Spring tips

Spring has come early in many parts of Australia with plants like rhododendrons flowering up to a month early, and others finishing flowering much earlier than usual. Spring is always a busy time in the garden, but the early flowering and persistent heavy rains – particularly along the east coast – may cause a few extra problems this year.

Sydney and north of Brisbane

Azaleas are susceptible to petal blight, a fungus disease which makes the flowers go brown and sticky. Avoid overhead watering and spray with Bayleton® as per the directions on the pack. If you don’t like spraying, pick the dead flowers off and dispose of them in the garbage. Lawns are also suffering from fungal problems in the wet, humid conditions. If your lawn looks bad, be ruthless and seriously consider reseeding or laying new turf. Heavy rain leaches the nutrients out of the soil, so fertilising is critical this spring.

Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth

People in these areas should have an easier spring than those living on the east coast. Although some areas have had recent rains, there’s not a lot of ground moisture, so fungus diseases won’t be so much of a problem. Apply fertiliser to the garden now, and water well through the spring and summer.