TIME FOR TIDYING AND PREPARATION

TO DO THIS WEEK IN THE GARDEN

1

Prune crepe myrtle back hard now that flowering has finished. Side dress the plants with enriched compost in order to help form the buds for next summer’s flowering.

2

Rake up leaves infected with fungal spores on mangoes and frangipani. Put the leaves in a plastic bag and leave in the sun before disposing of them. 3

Prune old foliage in hanging pots, add a cup of enriched compost and water well.

4

Prepare to plant tomatoes over Easter (be mindful of the need for annual rotation). Add compost and manure and a strong trellis to train the tomatoes. Apply dolomite at the rate of one cup per square metre and sprinkle crushed eggshells around planting sites to deter cutworm caterpillars.

QAntoinette from Innisfail asks: “Why has my large clump of three-year-old garlic chives gone mushy and died; the soil is very moist?” A Antoinette, perhaps your soil is a little too moist. All members of the onion family, including chives, require perfect drainage and sweet soil with a pH of about 6.5 to 7. Water-logged soils become highly acidic and anaerobic, and these conditions are problematic for all alliums as continuously moist or wet soils tend to cause white rot. This condition can remain in the soil for many years and spread. Improve your drainage by adding crusher dust to the soil, a good dusting of garden lime and constructing a low spoon drain to direct rain water away from the site.