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LARGE RANGE OF AUSTRALIAN PLANTS AND OTHER ORNAMENTALS IN CONTAINER
PLANTING GUIDE

  • WHERE TO START : IMPROVE YOUR SOIL 

    • Before planting, make sure you prepare the soil, removing any roots of weeds along with any stones ore other debris. You can then scatter some fertiliser or organic matter over the surface and mix it with the soil.

    You may also consider improving the quality of your soil to boost nutrient levels or the structure of the soil. This is a quick reference guide of how to improve your soil depending on the type of soil you have.
    Soil type How to identify it Disadvantages Improve it by adding:
    Sandy soil It has a gritty texture when you rub it between your fingers

    Dries out quickly

    Does not retain fertilising elements

    		 Add humus in the form of compost, black peat, manure
    Clay soil

    It forms balls in your hands when moist and feels smoth when you rub it between your fingers

    Tends to become compacted and not drain properly

    		 Add loads of well rotted organic matter
    Chalky soil The worst soil for gardening.

    Lacks fertilising elements, dry in summer, muddy when it rains, makes many plant species go yellow

    Mix 200 to 300 g of sulphur per m2 with the soil.

    Add organinc matter

    This soil benefits from good mulching
    Silty Soil Rich soil, feels like flour and darker in colour Can be acidic Neutralise the acidity by adding horticultural limestone. Drain if necessary.

     

    BASIC RULES 

     

    A lot of times, once a plant is properly established will grow and thrive with minimum watering and little maintenance. But you must get them there first!

    So, the first advice: Don't neglect your plant the first months you planted it!

    1. Select your plant wisely. Make sure you selected the right plant for the right area. Most  plants like to be place in full sun, but a few prefer a part shade area. Some like moist soils, other dry. You may have selected a plant that can be exposed to the elements, but some others need to be protected from winds and cold.

    2. Watering. Always water your plants throughly at well spaced intervals. Light, daily sprays will discourage the development of the deep roots that make a plant grow stronger. If possible, water early morning or in the evenings, when the temperatures of the day are cool

     

    TREES AND SHRUBS 

     

    Shrubs are useful for providing colour, aroma, bird-life and definition of spaces.

    Autumn is a good time to plant, unless you live in a very cold area, where you should wait until spring.

    This are 10 easy steps to follow when planting your shurbs:

    1. Make a planting wide hole. It needs to be wide not deep. A wide planting hole allows the easy spread of roots as the plant grows. Just make it a little over the height of the pot and 2-3 times the root ball width.
    2. Fill the hole with water and leave it for an hour.
    3. Place the plant in a bucket  for an hour and then, remove plant from the pot
    4. Slice off circling or tangled roots and loosen up matted roots
    5. Now, place the plant in the hole and make sure you don't plant the shrub deeper than it was in the pot
    6. Fill in the hole, and make sure you don't leave any air pockets around the roots.
    7. Once you are almost at the top (10cm left to cover), you can mix some organic matter or compost with the soil
    8. Gently firm soil around the plant
    9. Water
    10. Apply mulch

     

    GROUND COVERS AND BORDERING PLANTS 

     

    Ground cover plants are useful for covering ground not needed or appropriate as grass. They can define garden areas. They are especially useful for dust control and to stabilise embankments where erosion is possible.

    Most ground cover and small bordering plants can be planted any time during the growing season, but either spring or fall is preferred.

     

    The basic rules to plant grand covers and bordering plants:

    1. Bed preparation: choose the area you want to plant or create a border, and getting ready by improving the soil and eliminate weeds

    2. Spacing: It depends on the growth characteristics of each plant, but a basic rule is that you must space plants so they will develop a uniformly covered area in a relatively short period of time. Plant in a diagonal, not in a straight line:

     

     

    1. Once the soil has been prepared, you just have to dig a hold as deep as the container and a little bit wider.

    2. To remove the plant easily from the pot, it is recommend to soak the soil first.

    3. Remove the plant from the container and check the roots. If they appear to be curling, just straigh them out.

    4. Place the plant in the hole you just made, and fill up the sides with soil firming it down with your hands

    5. Now is time to give your plant the first watering. Make sure you give it enought water to settle the soil around the roots.

    6. Mulch. It is important to mulch your plant once planted to reduce the evaporation of water, reduce growth of weed and protect the roots from brusque temperature changes.

     

    MORE.... 

     
    FIND OUT SOME GARDENING IDEAS

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    		 WHY ARE PLANTS BENEFICIAL?

     

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