Winter Gardening Tips and What to Plant
There’s never a dull moment when it comes to winter gardening in Perth, with plenty of veggies and flowers to plant, weeds to pull, and pruning to be done.
If you want to know how to grow the best garden this season, stay awhile and find out. Your green thumb lesson is about to begin.
Step 1 — Weed control
A common misconception is that most homeowners think when winter rolls around, it’s time to take a break from the gardening. Unfortunately, weeds never take a break and actually thrive through seasonal changes; therefore you simply cannot forgo weeding.
If left unattended, they can run rampant throughout your yard, including on the lawn and in your garden, resulting in a formidable task to remove them. You might end up with holes in your lawn, so read this article on how to revive your lawn as well.
When it comes to killing weeds in winter, you’ll need a strategic approach, especially if you’re not keen on pulling weeds out in the cold. Find out 5 simple ways to get rid of weeds.
Step 2 — Pruning
Most plants enter dormancy in winter with most of their last flowers seeing better days. A good starting point for pruning any plant is by removing dead, diseased, or damaged stems and flowers as soon as you see them. Dead sections attract unwanted pests and invite diseases to develop.
Pruning basics:
- Sharpen cutting tools before attempting to prune to minimize the risk of tearing the bark.
- Disinfect the tools between each plant to prevent diseases from being spread around the garden. Use disinfectant wipes or dip tools into a bucket of diluted bleach.
- Make clean cuts near the node or close to the trunk. Don’t leave stubs on the side of the plant as this can allow diseases to get in easily.
- Make sure to cut in stages when removing thicker branches, starting on the underside each time and then cutting from the top, preventing the bark from tearing.
- Finish all branch removals just above the branch collar.
- Trim jagged edges using a sharp pruning knife.
- Seal all major cuts with a pruning compound.
- Finally, make sure the plant is in good condition, aerate the soil if needed and water with seaweed tonic.
It’s time to start planting!
Vegetables to plant in winter
Planting vegetables in winter is a lazy gardeners dream. All you have to do is find a nice location, prepare the soil and plant some seeds, and let nature take care of the rest. Here are some tasty vegetables to add to your garden this winter.
Parsnips
Parsnips have found their way back into our kitchens, and are especially tasty when they are young and tender.
Plant seeds: June to November
Ready for harvest: 20 weeks
Carrots
Carrots can be grown all year round and as Mum always said, “Carrots are good for your eyes”. The trick to growing carrots is by mixing the seeds into a bucket with vermiculite and sand to allow better distribution. Spread them out once they have reached the seedling stage.
Plant seeds: any time of the year
Ready for harvest: 10 weeks
English spinach
What’s there not to love about english spinach? It’s great in a stir fry with some garlic or the perfect addition to any pasta dish. It’s also an excellent source of vitamin C, folate and beta-carotene.
Plant seeds: May to September
Ready for harvest: 10 weeks
Potatoes
You can never have too many potatoes and there’s nothing quite like a homemade mashed potato made from potatoes straight out of your garden.
Plant seeds: June to September
Ready for harvest: 16 – 20 weeks
Flowers to plant in winter
Marigolds
Marigolds are a hardy plant that can add some much needed colour to your garden. They come in a wide array of colours including yellow, cream, lemon, gold, orange and reddish-brown. They also act as an excellent natural mosquito repellent and have the ability to ward off microscopic worms.
Plant seeds: End of September
Bloom: 8 weeks
Pansies
If you look closely, pansies look like colourful flowers with faces and they love the cool weather. This makes them perfect to plant in winter as they will be in full bloom by spring. They require 3-4 weeks germination with limited light, before being transplanted to your garden bed with full sun and partial shade.
Plant seeds: May
Bloom: 10-12 weeks
Iceland Poppy
The Iceland Poppy provides a lovely show of blossoms in late spring and early summer and is a great way to add a delicate foliage to your garden bed that’s long lasting. Plant seeds directly into flower bed in a full sun area with light and well drained soil.
Plants seeds: May
Bloom: Early spring
Petunias
These summer annuals are available in a myriad of colours and forms and can give your flower bed a blanket of a rich red, purple, yellow or white. They prefer a sunny spot with full sun for at least 6 hours of the day and require regular watering.
Plant seeds: June to August
Bloom: 12 weeks
All your landscaping needs
Whether you’re a certified green thumb or thinking about planting a thriving garden ready for spring bloom, landscaping can involve more than just planting a few seeds. Garden beds will require reticulation, edging, and maybe some earthworks.
Save yourself the hassle and time by contacting the landscaping professionals at Seamless Concrete Perth. We’ll take care of all the hard groundwork so you can enjoy the more therapeutic part of gardening.
