Autumn is a wonderful time to get out into the garden with cooler days making it a more pleasant experience and is also the key season for growing vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, lettuce, onion, peas, spinach and many more. As well as being the best time to plant spring flowers such as sweet pea, calendula cornflower and lots more.
To see the best results, follow these steps!
SOIL:
1. Prepare the soil, you can do this by turning the soil over, breaking up clumps and removing any weeds and wreckage as you go.
2. Plant a green manure crop, these are fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing plants. Which are grown specifically to be dug back into the soil a few weeks from planting to improve the quality and nutrition content of the soil. The best green manures are legumes, clovers, rye etc.
3. Improve the soil with compost, you can significantly improve your soil by adding compost or well-rotted manure before you plant your vegetables, however, ensure you do not over fertilise the soil.
PLANTING LONG MATURING VEGETABLES:
When planting long maturing vegetables make sure you are aware, they can take up to 16 weeks to reach maturity. If they are not ready to be harvested by the time the spring heat arrives, you may find yourself with beautiful plants but very little to harvest.
To see the greatest outcome plant these in greenhouses or pots and pellets. Grow them away from the hot summer heat, then once the weather cools down transplant them into your garden! Pots and pellets are the best options as it minimizes transplantation shock.
BRIGHTENING UP YOUR GARDEN!
If you are wanting to brighten up your garden this autumn, here are the most excellent flowers that you will need to plant. viola, pansies, lobelia, carnations, sweet peas, alyssum and calendula.
Preparing your lawn.
Early Autumn is the perfect time of year to make lawn improvements, by starting a new lawn from seed or rolls of turf. It is also significantly important to get lawn weeds under control to allow the lawn to have healthy green growth before the cold winter weather arrives.
Topping up Mulch.
It is a great idea to replenish the mulch that you may have applied over summer. Whilst the mulch does help keep the soil warm, more importantly, it helps to keep the temperatures even. It may seem as though activity in the garden over the cooler months has come to a standstill, however, there is a lot happening underground. Plants, bulbs, trees, and shrubs all have growing roots that rely and draw upon the soil nutrients. Therefore, reapplying mulch creates a balance and allows the plants to keep developing.
So what's stopping you? With the lovely cooler days ahead, enjoy this productive season in your patch of paradise!
At Ranges First National Real Estate, we currently have a large and varied range of properties with magnificent and productive gardens so don't forget to check out our sale listings or call our Agents on 03 9754 6111.