Once wisteria has flowered, it grows very quickly. Prune the vigorous new growth back to 5 to 6 buds from the older wood. This will encourage the plant to put its energy into next year’s flowering.
Thin developing fruit on stone fruit trees (peach, plum, apricot, nectarine) to ensure larger, well- formed crops. When fruit reaches 10-cent size, use your fingers or secateurs to thin out smaller, damaged or poorly positioned fruit, leaving one per cluster, spaced 15 to 20cm apart. Keep feeding and watering for best results.
Poppies, Ranunculus, anemones and sweet peas should all be in full bloom. To keep the display going and encourage stronger, longer-lasting flowers, feed every two weeks with a liquid fertiliser high in potassium, such as Neutrog’s Strike Back for Orchids.
Now's the time to take softwood cuttings from hydrangeas. Snip a fresh green stem about 15cm long, remove the lower foliage and keep just one pair of leaves at the top. Dip the cut end in honey or rooting hormone, then insert the cuttings around the edge of a pot filled with moist propagation mix. Water well, and keep in a bright, sheltered spot out of direct sun.
Dahlias are perfect for vibrant summer blooms and make great cut flowers. Plant tubers, which resemble sweet potatoes, in October or November in a sunny spot with enriched soil. Stake the tubers at planting time to support their growth. Protect new shoots from slugs with organic bait like OCP’s eco-Shield. Pinch out the growing tip when the plant reaches 20 to 30cm to encourage branching and more blooms.
Clumping pernnials such as banana, aloe vera, ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic chives, sugar cane and galangal can be lifted, divided and replanted into enriched soil.
Peonies bloom in late spring. Itoh varieties suit warm gardens, while herbaceous and tree peonies thrive in cooler gardens. They’re heavy feeders, so fertilise regularly with rose fertiliser, blood and bone, and potash, except in summer when they’re dormant. Feed them on Anzac Day (April 25), the winter solstice (with garden lime), and Melbourne Cup Day (November).
Before the summer heat sets in, give your garden a head start with mulch. Mulch helps suppress weeds, retain soil moisture, and buffer plant roots from heat stress during hot weather. Start by removing any weeds around your plants and applying a pelletised fertiliser. Then water deeply with a soil probiotic to introduce beneficial microbes and support soil and root health. Finish by spreading a 25 to 100mm layer of organic mulch.
For a refreshing summer treat, homegrown watermelon is hard to beat. These vines thrive in a sunny spot with well-drained soil enriched with compost, manure and organic fertiliser. Start by sowing seeds in small pots in a warm location, like a north-facing wall or on top of a water heater in cooler climates. Transplant seedlings once the soil warms up, keeping them well fed and watered. Compact varieties like ‘Sugar Baby’ from Mr Fothergill’s are perfect for smaller spaces. They grow quickly, they produce 15 to 20cm fruit with few seeds, and can be trained up a trellis to maximise space in small gardens.
Climbing roses are pruned after flowering, not in winter as with bush roses. Wear long gloves and start by removing older canes at the base to make room for new shoots. This yearly renewal encourages a healthy, vigorous plant. Next, prune lateral branches back to the main framework to tidy and shape the rose. After pruning, apply a specialised rose fertiliser to support strong growth and future flowering. This yearly renewal encourages a healthy, vigorous plant.