Spring gardening tips

Spring’s the season most green thumbs live for, when our gardens come back to life after winter.

The Plant Shack’s Peter Popenko reckons there’s plenty we can do this weekend to tidy up and help our gardens thrive.

Start with potted plants on verandas and patios, in hanging baskets and other containers that might be looking a little sad and sorry, or would benefit from having more room to grow.

Peter says now’s the perfect time to give them some TLC, some new potting mix, or in some cases a bigger pot. This is particularly important for fruit trees growing in pots.

What to do with roses?

Spring is also the time to spray roses.

“There’s a bit of black spot going around with the higher humidity,” Peter explains.

He suggests a rose spray such as Mancozeb to protect against black spot.

Roses, particularly mature plants, will also benefit from a feed of fertiliser.

Want more blooms?

It’s a really important time to support the flowering varieties of annuals such as geraniums, begonias, lavenders, perennials and even bougainvillea.

Fertilisers that are high in potassium such as Flourish or citrus food will do the job.

“It can be used on a wide range of flowering shrubs. It’s about supporting these plants coming into flower after winter,” Peter says.

Spring is a good time to prune hibiscus shrubs. You should also add dolomite to geraniums and lavenders as summer approaches.

Revive your lawn

If your lawn is looking a little tired after winter, tis the season for top dressing.

“Grass, if it gets a little bit of moisture, will rebound with light top dressing. Make sure you use a sandy mixture and not something that’s soil-based, so it doesn’t choke the lawn,” Peter says.

Working out in the garden in spring is a joy – the days are longer and the summer heat hasn’t kicked in yet.

“We’re really enjoying working in the nursery at the moment, it’s really nice,” he says

Finally, remove dead flowers from your plants, including natives to tidy them up and encourage more blooms in the weeks and months ahead.

Want more tips and inspiration? The Plant Shack nursery is at the corner of Krause St and Deception Bay Rd, Deception Bay.

Visit theplantshack.com.au or phone 3888 3737.