VISIT THE NURSERY

Winter in the garden is never boring ,with so many tasks to be done, bare root planting, pruning and enjoying the crisp mornings and evenings.
It is a great time to reorganise the garden, plant a new`rose, an ornamental tree, fruit tree, or berries.
Now is a good time to construct retaining walls or paths and to organize drainage pipes or irrigation systems for summer.
Make sure pruning tools are sharp and in good working order and invest in strong gloves before you tackle the roses.
Enjoy the special fragrances in the winter garden and the delicate beauty of winter flowers.

In the vegetable patch continue to foliar fertilize on a fortnightly basis to keep plants growing during the shortest coldest days of winter.
Plant broad beans and early peas and seedlings of broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.

Start to harvest late summer plantings of broccoli and cauliflower, leave broccoli plants and they will provide you with a second smaller harvest.

Plant long keeping onions now, also chives, shallots and tree onions.
If you have not planted garlic yet there is still time for a quick planting.
Plant asparagus crowns, strawberries, rhubarb, Jerusalem artichokes and globe artichokes.
Start preparing beds for spring planting, dig in green manure and sheep manure ready for corn and tomatoes in spring.
Growing vegetables and fruits has become increasingly popular as more people have concerns about the origins of their food  and the huge expenses and energy costs involved in production and transportation.
 A large quantity of fresh nutritious food can be harvested from quite a small plot, or even from pots in a sunny courtyard.

In the ornamental garden trim away old leaves on hellebores to allow new growth to emerge and to reveal beautiful winter blooms, early jonquils and daffodils are starting to flower as well as fragrant violets, cheiranthus (wallflower) and daphne.
Winter is an excellent time to divide clumps of agapanthus which have become too large.
 Dig up the clump and place it where it can be broken into smaller plants with a sharp spade or knife.
 Pull apart with the hands and replant in soil enriched with organic matter.
Tree dahlias can now be cut to the ground, cut stems into 40cm lengths with about three nodes and replant to increase your stock.
The superb white trunks of silver birch are perfect against the backdrop of leaden winter skies and many of the malus (crabapple) retain their jewel coloured fruits on bare branches into winter
Prune hydrangeas, cut back stems that had flowers last summer down to two buds close to the base of the plant, stems which have not flowered should be left unpruned.
Lagerstroemia (crepe myrtle) flowers on new season’s growth so prune back in winter by cutting off about one third of this years growth.
Plant calendula, stocks, primula, cineraria and pansies and keep them growing strongly with a fortnightly dose of liquid fertilizer.
For midwinter to spring colour the flowering apricots are hard to beat, Prunus mume has tightly packed flowers along the stem in a delicate pink.

Spring flowering deciduous plants should not be pruned until flowering finishes, this allows new growth on which the next season’s flowers develop.   
Never prune these plants in winter, the spring flower display will be lost.
Plants such as fuchsias or hibiscus, which are not frost tolerant, should not be pruned until September.
Camellias are starting to bloom and this is the best time to choose one for your garden.
They have proven to be quite drought tolerant and they are one of the stars of the winter to spring garden.
Best suited to a semi shaded position, they enjoy soil which has leaf litter or other organic matter incorporated, add some compost and they will thrive.
Good drainage is essential, so build up beds if this is a problem.
Mulching is important as they are shallow rooted plants.
Start to feed established camellias this month with compost and blood and bone.

In the native garden the golden balls of the winter flowering wattles look superb, try Acacia boormanii (Snowy River wattle) which grows 3-4 m has grey foliage and yellow flowers.
Acacia drummondii has golden flowers and grows 1-1.5m.
Acacia longifolia (Sallow wattle) is a tough plant 3-8m high, good for screening, bright yellow flowers.
Acacia podalyriifolia (Mount Morgan wattle is a most attractive plant with silver leaves and masses of golden flowers. To 4-5m .
Acacia retinodes (Wirilda) is a small tree 4-7m which has pale yellow flowers for most of the year.
Correas are putting on a wonderful display at the moment, Correa alba in white and pink has star shaped flowers and the tiny red bells of Correa reflexa are a delight both to the gardener and the native birds.
We have a huge range of grevilleas to choose from, groundcovers to large shrubs, hardy and bird attracting.

