19/01/2015
Watering
New gardens need a good soaking every four or five days. Established trees and shrubs can get away with a fortnightly soaking.
Shallow rooted annuals and vegetables, and container plants need watering at least every second day while the weather is hot. Water in the evening or early morning; water loss by evaporation peaks in the hottest part of the day.
Morning watering is great for nutrient absorption as plants tend to be most active at sunrise. But if running late for work, leave watering until the end of the day – you don’t want to hurry it.
Frequent shallow watering promotes surface root growth, making plants more susceptible to drying out. It is better to water less often, taking time to soak the soil thoroughly.
Feeding
Flowering, fruiting or actively growing plants such as roses, subtropical plants, vegetables and flowering annuals will respond positively to a good feed. Well-fed, vigorously growing plants will shake off those warm weather pests and diseases more easily.
Apply controlled release fertiliser pellets and supplement with liquid fertiliser once a week. Winter fruiting plants such as feijoas, figs, and citrus will benefit from a feed in mid to late summer.
Deadheading and trimming
Removing spent blooms encourages more flowers and helps prevent disease. Cut just above a bud. Delay trimming those plants whose berries and seeds are a feature in late summer. Tidy up lanky growth on shrubs, climbers and perennials. Remove the tatty leaves from palms, grasses, and flaxes.
Ripe for picking
The more you pick, the longer tomatoes, beans, and zucchinis will keep fruiting. Aubergines and capsicums may need staking as fruit weights them down.
Cut down on hot weather diseases ( especially bothersome on tomatoes), by removing infected or overcrowded lower leaves. To reduce the humidity diseases thrive on, provide adequate space between plants and keep clear of weeds.
Avoid watering the foliage, but well- watered, well-fed plants are less susceptible to pest and diseases than thirsty malnourished ones. Mulch with compost to keep moisture in and weeds out.
