APRIL

April in the garden and we have had some rain, the garden has revived after the summer heat, the mornings are becoming crisp and wonderful autumn colours are emerging, what a great time to get out in the garden and plan some changes, plant evergreen trees and shrubs and prepare the garden for winter and bare root plantings.
Autumn is a great time to tidy up the garden, reinvigorate a tired lawn, empty compost bins, and use all that garden refuse and abundant autumn leaves to start another batch for spring planting.
 
In the vegetable patch plant seedlings of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beetroot, leeks, lettuce and spinach, sow seeds of broad beans, climbing and dwarf peas, kohl rabi and turnips.
Keep these growing strongly with fortnightly applications of liquid manure to ensure maximum growth before the shorter days and colder temperatures of winter.
Watch for slugs and snails which attack your tender seedlings at this time of the year, a quick patrol in the garden after dark with a torch is an excellent way of disposing of these pests.
Snail pellets are effective but choose an environmentally friendly variety which will not harm pets and wildlife.
If you haven’t already done so plant a green manure crop such as broad beans, peas, or lupins.
Dig this into the garden in late winter or early spring and you will astounded at the difference it will make to your soil.
Harvest pumpkins with the stalk intact if you wish to store them as this will prevent spores entering and rotting your long keeping pumpkins.
Remove spent vegetable stalks and vines to the compost heap.
Dig in compost and cover beds with mulch if you do not intend to plant them up immediately, this prevents weed infestation and loss of nutrients.

In the ornamental garden trim back tired summer foliage on hellebores, lavenders and daisies.
Plant late winter and spring flowering annuals, pansies, primula, cornflower, hollyhock, cineraria, sweet peas, nigella and ageratum.
Perennials such as scabiosa, wallflower, aquilegia, carnation and dianthus will establish well if planted now.
Overgrown and “woody” perennials will benefit from lifting, dividing and replanting now, it is a good way to increase your plants and promote flowering. 
Plant spring flowering bulbs in attractive pots to brighten doorways and patios in early spring.
Now is a perfect time to move any plants you wish to relocate and to plant new evergreen trees and shrubs. They will have time to settle in and establish strong root systems before next summer.
For a tidy appearance over winter clip box and other hedges .
Now is an excellent time to establish a hedge and once again good soil preparation is the key to success.
 Dig the strip to be planted and eradicate any perennial weeds.
Add some compost or well rotted manure and a balanced fertilizer. If the site is prone to drying out in summer add some water storing crystals.
 Planting should be based on the eventual size and spread of the shrub and can be formal or informal. If a formal appearance is required choose a species that will withstand regular clipping.
 
To rejuvenate a lawn which is looking tired push the prongs of a garden fork into the soil at regular intervals then fertilize with blood and bone. Top dress with a layer of compost or sandy loam, using the back of a rake to rub it into the grass.


In the home orchard remove all diseased and  mummified fruit from trees and the ground beneath.
Remove any weeds which have grown under fruit trees, they will rob your trees of nutrients and moisture. Mulch well to prevent reinfestation.
Spray Bordeaux on peaches and nectarines for leaf curl.
Prepare soil for bare root planting of new fruit trees in winter, dig in some compost and well rotted manure, mulch to conserve nutrients and moisture.

For those with limited space the new dwarf form of the Meyer lemon “Lot’s A’Lemons” has sweet scented white flowers, an abundance of full sized fruit and grows well in either pots or garden. 

If you are planning on planting fruit trees, a new garden, a rose garden or deciduous plantings, bare root season is only 10-12 weeks away.
We are happy to take orders and discuss your needs with you.
If you would like to download either bare rooted and/or tubestock catalogues please click here and select as you please.

In the native garden autumn is a perfect time to plant, this allows time for natives to become well established before the heat of summer is upon us again.
Shrubs to plant include callistemon, melaleuca, hakea, grevillea, correa and larger acacias and eucalypts.

