11 Top Secret Tips for Gardening in Perth

Gardening in Perth can be a real struggle; long hot summers with watering restrictions; cold
frosty winters with unpredictable rain; alkaline infertile soils and a host of pests and
diseases that thrive in our temperate climate.
Over the past decade Ive been mentored by Perths best gardeners including several TV
celebrities. Ive passed on what Ive learned to the many gardeners Ive hired and trained at
Mitchs Gardening, and together weve passed this knowledge onto our clients. Weve been
helping hundreds of clients turn their struggling patch into a beautiful, sustainable
landscape for over a decade.
Now were sharing it with you.

1. Prune Your Plants In Winter and Summer

Perth has really hot summers and it puts a
huge strain on our plants to stay hydrated
particularly during long heat waves. But
theres a simple solution - summer prune
your plants. Weve all heard of winter
pruning, but summer pruning?
Plants are resilient. And in extreme
conditions like hot or cold they enter a
dormant state. Here in Australia our native plants go into sleep mode through most of
summer in an effort to conserve water. If you have native plants, summer is the best time
to prune them not winter as this is their active growing time.
But its not just natives we should be summer pruning. Roses and other exotics greatly
benefit too. By summertime, roses often look tall and leggy and theyve lost their neat
compact appearance. Its a great time to prune them back to a manageable size and youll
be rewarded with a second flush of flowers, which will keep flowering longer into winter. A
heavy summer prune will also reduce the water needed to keep your plants growing well.
Its important to prune plants
correctly, poor pruning is often the
cause of pests, disease, dieback
and sudden plant death.
Always keep secateurs sharp and
prune a centimetre above and at
the same angle as the bud.

Perths only all-inclusive gardening service, click here for more info.

Call Mitch now 0425 057 892 or email office@mitchsgardening.com.au

2. Mow With A Rotary Not Cylinder

Its common to see lawn contractors and
even home owners using those big heavy
cylinder or roller mowers. Machines that
were never intended for home lawns
instead they were designed for use on
putting greens and grassed playing courts.
Grass that is professionally managed,
aerated every 6 months, dethatched every
year, fertilised weekly and watered daily.
Roller mowers compact the soil making it
hard for water and nutrients to get to grass
Difference in lawn growth from compacted soil and
uncompacted soil.
roots. They cause thatch build up in lawns
because the weight of the mower compacts the grass, which damages roots - causing more
grass to thatch than normal. The heavy rollers easily snap sprinklers and chip walls.
Rotary mowers on the other hand rarely damage irrigation or edges because the only point
of contact are the four rubber wheels. The blades are concealed in the mower body away
from irrigation sprinklers and hands. Being 1/5th the weight they dont compact the grass
and the cutting action sucks dead grass (thatch) up before it becomes a problem. When the
blades are kept sharp they mow lawns faster and leave a neater cut than roller mowers.
Lawns mown with rotary mowers never need aerating or dethatching (unless compacted by
other means i.e. cars). If you want to use a cylinder mower you can keep your lawn green
and healthy by dethatching every 2-3 years in autumn and aerating every 12 months in
spring.
Lawns are often mown far too short in Perth, which leaves them yellow/brown and
susceptible to weeds. Instead mow your lawn at 3-5cm high, the longer blades (lawn leaves)
will: shade the soil and reduce water evaporation; protect the soil from compaction;
increase photosynthesis and better absorb nutrients; need less water as the roots will grow
deeper; and suppress most lawn weeds.
When fertilising lawns, little and often will give a far greater result than heavy infrequent
applications will. Ideally fertilise every 4 weeks using a hand held fertiliser spreader and a
quick release fertiliser. Slow release fertilisers require far more water to release the
nutrients into the soil than quick release does. With Perths watering restrictions our
lawns dont get enough water for the fertiliser to release until winter rains when lawns
are least active. This ends up feeding the weeds instead!
Be sure to only apply quick release fertilisers at the suggested rate as they can burn lawns if used
applied too densely.
Perths only all-inclusive gardening service, click here for more info.

Call Mitch now 0425 057 892 or email office@mitchsgardening.com.au

3. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch!

