November Jobs

November

[pic: hydrangea blue or pink]

Apply DroughtShield to tender shrubs and plants, like hydrangeas to help reduce sunburn, water loss and wilting on hot dry days.

Prepare the garden for summer. Check irrigation systems are running efficiently and clear any blockages. Make the most of every drop by scattering or watering in a soil wetter, like eco-hydrate or Ezi-Wet.

Prune wisterias back after flowering. Cut back hard, if required and feed with a complete fertiliser.

Encourage a profusion of blooms by feeding gardenias now with a fertiliser high in potassium. Black Marvel Rose & Flower Food or Thrive Natural Roses & Flowers are organic based, so help nourish the soil too.

Correct uneven surfaces in the lawn by topdressing with a suitable mix, typically an organic soil mixture made up of loam and sand. Ensure the tops of the lawn are still visible after dressing and water in well.

It’s time to sow sweet corn, melons, pumpkins, okra, beans (except the tropics), squash, carrots, eggplants and tomatoes. Keep an eye out for powdery mildew and spray with a suitable fungicide, like eco-fungicide, Lime Sulfur or copper-based treatments. Always check label before use and if in doubt, call our helpline.

Liven up the summer garden by potting up containers with colourful annuals and positioning them around the deck, patio or entertaining areas. Plant a single flower on mass (petunias, portulacas or impatiens always look great) or mix up the display by planting the ‘thriller, filler and spiller’ combo – a tall showy plant, a medium sized annual and a trailing plant.

Mulch beds thickly to help conserve moisture and suppress weeds. For any weeds growing near vegie beds, spray with Slasher, an organic weed killer.

Enjoy the sight and scent of star jasmine (Tracelospermum jasminoides) in full flower now. Lightly prune and feed after flowering and if you’re lucky, they may rebloom again.

Mow high and often to encourage healthy lawn growth. Mulch clippings and feed with a lawn fertiliser.