We love buying beautiful pots to grow our favourite plants in but be sure to buy the correct size to fit the plant. Nursery plants are young and will grow bigger so it is important one purchases a pot that will allow the tree or shrub to thrive. Never downsize and take note what type of pot you are buying. There are cover pots as well that are purely for aesthetics and are meant to hide the pot the plant is in. these cover pots have no drainage holes. Putting any plants’ roots into a smaller container will damage them and shorten the life of the plant. We have a recycling bin for customers to deposit unwanted plastic pots. These pots are always being collected by avid gardeners for reusing and it helps to keep this plastic out of landfills.

As one cleans up garden beds, weeding, pruning etc try not to sweep or rake the compost or fallen leaves. Stripping this protective layer will expose the bare soil, disturb delicate surface roots and deplete the soil of the nutrients that organic matter will provide. Summer-flowering shrubs like Tecoma, Barleria and Plectranthus can now be cut back after flowering. Maintaining a feeding regime for Camellias is especially important now the new flower buds are about to burst open. Protect new plantings from the snail and slug scourge by applying Kombat Snail bait or the pet-friendly Makhro Eco Bait.

Wintergrass, Poa annua, is about to show itself in our winter lawns. To prevent this very vigorous grass from smothering lawns start treating with Makhro Lawntyl now. Follow the instructions in the box for dilution rates to treat while the seed is germinating underground and when it has already started growing in your lawn.

Sow seed of Peas, Beans, Broad Beans, Swiss Chard and root vegetables like Parsnips and Turnips. If the thought of deciding what to grow is too much, why not try the Starke Ayres Vegepak that is a one-stop vegetable solution.

Included in the packaging are five different types of seed: Beet, Cabbage, Beans, Carrots and Swiss Chard, as well as a growing guide, fertiliser, measuring string and ruler and a planting plan. Stagger your planting to ensure a regular supply through the season, rather than sowing all the contents of the packets at once. You might end up supplying the neighbourhood with the resulting crop!

Cooler weather means it is time to reset the irrigation systems to switch on less often. Too much water will result in soggy soil and could cause rotting.