Perth is the driest city in the world, with
the highest water consumption. Mulch is
THE MOST important thing you can do
for your garden. The correct mulch will
suppress almost all weeds; increase the
water and nutrient holding ability of your
soils; cool your soils which reduces
stress to plants; and protects your soil
from the elements.
But not all mulch is the same. Unfortunately karri and peat mulch is the one most used as it
is seen in the majority of gardens in those glossy magazines and on TV. It is the one most
recommended by professional gardeners and with good reason too. It increases weeds
and looks untidy the minute leaves and debris fall onto it which means you call your
gardener back sooner because your yard looks untidy and is constantly full of weeds! Not
only that but black mulch wicks water up out of the soil, creates an impenetrable matt
across the surface stopping water and nutrients from getting through, and it heats up your
soil, cooking your plants roots remember black attracts heat.
So what mulch should you use? For Perth gardens, a course wood based mulch with some
fine particles is best. All garden beds should have a 5 to 10 cm thick layer of mulch
protecting and feeding the soil throughout the year. Gardens that are mulched annually
will never need fertilising as the mulch itself provides a full spectrum slow release
fertiliser.
If you want to really boost your gardens growth apply 100g of nitrogen to all the garden
beds before mulching and then water in well. The nitrogen will feed the soil microbes and
your mulch will quickly break down into a deep black layer of humus rich in plant
nutrients and great at absorbing water. Working to slowly release nutrients and hold on to
them in the soil.
The mulch mimics the natural pattern of leaves and plant debris falling to the soil surface
and breaking down effectively replacing the nutrients you take away in dead flowers,
leaves and hedge trimmings. A garden that is mulched annually with 5-10cm of good quality
mulch will maintain balanced soil nutrition and grow healthy disease and pest free plants.
We recommend using Magic Mulch, a mulch that weve had scientifically formulated
specifically for Perth. It is made of 100% recycled plant debris and screened for consistency
and aesthetics. It is the best mulch weve ever found for suppressing weeds, improving the
nutrients in soils and balancing soil pH.
Find out more about Magic Mulch here, or call our office.
Perths only all-inclusive gardening service, click here for more info.

Call Mitch now 0425 057 892 or email office@mitchsgardening.com.au

4. Drip Irrigation and Watering Wisely

Water is Perths most scarce resource. So
it makes sense to use it wisely. Plants
absorb water in one place only their
roots. Applying water to the foliage of
plants cleans and stimulates the leafs
stomatas (cells) to open, increasing the
exchange of oxygen and CO2.
Watering the foliage does not water the
plant instead the water drips down the
plant to the roots where it is then taken up
and used. Watering the foliage in hot conditions, creates excess humidity and moisture on
the leaves which is an ideal breeding ground for pests and diseases on your plants.
When you water with above ground irrigation you waste up to 78% of all the water you
use through evaporation and wind drift. If you have black mulch or no mulch in your
garden beds that figure can be as high as 89%.
By using drip irrigation youre delivering the water directly to the plant roots, where they
need it most, and if drip line is under course mulch you can expect a very low 3%
evaporation loss. Higher moisture in the soil increases the nutrients available to your plants
and reduces heat stress making plants less prone to pests and diseases.
There is one exception to drip irrigation and thats lawns. Grass is best irrigated with pop
up sprinklers as its leaves cells quickly clog with dust and dirt from regular mowing. Grass
that doesnt receive overhead watering to wash the leaves has stunted growth as it cant
exchange CO2 and oxygen effectively suffocating the plant.
Drip irrigation under mulch works best when used for regular shallow watering not long
deep soaks. Perths sandy soils are very poor at holding water so most of the water you
apply during deep soaking just seeps through the soil unused and is wasted. Regular light
watering under mulch keeps the humus layer moist where the plants readily absorb water
and nutrients.
Irregular deep soaking is the only way overhead sprinklers are effective as it takes too long
for the water to seep through the soil surface. Most of the water remains in the first 5-10cm
of the soil where it is evaporated before getting to the plants roots.
Drip irrigation under mulch can be run anytime of the day without increasing water
evaporation. If youre using above ground irrigation (drip not covered by mulch included),
you can reduce evaporation by making sure all stations finish at least 1 hour before
sunrise preferably 2.
Perths only all-inclusive gardening service, click here for more info.

Call Mitch now 0425 057 892 or email office@mitchsgardening.com.au

5. Hoe Weeds
Hand pulling weeds is time consuming.
If youve mulched your gardens with
course wood mulch like we
recommend, then just skip this section
all together because youll have so few
weeds, youll be able to hand pull
them in 5 minutes or less each month!
But if you havent mulched yet, or
continue to use black mulch then this
tip will save you some time. Weeds can
be stubborn and once they get a hold,
they can quickly take over a garden.
Our tool of choice for the war on weeds is a Dutch hoe. With it we can weed 10x faster than
by hand. It works by sliding underneath the weed, and cutting through the root just below
the regrowth point completely disabling it from regrowing again. After the weeds have
been hoed its a simple matter of raking them off of the soil. Young weeds can be left in the
soil as they wont regrow once disturbed.
The hoe causes minimal disturbance to the soil, which reduces the germination of new
weeds. It also skims the soil so lightly that it doesnt affect any of the plants we want to
keep.
Mitchs 7 Guaranteed Steps to a Weed-Free Garden
1.
2.
3.
4.

