Summer 2020
Launch of my NEW website! And a couple of garden tips for you
quick tasks to do right now: soil improvement & mulch
photo: Kate Collingwood Photography
I’ve freshened up my WWW presence!
Take a look at my new, improved website! It's been given a fresh look, more connectivity, added photos and projects. Thanks to my clever web guy Cory Williams www.corywilliams.com.au.
And, with the help of the very talented photographer Kate Collingwood www.katecollingwood.com.au , I've even been brave enough to add a photo of myself!
1. Improve your soil
There's still time to feed garden soil so that your plants give maximum growth over these warmer months.
Before laying the mulch (see below), dig in some complete organic fertiliser, or other soil improver such as Dynamic Lifter or blood-&-bone. These are readily available at your local hardware or garden store. Cultivate the product into the soil to about 200mm depth but avoid digging up the fine roots around the stems of plants.
2. Mulch garden beds
Now is the time to top up mulch on your garden beds.
A good mulch will keep the moisture in the soil, reduce evaporation, keep the roots cooler on hot days, reduce weed growth and feed the plants as it breaks down. It's such an important part of your garden!
Check your mulch level. It should be between 70 and 100mm thick. After a year, most mulch has decomposed to about 50mm. Assuming you need a 50mm top-up, calculate the area of your garden beds and multiply by 0.05m to get the volume of mulch required.
I like Eucalyptus mulch but any organic mulch with smaller particles (less than 10mm) is fine. Mushroom mulch is a great compost and mulch but does break down quicker than the timber mulches. Spread the mulch evenly around the garden beds, keeping it clear of plant stems to avoid rot.