Green thumb’s top tips for gardeners
A GARDENING expert has a few tips for green thumbs looking to emulate the the lavish creations they see at the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
Arboriculturalist Peter Mumford said because of the potential of an El Nino weather system gardeners should make sure any plants they wanted to plant should be suitable for the climate and weather conditions.
“Spring is the season for blooms, particularly in Toowoomba which is gearing up for its annual Carnival of Flowers, but gardens could be hit hard by hotter and drier conditions,” Mr Mumford said.
“The city’s planting 176,030 seedlings and bulbs to commemorate the event but home gardeners may have to be a little more choosy given the current conditions.
“You don’t want to be spending the time and money on plantings only for them to deteriorate because of the weather.”
Mr Mumford, who is a part of Arbor Operations, said there were things gardeners could do to make sure their gardens were healthy.
“The first step is to cultivate and get rid of any weeds, so they are not competing with your plants for moisture,” he said.
“Consider culling plants that aren’t doing so well in favour of hardier or more drought tolerant species. Water management is these conditions is key, as many flowers like roses need a lot of water to flourish.
“If you’re looking at putting in new trees or shrubs check you have adequate supplies of water to establish them and take them through the summer period; that might be using tank water, bore or town water.”