Tony's Tips - June 2026
As Winter begins, many plants are entering dormancy, while others are coming into their most active and rewarding season. A wide range of plants thrive through the cooler, wetter months, including winter-flowering natives, Helleborus, lavenders and the wonderfully fragrant Luculia.
This month we have two improved Luculia varieties available:
• Luculia Early Dawn - flowering from late autumn into early winter
• Luculia Fragrant Cloud - flowering from mid to late winter
Both varieties grow to approximately 2–3 metres tall and perform best in a semi-shaded position with improved, well-drained soil built up into a mound.
Our French Lavenders are also flowering beautifully throughout winter, while Princess and Purple Reign varieties begin flowering in late winter to early spring. As with Luculias, lavenders benefit greatly from being planted on a mound or ridge to improve drainage.
In Melbourne, the shortest day of the year, 21st June, marks the low point in a rose’s growing cycle, making it an ideal time to prune modern roses. As a general guide:
• Bush roses: prune back by 50–60%
• Climbing roses: prune back by 30–50%, depending on vigour
• David Austin shrub roses: prune by 30–50%
• Standard roses: prune back to a head roughly the size of a volleyball
More vigorous roses should be pruned lightly, while weaker growers respond better to harder pruning. Old-fashioned once-a-year flowering roses such as Banksia roses and Albertine should instead be pruned after their spring flowering.
After pruning, exposed stems often reveal scale infestation, appearing as white fluffy masses on stems. A strong application of Pest Oil is very effective at controlling scale. If fungal diseases have been an issue, a winter spray of Lime Sulphur over and around dormant plants can help eliminate overwintering fungal spores.
Feeding roses can begin in late July as growth resumes, using a complete fertiliser high in potassium (‘K’) to encourage flowering and improve disease resistance.
Camellia Margaret Davis |
Luculia "Early Dawn" |
Things to Do:
1. It's potato time
Plant new season certified seed potatoes now.
2. Care for Cymbidium
Stake up Cymbidium flowers as they emerge and protect with snail pellets.
3. Focus on your lawn
Lawns that are fed regularly become acidic so a dose of lime every 2nd winter will balance the pH. Not sure? Bring in a teaspoon of soil and we’ll test it for you.
4. Treat citrus pests
If you have a slight infestation of Citrus Gall Wasp, then cut the galls out now. If it is a bad infestation requiring a hard all over prune wait until a little closer to spring. A hard prune often stimulates lush new growth which can be susceptible to re-infestation but come see us to prevent that happening.
Watch our Citrus Pest Video for more info on how to treat these!
5. Rose Pruning Demonstration
Join us at the nursery on Sunday 7th and Monday 8th June at 10am for a Rose Pruning Demonstration with Tony.
Tony will simplify the art of rose pruning, giving you the confidence and practical tools to care for your roses at home. He’ll cover when and how to prune, common disease issues to look out for and the best products to keep your roses healthy and thriving.
We can’t wait to see you there!