Autumn care for natives

• It’s the perfect time to prune native shrubs such as grevillea, tea-tree (Leptospermum spp.) and bottlebrush to remove dead sections and shorten leggy growth.
• After pruning, feed plants with a slow-release fertiliser (one specially formulated for natives) or blood and bone. Water well and renew mulch over the root area.
• Autumn is a perfect time to harvest the seed of many native plants for sowing in late spring. Cut the woody seed pods off plants such as banksias, hakeas (above) and woody pears (Xylomelum spp.). Put the pods in a paper bag and keep in a warm place until the seed are released.
• Tie a mesh bag or pantihose over mature, greyish-brown grevillea pods to catch the seed as the pods split open.
• Pick ripe lilly pilly fruit or gather fallen ones, then separate the hard inner seed from the fleshy part of the fruit (the flesh can be used to make a delicious jelly).
• In most areas, it’s also a good time to plant natives, and new cultivars are being released all the time. Check out the results of breeding programs in places such as Perth’s renowned Kings Park and Botanic Garden.

Check out our April issue for more garden jobs to do this month.

Image: Pincushion hakea (H. laurina), iStock