Plant out winter flowering annuals like pansies, violas, petunias (summer rainfall areas) alyssum, and fairy primulas.
- Love lilies? Plant bulbs from now until August, in slightly acid soil that drains well.
- Water once a week and fertilise once a month. Spring flowering bulbs should not be allowed to dry out; water for forty minutes every four days.
- Dead head poppies, calendula, and sweet peas to encourage new flowers. Cut down cannas and dahlias. Tidy up other perennials. Shrubs and trees can be lightly trimmed to let in more sun.
- This is the best month to move or plant summer-flowering shrubs, rose bushes, perennials and even small trees.
- Repot outdoor container plants.
- Water lawns once a month and fertilise once a month in frost free subtropical areas. Remove weeds by hand or with a targeted weed killer.
- Protect tender or semi-tender plants from frost with frost guard cloth.
- Spray preventatively for conifer aphid with an organic insecticide but make sure that the spray reaches the inner trunk and foliage. Insecticide granules can also be sprinkled around the base of the conifer.
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