Autumn garden maintenance: Keep your garden thriving through the colder months

As the days grow shorter, the air turns crisp, and the leaves begin to change, autumn arrives in Australia with its own unique charm. 

While it may be a season associated with cooler weather, it’s also a perfect time to indulge in the joy of gardening with the sweltering heat of summer subsiding.

The milder temperatures and abundant sunshine make for ideal gardening conditions, giving you the ultimate opportunity to prepare your garden for the winter months ahead in comfort. 

Preparing your green oasis for the upcoming chill is an essential task that will keep your plants and flowers healthy and vibrant throughout the rest of the year.

Preparing your garden 

Autumn is the ideal time to protect your garden from potential shock and damage during the colder months, preserving all the hard work you put into it during the warmer seasons.

Trimming & pruning

Start your garden preparations with the least favourite job of tending to a garden, trimming!

Tidy up your borders, clean out your gutters, and remove any dead vegetation from the summer.

If you have hedges, now is the time to give them a good trim to keep them compact and bushy from ground level. Cut down any herbaceous perennials that have finished flowering to keep your garden looking neat and tidy.

De-head any dying and faded flowers on your rose bushes to preserve the plant’s energy, and remember that some plants like the agapanthus need a trim to prevent seeding.  

Remember, pruning promotes new growth and helps your garden thrive in the coming seasons.

Fertilising & mulch

Boost the health and vibrancy of your upcoming spring flowers by enriching your soil with organic fertilisers. 

Fertilisers help to improve water and nutrient retention, a vital element for your garden as the weather gets drier, and promote robust root development and strong plant growth. 

For citrus trees, use citrus-specific plant food for an extra boost as temperatures cool down.

Another fantastic way to boost your upcoming garden blooms is mulch!

Mulching helps retain moisture in the soil, reducing the need for frequent watering and keeping weeds in check. 

As it breaks down, mulch also enriches the soil with valuable nutrients over time, leading to strong growth for your green oasis. 

Keeping a luscious lawn

Maintaining proper care and attention to your lawn during winter helps to keep it looking healthy and vibrant throughout the colder months.

Feed your grass

For a lush lawn year-round, it’s recommended to you fertilise twice a year, and autumn is one of the best times to get in one of those feeds. 

During this cooler season, your grass slows down its growth, but its roots are still active!

Opt for a slow-release lawn food (choose one that’s lower in nitrogen than your spring/summer lawn feeding) to promote thicker grass and stronger roots, ensuring year-round health and protection during winter.

Reap what you sow 

Autumn is the perfect season to give your lawn that pick-me-up it might need following one of Australia’s scorching summers. 

Before you get started on revitalising your lawn with a sprinkling of fresh seeds, be sure to get in and clear any weeds or debris such as stones and fallen branches. 

This will ensure your lawn remains lush through the winter chill. 

For an added benefit to your lawn growth, use a garden fork to aerate the soil. This process helps to alleviate compacted soil, promotes healthier root growth, and enhances overall lawn health.