Deciduous trees are putting on a magnificent autumn display, with so many beautiful trees now available to choose from there is a tree for every garden whether large or small.
For red/pink foliage the Lipstick maple Acer rubrum “October Glory” grows to 12m high, has green leaves on red leaf stalks and colours to a deep pink/red in autumn.
The well loved Claret ash, Fraxinus angustifolia “Raywood” has dark green foliage in spring and summer and deep red autumn colour. It likes a fertile soil and some summer watering and like the Lipstick maple tolerates warmer areas.
Acer platanoides the Norway maple is one for the larger garden growing to 25m it has large leaves which turn red, orange and yellow tones in autumn.
Also for the larger garden the Scarlet oak Quercus coccinea grows to 24m and lives up to its name with a brilliant scarlet display.
The Golden elm Ulmus procera and the Tulip tree, Lirodendron tulipifera, both put on glowing golden foliage in autumn.
A tree for the smaller garden, the “Forest Pansy” Cercis Canadensis is a beauty, it has heart shaped purple leaves `which turn red in autumn. In spring it produces an abundance of rose/pink flowers. Height is about 3.5m.
Often overlooked, the Crabapples, (Malus) proved themselves to be tough and hardy during the recent drought, copper and orange foliage in autumn is followed by a beautiful display of blossom in spring and attractive small fruit in summer.
The many varieties of ornamental pear (Pyrus) are also tough and undemanding plants which have low water needs once established. Foliage is red and purple in autumn and heights vary from 4-10m depending on the variety.
The Crepe Myrtle, Lagerstroemia`indica is very popular for the wonderful  display of flowers in shades of pink, rose pinks and deep mauves which blend so well with the other colours in the summer garden and is a blaze if colour again in  autumn when it produces glowing shades of red and orange. Height is 4m.
These are just a few of the many beautiful trees available and we are always happy to help you choose the most suitable tree for your needs.
A well placed deciduous  tree can protect our homes from the fierce heat of summer, and allow sunlight to penetrate and warm us  in winter.

Well that’s it for this month; enjoy the autumn sunshine and the rain.

Happy gardening

Marg and the Team at Meredith Nursery.  

Compost

Reasons for making Compost.
Sustainable gardening seeks to provide the best conditions for optimum plant health with the smallest possible impact on the environment.
The plants in our gardens need a constant supply of nutrients in order to grow and provide us with a pleasant environment in which to live, or nutritious food to eat.
 
One of the cheapest and most environmentally sound ways of achieving this is by recycling household and garden waste to make compost.
When we set out to do this we are decreasing the amount of waste we send to council tips and landfill and fertilizing our gardens at the same time.
Compost is a balanced way of enriching and improving the health of your soil and encouraging the growth of strong, healthy, disease resistant plants.
 
What is Compost.
Compost is quite simply a method of speeding up the process which nature uses to make humus on the forest floor, where the constant renewal of the leaf layer and the shade created by the forest canopy, provides the moist conditions required by the microorganisms necessary for the breakdown of organic matter.
 Decomposition is the result of digestion and redigestion by a complex ecology of microorganisms, insects and worms which require both air and moisture to transform crude vegetation into humus.
Humus is a very important form of decomposed organic matter, a complex mixture of substances and the last stage of the decomposition of organic matter. The soil chemistry of humus varies according to the types of organic matter, the soil organisms involved and the environmental conditions involved in humification. Brown or black in colour it has a light crumbly texture when dry, holds several times its own weight in water when wet and has a fresh “earthy” smell.

Temperature fluctuations in the soil are relatively small compared to atmospheric changes and the soil animals are rapidly killed by dry conditions.
Mulching in summer gives protection to soil life and improves the viability of soil.
Most soil animals are oxygen breathers and cannot live in poorly drained and compacted soil. 

