THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO GETTING ‘GARDEN-READY’ THIS SPRING
As the cold winter months begin to ebb, and we increasingly turn to the outdoors for sunshine and activity, our gardens and outdoor spaces begin demanding more attention again. It can be a daunting task deciding where to begin and what to do to get your garden back in tiptop shape. Waratah’s friendly landscaping and garden professionals are here to help, so we created this guide to getting garden-ready to keep you informed and on track.
STEP ONE: THE DREADED SPRING CLEAN!
Before you get underway with your new gardening ideas, you’ll need a thorough clean to remove all the winter debris and unwanted growth. Fallen leaves and small branches can make for an unsightly mess and can be hazardous in the heat.
Be sure to remove any weeds from the roots, so they won’t grow back during the warmer months. Removing dead weeds is easier than living ones, so be sure to pick up a good weed killer to help get this underway.
But the clean-up doesn’t end with the vegetation. If you have any pavers or retaining wall blocks, give them a pressure-wash to remove mould and grime. After a good wash down and dry, sweep up as much dust and dirt as possible.
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STEP TWO: GARDEN HEALTH CHECK
Once your spring clean-up is complete and you’ve had a chance to take a good look around, Waratah recommends a full ‘health check’ of your soils, mulches, plant life, lawns, and hardscapes to determine what needs attention, revitalisation, rehydration, or general maintenance. Having a systematic approach helps to save time and energy, so you can get down to the job of enjoying your outdoor spaces sooner!
SOIL
Because soil can dry out and compact during winter, spring is the best time to check the soil and, if necessary, improve moisture levels. This will help to promote healthy growth in the coming months.
Add compost and wetting agents to help loosen the soil, create a better soil structure, and improve water and nutrient retention.
Adding compost and fresh soil to your existing garden beds at the beginning of spring also promotes accelerated new growth and general plant health.
If you are creating new gardens, your initial soil choice can be a major contributor to a garden’s success. You can create the ideal environment for healthy plant life by choosing the correct garden mix for the job. Waratah carries a broad range of garden soils from Premium Garden Mix and Organic Top Dress to general potting mix, organic compost, and specific native and vegetable mixes.
MULCH
Mulch inevitably breaks down over time, so spring is a great time to remove, replace, or simply top up your coverage. Add 50-80mm of mulch to your garden beds to prevent weeds and diseases and retain moisture in your root systems. Some other upsides to using garden mulch include supporting the micro-organisms in your soil, reduced watering requirements - which result in cost savings – and keeping the root systems of plants cool, particularly in the summer and the hottest parts of the day.
Waratah Supplies offers a range of organic mulches that achieve all this while establishing an attractive garden appearance. Our range includes pine bark, pine chip, and other dyed mulches.
The Waratah Supplies team recommend fertilising your garden before mulching to increase plant and root penetration, and ensure nutrients are still available for plant growth.
PLANTS
Where plants are often competing for nutrients, you will need to add fertiliser to your garden soil or potting mix to help keep everything growing. Spring is the best time to get this done. Potted plants and annuals prefer liquid fertilisers as they are fast-acting. For other garden options, you can speak with a Waratah specialist to find other fertilisers and their best suited applications for your garden.
LAWN
After a long cold, dry winter, your lawn may be in need of some much-wanted attention. Patches of lawn in heavily shaded areas might look less healthy than the rest of your lawn. This may be because some frost wasn’t melted away in the sun, and was left to remove moisture from the soil. As a result, these areas will need a long, slow soak to soften it, followed by increased aeration.
Drive deep holes with a garden fork every 10-20cm until the area is covered.
Lawn nutrients can be washed away during the winter months, so by early spring, your lawn may need fertilising. Tired lawns will need Waratah’s Organic Top Dress installed to a depth of approximately 3-5mm.
If you’re looking to lay a new lawn this season, make sure you read our 'How to lay turf’ guide.
HARDSCAPES
During autumn and winter, decks, patios, retaining walls, stepping-stones, pavers, and gravel or pebbled areas in our yards usually get less attention and can, in many cases, get dirty, mossy, or mouldy, and in some instances can be negatively impacted by increased water contact, including subsidence. Spring is when we get to attack these issues in earnest.
Remove dirt and grime from all your hardscaped areas and check for areas where water has caused damage.
For advice on replacing damaged materials with new ones, just call the Waratah Supplies team.
Waratah offers a variety of paving and retaining wall materials including sand, cement, pavers, blocks, concrete sleepers, and pebble stabilisers.
STEP THREE: ADDITIONS & IMPROVEMENTS
Spring is the perfect time to begin planting new plants. Before you start, ensure you have prepared your soil as mentioned above.
Once you’ve planted your new plants, add a compost or manure to ensure they have nutrients to grow. Make sure the soil is watered regularly, and cover your new garden with a good layer of mulch to retain the moisture.
Some recommendations for good spring plants include Azaleas, Grevilleas and Callistemon, Bougainvillea, Jasmine (our favourite!), Lavender, Daisies, Petunias, Marigolds, and Geraniums.
Paving and retaining wall builds are also better done in spring, as you’re less likely to get interrupted by rain. But before you do build up your garden beds with sleepers or blocks, make sure you know your drainage requirements. Without proper drainage, new pavers and retaining walls can quickly sustain water damage or disrupt the drainage of the soils around them.
Waratah Supplies has all your drainage requirements including Agline, Blue Metal Aggregate and more. Take a gander at our aggregate material range here.
STEP FOUR: MAINTENANCE & PROTECTION
It’s always important to keep an eye out for unwanted pests in your garden. As the weather warms up, bugs and other pests become much more active, particularly around fruit and veggie patches. While there’s no guarantee that you won’t have some minor pest problems, there are a few things you can do to reduce the likelihood of a major infestation.
If your plants are strong and healthy, they will be better equipped to survive a few bugs. Adding rich compost to the soil, fertilising occasionally, and mulching regularly is the key to fantastic plant growth and health. Spacing your plants out and giving them plenty of room to grow also helps minimise the spread of bugs and any resulting plant damage and loss.
If you have any questions or would like to speak to one of our Waratah experts about your garden this spring, just call us or book a free consultation here.
