Gardening for the Australian Summer

One of the unique characteristics of summer in our sub-tropical regions (Queensland in particular) is the general consistency of sunlight, temperature, humidity and air pressure transitions through the day. Whilst the downside of this time can be limited rainfall, knowing the environment and being able to manage consistently high temperatures can make your gardening journey a lot easier.

Here are our tips to get your garden flourishing this summer:

Stick with the obvious (water, water, water…)
Many Australian households fall behind on their watering schedule during the hot summer months and their gardens tend to wither. Although it can be hard work manually watering (particularly for high demand plant varieties), it is worth the effort - or taking the time to explore an irrigation system. Any system with an automated watering cycle can be a huge time, water and effort saver and well worth the cost of installation in water efficiency alone.

The other big tip on watering is to do it early in the morning. Consistent late afternoon/early evening watering can create mildew and make your work even harder. Be particularly vigilant with your avocados - they need water but not as much as other plants and can suffer mildew or root rot with over watering.

Don’t forget the food
Charging your plants up with a high quality fertiliser can also help stave off the impacts of a really hot summer and see your plants through.

Early Spring is the best time to apply a high quality controlled release fertiliser and then to address specific plan nutritional needs from there, but if you’ve missed the boat on that one have a look at a top tier ‘all in 1’ that is based on kelp and fish so your plants and soil get exactly the microbes they need. We recommend an Organic All In One that we produce here at TGSN as we can vouch for the product and its efficacy.

Keep pests out
The Queensland summer is a haven for plant eating pests and many of them will do a complete job on your garden if left unchecked. If you notice an outbreak of anything untoward - come and see us before it gets too far. A pest control professional might be needed if its completely out of hand, but if you get to it fast enough we can recommend a range of organic pest control mechanisms.

Watch the weeds
Weeds are a given in any Australian garden but things can get dire as the weather heats up. If you’re committed, a regular weeding plan by hand will do the job, but REGULAR is the important word here otherwise you will end up with large swathes of yard to deal with and it can quickly become overwhelming.
If it does become a big deal, talk to us about organic solutions as there are fast and cost effective options that won’t damage the environment.

Keep your pot(s) cool
Potted plants are going to feel the heat first and hardest. The interior temperature of a pot in full sun is akin to that of your car at midday parked in Maroochydore, so the damage to soil biology and plant health can be severe. Try and keep your pots in shade where possible and definitely well watered.

Finally - grow veggies!
The warmer months are brilliant for growing the right type of vegetables.
Keep your watering, weeding and pest control in mind and look at building up a salad bowl here - lettuce, cherry or roma tomatoes…croutons (we’ll teach you about these in a later edition…). The point is you can have some fun and eat out of your garden right through the warmer months as long as you are looking after your plants.

So - the main message is to keep an eye on things as the temperatures rise. Come and see us if you need any specffic advice, soil testing or if you are looking at what to plant.

​We’ll see in you December.

TGSN.