April has always been, in my opinion, the transitional month between the boiling heat of summer and the chill of winter. During the summer, I hope that all your diligent care for your plants has paid off and they have survived the scorching sun. It’s also been a very dry summer. Now is the time to do some post-summer care.
Start by removing the weeds and the dead or near-dead plants from your garden. Make space for new healthy plants to establish themselves now that the weather is kinder. On the other hand, if the plant is only starting to show symptoms of ill health, then there might be hope. Check the afflicted area—what do its leaves look like? Does its bark have a strange growth on it or has a certain pest been hanging around? This will give you indications of what you can look up on other gardening websites and treat it. When in doubt, let us at Leafelife diagnose and treat.
You may notice your roses, and everyone else’s, looking quite sick at the moment. It’s probably the dreaded Chilli Thrip combined with all of the hot dry weather. Just make sure that you keep watering them, and ask at a garden center, or look online, for the best treatment to kill off the thrips. Or, call Leafelife to come and assess the situation.
I would advise against changing your reticulation system to winter mode until later in the month as the occasional warm day can still surprise us. Keep watering your plants. It is a good idea to fertilize your plants, especially your citrus trees. I say this because I have a gorgeous orange tree in my backyard that has started to grow a lot of fruit. That takes a lot of nutrients, and it’s essential to put nutrients back into the ground to make sure that the tree prospers and that there’s a lot of beautiful ripe oranges for me to eat!
Lastly in post-summer care, turn over compacted mulch that you put down in Summer. It’s less important in the dry months, when you want to keep the moisture in the soil, but when it’s wet you’d like the soil to breathe a little. You can also top up your mulch now, and definitely again in spring.
The second half of April is time to start pre-winter care. This includes making sure the soil has proper drainage in order that the roots of plants don’t rot away. This is less of a problem on Perth’s sandy soils, but if you live in the hills, take notice. But even our sandy soils become non-wetting during the hot months, which means that water can pool and flow rather than soaking in. It’s a good time to put on some more soil wetting agent, just before it starts to rain. It will help the water get to the roots and prevent your paths from flooding.
Before the rain starts this year, it is a good idea to spray your garden to rid any pest or disease, and in the first few rains, while it’s still quite warm, keep an eye out for fungal diseases. It will become trickier to spray for pests and diseases after the rain starts as you’ll need to choose a day that it won’t rain and won’t be too windy. Let us at Leafelife help with that so you can avoid the mess and we will also put temporary fencing around to help your pets stay safe.
On the issue of safety, it is also a good time of the year to look around your garden and remove/treat anything that could cause potential accidents in the wet season. These can be things like overhanging branches that are known to fall when the weather gets cold, windy, and wet. Paths also become slippery (scrub off the moss, and sweep away sand), and clearing any obstructing branches can help prevent an accidental fall. At Leafelife, we can assess and help you keep your garden safe for the winter.
Look up your council’s big green waste collection date and start creating a pile that you can put out when it’s time. Better now than a rush on the day. Take a look around your garden. Any plants that need a good trim or any fallen branches, etc. We are always happy to help a client with green waste collection.
It is also time to make sure that your furry companion/s have a shelter for when they are outside. Not to say your dog won’t roll about in the mud but at least they have somewhere to take cover if they choose (as is my experience with my four-year-old Border collie).
Looking forward to the joys of spring, though, start thinking about the bulbs and seedlings to plant soon for late winter and early spring. I find that I always leave it a little too late to plant my bulbs and they don’t get the full advantage of the winter rains. If you want to plant more natives, don’t wait until spring, do it as winter approaches, so that they get the full advantage of the rains. Look to your local nurseries for ideas and inspiration. We at Leafelife are also happy to help with the placement and selection.
Final thoughts – grass will start quickly growing this time of year, before the slow winter growth season, so it is a great idea to mow your lawn weekly and fertilize it once before winter with weed and feed. Remember how I said “don’t turn off your sprinklers yet”? Also – don’t forget to turn them off when the rains finally do start or, at the latest, when it’s officially winter (so you don’t get a fine).
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