Spring is here, or so we hope, and it’s time to give your garden some much-needed care. If you haven’t already, cut all the ornamental grasses, roses, salvia and any plectranthus now. There’s nothing worse than having woody and tall plants as we enter next winter! I would cut above the second lowest shoot so that the plants don’t stress too much.
After all these winter rains, the soil has been leached of its nutrients, and it is good practice to add nutrients back in. Our spring feeding schedule consists of spreading copious amounts of eco pellets throughout the garden, followed by a generous supply of compost, as it retains moisture rather well and assists in creating a mass of microorganism activity, essential to your plants’ survival. A good fertilizing schedule also means less pests, so it is of massive benefit to your garden.
Unfortunately, the ground temperature is still too cold to fertilize our lawns, this should be done in November, but as soon as temperatures reach above 20 degrees consecutively, I would start fertilizing, followed by lawn dressing. Don't worry if your lawn is still a little spongy after winter, the new growth will use the carbohydrates within the lawn layer to grow, and if it doesn't, a scarification (mowing very low to remove the thatch build-up), fixes it quickly.
Remember, healthy soil equals healthy plants, which in turn means a beautiful garden.
Contributed by: Adrian Geary
Enrich Garden Design