Flowers & Ornaments

• Annual flowers and vegetables are also in good growth now so these need to be regularly fed. This is where liquid fertilisers come into their own as they deliver a small but readily digestible dose of nutrients. Use Baileys Vitpalant.
•  Baileys Soil Matters Garden contains all essential macro and micro nutrients, and a biological coating which encourages strong root growth. Apply little and often, 25g a per square metre every 3 weeks and water in immediately.
  
  

Fruits

• Feed tropical plants as they are in active growth in the warm months. Use Baileys NPK or Baileys Soil Matters Garden. 
• This might be surprising but Mango trees even though they might be still carrying fruit in the southern states can still benefit from a fertiliser application now. You need to be careful not to overdo it. Mature trees need only about a cupful of a high analysis NPK fertiliser such as Baileys NPK. For more tips on Mango Growing in WA read our blog here. 

Garden Beds & Lawn 

• Most Australian soils suffer from a hydrophobic condition, commonly referred to as run-off. This condition occurs naturally, but particularly in soils which are regularly worked and as gardens and lawns become more established. Similarly, garden pots and planters are also affected. Baileys Grosorb is designed to correct this, breaking down the waxy barrier causing the problem and allowing water to rapidly soak through the soil. Read our Summer Gardening Guide for top tips. 
  
  

Edibles 

• Harvest zucchini regularly even if early when fruits are small. The idea is to promote fruiting over a long season.
  
• Harvest onions and cure by placing in a dry cool location for a week. These will store for long periods before use. One of the most effective ways of storing onions, garlic and shallots is to braid the leaves. They can then be hung up in a shed for many months.
  
• Time to harvest potatoes when the plants start browning off and loosing leaves.
  
• When harvesting sweet corn push a thumbnail into the kernels. If the juice is doughy it's over mature, if watery it's immature, but if it's milky then it's at a perfect stage to pick.
• Now is a great time to dry herbs - always away from the sun.
• Cut artichoke plants to the ground to promote fresh new growth.    
• Selecting the right time to harvest watermelon is tricky but achievable. Things to look for include the underside turns white, the tendril nearest to the fruit turns brown and if you flick the fruit it gives a dull thud rather than a ringing sound.
  
• Grape vines can wilt on extremely hot days and this is detrimental to their fruit production. If a heatwave is forecast try giving your vines a deep soaking the day before and then every day till cooler weather arrives.    
  

Trees & Shrubs

• Prune off any dead wood in trees or shrubs. If you are suspicious of diseases having a role in the death of the branches dispose of the material rather than chip or even composting unless you use the hot method.
• Prune and feed roses in preparation for the autumn flush of flowering. Use Baileys Rose, Camellia & Azalea;

Garden Beds 

• This is the month we tend to batten down the hatches and seek protection from the worst of the summer heat. Mulch every bit of bare soil around the garden. Baileys Moisture Mulch is excellent feeding mulch. Applying Baileys Moisture Mulch does a lot more than make the garden look great, it also helps to cool soil as well as the garden, reduces evaporation, increases soil water retention, suppresses weed germination, allows rain infiltration and adds organic matter to existing garden areas. 'Bare soil is dead soil' is one of Mother Nature's guiding principles. Read our blog The Need To Mulch for more info.

• Between granular feeds, liquid fertiliser sprayed on the turf leaf (known as foliar feeding) can be utilised to deepen and extend colour and take your lawn to the next level. Try Baileys new TURFECT Invigorate and enjoy noticeable results within 6 hours! Formulated to support turf health, hardiness and recovery during summer stress and after winter dormancy. TURFECT Invigorate provides a broad-spectrum readily available source of essential macro and micro nutrients and is particularly high in Potassium. Apply 5ml per square metre diluted in 50ml of water. For more information on foliar feeding and the new TURFECT Range read our Blog here.  
• Wetting agents in a granular form can be applied to lawns to improve water retention and penetration. Use Baileys Grosorb Wetting Agent at the rate of 40gms (just under half a cupful) per square metre.
• Mow lawns high so that leaves shade the root system.
• Regular mowing helps reduce weed infestation.
  
• Water your lawn right after mowing to stop the newly exposed blades of grass from burning.
  
• Compost lawn clippings to add to your garden as fertiliser. However, if you have used herbicides including weed and feed formulations on your lawn then it's best to dispose of the clippings.
  

Vegetables & Herbs

• The extreme heat often leads to blossom end rot in tomato and capsicum. Brown patches appear at the base of the fruit at the opposite end to the stem. Also, splits appear in tomato fruits and sometimes white blotches which are sunburn show up on fruits that are exposed to direct sun. Mulching can help as well as even watering. If possible shade your plants temporarily.

Fruits

• Cherry and apricot trees suffer from canker diseases that are most readily spread when the trees are pruned in winter. For this reason do your annual pruning now that the fruiting has finished.