Unseasonable Spring

Posted on October 25, 2016

It seems, we in Melbourne, may have celebrated the start of spring a little prematurely. It is over halfway through and we are still having unseasonably cold, wet and windy weather and because of this there are a few things we need to be keeping an eye on in the garden that maybe wouldn’t be such an issue other years. 

First off, our gardens are soaked through and with wet soil, come wet feet and loose soil. Be aware that it is not only high wind events that will cause trees to topple over or dislodge, at this stage small gusts can also do the trick. Any juvenile trees that haven’t been staked, should be staked to give them added stability. If any mature trees are causing you worry on your property then have an arborist out for assessment for peace of mind.

Check your irrigation systems and consider reducing the amount of days it will come on over the rainier periods. Bear in mind once the warmer weather hits, you will need to re-adjust it again to suit, especially for areas with sandy soils, as they tend to dry up quickly.

And finally, the pests. Snails are loving the wet weather and are “running” rampant at the moment. If you are having problems with snails chewing on your favourite plants, then you are not alone. Picking them off the plants, especially after rain when they are out and about, will help reduce the population numbers, as will scattering dog friendly snail bait over the susceptible plants. My hint is to drop small handfuls into the centre of plants that they particularly love: Liriopes, Arthropodiums and Clivias are always the first to be munched on - and after rain if possible.