Keep gardens mulched to 5-10cm. This one step is 90% of the solution
Drip irrigate instead of above ground sprayers
Water only around the plants drip line not the whole garden bed
Avoid disturbing garden beds too deeply, hoeing is ok but digging soil stimulates
weeds to germinate
5. Fix the excesses and deficiencies in your soil. Most persistent weeds are actually
solving a nutrient imbalance, once this is corrected they disappear
6. Know which weeds need chemical treatment and treat them regularly (couch, nut,
onion grasses, oxalis (often mistaken for clover)
7. Plant groundcovers in between shrubs to reduce mulching. Ground covers are a
green living mulch and suppress weeds very well

Perths only all-inclusive gardening service, click here for more info.

Call Mitch now 0425 057 892 or email office@mitchsgardening.com.au

6. Use Hand Hedgers

We know they are old fashioned, but I cant
recommend anything more. Powered hedge
trimmers almost always leave jiggered,
messy cuts that weaken the plant and open
it up to pests and diseases.
The strong vibration transferred to the
plants from powered trimmers effects the
cells ability to move and use water and
nutrients. Plants are the factories of nature,
the take in CO2 and nutrients and release
oxygen and water.
When we trim them using something that vibrates violently we disrupt and destroy the cell
structure, and the plants ability to cycle nutrients and water efficiently. Further weakening
them to pests and diseases but also creating nutrient deficiencies and dehydration in the
leaves.
Trimming using hand shears on the other hand, leaves clean cuts that the plant can quickly
repair and theres only a gentle movement of the leaves with the cutting action no more
damaging than brushing past them with your hands. Scientists have shown that plants
hedged with hand trimmers not only are less prone to pests and diseases, but they have
better absorption of nutrients and water; and they need hedging much less often.
Keeping trimmers sharp and using the right tools is just as important. Too often gardeners
saw through branches too thick for the powered hedgers blades leaving a rough open cut,
and often several nicks up the stem. Such
traumatic wounds take a long time for the
plant to heal, which weakens it to the pests
and diseases.
Instead of sawing through thick branches,
gardeners using hand hedgers will stop and
cut the branch cleanly with secateurs or a
saw because it is much less effort to do
so.
Sharp blades make for clean cuts, and
clean cuts heal quickly something you
definitely want when youre making a lot
of them all at once, like when youre
trimming a hedge.
Perths only all-inclusive gardening service, click here for more info.

Call Mitch now 0425 057 892 or email office@mitchsgardening.com.au

7. Hedging Correctly

Its one of the most common things we fix in gardens. Poorly hedged and trained plants. The
purpose of any pruning in the garden is to increase the health and appearance of the plant.
With that in mind its important to always use sharp tools, that have been sterilised and to
follow correct pruning principles.
All plants should be pruned so that the top is narrower than the base causing the sides to
slope inwards towards the top by 20-30 degrees. This is particularly important with hedges
as the foliage grows denser than normal.
Pruning this way enables light to evenly reach the foliage creating fuller and greener hedges.
Its also best practice to allow hedges to grow between cuts, we recommend 5 to 10cm.
This allows the plant to absorb nutrients through its leaves before being trimmed back,
further increasing the health and
appearance of the plant.
Hedges should be trimmed irregularly,
weve found that once every 8 weeks
for most hedges is best although some
need hedging as soon as 4 weeks.
Hedges that are allowed to go to
flower such as lavender, rosemary and
Murraya are best pruned back by 1/3
only after flowering has finished
instead of being hedged throughout
the year. Trimming too little, too often
from flowering hedges promotes
woody bases, sparse leaf growth and
few flowers.

Perths only all-inclusive gardening service, click here for more info.

Call Mitch now 0425 057 892 or email office@mitchsgardening.com.au

8. Move Houseplants Outdoors in Winter

Being stuck inside all year is no fun at all.
Houseplants greatly appreciate spending
some vacation time outside during cooler
weather. Over the course of the year the
pores in their leaves will have become
clogged with dust and the winter rains will
quickly refresh them. Not only by washing
their leaves, but by also providing trace
elements found in the rainwater.
Its unknown exactly which nutrients that rainwater contains, that benefit plants, but its
widely accepted that plants thrive when exposed to the occasional soaking of fresh rain.
Thats why your garden always looks the best after a rain. Towards the end of winter is also
a great time to root prune and repot houseplants, and other potted plants around your
garden.
Remember houseplants arent used to such strong sunlight, so on sunnier days move them
into more sheltered areas to keep them protected.

9. Prune Perennial Plants Correctly

Too few gardeners recognise a perennial
when they see one, let alone know how to
properly maintain it.
Perennial plants come from cool temperate
regions where the ground is covered in
snow through winter, so they die down to a
few green leaves or buds during cool
months and then reshoot in spring.
When left unpruned they become woody unattractive plants that flower poorly. The best
time to prune perennials is not always in winter either. A better rule of thumb is to prune
them back 1 month after the last
flower has fallen, or when new growth
appears at the base. Prune back to the
first green leaf or bud which is usually
within 30cm of the base of the plant.
Some grasses also fall into this group
and they are best pruned back to 1/3
after they finish flowering.

