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Worried about water? Want to
bring the birds?
Have a beautiful, bird-filled garden using less water and
with less work.
Austraflora has the answers.
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Read on for
handy gardening tips.
The Austraflora Native Plant
Collection thrives on less water, and the birds
love em
Groundcovers
Small shrubs
Medium shrubs
Climbers & creepers
Small trees
Austraflora has more than forty years experience in
selecting reliable, colourful native plants, so who better
to help you develop a modern sustainable garden?
Some
handy facts:
Want the best from your Austraflora plants? And save water
too?
A little effort with soil preparation and mulching will give
you a garden that thrives. The bonus will be more free time
to enjoy it.
Soil
preparation: How do I improve my soil? What is humus?
Nutrients and moisture are
held in the humus in your soil, and should be available when
plants need them.
Humus is simply broken-down vegetable matter: composted
vegetable & garden waste, aged pinebark, and old stable
straw (at least 12 months old. (Note: sheep and cattle
manure may be used in small quantities if very well aged,
but can be detrimental when fresh).
Roots seek food and water, and the deeper they penetrate
the soil into cooler zones, the more efficient the uptake
will be.
Dig the humus into your planting area, forking the soil
thoroughly to aerate it further. Water will now penetrate
much deeper.
Mulching: what can I
use? How do I use it? What does it do?
Pinebark, leaves & twigs,
gravel or sand are all ideal
Spread a minimum 5cm (2) layer around the plants and over
the soil
Mulch keeps the soil cool and the surface loose and
friable
It allows water to soak in and stops evaporation
And remember that plants
themselves, especially groundcovers, are living mulch too.
Mulch breaks down eventually, releasing nutrient into the
soil. It needs to be replenished over time.
Pruning &
Feeding: should I?
Yes indeed. Follow advice on the label attached to every
Austraflora plant.
To prune, just
..
Snip off all spent flowers ~
youll get twice as many next season
Trim back foliage & small branches ~ youll get a nice
dense bush
Do it little and often. You will soon see the results
To feed, just
..
Add some slow release fertilizer (for Native Plants only)
when preparing the planting hole. Simply mix into the soil ~
its easy.
Do it annually in early autumn or early spring to keep
plants active and attractive
