Autumn gardening: Time to prep, plant, prune
If you’re looking to obtain a successful winter harvest and a bountiful spring garden, it’s time to get working.
Planting while the soil is still warm allows the roots to set in and spur growth, making autumn a perfect time to prep your garden for the cooler months and harvest delicious produce for the season. In other words, your choice of autumn gardening projects can set the tone for the entire year. But knowing where to start or figuring out what works best for the season can be quite overwhelming.
Avid gardener Phillipa Croft, branch manager for Kennards Hire Rangiora, helps customers embark on DIY projects every day; whether they are sprucing up their garden or redoing their lawn.
She shares some of her top tips and ideas for making the most of your garden this season before the temperatures dive.
CLEAR UP
Before you start work on any gardening projects this autumn, the first thing you need to do is to clear out weeds, along with dead, unwanted plants and any old perennials that have had their day.
On trimming plants, Phillipa says: “Pruning doesn’t just neaten up your garden, it encourages new growth and helps keep your plants and trees lush and healthy. Be careful not to cause any damage though, especially with trickier plants like wisteria; always leave the flowering spur so you get those spring flowers.”
Autumn is also the time to repair fences, trim hedges, tidy edging and replace any broken pavers. If you want new areas of lawn, you can clear the area of stones, rocks and debris, giving you space to sow your seeds in time for winter growth.
PREP THE SOIL
Once you have tidied up your garden, turn your attention to the unsung hero of a good garden - the soil. Autumn is the time to prepare the ground for new planting before the winter cold sets in, giving your new plants the best shot of thriving.
Boosting soil nutrients is crucial to make it rich and ready for planting season. For treating the soil, Phillipa suggests commercial soil conditioners and organic matter, such as worm castings, compost, or fertiliser. This helps encourage the soil to hold more nutrients and absorb more water, making for a more fertile environment for the plants to grow.
Phillipa adds, “It's also important to check your soil's ph levels to get an indication of acidity or alkalinity. Ideally, a ph of 6-7 is a good benchmark to aim for in most gardens.”
MAKE WAY FOR VIBRANT BLOOMS
Once your soil is ready, you can start your autumn gardening. If you’re looking for a vibrant garden this autumn, consider planting flowers like pansies, carnations, sweet peas, calendula, lobelia and alyssum.
Phillipa adds, “Don't let the winter deter you from adding colour to your garden. Grab some seedlings from your local gardening store or sow your seeds in punnets and trays. Consider a mix of pansies, primula, polyanthus, calendula and cineraria.”
She also recommends looking for perennials like day lilies, foxgloves, peonies, dahlias and red hot pokers. You can make the most of these with some smart recycling, by digging them up, dividing and replanting in well-prepared soil.
For those who want to plan further ahead for a beautiful display of spring flowers, some classics to consider are tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, ranunculi, freesia, anemone, and crocus. Phillipa’s top tip here is to plant them in light, well-drained soil or in portable pots that can be easily moved around your garden.
PLANT FOR THE PANTRY
For those with their own vegetable garden, autumn can bring with it an enviable selection of homegrown produce, such as cabbage, beetroot, broccoli, broad beans, lettuce, onion and spinach.
Whether growing from seed or planting seedlings, Phillipa recommends giving them a head start by planting in rich, fertile soil, and protecting them as much as possible from strong wind and weather.
She also urges customers to consider eco-friendly pellets to keep autumn pests like snails and slugs at bay.
LOOK AFTER YOUR GARDEN
Autumn is the perfect time to feed a hungry lawn; a slow-release lawn food can help ensure roots grow thick and healthy.
Phillipa also points to citrus trees in particular as needing TLC this season.
“Water them well, feed with a dedicated plant food, then water again. Make sure the fertiliser is spread around the whole drip line area, under the outer tree branches.”
For pest control, she recommends a special citrus insecticide, and using horticultural oil on scale and aphids.
There are also ways you can take care of your budget by making smart, resourceful use of plant cuttings to grow new plants.
“Take 10cm cuttings, dip in hormone powder, then pot them in quality potting mix and keep them in a protected area,” Phillipa says.
“This works well with native trees like grevillea and banksia, and herbs like rosemary and bay.”