How to grow waratahs, an eco-organic garden, by OCP, is one of the topics discussed.
Waratahs are one of the most beautiful native plants.The state flower of New South Wales is the best known and has large red flowers and green leaves.There are more varieties of waratahs available.
Depending on the type of plant you plant, you will be rewarded with beautiful flowers in the spring that are full of nectar and are great for birds.Waratahs make great cut flowers.
A spot in the garden that gets morning sun and afternoon shade is protected from winds.Protection is important because flowers can be bleached by strong afternoon sun.Waratahs are prone to diseases that cause the soil to drain freely.A sandy-loam soil has some leaf mulch mixed in.Waratahs can grow in clay soils if the drainage is excellent and the plant performance is good.If you want to grow one in clay, then you need to apply gypsum to improve drainage.
If you're growing in pots, make sure you use a native mix to keep the water out.Water pooling can be avoided by taking away saucers.
Waratahs prefer acidic soils so it is best to test your soil and adjust accordingly.Use lime or dolomite to raise the pH.Sulphur can be used to reduce it.
If you want to make sure the roots aren't circling around the edges, tap the plant out of the pot.You need to dig over an area of soil that is three times the size of the pot and then plant it.If you're worried about your soil's drainage properties, then mound up the soil when planting so the waratah sits a little higher and this will assist with drainage.
To reduce transplant shock, water the plant with eco-seaweed.If you want to keep weeds at bay, apply a leaf mulch.The roots don't dry out until the plant is fully established.
Try growing waratahs from seed.If the seed is fresh, you can expect good rates, but if it has not been kept refrigerated, the rates will plummet.Place seed in punnets and keep it moist.The plants will emerge in 3-6 weeks.They are vulnerable to drying out but can die off quickly if kept too wet.It is a balancing act that requires you to watch your seedlings closely.The plants can be strengthened with weekly doses of eco-seaweed.5 years is how long it will take to reach flowering size.
Fertilising and maintaining waratahs will help them perform better in your garden.Every few weeks, new plants will benefit from a dose of eco-seaweed.In the spring, summer and autumn, established plants can be fed with a handful of organic pelleted fertiliser, some compost or a light layer of aged manures.
This is where it gets complicated if you are worried about phosphorus sensitivity.Some people experience rapid waratah death after applying a standard fertiliser, while others see their plants thrive as a result.It depends on how the waratah is initially grown.If the nursery used regular fertiliser during production, the plant will adapt to this and grow well.If the nursery uses a native fertiliser and you immediately switch to a regular one in your garden, the waratah can die.
If you want to avoid problems, use an organic fertiliser lightly in the first year and then increase to normal rates over time.If you are still worried, use a native fertiliser from the beginning, but keep in mind these products are rarely organic.Artificial fertilisers can be high in nitrogen and this can increase the risk of waratahs.
Waratahs should be trimmed to encourage better flower production.We recommend going harder for the best results when cutting flowers for a vase.Prune back the plant by a third once it has finished flowering.This will result in more flowers the following season, even though it sounds severe.As you can see, the stems are weak and spindly.As necessary, top up mulch.
The best time to propagation waratahs is in the spring or early summer.Cutlets 15-20 cm long and have several sets of leaves can be prepared with thePrunings taken after flowering.Keep them lightly moist until the roots form and plant into an extremely free draining mix.Unless you have achieved very sterile growing conditions, you should expect losses.Eco-seaweed can be used to encourage root development and improve your strike rate.