In The Garden with Brownie
I know it doesn’t feel like it yet, but trust me, winter is on the way.
It’s not only us fragile humans who feel the effects of the cooler weather; our gardens do as well. Queensland winters generally mean lower temperatures and lower rainfall. It’s better than what the southern parts of the country receive, which is cold, wet winters that wreak havoc on gardens.
So for us, our garden plants don’t stop growing through winter – they may slow down, but they don’t stop. This means that they still need the basics for survival in sufficient supplies – that is water, sunlight, nutrients, soil, air, and warmth (or protection from cold).
Some plants are designed to flourish in these conditions, such as Camellia, Poinsettia, and flowering succulents. But most will slow down their metabolic processes in response to the lower light, water, and warmth. So, to help your garden through the winter, there are a few basic things you can do:
- Mulch the soil: This keeps the ground warmer around the roots and conserves moisture from the drying winter winds.
- Water once a week: If you’ve mulched, once a week will be fine – veggie gardens will need water three times a week. Water and mulch will also keep the soil microorganisms happy, meaning that you’ll have healthier soil too.
- Fertilise less: Slower-growing plants need fewer nutrients, so don’t over-fertilise. Also, use a fertiliser with less nitrogen and slightly more potassium.
- Move potted plants: Smaller pots can easily be moved to a spot that receives more light. It’s a good idea to have larger pots either on wheels or use an upright trolley to give them a holiday in a sunnier place.
- Fork the ground: Use your garden fork to aerate the soil, allowing oxygen to reach the plant roots and improving water penetration.
- Protect sensitive plants: If you experience frosts or have specific cold-sensitive plants, it may be a good idea to protect them with a shadecloth cover. Build a frame so you can easily throw the cloth over when very cold nights are predicted, and take it off in the morning. Also, watch out for those drying westerly winds we get in July and August.
- Prune in June: It’s time to prune things like Roses, Crepe Myrtle, Plumbago, Frangipani, and Copperleaf (or Acalypha). Definitely don’t prune your spring-flowering shrubs – such as Azalea, Brunsfelsia, Jasmine, Viburnum, and Rondeletia (if you don’t have one or two of these, you should – they’re colourful, hardy, and have old-world charm).
Just doing these basics will have your garden purring through the winter months and ready to kick off again next spring.
