Hello and welcome to Spring! It's officially here, although the weather over the last few weeks has been very spring like already. We've enjoyed some glorious sunny days and the plants are feeling it too - in the bush around where we live, we can see it coming alive with wildflowers. It seems to happen very quickly. With lots of open gardens, Araluen and many other parks and gardens throughout Perth and the countryside all putting on a great show, it's a great opportunity to get out and enjoy what's on offer. The Nannup Flower & Garden Festival has just wrapped up, and this coming Sunday, 3rd September, it's the Kalamunda Garden Festival again (held first Sunday of each season). Come on up and check out the many plant sellers, gardening related stall holders, and some of the fabulous talks that have been scheduled. Green Life Soil Co is sponsoring one of the speakers stages - you'll find us up the top in the Kalamunda Sports Club building - and we look forward to hearing the mix of local experts and guest presenters sharing their knowledge. For full details & speakers schedules - check out the link here.  Tickets are available (and cheaper) online.

Paul & I have had a busy couple of weeks getting out and speaking to gardening groups - The Gardeners Circle, WA Gerbera Society (where the gorgeous flower pictured here came from!), and the Herb Society of WA.  It's great to see familiar faces of customers AND meeting enthusiastic gardeners who are keen to learn about soil and what they can do to nurture their gardens.

If you'd like help or advice in getting your garden ready for Spring and the hotter Summer to follow - come on in any time and chat with our team.  We're happy to do a pH test on your soil, and provide you with options to suit your goals and budget.  Just remember at this time of year we do get very busy at times (our customer numbers double or treble what they are in the quieter months) so your patience is appreciated if you happen to come in at a peak time.  Also if you're coming in a long way to borrow a trailer or pick up a mix it may pay to call ahead, just in case we have to make up new batches, or are having any issues with availability.

Long weekend ahead!

We have the King's Birthday long weekend on Monday, 25th September.  GLSC will be OPEN as follows:

Saturday 23rd OPEN 8.30 - 4.00pm
Sunday 24th CLOSED
Monday 25th OPEN 8.30 - 2.00PM (note early closing)

If you're wanting to plan a gardening project it pays to book any deliveries well ahead of time to avoid disappointment.  

Hopefully we'll see you SOON at The Green Life Soil Co!  Come and check out our little display garden - the Everlastings are BEAUTIFUL at the moment, and you may just catch a glimpse of one of the resident bandicoots in the garden!

Cheers
Linda & the Team

PS.  Happy Father's Day to all the dads and father-figures out there this Sunday!

In This Newsletter:

Jobs to do in the September Garden
What to Plant NOW
Retic Reno - an Irrigation Expert gives us his top tips
Citrus Gall Wasp in Spring
Chives - Plant them now!
Photo Competition Winner
VIP Special
Retailer Update

