HOW TO KEEP YOUR GARDEN BEDS HAPPY

FERTILISE AND MULCH

Once you’ve added new plants, trimmed and shaped your existing shrubs, aerated the soil around the plants, it’s time to add appropriate fertilisers and heaps of mulch. Organic mulches break down and reinvigorate the soil, so mulching should be done each season.

If you have a garden irrigation system, test it before covering the garden bed with mulch so you can detect any leaks, etc.

PRUNE AND SHAPE

A great place to start pruning any plant is to remove dead, dying, diseased or damaged stems that can attract pests. Start by removing the oldest shoots first to allow the plants to direct their energies into growing the younger stems and blooms & then get rid of any suckers (shoots near or at ground level). Prune flowering shrubs immediately after they have bloomed.

But, before you begin shaping, pruning, lopping and sawing, it’s a great idea to ensure the equipment you use is sharp. Just like with your skin, clean cuts heal quicker and therefore protect shrubs from injury and disease. Sterilise or disinfect your cutting tools between plants to prevent any transfer of diseases.