Over Sixty Winter 2022 Digital

21 LIFESTYLE OVERSIXTY.COM.AU | WINTER 2022 WIN! Enrich garden soil Healthier garden soil means healthier plants. Here are 5 ways you can enrich your garden soil. Spread grass: Grass clippings add nutrients as they decompose. They also provide shade, keeping roots cool and reducing water loss in hot weather. Mix them with leaf litter or dig into the soil to avoid them forming a mat that will repel water. Use manure: Cow manure improves soil micro-organisms and chicken manure, which is high in nitrogen and phosphorus, is great for the lawn and vegie patch. Lay straw: Lucerne hay and pea straw strengthen the soil, so they’re highly recommended. They also break down fairly quickly, which gives the soil a quick nutrient injection, and can be dug in to speed up the process. Use bark: These mulches take longer to break down, so they don’t need applying as often. They shade the soil, help retain moisture, repel weeds and look decorative, but don’t add many nutrients to the plants. Add compost: A well-rounded source of goodness, compost allows water to penetrate the soil. It provides slow- release nutrients, attracts worms and encourages a healthy root system – all from your own kitchen scraps! Fill in the base of the hole enough for the soil level to match the surrounding area.. Give plants a deep watering once a week in warm weather. Apply a liquid fertiliser with seaweed emulsion in growing season. CHERYL MADDOCKS GARDEN N ot only can hydrangeas be grown just about anywhere in Australi,a they also flower prolifically in blue, pink, red or white. Hydrangea macrophylla is the most widely recognised species. The mophead type has big round flower clusters while lacecaps feature long, flathead open blooms with bud-like flowers in the centre. Older varieties tend to be larger, while the newer are smaller, with extended flowering time and brighter colours. There are also miniature types that get to about 300mmhigh. Hydrangeas are simple to plant but need nutrients to thrive, so it’s important to dig plenty of organic matter into the soil, but be aware that Hydrangea macrophylla flowers can change colour, depending on soil acidity. More acid soils give blue flowers, alkaline soils red or pink and neutral purple, while white stays white regardless of soil pH. The most common mistake in growing hydrangeas is not pruning them, which means the flower size can sometimes be smaller, as there is more competition between each branch for nutrients. Wait until after flowering to prune your plants when the buds beneath flowers begin to shoot. Prune back to about seven buds below the flowerhead, or lower if you would Above: Hydrangeas, with their beautiful flowers, tolerate full sun in cool areas and some do well in full shade Photo: Getty Images LIFESTYLE Growing hydrangeas Brighten up a shady spot in your garden with these easy-care shrubs for beautiful, long-lasting colour like to keep your plants slightly shorter. Position hydrangeas in a location with semi-shade. They prefer moist conditions but tolerate full sun in cool areas and some do well in full shade. Protect plants from northerly winds and strong afternoon sun, as this can burn the leaves and flowers. Hydrangeas growwell inmost free-draining soils but benefit from the addition of well- rotted compost, dug through before planting. Plant by digging a hole twice as wide and only as deep as the container the hydrangea camein.Removetheplantfromthecontainer and gently tease out any parts of the rootball to encourage the root system to grow out into the soil in which it’s being planted. Win a Karcher K2 Pressure Washer Home, Outdoor & Car Value Kit valued at $189. Visit www.o60.me/contests