Jobs to do in the September Garden

• Feed your soil! (this in turn feeds your plants!) NOW is the time to fertilise your fruit trees; they'll be waking up from winter dormancy (deciduous trees) and putting on their spring flush (deciduous and evergreen trees). Compost, aged manure, a balanced slow release, rock dust - or our general concentrate (which contains a whole range of goodies); feed up your plants NOW.  See our fact sheet on Soil Fertility here.
• Prepare your soil. Now's the time to replenish garden beds with compost, aged manure - or our vegetable concentrate (which has everything you need already in it!). Dig it through, and leave for a couple of weeks ideally before planting out your spring seedlings. In a hurry? You can plant out straight away, providing the materials are well aged.
• Start off your spring/summer vegie seeds. NOW is the time to start off a huge range of summer crops. We have a great range of non-hybrid & organically grown seed available (arguably the biggest range in Perth!) with more stock coming in all the time - so come in and have a browse!  (Due to ever-changing stock levels, we can't keep a full list online of what's available - but you're welcome to call up, we can run through your wish-list and pick, and we can arrange postage.)  Download our free when to sow guide for Perth here!
• Check your citrus trees for the Citrus Gall Wasp.  As the weather warms up, adults will be emerging from the galls, ready to mate and lay eggs for the next breeding cycle.  Cut off any galls you see, and make sure you solarise them, bag & freeze, shred/mulch them finely, or burn them.  Composting or simply chucking in the bin won't kill them.  If tiny holes are visible in the galls, you're already too late - they've emerged.  Now and through early summer is the time to spray the tree with Clay Spray barrier - see below for more information on this method.
• Feed & prune your passionfruit vine. September is about the time to do this - if possible time it between harvesting any winter crops & before your vine is in full flower again in Spring. Cut back by up to a third, feed and mulch heavily. Passionfruit are hungry plants - so don't be stingy!
• Repot your indoor plants. If you haven't done so already, repot and tidy up your indoor & patio plants. They'll respond to the TLC and the warmer weather with healthy new growth. Try our Indoor Potting Mix - formulated with additional biochar and DE to assist with odor and fungus gnat prevention.
• Weeds. Yep - not glamorous but this is the time of year you can't turn your back on weeds. If you can't get time to pull them, make sure you slash them before they set seed. Obviously they'll try to send out more flowers (seed heads in the making); but every successive whippersnip will take vitality from the plant and you'll end up with less seed to spread, for sure. We also carry Slasher weed killer (certified organic alternative to glyphosate).
• Brassicas are possibly coming to an end now; if your broccoli are still sending up side shoots for harvest and are not yet spent, keep feeding them every 1-2 weeks with a light liquid feed to help them keep on producing. Have you had great results from one plant? Leave it to set seed (assuming it's non hybrid, and not too close to other flowering brassicas because they do cross pollinate and can hybridise) & save some for next year. As the weather warms up, be on the look out for increased pests.  We do carry insect netting which can help.
• Plant flowers. Besides giving your spring/summer garden some colour, you'll be bringing in the pollinators and assisting with biodiversity in your backyard. Edible flowers (click here for our free fact sheet) make a lovely addition to summer salads or to freeze into ice blocks for your cooling summer beverage of choice!
• Love your lawn!  Here's tips from lawn expert Nick Bell on what you should be doing to get your lawn into tip-top shape prior to summer:  "Progressively lower height of grass to 8-12mm depending on variety by close mowing. First cut remove 1/3 of the grass, then remove another 1/3 and finally remove a further 1/3 double cutting up and down the same swathe. Then comb through the lawn without touching soil with a Mowmaster grooming reel, and remove clippings and all debris. Evenly spread 10Kg Neutrog Blade Runner organic lawn fertiliser per 100m2 (* = 10/100 x .02 = 2g Nm2). Restore smooth firm even surface by top dressing a 5mm depth of Green Life Soil's Lawn-Topdress."

WHAT TO PLANT NOW

It's SPRING - so there are soooooo many things that you can plant at the moment!  The trick is always timing - the weather will still be unpredictable for a while, with (hopefully) some rainy days & cool nights...  If you're growing from seed, remember temperature of the SOIL is key - so it is still quite early to be planting out many summer crops.  If you're wanting to grow from seed, I'd recommend planting out in trays or punnets at the moment - so you can move them around and molly-coddle them.  Start off a few seeds every couple of weeks (rather than planting out a whole packet at once!) - that way you hedge your bets and will jag the right time eventually.

Each week now we'll have more varieties becoming available in our seedling range - so if you're time poor, this may be the best option for you. Here's some ideas as to what you can plant now (remember to see our FREE downloadable guides on our website - click here!)

Asparagus, Artichokes Jerusalem and Globe, Asian greens, Beans, Beetroot, Broccoli*, Capsicum, Chilli, Carrots, Celery, Chives, Corn, Cucumber, Dill, Eggplant, Fennel, Kale*, Lettuce, Onion, Parsnip, Peas, Potato, Pumpkin, Radish, Rhubarb, Rocket, Silverbeet, Snow pea, Spring onion, Strawberries, Sweet corn, Tomato, Turnip, Zucchini. (Check out our extensive info on growing various vegies and herbs in Perth here.)

* Brassicas will grow in Perth into Spring/Summer, provided conditions are suitable. Be aware increased pest pressure over the warmer months is likely; are you prepared to net your vegies or deal with cabbage butterflies, for example?  If you can't cope with the pests, it's better to plant in season vegies that will withstand the conditions.

Start spring seeds off in a good quality seed raising mix (like our Certified Organic one!). It's fine to re-use recycled pots and punnets. Ideally, soak them in warm water with a dash of household bleach, give them a good scrub to remove any dirt, and allow them to dry in the sun. Keep your sown seeds in a warm spot, making sure the soil's surface doesn't dry out completely.  Top tip - use a fine layer of vermiculite sprinkled over your seeds to help keep them moist.

We've got a free fact sheet on growing from seed - so check it out for more tips & tricks for success. Like it? Please share it!

