Deal with pests and diseases in August – Sue McDougall
As the weather starts to warm up the gardens are coming to life; unfortunately so are the aphids. These small, sap sucking insects seek out gorgeous soft new growth, usually the prize rose shoots. There are many choices in controlling these small insects from simply squashing them and hosing off to spraying. There are soap-based sprays available at Better Pets and Gardens that are used by organic gardeners and readily controls these soft bodied insects safely.
The earliest of the ornamental flowering trees are budding and some are even showing colour. These small varieties of trees are ideally suited to Perth gardens as they are great for small spaces, are easy to control and shade hot areas. Flowering trees can be used to create dappled shade for tender plants. After they have finished flowering they can be trimmed back to encourage soft new growth and will develop flowering wood for the following season.
Deciduous fruit trees such as nectarines, peaches and apricots benefit from a copper based spray at this time of the year. This spray will clean up any unwanted fungal spores and benefit fruiting for the coming season. Spray when rain isn’t forecast for at least 24 hours.
For those who want to get a head start on the spring vegie garden, seeds of tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant and chillies can be sown this month. Sow in seed raising mix in shallow trays or egg cartons. Keep in a position that receives winter sun. Some of the days we experience in August are truly glorious and are ideal for germinating warm season vegies. The down side of glorious days at this time of the year is the night temperatures. Clear skies usually result in near freezing temperatures so cover tender seedlings or move to a warm position. When seedlings are strong enough to separate, plant into individual pots and nurture them until they are large enough to plant out and survive on their own. This usually happens early September.
A tip when growing vegies such as tomatoes, capsicum and chillies is to look at the thickness of the stem. A strong thick stem indicates a healthy robust plant. Avoid the use of quick release, high nitrogen fertilisers as these will encourage weak stems and the best green leaves you have ever seen. Instead, opt for a balanced organic based vegie fertiliser that will release over a period of time delivering enough nutrients for sustained growth.
Revamp potted plants this month, any that have been in the weather could be experiencing drainage problems. Turn them on their side and check drainage holes and unblock them if needed. Clay pots can be drilled at the base with a masonry drill bit to improve drainage. In long term pots, replace portions of the soil over the next few months by digging a trowel full of soil out and replacing with premium potting mix in different areas around the base of the plant.
Tip prune newly planted shrubs this month. Pluck growing tips out as needed. This causes the plant to branch out at a leaf node as the majority of plants have a dormant bud waiting to shoot at these nodes. As these new shoots grow pluck growing tips from these. It’s a great way of keeping plants actively growing and bushy without the daunting task of pruning large shrubs. Tip pruning is a practice that production nurseries use to encourage bushy strong plants when growing plants for sale in pots. It works, as we all select the bushiest potted plant when purchasing new shrubs for the garden.
Get on top of winter weeds this month before they start to set seed. There are many selective herbicides available and depending where the weeds are, depends on what can be used to control them. Avoid the use of chemicals around edible gardens, particularly leafy greens. Better Pets and Gardens has several options that are ideal for soft fleshy seedlings and for best results apply them when the sun is shining.
Written by Sue McDougall, a qualified horticulturalist and experienced garden centre owner who grew up in the WA wheatbelt and has had experience in gardening throughout the entire state. You may know Sue as the garden expert on 6PR radio and by her many TV appearances.
