gum nuts for
Christmas decorations.
The flowers can be cream,
pale pink, hot pink, dark
pink, orange or scarlet.
Don’t ‘hedge’ bets
Don’t be tempted to trim
sasanqua hedges now, even if
they need it – the shrubs are
already setting their buds for
Autumn blooms. If you trim
them now you will lose your
flowers. Feed Camellias and
Sasanquas with Kahoona. This
is the last time before Spring.
Mite be trouble
Look out for red spider mite
on azaleas. You can control
these mites with Yates Rose
Gun or Natrasoap. Spray under
the leaves as well as on top
until the solution runs off.
Crossword solution from page 69
replant for a couple of weeks.
Mystery location: LONG BEACH
72 FEBRUARY 2018
The Local Voice Since 1991