Vegetable Gardens
Borders
Lawns
Trees & Shrubs
Bulbs
Pots and Tubs

Summer is the modern Australians Dreamtime - when we crave for the perfect life we dream of long lazy summer days, barbeques on the patio, playing on the beach and in the surf or lazing under a shady tree in our shorts. Those iconic images of zinc on the nose and kids playing in the spray of a garden sprinkler - are all images of Summer. Hot and relentlessly sunny (gee its tough living here!).

For the gardener its water, water and more water - that's what plants need more than anything else to get through this rather tough and stressful period. If its not adding water to the soil, its stopping it from evaporating by mulching - up to 7 -8 cms of chopped up organic matter like woodchip, bark or shrub cuttings will help keep roots cool and moist. Shallow rooted plants like azaleas and rhododendrons in particular need regular water and lots of mulch - a little citrus peel scattered amongst it will also keep the soil acid.

Also don't forget to water your compost heap.
  

• Plant root crops like carrots, leeks, swedes, beetroot etc. for good autumn crops. Also plant brassica seedlings out into well prepared friable soil that has a sprinkling of Dolomite added and has been deep watered the day before. When established watch out for Cabbage White caterpillars which can be seen off with Derris Dust.
• Mulch tomatoes, sweetcorn, capsicums and cucumber with finely chopped organic matter with a handful of Blood and Bone added - then water regularly.
• Plant out late tomatoes or stake early ones and start to enjoy their fruits. Cherry tomatoes are good in very hot areas.
• Feed veggies with a weak mix of liquid fertiliser or a seaweed extract - but only onto previously well watered soil otherwise all the goodness will just run off and be lost.

• Plant flowering annual seedlings like petunias, marigolds, pansies and celosia - also perennials and biannuals like Dianthus and Marguerites
• Feed roses well - particularly sulphate of potash will keep blackspot at bay but avoid watering foliage too much as it can lead to fungal attacks. Clear away all fungus affected leaves and place in the trash not in your compost as the spores may survive to re-infest again later. Pruning will encourage a strong flush of autumn flowers.
• Herbs are in full action right now - tip prune, dry out of the sun and cook with the results.
• Cut back dead Agapanthus and Hydrangea heads. Stake Dahlias and Chrysanthemums in preparation for their weighty autumn heads.

• Aerate the lawn to keep it well drained and breathing - a fork will do or a powered roller spike for the lazy gardener.
• Feed with nitrogen based fertilisers to keep up the green - especially in very wet areas where the nutrients can leech away.
• Mow your lawn - well you don't need us to tell you that - but perhaps set the mower higher to stop the grass drying out too much. But watch out for lawn grubs.

• Keep water up to Hibiscus as they will be in full bloom right now, though tip pruning will encourage more growth.
• Ferns dry out easily, try drip watering the trunk for a hour or so and a foliage spray now and then too will help.
• Plant any shrub or tree right now - but do it in the evening and water in well.
• Feed citrus trees but watch out for scale insects which can be treated with a white oil spray. Harvest stone fruits and prune back afterwards. Watch out for spider mites in dry areas - a spray of Maverick will see them off.
• Summer is a good time to take cuttings of almost any shrub, especially natives - do it early in the day and dip in rooting powder, then into a mix of peat and coarse sand - then keep up the water and don't leave then out in the hot sun to scorch. 7-8 weeks later you should have some healthy roots going.

Those left in the ground will now be well and truly dried out and dormant - they can be lifted and air-dried further in a cool, dry place or you can split congested groups and replant more widely spaced immediately.

Hot dry air can literally suck the moisture from hanging baskets - so water these especially well - if you are going away then install a drip irrigation system if you want them to survive. The same applies for pots and tubs which if they get too dry will repel water - so a good deep soak every week or two is vital as well as regular daily watering. If the soil does get too dry and the plants survive you can apply a wetting agent to encourage the water to get to the roots.

Indoor plants - keep back from hot sunny windows to avoid scorching and feed with a weak mix of liquid fertiliser as well as a foliage fine spray now and again. If it rains stand them outside for a natural drink - but don't forget them before the sun breaks through again..