Its March, so in Michelle’s calendar that means pruning time. In this month’s gardening tip Michelle shares an article by the Native Plant Society of Victoria and adds some local knowledge.
March is here so for me that means pruning time. Twice a year I do a big prune, in March and September. Due to the climate here its possible to prune year-round, but I find these months give the best results for most species. By March its usually cooled down enough to do some heavy work and there is enough warmth to allow the plants to get some growth on before winter. Tip pruning can be done all year.
The article in the link below covers why it is advantageous to prune our natives. Just keep in mind the role that the plants in your individual garden play. Seeds and nuts provide a food source for our fauna so pruning after flowering, as recommended in the article, would stop seeds from forming. Dead branches are useful when providing fauna habitat. The article does have some particularly useful hints such as how to make cuts and keeping tools sharp.
Pruning Australian Native Plants | Australian Plants Society Victoria (apsvic.org.au)
Hope you enjoy the cooler weather.
Michelle