Tony's Tips - September 2026
Spring has arrived! After what has felt like a long, cold Winter, it’s exciting to see the gardens burst back into life. September is a month of incredible change, with plants emerging from dormancy, with growth and flowering really starting to take off.
Now is the time to encourage that growth with regular feeding and as the weather warms, watering when needed. A good quality, balanced fertiliser will give your plants the nutrients they need to thrive through the growing season. We’re also seeing the first of the warm-season seedlings arrive, including Petunias, Marigolds and Cosmos, along with the beginning of tomato planting season.
If you only grow one vegetable, make it a tomato! There is nothing quite like the flavour of a home-grown tomato. Plant tomatoes in a different position from last year, as crop rotation is important and start them in organically improved soil without fertiliser. Once they begin flowering, switch to a high-potassium fertiliser designed for flowers and fruit. Feeding too early can result in plenty of lush green growth but very little fruit.
I grow my tomatoes in large pots, using fresh potting mix each year. This gives them plenty of sun, good air circulation and, ultimately, a much better crop.
As the weather warms, we’re welcoming some exciting new plants, including the new-release Anisodontea ‘Candy Apple’, also known as African Rose. Anisodontea are wonderfully drought and heat tolerant and thrive in a sunny, well-drained position. Planting on a slight mound can help with drainage. They form compact, bushy shrubs with a long flowering season, making them a colourful and reliable addition to the garden.
‘Candy Apple’ produces masses of small maroon-red flowers from Spring through to Autumn and has already received a number of awards in Europe.
We also have a wonderful range of established Wisteria plants, many of which are ready to reward you with spectacular flowering this Spring. If you’ve been dreaming of a Wisteria-covered pergola or wall, now is the perfect time to choose your plant.
Plant of the month: Anisodontea ‘Candy Apple’
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Things to Do:
1. Prune & feed
Prune and feed your Camellias asap, before they make too much new growth in the wrong places. Also, prune Hibiscus.
2. Prevent disease
Spray Peach and Nectarine trees with Kocide to prevent disease at pink bud, green bud and once in between. You can also use the Kocide to prevent disease on roses and tomatoes.
3. Time to trim
Cut back ornamental grasses, for example: Liriope, Lomandra, Fountain Grass.
4. Feed gardenias
Feed Gardenias every month of Spring with Harry’s Gardenia Food.
5. Focus on potted plants
Rejuvenate long term potted plants (inside and out) with a dose of Rapid Soak to rewet mix followed by a dose of Osmocote twice yearly to feed.