 Growing Gardens
with Anita Morton
Slip, slop... post-flood garden tips
 Wasn't
that rain unbelievable? My poor garden is looking quite stunned, with many plants
falling over or just flattened by the force of the rain - but I have nothing to
complain about compared to those of you who have seen your whole garden underwater.
Thank goodness it drains away fairly quickly in most places, and one can get out
and do a little rescue work.
When the soil is very wet, some top-heavy plants lose their grip on the earth
and topple over. Drive in one or more stakes, prop the plant up and tie it securely
to the stakes. This will generally be fairly easy, but if the plant resists being
pulled upright you might have to do a little excavation around the roots and settle
them firmly once more. Yes, you will still have to water them in!
If water has been right over your garden you will have to rinse off the mud
as soon as you can. Rake up any heavy masses of flood debris and compost it. If
left lying it can cause rots to set in, and will kill lawn grass. Also check your
garden for any standing pools of water or very boggy patches and dig shallow channels
to drain them. Be careful not to direct water from your garden to your neighbours'
homes.
If soil is very wet for long periods, some shrubs and small trees will succumb
to fungal and bacterial rots. If you see a plant looking incongruously like it's
wilting, reach for one of the phosphoric acid soil drenches, such as Yates Anti-Rot.
Apply as directed, making sure you dose the entire root zone, and also treat any
other plant that looks a bit seedy. Now all the garden needs is a few sunny weeks...
and no more rain for now!
Lismore Garden Club News
The next meeting of the Lismore Garden Club will be held on Thursday, August
4, at 1.30pm. Venue to be advised. There will be an interesting social outing
this month. Details will be advised next week.
From June 26 to July 1 we received around 300mm of rain here at our place at
Goonellabah. That's about 12 inches in the old scale. Many of you received much
more than that. To all of you that received flood or water damage to home, business
or garden you have our sympathy.
On the brighter side our tanks and dams are full, the rivers and creeks have
received a much-needed flush out and we are not likely to have water restrictions
for a while. To add to that the underground water table should be replenished
to some degree. This all augers well for us gardeners.
What has happened to our cold weather? Is the lack of good cold snap to do
with global warming? I'm not sure. One thing that you can be sure of is that we
will get our share sooner or later. Those of us that are in frost-prone areas
should be ready if temperatures plummet toward nightfall. Cover frost tender plants
by driving in a few tomato stakes around each plant and cover them with plastic,
hessian or even an old bed sheet. Be sure to remove the covers each morning.
Gardening tip: If you are unlucky enough to have plants hit by frost do not
prune off the damaged leaves. Leave them on and they may act as protection from
further frost damage.
Finally: 'Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as paint and the
soil and sky as canvas.' - Elizabeth Murray.
Happy gardening
Ron Burns
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