March

PREPARING CUTTINGS FOR AUTUMN

Equipment needed: A plastic shopping bag with a sheet of wet newspaper inside (this will keep cuttings fresh for a couple of days. And naturally, a pair of good secateurs.

Taking the Cuttings: Cuttings can be taken in the three months before April and must be flexible – such as the top of the cutting should spring back when the top is bent. Lavender cuttings are best taken in Summer (December to February).

Cut straight across below a node. Nodes are found where the leaves join the stem. A cutting should have 3-4 nodes but no fewer than two. The length of the cutting depends on the interval between nodes. Some plants, such as rosemary, can give you several cuttings from the same stem. But remember to cut the base of the cutting straight across and the top on the diagonal. This ensures you plant the cutting the right way up! Also stops water from sitting on the end, which can promote fungal growth. Trim off excess leaves to prevent loss of moisture.

HINTS AND TIPS:

After preparing cuttings, tag the cuttings with their name, colour, height and, where possible, the best location to plant - such as shade, full sun, well drained hardy etc. Prepare all your cuttings this way so you do not lose track of what you have taken. Remember: do not leave any flowers on the cutting.

Prepare your soil now, for bulb planting next month by adding compost, animal manure and all-purpose garden fertiliser.

Garden Maintenance

During late February, early March, prune pelargoniums back to within three or four nodes on the present year’s growth. Make some tip cuttings from the removed pieces to propagate new plants. About two weeks after pruning, the pot-grown pelargoniums need to be repotted into new soil to develop strong growth before the winter.

March is usually a colourful time in the garden, Hibiscus, Tibouchina, Plectranthus and Roses all doing their bit. Doing their bit too are the very pretty pink Belladonna lily, Canna lily and Crucifix Orchids with their orange, yellow, red and mauve blooms. Perennial Phlox make a wonderful show as do Michaelmas Daisy (Asters). Camellia Sasanqua will join the show with many of the varieties providing perfume, especially the fairly new pale pink fluffy Japonica called "High Fragrance". Cassia bicapsularis grows quickly and well in any soil, if you like yellow try this one. It can be short lived, but sets lots of seed so prune hard after the prolific flowering to avoid seed spreading, particularly if you live near bushland.

Perennials can be lifted and divided now.

Normally by this time we should have had good rains in the Illawarra so now is a good time to renew the fertilizer leached out by the rain. After planting bulbs and some spring annuals, spread round the garden some blood and bone with added potash and phosphate pellets, then mulch and water. Your citrus will benefit from a good feed too. This month think about giving the garden a dose of dolomite instead of fertiliser, as our soils are usually clay-based and acidic. The manures, fertilisers and mulch increase the acidity. Alkaline additives include lime, dolomite and ashes (wood and coke). Dolomite is dearer but includes magnesium a useful nutrient for plants. Don't lime and fertilise at the same time, leave approximately six weeks between; most garden plants like soil that is neutral or slightly acidic. Bearded Irises like lime but not Louisianas. Don't add lime to Camellias, Rhododendrons, Gardenia, or to Hydrangeas if you prefer blue flowers.

Fruit trees are cropping now, so water regularly. Even after all the fruit is picked, keep the water up to the trees so they don't dry out and defoliate prematurely. This can affect the next season’s growth.

Some plants have put on a lot of growth in all the hot wet weather. Prune straggly growth on Wistaria, Virginia creeper, Bougainvillea and Ficus. The finished stems of Michaelmas Daisies can be cut off. Pinch back Carnation stems to encourage side shoots. Geraniums, Pelargoniums and Fuchsias that have finished flowering can be cut-back. Cuttings about 8-10cm long can be taken and can be pushed into vermiculite. Some gardeners disbud their Chrysanthemums, Camellias and Dahlias, but if you don't you will get more flowers but a little smaller. It's a matter of preference. Continue deadheading Roses, Lavender and Murraya (opt.). Impatiens have grown madly, so give them a good cut and pop the cuttings in a glass of water after squashing the stems a bit, or just pot up. This is handy for replacements if you are in one of the frost-prone areas and lose some plants in a really cold winter.

St. Patrick's Day 17th March, is the traditional day to plant Sweet Peas, so don't miss out on the glorious scent and colour of these flowers. They can really be planted any time in the coming weeks. There are lots of new forms of Sweet Pea. Lavatera and Godetia seeds can also be planted this month in situ.

Start to sow seedlings to plant out during the autumn. Try pansy, viola, stock, cornflower, larkspur, sweet william, wallflower, calendula and primula.

Vegetable seedlings can be planted out into enriched soil, including lettuce, celery, silverbeet, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and onion.

Do not neglect cymbidium orchids - while they are not flowering, they are developing the next flower spikes. They need good light in a semi-shaded position during the summer.

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