Making Compost.
Compost can be made in heaps, wooden bins, plastic bins or compost tumblers, much depends on your proximity to neighbours, the size of your garden and the amount of compost you require.
Compost can be made aerobically (with air) or anaerobically (without air).
The most popular method of making compost is aerobic.
Keep pets away, pets and compost don’t mix.
Don’t add perennial weeds or seeds, or plant residue which is diseased.
Meat and bones become smelly and attract flies and rodents.
Glossy paper has chemicals in it and is best avoided, newspaper, shredded or torn is fine.
Worms dislike onions and garlic.

Materials for Compost.
Most average households accumulate enough organic materials to make sufficient compost to supply garden needs.
The most important factor is to balance the ingredients in your heap, that is the carbon/nitrogen ratio.
High carbon materials are the dry, woody materials and the high nitrogen materials are wet and green.
The microbes in your compost heap need a ratio of about 30 carbon to 1 nitrogen in order make body mass and multiply.

A word about some common materials...

Weeds… when green provide nitrogen
Banana skins…rich in phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen
Leaves…low in nitrogen, rich in minerals, slow to decompose unless shredded or ground with a lawnmower.
Hair… high in nitrogen, feathers have similar qualities.
Dust from the vacuum cleaner
Grass clippings…high in nitrogen, need to be mixed with leaves or straw.
Kitchen garbage facilitates the decomposition of other materials.
Animal manure…fresh manure contains large amounts of active digestive enzymes and cellulose decomposing bacteria, which speed up heating and decomposition.                        
Blood and bone…high in nitrogen, speeds up decomposition
Lime or Dolomite…prevents odours, can speed the decomposition process. Azobacteria, that fix nitrogen in the compost are dependant on the availability of calcium.
Calcium is an important soil nutrient essential to the formation of plant and animal protein, however if your soil is very alkaline then it is not necessary to add lime or dolomite to your compost. 
Lucerne hay… lucerne is a perennial legume which draws on subsoil minerals.
Pea straw, hay and straw….nitrogen and carbon.
Coffee grounds…nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, attract worms and prevent odour.

Building the Heap.
Materials available for compost will vary in most backyard situations however it is important to remember the nitrogen/carbon balance if you wish to produce good compost.
The smaller the particles in your heap the quicker the decomposition, you can use a lawn mower to chop your materials or use a garden mulcher.
You can still make compost without these gadgets it will just take a little longer!
The correct  moisture level in your heap is very important, too wet and you will have foul odours and a slimy heap, too dry and bacteria and fungi die, and decomposition will come to a halt.
Compost with the correct amount of moisture should feel very damp when squeezed but you should not be able to extract much moisture.
Turning the heap regularly supplies oxygen for the aerobic bacteria and hastens decomposition, the outer layers are distributed through the heap, the materials which have slumped and softened are fluffed up and recharged with air.
 If you cannot turn your compost do not despair you can still make compost without turning your heap it will just happen more slowly.
If your pile has dried out turning and watering the layers will start the process of decomposition again.
It is important to cover and  protect your heap from heavy rain. A wet slimy heap quickly becomes airless and chilled and valuable nutrients can leach away.
The addition of carbon materials throughout the heap will ensure the even distribution of moisture and get your heap going again.

The best size for your compost heap is 1.5m wide and 1.5m long and at least 1.5m high. Smaller heaps will not heat up as well with the exception of the compost tumbler which is a rotating drum that can be turned frequently thus improving aeration and speeding up the process of decomposition.
It is best for making small “one off” batches.
Probably the best method is to have at least two bins one filled and heating and another gathering material ready for building.
Plastic compost bins while not very large are best suited to people in urban situations, however decomposition can take a long time if the C/N ratio is not correct, or material comprises large resistant material like stalks and prunings.
Heaps should be open at the base to enable worms and other soil life into your heap.
Place some large stalks at the base to ensure airflow build your heap in layers using your high nitrogen and carbon materials and moisten between additions if your material is too dry.
Finished compost can be applied directly to the soil, be sure to cover with mulch to protect your valuable humus.

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