Welcome To The October Garden Club Notes.
Spring is here, and we are currently in the typical spring cycle of fine sunny days broken up by cool, rainy, and windy days. While this is certainly wonderful weather for day-to-day activities it does throw a few challenges towards the garden.
Watering & Irrigation
Something to keep an eye on as the temperatures creep above 25 degrees is watering of the garden, in particular pots and hanging baskets. It is amazing how quickly the soil dries out on these mild days, especially if it gets a bit windy!
If you haven’t checked your irrigation system, get onto it as soon as possible and check your hoses and fittings for wear and tear. In our climate, garden hoses become brittle and crack more quickly and O rings on hose fittings do the same. Replacing any worn parts now will save you money and reduce frustration later as things go wrong and begin to leak.
Summer Vegetables & Flowers
The ground is warming up nicely making it ready to plant our summer vegetables and flowers. When looking to purchase veggie seedlings consider some of the Heirloom Range. These are varieties that tried and tested over many years and are almost guaranteed to reward you with some of the best-tasting vegetables you have ever grown; choose from tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and many more.
You will need to keep an eye out for pest’s diseases in the garden now too. I have noticed quite a lot of aphids on the roses in the last week and if we get a bit of warm moist weather, fungal problems like black spots will pop up too. Spray or dust as necessary always keeping in mind that natural predators like ladybirds are around too, and will also be targeted by most pesticides. There are “friendlier” natural alternatives available to purchase if you wish.
Indoor Plants
Another benefit of some warmer weather is the arrival of a wider range of indoor plants in-store, most of which hail from our tropical regions. It’s amazing how much difference a plant or two can make to the look and feel of a room, not to mention the benefits of them such as improving air quality. No matter your room size and lighting, be it residential or office space, we can always come up with a couple of plants to suit. Ask any of our qualified staff for advice and recommendations for your needs.
Lawn & Weeds
Now that lawns are starting to strongly grow and will need more regular mowing to spend a little time checking out your mower. Get it serviced or put on some new blades, you’ll be amazed how much cleaner the cut is with new sharp blades and the less damage to the grass as well. Feed your lawns if you haven’t already done so and keep on top of controlling any weeds. Spot spray if you only have a few or use one of the Weed and Feed options if you wish, just be sure to get the right one for your lawn type.
Mainly, just get out and enjoy your garden this month. It’s one of the most colourful times of the year with so many different plants flowering, so make the most of it!
For more inspiration feel free to head into your local Stratco store to view Stratco’s extensive range of plants, pottery, garden beds and other essential garden necessities to truly activate your green thumb this Spring.