January Garden journal

Tips and Tricks

* Make pest control sprays last longer! A few drops of dishwashing liquid mixed in with pest control sprays will help the droplets stick to the foliage.

* Save money by using old grass clippings as mulch (its great on roses) - its high in nitrogen and keeps rose roots moist. In the compost it should be used a little at a time layered with some straw or lucerne and a little blood and bone.

* Save money by making your own plants. Prunings of fuchsias, camellias, geraniums and many native plants can be used for cuttings this month. Use semi-hard wood and plant in propagation mix, dipping each cutting in root hormone powder or gel.

* Spike the lawn to help rain penetrate to the roots.

Jobs to Do

* Even though your Azalea foliage may look fine now, this is when spider mite and lace bug do their damage, during these hot and humid months. You only really notice the effects in autumn when it is almost too late. Start spraying regularly with Yates Natrasoap or Confidor, or use a single application of Defender MaxGuard.

* Climbing plants such as jasmine, wisteria and pandorea will be sending out fast-growing tendrils. Trim these back to avoid a takeover.

* If you are going away on holiday, get a friend or neighbour to mow the front lawn, collect ‘flyers’ and local papers, and generally make sure your home still has a lived-in look.

In the Flower Garden

Coleus for colour

A reliable stand-by for summer colour is the coleus family of fancy foliages. Traditionally coleus have been ideal for shade but now there are several new varieties that will tolerate quite a lot of sun. Plant in groups for a bold effect; just remember to pinch out the flower spikes.

Hibiscus

Keep feeding hungry hibiscus (we just use Sudden Impact for Roses!) and you will continue to enjoy their flowers. If petals have holes, this is the work of the hibiscus beetle and its only control is Yates Confidor.

Bearded iris

Iris are finished for another year. Time for a ‘once over’: dig them up and throw away the older parts of the rhizomes. Use clean, sterile and sharp secateurs. Replant in well-manured soil and make sure the upper part of the rhizome is just above the surface – they like to bake in the sun. Trim back the foliage by half to make way for new fresh foliage.

Canna culture

Cannas are ideal summer and autumn-flowering clumping perennials, with striking foliage colours and dramatic flower heads. Cannas are really easy to grow and look great contrasted with some grey foliage such as santolina or stachys.

Indestructible

Both these plants are incredibly hardy, with stunning flower spikes and long, yellow-edged sword-shaped leaves. They are Yucca ‘Bright Edge’ and the Mexican Lily (Beschoneria yucciodes)., great for dry gardens and pots, they bless you with stunning flower spikes too! The first flowers are ivory and the later have pink bells.

 In the Vegetable Garden

It’s holiday time, so why not get the kids growing some sunflowers. Dwarf or tall varieties are available in fast-germinating seed. Fertilise regularly and the young gardeners should see flowers in about two months.

Dwarf Citrus for pots

Grow your favourite citrus in a pot happily if it has a Flying Dragon rootstock (check the label). It will grow about a 1.3m high and 1m wide and bear masses of full-sized juicy fruit. The sweetly scented blossom appears in spring, the fruit in late summer: a perfect citrus for smaller gardens, courtyards and patios.

Water wisely

It is most important to water fruiting trees such as citrus, figs and persimmons, and annuals such as tomatoes, evenly and regularly. A random approach can cause immature fruit to drop, less sweet fruit and a poor harvest. Always water at the base of the plant and add a little seaweed solution as a tonic every couple of weeks.

Thin apples

Many of us are growing the new dwarf apple ‘Pinkerbelle’, now is the time to thin fruit. Remove all but one of the fruitlets in each cluster, the one in the centre for apples and one of the edge for pears.