Retic Reno - Getting Your Sprinklers Summer Ready

A huge thank you to Luke Porter who runs Retic Renovation - a local business that specialises in installing and fixing reticulation systems.  Given that Spring is the time to make sure things are tickety-boo ahead of the hot weather to come, we've got some of Luke's top tips here for things to check with your retic & pitfalls to avoid.  
Luke is passionate about what he does, and has a lot of experience dealing with garden & turf installation - he uses Green Life Soils on his jobs because he's seen the results from them.  He's got a great website with loads of helpful articles and tips to do with reticulation, sprinkler types & choices, selecting and installing turf - please hop over to his website for more information.

With more pressure being placed on our water supplies, it is more important than ever to achieve a Waterwise garden.  GLSC team members have recently done refresher training & we're accredited to provide advice on soils and mulches - essential in keeping plants healthy over summer.  There are other industry experts in landscape design and reticulation - like Luke - with specialist knowledge and accreditation in their fields.  Please take advantage of their experience and professionalism.  It's always worth getting the job done right the first time.

Luke has seen A LOT of systems around Perth, and the biggest mistakes he finds in retic systems include:

1. Poor Coverage: Ensure full overlapping coverage so no spots are missed.
2. Not enough sprinklers: Have MORE sprinklers and adjust run time down rather than compromising coverage.
3. Dripline spacing: Don't space too far apart, ensure adequate quantity.
4. Dripline for trees: Include dripline for trees like fruit trees right around the dripline of the tree.
5. Placing near tree roots: Avoid placing near potential large tree growth.
6. Wiring mistakes: Use conduit, avoid ground joins to prevent later issues.
7. Solenoid setup: Over-allow for pressure, add extra solenoids as precaution so the system always works 
8. Sprinkler placement: Ensure proper height and coverage, avoid hits by edgers.

Top Tips for Saving Water in Your Garden:

1. Use efficient sprinklers: Opt for water-efficient options like drip irrigation and MP Rotators.  Update older sprinklers to more efficient ones.
2. Improve soil: Use quality soil mixes and mulch (5-10cm depth).
3. Monitor soil moisture: Utilize wetter soils during hot months if necessary.
4. Plant wisely: Choose waterwise plants to suit your conditions, consult knowledgeable designers. Less can be more.  Group plants together with similar water requirements - called 'hydrozoning'.
5. Use proper sleeves: Avoid joins in wiring, consider using blue line plumbing under concrete for retic, if possible.

Preparing Your System for Summer:

1. Battery check: Change backup battery and review settings.
2. System audit: Evaluate your system's components.
3. Sprinkler maintenance: Clear minor blockages, trim vegetation around sprinklers.
4. Plant adjustments: Trim plants near sprinklers and raise sprinklers up to ensure coverage - plants grow in spring and spray patterns may be compromised. 
5. Soil improvement: Apply mulch and improve soil quality.
6. Lawn care: Increase mowing frequency as it gets hotter, gradually lower cutting height. Mow little and often never taking off more than 30% of your lawn at once. 

Thanks Luke for your top tips...  Need more info?  Contact Luke directly via his website.

Citrus Gall Wasp - time to be vigilant!

As the weather warms up, Citrus Gall Wasp will be emerging from the galls on your trees.  If you haven't already done so, please inspect your trees and cut off any galls.  They'll need to be burnt, or finely shredded, or sealed in plastic bags and left in the sun for about 6-8 weeks, or deep buried (1m+).  Please do not dispose of the cuttings into your compost or council bins (even the FOGO/organic waste bins).

The adults will soon emerge, and then begin the next phase of their life cycle - mating and laying eggs under the bark of your trees.  This information is taken from the Ag Dept's website/fact sheet on citrus gall wasp:

"The citrus gall wasp produces a single generation per year, spending most of its growth and development inside galls in branches. Adult wasps emerge from galls in spring, when environmental conditions are suitable. Emergence is closely associated with the spring growth flush. Adult wasps live for 3–14 days depending on the temperature. Each female can lay about 100 eggs, mostly laid under the bark of young spring shoots. Egg laying starts immediately after wasps emerge with most being laid within the first three days. The eggs hatch in 2–4 weeks and larvae then burrow into the bark. Woody tissue is formed around the larvae causing the distinctive swelling of the gall. By the following winter the larvae inside the gall pupate ready to emerge again as adults in spring."

