Imagine; the delicate Spring sun dancing through new lime green leaves.
At times it might seem like a life away but get ready folks: it’s just around the corner. Whether you have a sprawling backyard or a cozy patio, these gardening tips will get you out in your garden and prepped for the vibrant Spring season ahead in Victoria.
Start by clearing away any dead leaves, weeds and debris that have gathered over winter. This helps prevent diseases and pests and provides a clean slate for new growth. Remember: compost what you can now to enrich your soil later!
2. Enrich Your Soil
Speaking of… healthy soil is crucial for a thriving garden. Add compost or well-rotted manure to your garden beds to improve soil structure and fertility. Here in the Macedon Range of Victoria we have predominantly clay soils, so you can come and speak to someone instore for the best strategy to tackle the clay. Don’t know your soil type? We can test your PH for free instore if you bring us a sample!
3. Supporting Role
Check your trellises, arbors and other garden structures for any damage and repair or replace them as needed. A sturdy trellis is essential for supporting voracious climbing plants like Jasmine, Wisteria, Hardenbergia and Clematis.
Also check your tools for signs of wear and tear. Sharpen your pruners and add a little oil to help give you that added support to make your spring pruning easier.
4. Your Spring Planting Plan!
Spring is the perfect time to plant a variety of flowers, vegetables, and herbs. In Victoria particularly, consider planting Snapdragons, Marigolds, Tomatoes and Basil once the frosts have passed. Don’t forget our native heroes too, your nectar brings all the birds to the yard.
5.Time For A Haircut
Pruning encourages healthy growth and helps shape your plants. Cut back any dead or damaged branches from trees and shrubs. For soon to flower plants, prune any dead buds to encourage new blooms and remove any spent flowers.
6. Bare Care
Spring is an ideal time to plant out bare-rooted trees. Before you do, soak the roots in a bucket of ‘plant starter’ and water for a couple of hours, to activate the root growth. This helps to rehydrate them and gives them a decent head start.
7. Mulch Needed
Applying mulch helps retain moisture, suppress weeds and add organic matter to the soil. Use organic mulch like bark chips, sugar cane or pea straw. In Victoria's varying climate, mulch also helps regulate soil temperature and protect plant roots.
8. A Nice Drop
If you’re time poor, setting up an irrigation system ensures your plants get consistently watered, which is crucial during the dry spells later in Summer. Drip irrigation is particularly effective, delivering water directly to the roots and reducing evaporation. You can even grab yourself a programmable timer, so you can set and forget!
9. Boost Your Buds
Spring is the perfect time to feed your plants, ideally a balanced fertilizer to give them a boost of nutrients. For vegetable gardens, use a fertilizer high in nitrogen to promote leafy growth and for flowering plants, one with higher phosphorus content to encourage blooms. We have many varieties available in the nursery, so come speak to the team for getting the best to help boost your buds.
10. Benefit In Bugs!
Encourage beneficial insects like bees and ladybugs to visit your garden. Planting flowers such as lavender, daisies and salvias, plus natives such as Grevilleas, Correa and Callistemons will attract these insects, which help with pollination, natural pest control and the preservation of our amazing little pals.......
Alright, there you have it! Everything you need to get your garden, Spring ready.
Goes without saying, but the team at Riddells Creek Nursery are here to chat through any and all #plantgoals you might have, so pop on in to soak up our knowledge and Spring sunshine!
- The RCN team