Pittwater Life July 2024 Issue

Garden Life
Garden Life
Your July to-do list...
Potted plants
If you are out of space in the
garden, potted plants are
a great idea – and Winter
is a great time to get them
established. Most plants will
thrive in pots for an extended
period; for most plants it is
not a forever home but for
some, if treated well, can last
years in the same pot. Also,
potted plants are a great
option for the smaller gardens,
townhouses and apartments.
You can reposition the pots
as the seasons change. If the
plant outgrows the pot and
don’t want to discard it, you
can pot-up the plant into a
larger size, root prune the
plant and place into the same
pot with fresh soil, or plant it
into your garden.
Potted plants will require a
bit more love than plants in
the ground – plants will need
regular watering as the pots
will dry out quicker.
And keep the fertiliser
up to keep them looking
healthy. Our favourite native
plants for pots are Banksias,
Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paw),
Xerochrysum (Paper Daises),
Dendrobium orchids, Ferns
and Xanthorrhoea (Grass
Trees). Favourite exotics for
pots include Olives, Citrus,
Rhapis Palms, Bromeliads,
Philodendron and Maple Trees.
Weeds of the month
At times it can be a real pain
trying to get on top of weeds,
even just in our own backyard.
Don’t let them get the better
of you! The cooler months
are a great time to do some
weeding.
As well as the aesthetic
impact, they can also harbour
pests, have a negative impact
on the local ecosystems and
compete for resources and
nutrients with our desired
plants. Weeds can also spread
rapidly and can take over
the garden if not controlled,
making the maintenance more
challenging. Highlighting two
common weeds in our area
that can be a real nuisance to
remove are Onion Weed and
Ground Asparagus.
Onion Weed (pictured
above) can be a real challenge
due to its ability to re grow
from bulbs and seeds. Manual
removal is the most common
method – with gloves on dig
down around the base of
the plant and try to remove
the entire bulb and as much
roots as possible; remove
the bulb gently as fragments
can drop off and re-grow. As
a last resort you can use a
selective herbicide designed
to target Onion Weed and
follow instructions. Always
try to remove flowers if ever
you see them as that stops
the plant from going to seed
and carefully dispose of any
bulbs.
Asparagus aethiopicus or
Ground Asparagus grows very
densely above the ground
and forms thick mats of
tubers and roots underground
making larger plants very
difficult to remove. Smaller
plants and seedlings can
be easily removed by hand;
ensure the crown is removed
and disposed. Another
technique commonly used
in bush regeneration is
‘crowning’; it involves digging
out the entire crown that
sits just below the surface
of the soil. Roots and tubers
can be left in the soil. This
helps prevent excessive soil
disturbance in sensitive areas,
particularly coastal dune
environments.
Remove stems and foliage
to get access to the crown.
Use a sharp knife or trowel
to cut all of the roots around
the crown just below the
surface. Lever the crown out
of the ground and dispose of
it. Any small segment of the
crown that is left behind can
regrow.
If all else fails, chemical
controls can be effective.
Cut the stems then gouge
out a section of the crown
with a knife. Apply the
herbicide to the gouged crown
immediately.
Crossword solution from page 63
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66 JUNE 2024
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