RESETTING YOUR GARDEN AFTER THE RAINS
All ABOUT RESETTING YOUR GARDEN AFTER THE RAINS
In the aftermath of this heavy rain event, our plants are looking a little worse for wear. Many plants will bounce back with minimal effort but some may need extra help as they recover.
HAVING A LOOK FOR PROBLEMS
After all this rain, scrutinise the plants in your garden and identify where your problem areas are. Find any plants or trees which may be leaning at a different angle inspect the base of trees to see if the tree has moved or if the roots are lifting. Leaning trees, cracked branches or trunks may need the attention of an arborist to assess the situation. Many may have bent under the weight or force of the rain and they should stand back up as they dry out while washed-out unstable trees may need staking while their roots re-establish back into the ground or removal altogether.
Do you have areas where water pooled and laid essentially drowning the plants? To fix this problem, build up the area with fresh soil, add some gypsum or even turn it into a raised garden bed eliminating the problem.
RESTORE YOUR SOIL
Extreme rain events damage soil not only by erosion but the displacement of oxygen and excessive leaching of nitrogen from the soil. Displacement of oxygen in the soil with water is essentially drowning the plants, microorganisms and animals that live in your soil keeping it healthy. It’s imperative to try and improve drainage to reduce root rot and for the health of your soil.
Chances are that all the fertilising that you did before the rain occurred is now non-existent. Heavy and prolonged rains cause “leaching” where essential nutrients and trace elements are effectively washed out of the soil and need to be replaced. Citrus will be the first to show signs of leaching with yellowing leaves and green veining indicating a need for trace elements to quickly correct the deficiency.
The wet weather can also lead to drastic movements of soil in your garden, maybe bringing in more soil from the neighbours or completely washing it away. Unfortunately, these problems are usually not identifiable until it happens.
If major flooding has occurred let the soil drain naturally first. Add lots of organic compost to the soil to allow oxygen back into the soil. Blood and bone or some chicken manure, a handful per square metre, helps kick the soil back to life and replace the nutrient that has been leached from the soil.
In the veggie patch get some fast-acting nutrients such as fish emulsion for a short-term boost then supplement with a slow-acting fertiliser such as pelletised chicken manure.
PESTS AND FUNGAL DISEASES
In the coming weeks when this weather finally blows through we will see an absolute plethora of nasties invade our garden.
With all the new shoots the rain has produced aphids are likely the most active post-rain. Treat these little sap suckers with Pyrethrum. Earwigs will also be a problem as we try to get our veggie gardens growing, even though a lot of products to treat these have been taken off the market, a trap made from a margarine container and linseed oil yields good results. If you aren’t sure what’s doing the eating, something like Yates Maverick or Success will help keep your seedlings in good order.
Powdery mildew and Black Spot will run rife through your roses especially when the humidity steps up. Remove the affected leaves with black spot and bin them and treat with Yates Rose Shield or Brunnings Rose Spray. Give them a decent feed as any fertiliser would have washed away.
Some plants may also be droopy looking like they are dry or have blackening foliage even though the soil is still wet, this is indicating the start of root rot. Not usually a good outcome from this as it is hard to cure and identify, and sometimes the damage doesn’t show up for a couple of years. Yates Anti-Rot will help in some instances.
WEEDS
Of course, there will be increased weed activity to deal with after the rains; the seed has been dispersed all through the garden by winds and running water. Even weeds sprayed before the last rains will be hanging on.
There are many strengths of Glyphosate weedkillers to use as well as Eco-friendly versions. Talk to our friendly staff if you need help working out which one you need. For your lawn use a Weed and Feed to replace some of the lost nutrients and clean out the broadleaf weeds.
DAMAGED AND DISEASED PLANTS
Dead and rotting plants can be a haven for many diseases, so if you have damaged plants it’s best to deal with them quickly. Do a general tidy-up of your garden, cut back any diseased branches or stressed plants and see if they bounce back. Dispose of the cuttings in the waste bin, not the compost.
Many fruits will suck up more water than their skins will accommodate which results in ruined, split fruit. There is no cure for this, pick the fruit and bin it before it goes mouldy.
