Gardening tips and tricks: must-do jobs and projects for autumn in Australia
Autumn seems to be the forgotten season when it comes to our homes and gardens, Selling Houses Australia’s gardening guru Dennis Scott tells why it’s perfect time to make everything better.
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Autumn seems to be the forgotten season.
We complain about the leaves that need raking and daylight hours shrinking. For me, autumn means the extreme summer temperatures are waning and the cooler days and mild evenings bring calmness while the kaleidoscope of colours from falling foliage brings joy. Autumn is my favourite time of year and I’d love to see more home gardeners embrace this season too. It’s one of the best times of the year to be outdoors and working. Here are my tips for things you need to do now, in preparation for the chillier winter months
AUTUMN GARDENING TIPS FOR AUSTRALIAN CONDITIONS
General Autumn Jobs
Clean up – This includes all dead foliage from the hot summer months. Remove all debris from the backyard or greenhouse. Clean and disinfect old pots in preparation for spring sowing of seeds. Cleaning out green waste also gives you room to plant some winter vegetables.
With the focus on organic these days, I recommend a diluted mixture of 1:1 water and vinegar to kill most germs. Once applied, ensure you then wipe over with some warm soapy water. This will help neutralise acidic residue left over from the vinegar.
Pruning/Hedges – Pruning your plants is an important job any time of the year but autumn provides the ideal opportunity to set the standard come spring. Your summer flowering plants will have tired by now so remove the last of the flowers to give them room to breathe.
In addition to pruning the ornamentals, cutting hedges back in autumn will help promote strength and promote tight green growth. This will give your hedge a chance to recover in time for the winter chill. Once winter has finished you can give them a light trim again, sit back and watch them bloom.
Top five Australian hedges
1. Japanese Box, tight small leaf growth pattern generally used for formal gardens and suits most parts of Australia. Can be topiarised.
2. Sasanqua Camellia is an autumn flowering plant that is a pretty statement in any garden. It comes in a variety of colours and has a beautiful deep green foliage that looks as though it has a shiny lustre to it. Vertical growth means they are great for a hedge from 1.5m to 4.5m in height. Dwarf varieties are also available if preferred.
3. Viburnum has a bright green leaf. This is a fast growing hedge that needs regular trimming, especially in summer to ensure a tight growth pattern. Maintenance levels are on the higher side for this option. Ideal for a hedge to 3m to 4m in height. There are numerous varieties of Viburnum so do your research and choose the right one for your situation.
4. Syzigium Cascade ‘Lilly Pilly’ is one of many in the family of lilly pillies. Tall, short, flowering, pest resistant there is one to suit any needs. Sadly though many varieties of these fast growing plants are susceptible to pests and disease. The cascade offers you a soft weeping foliage and a beautiful pink growth that makes a statement. Great for full sun and part shade.
5. Murraya ‘Mock Orange’ in my opinion would have to be the most popular hedge in Australia. Extremely tough, drought tolerant and equally suited to a cooler environment it has something for everyone. Small dense leaf structure that has every shade of green depending on soil types and PH levels, Murraya grows quickly. Resists most pests and diseases and can be pruned back hard and will then thrive if it has been neglected for long periods. Murraya also has an amazing perfume when in bloom with its small white flowers. Suitable for hedges from 1.5m to 4m in height.
Lawn maintenance – With cooler weather you will find that you will not need to mow as often as you would during spring and summer. This doesn’t mean you can neglect the grass. The main things to complete along with mowing and in this order would be fertilise, water and aerate.
I recommend fertilising established lawns at the start of the season and then again before winter. Apply fertiliser and water as recommended.
Aerate the lawn using a basic pitch fork. This will help get the nutrients to the soil where it is needed.
Watering is still important in the cooler weather. Water less often but for a longer period of time. This will help ensure the moisture is not only on the surface layers of the soil but embedded to promote deeper root growth, meaning stronger grass. This goes for your plants as well. Too much water can be more damaging than too little.
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Harvest summer crops – The last of your summer crop needs to be removed and your beds need to be readied in preparation for autumn vegetables, fruits and herbs that will suit the cooler months ahead. In my shed I have printed out a guide to Autumn plantings. It has seasonal information and is a brilliant resource.
Mulch – This is the ideal time to mulch your garden. A good layer of mulch will ensure any winter rains will be retained in and under the mulch keeping the plants happy. A layer of mulch will also help keep your plants protected from the cooler weather and help cover the fine surface roots from being damaged. At the very least the mulch will break down, providing for the plant and improving soil structure, meaning a happier plant.
Use a good quality mulch, one that will break down and not just sit on the surface for years. If you want to go a step further, lay paper down under the mulch. This helps further prevent the growth of weeds. If you lay about 6-8 sheets of paper down first and water it down you should have a weed free garden for longer.
Using pebbles for mulch, while being efficient at keeping moisture in the ground, doesn’t provide any nutrients to the soil like a quality mulch will. Pebble mulch is more decorative than useful.
BEST AUTRALIAN AUTUMN PLANTS
There are so many things that can be planted in autumn. This will vary state by state given the different climates we have in our great country. What works in Tasmania will not work in the warmer state of Queensland. Essentially the garden chores don’t need to become dormant, this is a brilliant time for all things green and every shade in between.
Consider things such as rosemary and other hardy evergreen varieties. Look into your local native options, succulents and pretty perennials like begonias, gazanias, daisies and salvia. Check with your local nursery what will be best for your garden.
Autumn is also a great time to search for bargains at the local nursery. There will be certain plants falling out of season that will be placed on the discount shelves. This provides the perfect opportunity to snap them up and nurse them through the change of seasons ahead and have them ready to go for the springtime flush.
TOP AUTUMN GARDENING PROJECTS
Compost – Collect your leaves as they are one of the most important materials to add to your compost pile. Leaves are carbon rich, light and easy to add to any pile. Place the leaves on top of your compost pile, wait for them to go brown then turn them into your compost mix. Not only does this help your compost pile, it prevents your bins from overfilling with leaf matter.
Garden lights – If you don’t have them, now is the time to consider them as the days get shorter. Garden light kits range from DIY to professional with many options available that can be installed without a licensed electrician.
Please make sure the option you choose is compliant with your power supply. If any external power points or transformers need to be wired use a licensed electrician. You can buy transformers that plug into exterior power points and simply run low voltage cable to your lights and instantly you have added a new dimension to your garden to appreciate.
Selling Houses Australia’s outdoor living expert Dennis Scott has joined the At Home team as a regular columnist. Dennis will share his expertise on landscaping, gardening and outdoor living with all our readers.
Originally published as Gardening tips and tricks: must-do jobs and projects for autumn in Australia
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