It’s Gardening Thyme!

Watch your garden spring into life with these great gardening tips – brought to you by Rocky Point.

Quick Check List

  • Give you garden a good fertilise with an organic fertiliser
  • Top up your gardens with mulch, it looks great and helps with water retention and temperature control
  • Water in the early morning for best results. Avoid watering in the hottest parts of the day (for the benefit of you and your plants!)

Edibles To Plant

  • Asian Greens
  • Capsicum
  • Cucumber
  • Pumpkin
  • Leek
  • Sweet Potato
  • Tomato
  • Basil
  • Chilli
  • Eggplant
  • Ginger
  • Lettuce
  • Sweet Corn

Flowers To Plant

  • Alyssum
  • Cosmos
  • Nasturtium
  • Petunia
  • Rudbeckia
  • Salvia
  • Zinnia
  • Aster
  • Marigold

Sowing From Seed

Often the thought of growing something from seed is daunting to beginner gardeners, often opting to purchase small seedlings instead. There is something special about growing from the beginning and with a few simple tips; it does not need to be difficult. Using biodegradable seed pots means you can start your seeds and transplant them with ease. These pots breakdown naturally, and are easy enough for your plants new roots to grow through. Simply start your seed in the little pot and when you see the roots permeating through the pot, you can plant the entire pot in your garden to break down, and you don’t risk the transplant shock of moving your little seedling into a bigger space. Use a good quality seed and cutting mix to start your seeds, and ensure when you plant your pot, it goes into a good potting mix or garden bed prepared with nutrient rich soil.

Repotting Plants

Repotting is important to do a couple of times a year, but at least once in a 12 month period. This is because potting mixes are predominately made up of organic matter which continues to break down while in your pots. As it breaks down it lessens the pore space in the mix, giving your plants less ‘breathing room’ for the roots to move, or for water to get through. Repotting with fresh mix opens up this pore space again (also known as air-filled porosity) giving your plants the best chance to keep flourishing. Repotting made simple;
  1. Before re-potting, give your plant a thorough wetting down and choose a bigger pot; at least one third bigger than the initial pot.
  2. Place a small amount of your selected potting mix in the base of the pot.
  3. Position the plant in the centre of the pot
  4. Fill around the edges with your potting mix to within 20 mm of the top of the pot
  5. Press down gently and water in well.
It’s important to remember, that your plants can only be as good as the potting mix you put them in. Often people will spend big money on beautiful plants, only to plant them into cheap potting mixes which are lacking in nutrients and essential ingredients needed to make your plant thrive. Visit your local nursery or garden centre and have a chat with them about which premium quality potting mixes are best for your pots. Also, always remember to look for the Australian Standards 3743 ‘5 ticks’ logo on packs, as this means the potting mix has undergone strict quality testing measures, and check for their packed dates to ensure you’re getting the freshest mix.

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