Growing Grapes
Table grapes are easy to grow and as well as providing delicious fruit can be trained to ramble over pergolas and fences creating cool leafy shade in summer.
Vines grow rapidly and because they are deciduous they are useful in a western or northern  situation, blocking the summer sun and letting light and warmth in during winter.
Vines grow best in areas which have cool wet winters and warm summers with low rainfall.
Grapevines can withstand very low temperatures when they are dormant, however frost during budburst in early spring can be devastating, so avoid low lying areas and frost pockets when choosing a site.
Vines are adaptable and will grow in most soils which are well drained, friable and at least 60cm deep.
Soils with high salinity can restrict growth and should be avoided.
Acid soils which decrease the availability of most plant nutrients can affect the vigour of vines and a small amount of lime or dolomite will assist in this.
Dig a planting hole which is big enough for the root system of the young vine.
Trim any overlong roots to 10-15cms and prune top growth back to two buds.
Do not allow the vine to dry out before planting and an overnight soak in water to which a little seaweed has been added is helpful.
Plant your vine with roots spread out and ensure the union (where rootstock and selected variety have been joined) is above soil level. Backfill with soil, make a slight basin around the plant and water well.
Weed control is important as weeds compete for nutrients and moisture, mulching will help to retain moisture and prevent weed infestation.
By the end of the first winter your vine will have produced a number of woody canes, select the most upright of these and remove the others. Remove all but the first two buds. Attach a training string or stake and attach to your trellis, this will help to establish a straight sturdy trunk from which two arms can be trained going in opposite directions along a wire or support.
 If you wish to grow your vines on a pergola, train your trunk to pergola height then train the arms along the structure.
Each bud on your vine has the potential to produce a shoot and a bunch or two of fruit next spring, however as it is normal for a vine to produce hundreds of buds pruning is necessary not only to maintain the shape of your vine but to reduce the the number of shoots and fruits and thereby improve the quality of the fruit.
Watering is best done at ground level, this reduces the risk of fungal disease and splitting of fruit, keep moisture levels high in the month before flowering and for 3-4 weeks following flowering.
 Avoid total dryness as berries ripen  but do not keep soil very wet during this time to avoid fruit splitting and promote maturity.
The major pests are light brown apple moth, vine moth and leaf blister mite (Erinose mite) however most of these pests cause only minor damage in the home garden situation even when they are not controlled.
Light brown apple moth and Vine moth  lay eggs on the leaves and fruit and the emerging caterpillars feed on young flowers and berries or the leaves of the vine.
Sprays of Bacillus thuringiensis will easily control both these pests and is a “natural” non chemical solution to this problem.
The microscopic Grape leaf blister mite (Erinose mite) forms blisters on the young leaves and feeding by the mite causes leaves to expand creating a “bubble’ in the leaf. Damage is usually minor. Sulphur sprays will control this mite
Powdery mildew can cause serious damage to your grapes, it is a dry weather disease and develops during mild weather in late spring, early summer and autumn.
Vines which are shaded or have poor airflow are most susceptible.
The appearance of small yellow-green spots on the upper surface of the leaves is followed by a white to ash-grey powder on the upper or lower surface of the leaves.
Leaves, flowers, stalks and shoots can become infected.
Application of a wettable sulphur spray at 2, 4 and 6 weeks from budburst should ensure protection, it is important to start spraying before the disease becomes established.
We have a huge selection of ornamental, fruit and nut trees in the nursery at the moment so get in while we still have a good range from which to make your selection.
We will be able to advise you on compatible varieties for cross pollination to ensure a good crop of fruit.
A Word About Phylloxera…..
Phylloxera is a root dwelling aphid which has had a devastating effect on vineyards world wide.
This pest exists in parts of north eastern Victoria and south eastern New South Wales and some areas of Sydney and Brisbane.
Grape vines should not be taken from these areas. 

 
Pruning Roses.

Before you begin the task of pruning your roses ensure that your secateurs and pruning saw are sharp and in good order.
Gloves are a must as many roses have vicious thorns and you will need to grasp them as you cut.
Do not prune your roses too early, from the middle of July is soon enough, roses forced into early growth are susceptible to frost damage during winter.

1. Remove all twiggy growth, that is any growth which is less than pencil thickness, unless you are pruning small floribunda or miniature roses.
   
   
2. Remove any dead wood or wood in which dieback is present. Die back is a blackening in the centre of the stem which must be removed below the affected area in order to prevent loss of the entire stem.
   
   
3. Remove any branches which are crossing or rubbing against other branches.
   
   
4. If you are unsure it is better to leave the wood on the bush, you can always remove it later when growth develops and it becomes obvious whether it should be retained or not.
   
   
5. Bushes can be left at this stage, however though they will bloom profusely blooms will be smaller and short stemmed.
   
   
6. Moderate pruning requires that about ten canes are left on the bush. Prune canes back about one third to an outward facing bud or eye. When deciding which canes to remove choose the oldest (usually grey) canes first retaining young and healthy canes. Make your cut at about 45 degree angle about 6mm above a swelling bud eye.
   
   
7. Severe pruning leaves fewer canes per bush which are often cut down to about 30cm.
   
   
8. When pruning is complete it is vital to clean up all prunings, foliage twigs and canes and either burn or dispose of them in garbage.
   
   
9. Spray bushes and ground beneath them with lime sulphur to minimise the risk of fungal disease.

   
Species and Once Blooming Old Roses.

1.  Remove any dead or twiggy growth regardless of the season.
   
   
2. Prune immediately after flowering to encourage new growth on which next season’s flowers will blossom.
   

Climbing Roses

1.  Climbing roses require little pruning for the first few years of growth.
   
   
2. Once canes develop it is important to train them to grow in a horizontal position. Climbers which are not trained in this way will flower only at the top of the cane, when grown with their tips pointed downward they will flower all along the length of the cane.
   
   
3. Remove any dead or twiggy growth.
   
   
4. Shorten canes to keep growth within bounds.
   
   
5. Trim back the laterals i.e. the stems which grow from the main canes leaving 2 or 3 eyebuds.

Ramblers.

1.  Rambling roses generally blossom once during the season`and as they are rampant growers need only older basal growth removed after flowering, this does not include the Banksia roses which are usually left unpruned.

Weeping Standard. Roses.

1.  Do not prune weeping standards too severely or your plant will become too bushy.
   
   
2. Cut back tips and thin growth if necessary.

Standard Roses.

1.  Prune standard roses as for bush roses in a vase shape taking care to ensure your standard does not become top heavy.
   
   
2. Prune to an outward facing bud as it is important to keep the head of your standard shapely

Enjoy the rain, enjoy the garden, more news and plants next month,   

Happy Gardening

Marg and the Team at Meredith Nursery