Autumn has arrived and if you have a green thumb you’ll want to know how to keep your garden in tip top condition.
Take cuttings
Autumn is the time of the year to take cuttings from your existing plants and start new plants. Hardwood herbs are great for this. Take a small cutting of around 10-12 cm with 2 – 3 nodes and strip the leaves from the bottom. If you don’t remove the lower leaves from the cutting these could be submerged when you plant the cutting and may cause rot.
You can dip the lower node into some rooting hormone (or even some honey) to promote root growth and then plant them in some potting mix. Ensure that the lowest node is below the surface of the potting mix and keep well watered and out or direct sun.
Hardwood plants such as rosemary strike well from cuttings planted in autumn.
Trim your hedges
Tidy up your garden borders by trimming hedges. This will spur on some new growth and help them stay healthy throughout the winter months.
When you cut do so with a little restraint, this isn’t like the trim that you would give them in spring. If you cut too much off the plant may suffer from cold nights and frost. This will reduce the growth and your ability to correct any damage when it comes time to trim again in spring.
Autumn is a good time to trim hedges but you don’t want to trim as much as you would in spring.
Give your lawn an autumn feed
Spread some autumn food around your lawn to prepare them for the cooler months ahead. It’s also a good time to do some weeding and aerate the lawn. The stronger your grass is the more likely it is to keep the weeds at bay.
With some good watering and fertilising your lawn should be in good shape for ANZAC Day. Making sure it in peak condition now will help it perform better in winter.
Gather up old lawn clippings and leaf material from your yard and transfer it to a compost bin. This will help your lawn to breathe and grow during autumn. Don’t forget to turn it once in a while to ensure a good mix of materials and to allow the air to circulate. This will help to feed the organisms inside and decompose the organic matter more quickly.
Removing leaf litter from the lawn in autumn will help it flourish at this time of the year.
Autumn is rose season
If you have roses, or want roses, now is the time. They will look amazing at this time of the year and bring a nice splash of colour to your garden. While most people associate roses with the traditional red varieties there’s many other options out there. Choosing a few different options can add some yellow, pink, white and a range of other hues to your garden to give it that special touch. Check out your local nursery and explore the different varieties available.
With many different varieties of rose available you’re not constrained to the traditional red flower.
With a little bit of care and effort you can ensure that your lawns and gardens look great throughout autumn and a in good shape to cope through winter. As it cools down towards the middle of the year we tend to spend a little more time inside around the fire but by the time summer arrives and you’re ready to enjoy the outdoors these tips will make sure your garden is ready.