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| Good time to buy bulbs, not to plant them |
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BY HEATHER BUTLER* WELL, the New Year has started with some more outstanding examples of Tasmanian weather! Touch wood, though, that we haven't had the floods of the mainland to go with it. Unfortunately, we have had virtually no rain to speak of at all. This is where the mulching that you all did in spring will be paying its dividends back to you, by keeping the soil cool and damp. Summer is also the time for some forward planning for the cooler autumn and winter months ahead. Spring bulb stands will soon abound with all their glory, and first in is best dressed. However be warned. Just because you buy your bulbs in summer doesn't mean it is the right time to plant them. Warm, wet soil is a bulb’s deadly enemy. You are far better off leaving the bulbs in a cool, dark spot, (bottom shelf of the fridge is a good place), until the cooler weather around Easter, March or April. Now is also the time to put your orders in at your local nurseries for your preferred roses, fruit trees and ornamentals. The orders usually go in around February or March, and it is much easier to fill an order in advance than to try and fill it after the stock has arrived and the one you want isn't there! Now that summer has really kicked in, the soil temperature is just right for good strong growth on all the plants growing in it. That also means that they will get stressed easily, so regular watering and feeding is important. A stressed plant is one that is vulnerable to pest and disease attack. The warmth helps the breeding cycles of most insects as well, most of which will feed on plants and therefore drain them of the sap they need to feed themselves. By looking after the health of your plants now you will reap the rewards for months to come. Pruning now will also give the plants the chance to heal themselves while they are still actively growing, therefore preventing fungal disease entering the wound sites. Enjoy the last of the summer sunshine! *Heather Butler is principal of the Lindisfarne Village Garden Centre
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