Pick a plant that suits your garden conditions.

Before buying plants think about: 

• Sun or shade – how much light does the spot get?
• Soil – is it sandy, clay, damp or dry?
• Space – how big will the plant grow and how much room is there for it?
• Location – is it too close to the house, pipes, paths or other plants?

A plant that suits the location will be easier to grow and need less maintenance.

Good to know:

Some large shrubs and trees need plenty of room. If planted in the wrong place they can:

• take light, water and nutrients from other plants
• affect gutters, paths, foundations or plumbing with roots or falling leaves 

With care, tube stock plants establish well in Nillumbik's soils, quickly catching up with larger pots. They are also cheaper than larger pots so for the same cost you can design a denser planting for bigger impact. 

Need help choosing plants?

Edendale Nursery staff can help you choose indigenous plants that suit your garden conditions.

A little preparation makes planting much easier and helps establish the plants.

Soil

Nillumbik’s soils are known to be poor with minimal topsoil and clay below. 

Indigenous plants are adapted to local soils so soil improvement can be kept to a minimum. Start by choosing plants that suit your soil type. 

Loosen the soil with a garden fork (avoid turning over) to reduce compaction and allow deeper water and air penetration.

If your soil is heavy clay, you may consider adding:

• compost (helps improve soil structure and biology)
• gypsum (helps relax clay soils)

Use compost carefully. Homemade composts can be very nutrient rich and may contain seeds that can germinate around the plant.

Remove weeds

Remove weeds before planting as they compete with new plants for light, water, and nutrients. 

No chemical weed control options:

• hand weeding
• sheet mulching with cardboard covered by mulch (smother weeds)
• solarisation using black plastic in hot sunny weather (cook weeds)

If you choose to use chemical weed controls, look for low environmental impact options.

Add organic mulch or grow living mulches

Apply a 7.5–10 cm layer of organic mulch, or use low groundcovers as a living mulch.

Mulch helps:

• reducing watering by hold moisture in the soil
• reduce weeds
• stabilise soil temperature
• improve soil biology, structure and chemistry

It is important that you use mulch that is free from weed seeds and waste that can reshoot

Planting at the right time helps your seedlings get establish. 

The best times to plant are:

• after good autumn rains when the soil is still warm
• in winter when the soil is moist
• in early spring when the soil is moist and warming up

If you do plant in summer extra care and watering will be needed.

Step 1: Dig the hole

• Dig a hole about twice as wide as the tube and a little deeper. Make sure you dig into the soil, below the mulch.

Step 2: Wet the plant and hole

Before planting:

• Water the plant while still in the tube
• Fill the hole with water and let it drain
• Add seaweed solution to the water to help reduce transplant stress and grows stronger plants.

Step 3: Take the plant out carefully

• Tap the tube’s rim or sides to gently release the plant. Turn the tube upside down, supporting the seedling as it comes out. Do not pull the seedling out by the stem
• You should not need to tickle the roots as tubes encourage downward root growth rather than tangled root growth around the pot
• If roots are growing out the bottom, trim lightly to make it easier to remove the plant.

Step 4: Planting

• Place the plant in the hole, slightly lower than the surrounding soil level
• Backfill with soil and press down gently, but firmly
• Do not stand on the soil as this compacts the soil and remove spaces for water and air.

Step 5: Protect the plant

If you have pest animals around (e.g. rabbits), you should protect the plant

• Tree guards are very effective and can be reused multiple times
• Construct a temporary fence.

Step 6: Water well

• Give a deep watering after planting
• Until a plant is established it may need additional watering, especially during the first summer.

Indigenous plants are generally low maintenance once established, but respond well to some ongoing care and maintenance

Keep weeds down

• Remove weeds regularly so your plants do not have to compete for light, water, and nutrients.

Protect from animals

• You may need to install tree guards or temporary fencing if pest animals are eating your plants.

Water, especially through the first summer

• Check plants during hot weather
• If there has been minimal rain, give them an occasional deep watering which helps roots grow down into the soil to access deeper water.

Top up mulch

• Top up your mulch to help feed the soil, retain moisture and reduce weeds
• Chunky mulch will last longer and allow for good water penetration and weed control
• Finer mulch will feed the soil (and the plant) quicker but won’t supress weeds as long.

Prune when needed

• Indigenous plants respond well to pruning. It encourages new and denser foliage and more flowers.
• A good time to prune is after flowering.

Go easy on fertiliser

• Indigenous plants are adapted to local soils so should not need fertiliser
• Fertiliser can stimulate pest attracting growth and encourage weeds, and fertiliser with phosphorus can harm some indigenous plant species
• You can use compost or mulch to slowly feed the soil, which then feeds the plant.