6 skills every gardener needs

Whether you’re a new gardener, or an old hand in need of a refresher, these how-tos from horticultural editor PHIL DUDMAN give you the essentials you need for most garden tasks

skill 1 # HOW TO BUY A PLANT

Here are the things you need to look for when you’re shopping for a plant, so you don’t waste time or money on a dud.

1. What are your impressions of the nursery? Is it tidy? Do the plants look lush and well presented, like they are here? Do you see lots of weeds, or plants with dead flowers, tatty leaves or broken stems? These are red flags.

2. When selecting which plant to buy, avoid anything that has roots coming out the bottom of the pot, shows signs of yellowing, feels firm in the pot or is sitting in a very dry mix. These are all signs that the plant is stressed or root-bound, meaning it’s less likely to thrive.

3. If in doubt, ask the salesperson if you can inspect the plant’s roots. These roots need to be pruned and teased out before planting, which is not reasonable if you’re paying full price. It also sets a lot of plants back.

4. Inspect the shape of the plant. The tallest plant is not always the best. If you’re choosing a shrub, like this camellia, look for something that is full, bushy and balanced. Look for signs of insect damage, such as scale, aphids or mealy bugs. You don’t want to introduce pests to your garden, and you don’t want your new plant to start out with a pest problem.

#2 skill HOW TO PLANT CORRECTLY

Give your plant the best start in life with the right preparation and planting technique.

1. Dig your hole. Make it the same depth as your pot and three times its width. Loosen the bottom a little. Fill the hole with water and allow it to drain. If you come back in half an hour and there’s still water in there, the drainage is poor – you’ll need to create a raised mound of soil to plant into. 2. As the hole drains, soak the pot in water for 5–10 minutes to saturate the root ball.

3. Put the plant in the hole, making sure the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil – you may need to pack a little soil underneath. Add some compost to your excavated soil, and backfill.

4. Create a channel in the soil to catch the water and direct it to the roots.

5. Add some organic fertiliser to the surface but don’t mix it into the hole. 6. Water in, and cover the surface with a 5–7cm layer of mulch, keeping it clear of the trunk. Remove the nursery stake. These are usually tied in tight and don’t allow the plant to ‘stand on its own feet’. If the plant still needs staking, it’s better to put in a couple of stakes either side of the plant and secure them to the trunk loosely with a soft plant tie. When a plant is able to move around a little in the wind, it encourages a stronger root system.

skill #3 HOW TO MAKE GREAT COMPOST

Compost is the backbone of great soil. It’s also the best way to recycle your organic waste back into the earth.

1. Choose where to site your compost heap. It makes sense to put it close to where you are likely to spread the compost (and where the goodness from the heap can leach out and benefit the surrounding plants). This three-bay system is beside the vegie patch and is home-built, with removable slats for access. The bay on the right takes the raw ingredients. When it’s full, they’re moved into the central bin, and eventually over to the left bay until crumbly and ready to use.

2. An alternative single-heap option that’s quick, cheap and easy is to get a roll of galvanised wire mesh, cut it to a length of 2.3m, roll it into a cylinder, and join the ends. A couple of tomato stakes will hold it in place. This one is set up on a vegetable bed, so when the compost is ready it can be spread directly over the surrounding soil. The easiest solution of all is to buy a compost bin. They are affordable, readily available and simple to set up. 3. When adding to your compost heap, aim for a ratio of four parts brown ingredients to one part green. Brown materials include dry leaves, newspaper, cardboard, straw and woodchip. Green materials include fruit and vegie scraps, manure, fresh lawn clippings, prunings and weeds. Keep weed seeds out of the heap, as well as meat or dairy products, pet manure and diseased plant material. A corkscrew-style compost aerator is just the thing for turning and aerating the heap, which helps to speed up the breakdown of all the ingredients.

skill #4 HOW TO TAKE A CUTTING

It’s hugely satisfying to be able to multiply your stock of plants yourself, and to share plants with others.

1. Buy a good quality seed-raising mix or make some from equal parts of coir peat, compost, coarse river sand and perlite. This holds moisture and provides air around the cutting. Fill a pot with mix, and water well.

2. If you’re a beginner, start with something easy, such as geraniums. Cut off a fresh length of stem towards the growing tip that is firm, not floppy. It needs to be just hard enough that when you bend it, it will snap. This is called a semi-hardwood cutting, which is taken during the growing season.

3. This cutting has older wood at the base, which I’ve included because it gives the cutting a firmer base that’s less prone to rotting. It’s not essential, though. Trim just below the leaf joint, where roots will form.

4. Trim the top of the cutting just above a leaf joint, so it’s about 10cm long. Remove leaves, bar one or two at the tip, to reduce moisture loss while it establishes roots.

5. Dip the base of the cutting into some hormone rooting powder or liquid, which you’ll find at a nursery, or a little honey. This stimulates root development.

6. Use a stick to poke a few holes into the seed-raising mix, and insert the cuttings.

7. Water in, and cover with a plastic bag to maintain humidity. Place in a warm, shaded spot. When roots develop, pot them up.

skill #5 HOW TO DIVIDE A CLUMP

Plants grow, and clumping ones can become congested over time. Here’s how to divide and conquer!

1. It’s time to divide this dwarf agapanthus, so out it comes and onto a bench, using a sharp spade and some muscle power.

2. Start to loosen the little plants, finding spots where you can cut through the roots with a serrated knife to create divisions.

3. Trim old and damaged roots off the divisions. Most clumping plants like this can handle a root prune before being planted or potted up. With plants such as kangaroo paw or daylily, it’s also helpful to trim back some of the leaves, to reduce moisture loss while the division is growing. With this agapanthus, it’s not necessary, as the leaves are quite fleshy.

4. Plant out your divisions in the garden, or pot them up for later planting.

5. Sprinkle a little slow-release fertiliser on the divisions, then water. Protect in-ground plants with shadecloth, or place pots in a semi-shaded spot for a couple of weeks, before gradually increasing sun exposure.

skill #6 HOW TO PRUNE WITHOUT FEAR

There are whole books written on pruning, even on pruning specific groups of plants, but here are the nuts and bolts of making the cut.

1. The golden rule of pruning is to cut just above a node (leaf joint). That’s where the plant will reshoot. Don’t leave long stubs above the node, as they will die back. Also, ensure your tools are kept sharp and clean. After each pruning job, clean then wipe the blades with methylated spirits.

2. Whenever you see some deadwood, follow it back to its closest healthy branch and cut it off cleanly at the base.

3. Remove heavier branches, such as this one, by doing an undercut first, then a top cut further out and a final cut to tidy it up.

4. When you’re pruning roses, make clean cuts just above outward-facing buds, and angle the cut away from the bud. Remove any crisscrossing stems and deadwood, so you end up with a clean, open finish.

5. If you have a tall shrub or tree and need to lift up the canopy to get under it, don’t prune off the tips of the branches. Follow select stems back to their leading branch and cut them off at the base. Removing this weight automatically lifts the branch, leaving a natural, unpruned appearance.