The Garden Diaries: Victoria In April

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Mid-autumn is a magical time for gardening in Victoria. There’s heaps of work to do to get the garden looking its best and ready for the oncoming winter. Here are some ideas for what you can do in your garden in April.

Hero plant this month: Citrus

This month, it’s all about citrus. Every Victorian garden needs at least one citrus tree and there’s no shortage to choose from. Whether it’s lemons, oranges or limes, there’s bound to be one that suits your garden.

Citrus are good all-purpose plants with beautiful foliage, pretty flowers and are productive too.

You don’t need to go big either, citrus trees grow well in pots. Select a large pot, about 50cm in diameter, but make sure you use a premium potting mix. It contains slow release fertiliser and a soil wetter to help absorb moisture.

Citrus thrive in the full sun and like fertile, well drained soil. They’re also heavy feeders, so add fertiliser at least every season to ensure a strong harvest and water regularly.

If you need advice about fertiliser and pots, go into your local Bunnings and ask the team in the garden centre.

What else to plant

Don’t neglect the vegie patch either. Consider planting brassicas such as cabbages, broccolis and cauliflowers.

Think about adding some onions, leeks and garlic to your garden. These members of the allium family taste great and also have proven health benefits as well.

Maintenance

Autumn is the best time for pruning. Remove dead wood and spent flowers on perennials. Give evergreen shrubs a work over too. Regular pruning will encourage new growth and help to keep the plant looking good.

Watch out for pests like snails and slugs. They especially love seedlings, so use some snail bait, or just step on them and leave them out for the birds!

Also keep an eye out for cabbage white butterfly, which are hungry for brassica seedlings.

Keep in mind the watering needs of pots and planters as they tend to dry out around this time.

Finally give the lawn some love by repairing any summer damage with some fresh seed and a complete fertiliser.

Harvest

In April there should be plenty of produce ready to harvest. Pick peas, Asian greens, lettuce, spinach, radish and celery. And don’t forget the herb garden. Also pick bunches of parsley, basil, mint and thyme for cooking.

Autumn is a lovely time in a Victorian garden so get out and enjoy it this weekend.

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Remember the Perfect Plant Promise. All our plants (except seedlings) are guaranteed for 12 months. If you're not 100 percent happy, return your plant (with the receipt or tax invoice) and we'll refund it.

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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Health & Safety

Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page. You can also use a simple test kit from Bunnings to indicate the presence of lead-based paint.