Superfine kaolin spray has been used as a barrier by eastern states and overseas growers for some time - and we have this product available at Green Life Soil Co if you'd like to try it this spring/summer to assist in controlling these pests.  It is a natural product - non-toxic to you or your pets.  Being a super fine powder, it disperses easily in water and is applied by spraying.  The spray forms a film/coating over the plants which dries as a barrier - and is a deterrent to chewing insects (like grasshoppers), sap suckers (like scale) and egg laying insects (like the Citrus Gall Wasp).

Interestingly, the product also helps protect against sunburn and can be used on vegetables, avocados and other fruit trees, vines - any plant really - and still allows photosynthesis and does not affect fruit yield.  [Laboratory trials have shown that photosynthesis is actually increased due to more even light reflection & penetration throughout the plant.]

It is recommended to use clay spray at 50gm/1L then repeat applications at half strength (25gms/1L) every 2-4 weeks throughout the prime season for Citrus Gall Wasp emergence (spring/early summer), or after rain has visibly washed away the covering.

A small 200gm pack is $6.00 (and it's also available in 500gm and 2.5kg packs) - so give it a go this Spring!  We've also sent word out to our wholesale customers - so ask at your local stockist to see whether they're getting it in soon!

To report the pest, and to find more information on the Citrus Gall Wasp - visit the Ag Dept (DPIRD) website. 

Ch-ch-ch Chive talking!

Often at this time of year we're looking for things to plant in the herb garden...  Generally speaking (because there's always exceptions) it's too late for Coriander and too early for Basil...  but if you're looking for a fabulous herb to spice up your everyday meals, you should consider planting some Chives in your garden now!  While they'll grow most of the year round (they don't love winter much and may go dormant - depending where you are) - now that spring's here they'll thrive.  It's Chive Thrive time!

Chives can be sown from seed, or for a quicker result, buy in a seedling pot.  As they're Alliums (members of the onion family) seed is quite small, so pots are sown with multiple seeds and you'll get a whole clump of chives in a pot.  If you carefully wash off the dirt you can usually separate the clump - but there's no need really, as the clump will  happily grow as - is; if you do want to split the clump into two or more sections, do so carefully so as not to damage the roots.

The good thing about chives is that they're relatively pest and disease free - in fact, as companion plants they're good around roses or other plants that are hosts to sap sucking insects like aphids.  They're reputed to be good companions to many plants - including carrots, cucumber, grapes, rhubarb, lettuce, strawberries, capsicum, tomatoes, potatoes.  Don't plant near asparagus or spinach - or so the books say!

Grow chives in good soil - either in pots or directly in the ground - provide adequate moisture; but they're not super thirsty.  Too much water can weaken their flavour.  It's the leaves of the chives that we eat (although the pretty purple flowers are edible too!) - using kitchen scissors, chop them just above ground level to harvest.  Clumps will recover and you can rotate the harvest over several plants.  Liquid feed every few weeks to keep good growth happening.  They're happy in full sun or part shade.

Chives are traditionally used with eggs - so yummy in scrambled eggs for breakfast!  Chop them finely and try adding them to mashed potato, or mix with butter and spread on bread - like garlic bread but not quite so anti-social perhaps!

True chives (onion chives) have a rounded, hollow leaf, whilst their close cousin, the garlic chive, has a flattened leaf and a slightly more pungent flavour and smell.  I've found garlic chives are a little more robust, so are a very good choice for a beginner gardener or as part of a gift pack for someone just testing out their green thumb!  Plants don't take up much space and are quite an attractive plant.  They can be used as little border plants (growing to around 25-30cms high) in a more formal cottage garden, and their flowers will attract beneficial insects as well as being pretty!  They are a perennial, so in the right conditions, will keep on for many years - so a little maintenance and division every now and again will spruce up the plant.  They also self seed, so saving your seed is an option to keep you going should the parent plant die off for any reason (eg. extreme cold or negligence!).

Photo Competition Winner

It seems like the warmer weather has brought quite a few of you outside with camera in hand - given that we've received quite a few entries for our monthly photo competition! THANK YOU and keep it up - remember, we select a winner at random each month for a $50 store credit; so next time it may be YOU!

This time we've received photos of native garden makeovers (very impressive!), carrots, cabbages and cauliflowers - just to name a few that come to mind.  This month, we've chosen Susan Trigg who lives out at Koorda in the wheatbelt - according to Google - 236kms north/east of Perth.  She's built a new house, and along with it, a new garden - using waterwise & native plants, along with rustic decorations and gravel/bluemetal.  I'm sure it's a harsh ënvironment to garden in, which makes the design and planning even more important.  This is what she had to say about her garden:

"When we moved here all we had was a bare block of red dirt. We have spent the past 4 years planning & planting species that will attract birds, bees & beneficial insects as well as survive our harsh climate here in Koorda." 

