The Garden Diaries: New South Wales in February

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It’s the last month of summer! It’s hot, but there are so many things to do in your garden this month. Here’s a list of things to grow and harvest in the ACT and NSW in February.

Hero plant this month: Cacti and succulents

February is a great time to grow hardy characters such as cacti and succulents. There are plenty in store to choose from and what’s even better, these sun lovers are rewarding to grow.

Succulents and cacti come in a range of shapes, sizes and colours. They are hardy, low maintenance and have juicy, water absorbing leaves. Plant them in a pot or in the garden or they also work well as an indoor plant. Most thrive in full sun, and well-drained soil, the biggest trick to keeping your cacti and succulents alive is not to overwater.

What else to plant

Keep an eye out for new trees and shrubs. Magnolia ‘Teddy Bear’, is a good choice. You can also plant hibiscus and gardenias with their glossy leaves, and fragrant flowers.

With its architectural leaves, the hardy yucca is another good choice to plant this month. Yuccas thrive in the heat and work well as a feature plant in the garden or put them in a pot.

While it’s great to have a garden that looks pretty, planting some edibles can be rewarding too. It’s still pretty warm in New South Wales, so not the best time for planting vegetables but try herbs, such as parsley, chives, or rosemary.

It’s also a good time to get in some leafy greens such as lettuce. Put them in the garden or a pot and keep water up to new plants.

Maintenance

There’s plenty to do to keep your garden in good condition this month. Light pruning lavenders, hydrangeas or other perennials will keep them in top shape. Remove spent flowers and trim any dead wood, this will keep bushes well maintained and promote new growth.

Give citrus a good feed. It’s best to fertilise on a cooler day, rather than when it’s really hot. Keep the water up to your citrus too, this will help produce juicy fruit. Use a slow release fertiliser on other areas of the garden. If you don’t know what to use, get some advice from our experts in-store. Try adding a wetting agent to the garden and lawn to help with moisture retention.

Protect your plants during hot conditions by using a fish tonic, this will help build disease resistance and strong roots.

As summer fruits continue to ripen, always pick up any fallen fruit. Leaving it on the ground can cause disease and attract pest insects.

Harvest

Keep an eye on the summer patch, as fruit and vegetables will be ripening. Pick silver beet, radishes, cucumber, strawberries, pumpkin, and tomatoes. Check carrots and pull any that are ready they’ll be delicious on summer salads.

Fruit and vegetables displayed on a table

Start planting today

Check out the wide range of plants online or visit your local Bunnings Warehouse to find out how you can bring your garden to life.

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