1. COVER THOSE WEEDS Bare soil is an invitation for weeds to grow. Plant easy growing perennials such as Easter daisies and brachyscombe daisy to smother the soil. In coastal gardens, try Carpobrotus rossii 'Pink Passion’, that will spread to 3m with large bright pink daisy flower.
2. PROTECT THE LAWN Lawn care is essential in summer. Lift mower blades when mowing the lawn. A longer blade of grass creates a larger shadow and shades the lawns root system reducing evaporation and the temperature of the soil. If you spot black beetles and lawn grubs, treat your lawn with Richgro's Lawn Beetle and Grub Killa. Organic controls for visible lawn grubs include OCP's eco-neem.
3. WATER WISELY Apply a soil wetter (we like Richgro's Ezi-Wet) to the whole garden if your soil is repelling water. This wetting agent can beused for pots, lawns, gardens and edibles. It encourages deeper root growth, assists water penetration, improves efficiency of fertilisers and reduces water run-of.
4. KEEP ON PLANTING In the vegetable garden, top up mulch (we use Neutrog's WhoFlungDung) and water early each morning. Keep planting sweetcorn, capsicum, chilli, beetroot, eggplant, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini and cucumber.
5. MULCH LIKE MAD Mulch, mulch and more mulch! Don’t leave a square centimetre of bare soil exposed. Mulch protects delicate roots from extreme heat, retains soil moisture, and reduces watering needs. Also, apply mulch to the soil surface of your pots.
TYLER’S TIP
Before planting out, apply a diluted seaweed solution or soil probiotic to boost soil health and stimulate microbial activity. Watch your plants thrive!