Spring Gardening in Western Australia

Springtime, the most beautiful season of the year, has definitely arrived in Western Australia. With longer days, bright sunlight, and warmer temperatures, this is the ideal time to revitalise your vegetable gardens, lawns, flower beds, and plants.

As most gardeners in the Perth area know, the one major challenge is getting things to grow in our sandy soil. But, as most gardeners also know, there are a few things that can be done that will turn sandy soil into a great growing environment.

Bibra Lake Soils services a large geographic area south of the river, with a full range of loose and package products to enrich and improve the growing capabilities for all types of surface soils.

FACTS ABOUT GARDENING IN SANDY SOIL

There are a few facts that may help new residents and first time gardeners understand our unique soil condition.

1. FACT: Sandy soil may be lighter and easier to work with than soil rich in clay, but it is also missing the essential nutrients and natural materials needed to support a healthy loam for growing. A healthy loam is a mixture of sand, clay, and aged organic manure. If you are not sure which loam mixture will work best for your soil, ask our friendly team. Bibra Lake Soils has a variety of loose and packaged soil products that can help you achieve the perfect growing surface for your gardening goals.
2. FACT: Because of its dry, loose formation, sandy soil is not able to retain enough water to nurture plants and lawns. To determine if you have sandy soil, form a handful of the soil into a ball shape. If the soil will not stay in the shape of a ball, you have sandy soil. Bibra Lake Soils carries lawn and garden products that promote the water retention properties of sandy soil. With the right amount of clay added to sandy soil, the soil will be able to hold more amounts of water needed to support surface areas and root systems. You don’t want to over, or under, water your ground surfaces. But, the timetable for watering your ground may not always coincide with your daily work and activity timetable. A good solution is to have a professionally installed watering system to keep your plants healthy and your soil hydrated. When watering your garden, it helps to water as close to the ground level as possible. Water that remains on new leaves, flowers, and vegetable sprouts will be exposed to the heat of the sun and may actually damage the new growth. You want to keep the soil and the root systems moist.
3. FACT: There are valuable benefits to be gained by adding a mixture of natural, organic matter to the sand and clay soil conditioners. This type of additional matter is the use of animal and plant residues going through different decomposition stages that will end in the long lasting final stage referred to as humus. Humus supplies micro-organisms into the soil that is full of nutrients, air, and water to feed your lawns, plants, trees, and vegetable patches. Your ground surface will benefit from the use of commercially packaged organic matter that will remove the possibility of introducing any mildew or bacteria back into your soil. You can find the best organic matter for your landscaping and gardening needs at Bibra Lake Soils. You are encouraged to chat with one of our staff members if you have questions about which product will work for your needs.
4. FACT: Covering the top layer of your soil with a top quality mulch before the weather gets too warm will work to retain moisture, condition the soil, suppress the growth of weeds, and reduce sun damage to plant leaves, and vegetable sprouts. The mulch encourages the rooting systems of plants and because it is slow to decay, it is able to increase the amount of organic matter retained in the soil. For plants and vegetable patches, use a lighter colored mulch that will deflect hot sun rays. Darker mulch is beneficial for shaded areas such as around the base of large plants and trees. Bibra Lake Soils has the perfect mulch to match your gardening needs.

ALREADY STARTED YOUR GARDENING? NOT A PROBLEM.

If you have already re-potted plants into the soil or set down your seeds, you can still enhance the condition of sandy soil without uprooting your garden. Dig holes on either side of your seeding rows or plants where you can fill the holes with your sand, clay, and organic matter mixture.

Adding a layer nutrient rich fertiliser over the top layer of your ground soil will help your young vegetables, flowers, and plants establish and anchor strong, healthy roots. Bibra Lake Soils carries packaged fertilisers that will enrich your gardening soil.

Once your soil has been transformed from sandy to plant healthy, you are ready for spring gardening. With your nutrient rich soil, now is the time to lay down your new grass and your favourite springtime flowers, plants, new trees, and vegetables for a lush lawn, and a colourful garden that you’ll enjoy all the way through until the end of summer.

Bibra Lake Soils is here to help you. We are open 7 days a week to serve your landscaping and gardening requirements. Come by, or call us on (08) 9434 2290, to talk with one of our experienced soil specialists.