So CONGRATULATIONS Susan and thank you for sending in the photos.  I love (what appears to be) a planter bed gabion wall using old bricks as the filler!

And to everyone else - thanks again and keep sending in your photos!

VIP Special

This time of year is the PERFECT time to set yourself up for summer success.  The prep you do to your soil will sustain your garden and help conserve moisture in the soil.  At GLSC, we  have a number of products we use and recommend to help sandy soils hold water and overcome water repellency.

In spring, you're likely to be digging through soil improvers prior to planting new plants and adding mulch - so THIS is the perfect time to incorporate long lasting mineral products to your sandy soil to help hold water in the root zone - where its needed.  Consider our products like Charlie Charcoal (particularly fabulous for those near the coast battling alkaline soils), Cassies Clay (our kaolin clay product), Bentonite Clay, or Sand Remedy (our own blend of minerals including clay which help with water retention and releasing and supplying trace elements in the form of volcanic rock dust).

Just a reminder that by logging into the Members section of our website, there is members-only pricing available all the time on a number of products (including most of these ones I've talked about!) but for the month of September, we're giving you even more savings on our SAND REMEDY product.

Our 5kg Sand Remedy tub will treat about 16m2 of garden area - and this retails for $34.00.  This month for members, it is priced at $25.50.
Our 20kg Sand Remedy tub will treat about 64m2 of garden area - full retail price is $88.00.  This month for members, it is priced at $66.00.

This represents a 25% saving off our normal retail price!

Please ASK for the VIP pricing in store or make sure log into the Members section to order online.  Offer is valid one per customer until COB Saturday, 30th September 2023 & available while stocks last.

Sand Remedy is Certified Organic, has been independently tested to be Waterwise approved and carry the SMARTwatermark.

For waste-free gardeners, Sand Remedy is available by the kg as a refill product - BYO container.  

Retailer Update

Please support your local independent retailer who supports us! The specialist retailers listed here will be happy to give you gardening advice and help you with our products - please call to check what lines they carry as they can't stock all of our products (but may be willing to get stock in for a custom order - if you ask nicely!). Some of these fabulous retailers also offer a home delivery service (marked with *)  - so why not go local?  (Please contact the store directly for details.)

Bar Botanik - North Perth 9227 6758 (Indoor Potting Mix & Aroid Mix only)
Daisy Field Organics - Fremantle
Garden Elegance - Subiaco 9381 2197
Guildford Town Garden Centre* - Guildford 9279 8645
Harbour Plants*- South Fremantle 0439 967 034
Hydroponics Guru (Living Soil only) - Wangara 0430527575
Kambarang Garden Centre* (formerly Waldecks Bentley) - Bentley 9458 5944
Lighthouse Fruit Tree Nursery - Parkwood 0411 166 034
Miaflora - Inglewood 9343 6334
Newstead Outdoors* - Greenwood 9334 6334
Nibali Stockfeed* - Hamilton Hill 9433 2211
Richo's 4 Hydro - Joondalup 9301 4462
Stackwood - Fremantle 9335 9835 (Potting Mix only)
Stanbee Stockfeeds* - Barragup 9581 2390
Supreme Plants - West Swan 0499 887 275 (Blueberry Mix only)
Swan Valley Station - Swan Valley 0427 371 001
Tass1 Trees - Middle Swan 0419 988 344
Urban Revolution* - Victoria Park 6102 1068
Utopia Nursery - Bullsbrook 0455 659 622
Waldecks Kingsley* - 9309 5088
Waldecks Melville* - 6317 0939
Waldecks Stirling* - 9254 6730
Zanthorrea Nursery - Maida Vale 9454 6260

Ardess Nursery (Albany) 9842 9952
Australind Landscaping Supplies 9796 1720
Blossoms Nursery (Denmark) 9848 2014
Boyup Brook Co-op (Boyup Brook) 9765 1001
Great Northern Rural Services (Geraldton) 9964 1274
Hillview Garden Centre (Bridgetown) 9761 1672
Margaret River - Nutrient Ag Solutions 9758 7677
Naturaliste Landscape Supplies (Busselton) 9754 8081
Soils Ain't Soils (Busselton) 97515 322

THANK YOU for being part of our Green Life family!  We hope to see you in store soon.  Check out our newsletter next month & stay up to date with our Facebook and Instagram pages for announcements, stock arrivals and general good gardening vibes!