Week 2: An alphabetical guide to
spring gardening

Here's a practical alphabetical checklist for the
spring garden:
A - Abelias can be cut back (as hard as you
like) and fed with BioGold pellets.
B - Beans should be sown as soon as the soil is
warm. Don't overwater.
C – Check camellias for scale insects and, if
found, spray with Conqueror Oil or Confidor
D - Dahlias tubers can be planted in spring but
remember to protect new shoots with a
sprinkling of Blitzem or Baysol pellets.
E - Everlasting daisies grow easily from seed
and are favourites with kids.
F – Frost damage can be trimmed off as soon
as you're sure that frosts are finished for the
year.
G – Gardenias make new growth in spring and
love to be fed with Fish Emulsion.
H – Hebes grow well in coastal gardens and
appreciate a light trim after flowering.
I - Irises make a sensational display in spring.
Make sure bearded iris are planted in full sun
with their rhizomes (fat, sideways roots) at
ground level.
J - Just one feed with Yates Acticote will be
enough to keep pot plants in good health right
though spring.
K - Kitchen gardens are top of the fashion
stakes these days. Spring's the season to plant
tomatoes, zucchinis, sweet corn, cucumbers,
beans and basil.
L – Lawns can be aerated, patched and fed in
spring. Yates easy hose-on Weed 'n' Feed will
fertilise and weed at the same time.
M - Mandarins, oranges, lemons and other
citrus will all appreciate being given a spring
feed with Thrive Granular Citrus Food.
N – Nutricote has a special coating that only
releases fertiliser when temperatures are warm
enough for plants to grow.
O - Orchids can be divided in October and re-
potted into Yates Orchid Potting Mix. Feed with
Acticote or Nitrosol.
P - Prune azaleas after flowering, feed with
Yates Blood & Bone and spray with Confidor to
protect leaves through summer from thrips.
Q - Quick-growing, leafy vegies such as lettuce
and rocket should be fed every week with
Thrive Soluble Plant Food. Because it's a liquid,
it gets into the leaves as well as the roots.
R - Roses are at the height of their glory in
spring. Keep them looking at their best with the
help of Thrive Granular Rose Food and give
them regular protection with Rose Gun (or
Super Shield in bigger gardens).
S - Sunflowers provide weeks of bright, cheerful
summer colour. Yates Yellow Empress grows
up to 2 metres tall but, if you're short of space,
try the pot-friendly Dwarf Sensation sunflower

T- Tomatoes grown at home taste the best.
Feed with Thrive Concentrate Tomato Food
and use Confidor to protect from white fly.
U - Under eaves, plants are much more likely to
be attacked by sap-sucking insect pests (which
flourish in dry conditions). Water leaves
regularly and use Nature's Way Insect Spray for
non-toxic pest control.
V - Vegetable varieties that do well in pots
include: silverbeet, baby carrots, chillies, beans,
lettuces and baby beets.
W - Weedbusters are busy raising awareness
of weeds and the damage they cause to our
native forests. Never dump garden refuse or
lawn clippings in the bush.
X - Xeriscaping is a term for landscaping with
less water.
Y- Yates Garden Guide has been the trusted
source of gardening information since 1895.
Z - Zucchinis started from seed in spring will be
cropping in a matter of weeks.

 

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