APRIL
Australian Native Plant Job List
• Many species of everlasting daisy can be planted now for spring flower displays. Seedlings can be raised in punnets or simply scatter seed into a cultivated bed of soil and rake over to create a more random ‘wildflower meadow’ effect.
• Clumping plants such as mat-rushes (Lomandra species), flax lilies (Dianella species) and kangaroo paws begin a new flush of growth at this time of year so it is a great time to scratch in a handful of slow release native plant fertiliser and water in well.
• Melaleucas and Callistemons will benefit from a light prune to remove the spent flower heads. Cut just behind the developing seedpods to create a denser, more floriferous shrub.
• This is a great time to plant an Ivory Curl (Buckinghamia celsissima). This under-rated native rainforest shrub produces masses of grevillea like blooms in autumn and adapts to climates as far south as Melbourne but needs protection in frosty areas.
• Seed heads of many native species are maturing at this time of year and can be harvested. Dry, woody fruits can be placed into a paper bag and put in a warm, well aerated spot to shed their seed. Fleshy fruits such as lilly pillies can be peeled by hand to release the seed.
• If you have a relatively large garden this is a great time to plant a Sydney red gum (Angophora costata), a beautiful tree that does well in most areas of south eastern Australia.
• As banksias finish flowering through the autumn and winter prune off the spent flower heads to stimulate more flowers for next year.
• Watch out for curl grubs in your pots and in ground plants. The C-shaped larvae have orange heads and are voracious root feeders. Exposing them by forking around plants will enable magpies and other birds an opportunity to clean them up for you.
•Fleshy fruited plants such as lilly pillies are ideally propagated at this time of year as the edible fruits ripen. Simply eat the flesh and plant the seed that remains immediately in normal potting mix.
• New cultivars of dwarf banksias are in flower in nurseries at the moment which makes this a good time to go and choose one for a courtyard garden.
• Pot up an advanced plant of Norfolk Island Pine (Araucauria heterophylla) into a much larger container for use as a Christmas tree at the end of the year.
• Plant seed of the colourful native annual, Swan River daisy (Brachyscome iberidifolia) for a colourful display in purple, pink and white throughout spring.
•This is a great time to establish a variety of native shrubs such as melaleucas, grevilleas and callistemons. Small plants tend to give the best long term result in terms of root development if you have the patience.
• Fertilise plants that you wish to push along a little bit during the good growing weather over the next month or two except in very cold climates.
• Sawfly larvae will cluster and attack the foliage of plats such as bottlebrush and eucalypts. Carefully cut off small branchlets that harbour colonies and squash them or pour over boiling water.
• Divide kangaroo paws, dianellas and lomandras by cutting into sections with at least 5 shoots with a spade and planting each piece into a pot in a sheltered position.
• Take tip cuttings about 10cm long of bottlebrush, grevillea, treat with hormone powder and plant in a well-drained potting mix and place in a protected position