Story: Planting Natives in Pots
Episode: 6
Presenter: Sue McDougall
Air Date: 25 September 2021

Spring is a season full of life and gardening inspiration. Sue gives her spring gardening tips to create a beautiful and bright garden all year round.

• When creating potted gardens, choose plants that flower at different times of the year or have overlapping flowering times.
• Australian plants make some of the best potted Waterwise displays as they have long flowering times, are easy to grow, and thrive in sunny positions.
• Choose a pot (or old item to upcycle) that has at least 40-45cm diameter. This will allow enough soil around roots for the plants to grow and keep the roots cool in summer.
• Choose plants of different varieties that will create some striking colour.
• A specialized native premium potting mix for natives will create the low phosphorous soil conditions Australian plants require; producing a low ph environment boosted iron and calcium to promote healthy dark green foliage.
• This potting mix is also suitable for Proteaceae family natives such as Banksias and Grevilleas and South African plants such as Proteas.
• There is enough controlled-release fertiliser in the potting mix for about 6 weeks of growth and it won’t burn the foliage.
• To keep these plants looking fantastic all year round, apply Osmocote for natives in Autumn and again in Spring.
• Plant maintenance is easy for pots, a light trim after flowering encourages bushy growth and they will shoot away beautifully.

For more information, head to:
www.lovethegarden.com.au