Perths only all-inclusive gardening service, click here for more info.

Call Mitch now 0425 057 892 or email office@mitchsgardening.com.au

10. Treat The Problem Not The Symptom

Your garden is an ecosystem. Theres so
much that we cant see with our naked eye.
Pests and diseases are a symptom of a poor
environment or declining plant health. The
first step in treating any pest and disease is
to boost the health of the plants affected by
correcting nutrient imbalances in the soil.
Once the plants are on the mend, its
beneficial to knock back those nasty pests
with a little spray. Its important not to use
anything harmful here like chemical based
pesticides unless the pests are causing
irreparable damage to your plants.
By the time youve noticed the pests or
diseases on your plants, so have many other beneficial insects. And these are the good guys,
they control your pests and diseases for you ... for free!
Ladybird eating aphids on a rose leaf

Chemical sprays not only kill the bad bugs but the good bugs as well. Unfortunately the bad
bugs are much more resilient than the good bugs, and youll get more and more pests the
more chemicals you use because youll have fewer good guys helping you control the bad
bugs.
We recommend using Eco-oil or Eco-Neem for pests and Eco-fungicide for diseases. They
are all relatively harmless to the good bugs, and some even contain an attractant that helps
guide the good bugs to the pests.
Its often better to spray nothing at all than to use harmful chemicals but to get the best
effect use organic sprays that dont harm beneficial insects.
When your garden gets the same pests and diseases its because your plants are weak
they are missing something or have too much of something in the soil. Just treating the
symptom without solving the underlying problem, wont fix anything.
Have a soil test and analysis completed for the problem area and then follow the
recommendations to solve the problem and your garden wont be plagued by pests or
diseases again.
Click here to find out more about soil testing and analysis.

Perths only all-inclusive gardening service, click here for more info.

Call Mitch now 0425 057 892 or email office@mitchsgardening.com.au

11. Balanced Nutrition

Nutrients are nutrients. It
doesnt make a difference
to the plant whether it
gets organic nitrogen from
blood meal or chemical
nitrogen from urea. What
does make all the
difference is all the other
macro and micro nutrients
that plant needs to use that
nitrogen efficiently.
Without the correct
balance all that nitrogen
will be wasted.
Plant nutrition is deeper than N+P+K = amazing results. Plants have no means of converting
or absorbing any of the nutrients in the soil without two helpers bacteria and fungi. The
improper use of chemical or organic fertilisers can disrupt and harm the bacteria and fungi
in your soil disabling your plants from accessing the nutrients available.
Applying NPK fertilisers will give your plants everything they need to grow until a
nutrient imbalance occurs. Once the soil becomes imbalanced either through pH, a
deficiency or an excess the plant, bacteria and fungi will no longer be able to efficiently
access the nutrients.
Any further fertiliser use after this point will only exasperate the problem further. Organic
matter buffers against nutrient imbalances and enables soil microbes to thrive in a moist
nutrient rich medium. In our sandy soils we should aim for an organic matter content of 5%.
However just having good organic matter wont save you from nutrient imbalances, it will
only buffer against them.
To really keep your soil in proper balance it should be tested at least once a year and
analysed by a trained professional. Once analysed, a tailored fertilising program will be
formulated to match your gardens needs saving you from wasting your money on
nutrients your garden doesnt need and correcting any imbalances in your soil.
Having a soil test done is extremely important if you are growing any of your own food at
home. You definitely dont want to be eating food that is lacking important minerals or
worse has toxic levels of copper or zinc in it!
Click here to find out more about our soil testing and analysis service.

Perths only all-inclusive gardening service, click here for more info.

Call Mitch now 0425 057 892 or email office@mitchsgardening.com.au

Bonus Tip
Everyone knows you need to winter prune plants particularly roses. Here in Perth we can
often get heavy frosts through our winter months. This is why we recommend that you
prune your roses and other deciduous plants, in late winter towards the end of August.
If your garden doesnt get frost in winter, or you have some plants that are in a protected
area you can winter prune them in late July to get an early flowering in September. Pruning
in late August will delay the spring flush of flowers until Christmas time when they can be
appreciated best by guests.
If you prune too early such as in June, the plants will shoot too early usually in August, when
the frost can still damage their tender shoots. Frost damage will weaken your plants and
causing poor flowering for the whole season.

If youd like to find out more about how we can help your garden
THRIVE.
Call Mitch today on 0425 057 892

Perths only all-inclusive gardening service, click here for more info.

Call Mitch now 0425 057 892 or email office@mitchsgardening.com.au