Advice for plantings during summer/early autumn
Planting out plants at this time of year poses a number of significant challenges to the home gardener. With dry hot weather persisting through to mid autumn and in recent years sometimes longer, it is important to give your plants the best chance of survival by considering the following planting tips.
When you have selected a spot to plant your new acquisition it is advisable to think about the following steps:
- dig your hole slightly bigger than the pot you are planting;
- add some granular soil wetting agent to hole (ask your nursery for one low in phosphorous that is suitable for native plants);
- fill the hole with water allowing it to soak into the surrounding soil prior to putting your plant into the hole making sure the planting level as the same as originally in the pot;
- re-fill the hole with soil and sprinkle some granular soil wetting agent around the surface;
- add a mulch to the surface of the soil making sure it is not touching the plant so as to avoid fungal diseases;
- thoroughly water in your new planting and water every 2-3 days until consistent autumn rains arrive and then water regularly once or twice a week over the first summer preferably using drip irrigation.
To aid in getting the plant out of the pot, a technique using by the Friends of Kings Park when helping out with bushland or botanic garden plantings is to use your trowel to rap the top of the pot 3-5 times. This loosens the plant and allows you to get it out without resorting to inverting the pot and knocking it out.
For smaller plants, you may wish to pot them on into larger pots and plant them out following the start of reliable autumn rains.
Buy your native plants from the Friends of Kings Park during one of their native plant sales.