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Tropical Plants - Australia

Watering gardens in winter

21 years ago

Our garden is not quite 12 months old we have moved here from Victoria. We have stated a Balinese type garden and we have a spear pump to irrigate the whole garden front and back I have been told not to water the garden till after the dormant season about sept also when is the best time to start fertilizing the garden there are lots of new shoots already appearing what are your feelings on this subject

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Comments (4)

Wooroonooran
21 years ago
Jacmo, I suggest that you do it intensively but only once.
For instance, water for a whole day only once in the dry season- just to pull things through- this allows things to dry out again without encouraging the growth of fungus etc which tropical things are very intolerant to in the dry season-when they get wet and cold.

This year it is unlikley that watering is required- we had lots of rain a few weeks ago and this will pull things through until the warmer months of October-December.

From Kris
CoralCoast_Tropicals
21 years ago
In my tropical garden I generally give a good watering once a week in the winter. My location is a few degrees warmer than yours but we still can get cool overnight temperatures.

When it comes to tropical plants I shy away from the term 'dormant'. Yes many plants are dormant at this time of year but on the other hand many tropical plants are still actively growing (albeit a bit slower). For instance many of my spring flowering Heliconias for instance are growing strongly and will be starting to form their flowers now so water (and fertiliser) needs to be kept up to them otherwise they will not flower well.

Andrew.
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I just hang my hoses in the garage and purchase a foam rubber cover for my spigots. My parents do nothing and that works fine too for them. I don't know what an older home needs - mine was built in 1964. In January or February, we sometimes get a warm spell here. That's when I cut down the grasses and some perennials. I'm in the process of yanking annuals and running them under a mulching blade or throwing them in the compost pile. Last year I staked my new raspberry canes in the fall and I lost a few. I'm going to wait until spring. Your perennials should be fine. I leave some leaves and stuff in there for insulation - it's not this sterile clean bed my neighbors favor. On to milk jugs and winter sowing. See you guys over there! We're already having fun and the solstice is just a month or so away!!!!!
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I started using warm water about 20 months ago. I started with water about 100 F. I got bolder and up the temp tp about 120 F about 14 months ago. I add the water very little at a time so I didn't hurt the roots but was able to heat the dirt down deep. This year I poor 120 F water in the compost /mulch that insulates the tree roots and I pour 160 F water around the trees beyond the root base into the compost pile the trees were placed on top of. This goes deep under the trees active roots and warms the whole bed. This has worked well. All my trees are in ground or containers to big to handle individually and all my trees are outside permanently and under glass will little heating. Steve Steve
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alisonoz_gw
21 years ago
If you are using slow-release or pellet form fertilizer, now is not a bad time to do it and mulch, mulch, mulch! Liquid fertilizer really would be wasted right now. Despite the (somewhat) balmy days and recent winds, my yard plants are standing up OK after the deluge. More tender things are getting by on a weekly watering. Don't kill them with kindness or you'll be in trouble in summer.
I temper that advice considering you have a spear pump you may be in a sandy area that drains fast? In which case keep adding as much compost as you can and check the quality of the water from time to time in some areas it can get very brackish. Once you have your micro-climate going, and have seen your garden through another growing season, I think you'll have worked out all the answers you need for your particular situation and a successful garden.
(Oh and don;t forget the gallery, we LOVE to see pictures!!!!)
artiew
21 years ago
I agree with Andrew re 'dormancy' : its a relative term. I water any new plantings daily for the first few days, then they join the rest of their peers (anything from weekly to twice-weekly), but its all based on the finger test : if the ground feels cool and moist, I dont water.

I also maintain that the dry, cold winds we endure in August (SE and Central Qld, at any rate) have an adverse effect on anything with large leaves : I'm more inclined to keep the water up to them after a windy day than a warm one. As always, your mileage may differ.

Cheers,

Artie

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