What to plant this month
Planting times vary by region. On the Peninsula's mild coastal climate the window is wide, but the reasons behind it are the same everywhere: warm soil, returning rain, and a full cool season for roots before the first summer.
Coast tea-tree (Leptospermum laevigatum). Photo: Stephen Bain, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The year at a glance
- Plant tubestockmid-autumn to end of spring; April is the main window
- Nurseries sow for next autumnSeptember to January
- Prune natives after floweringlate spring to early summer
- First-summer wateringa deep soak weekly in dry weather
Windows shown are for Melbourne, the Peninsula and other coastal areas. Inland Victoria, with harder frosts, plants later. The live calendar sets the windows from your postcode.
Autumn: the main window
Field plantings in southern Victoria are mostly done in early to mid autumn, around April, "to take advantage of warm soil temperatures and good rainfall", according to the Florabank Guidelines, the national standard for native plant propagation and restoration. The plant gets the whole cool season to root before it faces summer.
On the coast the practical window runs longer. Bayside City Council's community nursery plants "from mid-autumn until the beginning of spring", and the Australian Plants Society Victoria gives "autumn through to the end of spring" for Melbourne and coastal areas.
Before you plant: order early
Nurseries propagate three to nine months before planting, depending on the species. Florabank's ranges by method: seed four to eight months, cuttings four to twelve, division six to twenty-four. Mornington Peninsula Shire's revegetation guides tell residents to allow eight to twelve months when ordering tubestock, and recommend 45 mm tubes.
That lead time is why WattleGrow shows plants as Incomingwith a date. The nursery has ordered or is growing them, so you can plan around the arrival.
Planting day
Avoid planting during prolonged weather extremes, hot or cold.
Make sure the soil in the tube and in the ground is wet before planting.
Mulch to about 7.5 cm, leaving a clear space around the stem.
Water until established, but do not over-water.
Steps from Mornington Peninsula Shire and Sustainable Gardening Australia.
The first summer
A plant put in during autumn has not built deep roots by December. Sustainable Gardening Australia's advice for the first year: "a good soaking once a week during dry weather", and in general "water for longer and less often" so roots go deep. Mulch cuts soil evaporation. Melbourne Water's watering rules allow hand watering at any time; watering systems run between 6pm and 10am.
After flowering: prune
Most native shrubs flower from winter into early spring. ABC Gardening Australia's rule is to prune "just after they've finished flowering" so the plant grows dense and bushy before the summer heat.
Your calendar
The live calendar opens soon for the Mornington Peninsula, set from your postcode and the Shire's seven planting regions. Get early access
Sources
- Florabank Guidelines, Module 13, Nursery propagation of tubestock and restoration planting (2021)
- Mornington Peninsula Shire, Revegetation and landscaping with indigenous plants, Nepean region
- Mornington Peninsula Shire, Native plant guide by planting region
- Bayside City Council, Bayside Community Nursery
- Australian Plants Society Victoria, Best time to plant Australian natives
- Sustainable Gardening Australia, Indigenous plants; Watering methods
- ABC Gardening Australia, Pruning natives