FEATURE PLANT
Leptospermum
Scoparium
An evergreen shrub with long stems with needle like leaves that produce spectacular small blooms of red, pink & white! You won’t be disappointed with this little beauty in your garden!
Where to plant: Leptospermum Scoparium is a type of Tea Tree shrub that is easy to grow and an ultimate low maintenance plant for any garden. They are bee and butterfly friendly as they produce masses of bright pink, red or white flowers along their long woody stems in spring and summer. You can find many different varieties ranging in size from shrubs through to 3m tall!
The best location to plant these shrubs is somewhere that has either acidic, alkaline, fertile, poor or well-drained soil as these plants are very drought hardy when established, however they have a tendency for root rot if grown in overly moist soil. They will grow in full sun or light shade and are suited to grow in all locations of Australia.
Watering: When planting young plants the soil should be consistently moist. As the shrub matures to its full size they prefer regular small amounts. They can survive on very little water when established. Being a tough species with the tendency to last in drought conditions as well as poor soil, this shrub is suitable for arid locations in Australia and low maintenance gardens.
Fertilising: Being a native plant, the Leptospermum doesn’t require much encouragement to grow, however when planting out either seedlings or young plants be sure to dunk the bulb and roots of the plant into a bucket of diluted Katek Neptune Seaweed Concentrate and then plant out into the soil accordingly. We also recommend keeping up a regular regime of Neptune every 6 to 8 weeks, to keep the roots and plant growing strong until the plant is established.
As with most native plants they do not like too much fertiliser and will continue to grow without too much maintenance however you can use a balanced NPK fertiliser like Katek’s Super Growth or Blood & Bone Pellets which will slowly release the nutrients as they break down into the soil. We recommend giving your Leptospermum’s a dose of fertiliser twice a year during Autumn and Spring.
Pruning: They require little to no maintenance year-round but you can prune back the plant to suit your desired size or shape and to encourage bushier growth. Always prune after flowering is complete which is usually after summer.
Did you know? These wonderful little shrubs are disease and pest free and produce an absolute mass of flowers throughout spring & summer!
MARCH
Tasks in the Garden
Bulbs: Now is the time to start planting out your bulbs for beautiful blooms come Spring! Some favourites are daffodils, freesias, bluebells & hyacinths.
Mulching: Re-mulch the garden if the mulch has broken down over summer. Mulch is an easy way to keep on top of weeds and keep moisture in the soil, cutting down on watering.
Seaweed for overall plant health: Fruit trees, vegetables, ornamental plants will all benefit from a dose of seaweed concentrate to ensure healthy plant growth and build up resistance to pests and disease.
Deadheading Flowers: Going through the garden and removing spent flowers encourages the growth of new flowers. The bonus is that the plants will look much tidier as well.
Fertilising: March is good timing to fertilise throughout the garden. An organic all purpose fertiliser like Super Growth Pellets is perfect for giving the entire garden a lift.
Repotting: Re-pot plants that have outgrown their pots. A good quality Potting mix can make all the difference when it comes to healthy plants. You can place your plant in a larger pot or remove some of the root ball and re-pot with fresh potting mix.
Flowers:
Cool Climate/Temperate Climate Alyssum, aurora daisy, cineraria, cornflower, cyclamen, English daisy, French marigold, Iceland poppy, lobelia, lupin, pansy, polyanthus, primula, snapdragon, stock, strawflower, sweet pea and viola.
Sub-Tropical Climate Ageratum, alyssum, candytuft, carnation, cineraria, coreopsis, cornflower, cyclamen, delphinium, dianthus, everlasting daisy, Iceland poppy, impatiens, marigolds, sweet pea and viola.
Tropical Climate Ageratum, aster, balsam, carnation, celosia, chrysanthemum, cockscomb, coleus, cosmos, dahlia, dianthus, everlasting daisy, gaillardia, gazania, geranium, gerbera, impatiens, kangaroo paw, African marigold, French marigold, nasturtium, petunia, portulaca, rudbeckia, salvia, snapdragon, sunflower, torenia, verbena, wallflower and zinnia.
Herbs & Vegetables
Cool Climate/Temperate Climate Chives, coriander, garlic, lemongrass, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, shallots, tarragon and thyme. broad bean, beetroot, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, Chinese broccoli, Chinese cabbage, English spinach, leek, lettuce, onion, parsnip, potatoes, silver beet, swede and turnip.
Sub-Tropical Climate Chervil, chicory, coriander, fennel, garlic bulbs, lavender, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rocket, sage, sorrel, rosemary, thyme, winter tarragon, yarrow. Plant broad beans, broccoli, lettuce, onion, peas, radish, shallots, spinach, spring onion and turnip.
Tropical Climate Beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, melons, mustard, okra, onion, parsnip, potato, pumpkin, radish, rosella, silver beet, squash, sweet corn, sweet potato, tomato and zucchini.basil, coriander, garlic, garlic chives, marjoram, oregano, parsley, thyme and winter tarragon.