How to make real progress in your garden over the long weekend

We all know there never seem to be enough hours in a day – or even a weekend – for gardening. But with a long weekend ahead, there’s an opportunity to dive in and make real progress.

Whether you tackle something you’ve been putting off or try something new, you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Get your move on

Need to relocate a shrub or small tree? Maybe it’s outgrown its spot or you’re refreshing your garden layout. Autumn is ideal for transplanting.

Water the soil well the day before to soften the soil and minimise root disturbance. Dig a trench at least 30 centimetres from the trunk or the canopy’s width. Carefully undercut the rootball and lift it with as much soil as possible. Replant into a compost-enriched hole at the same depth. Water in with a diluted seaweed solution, then mulch.

Set up a compost bin

Composting is one of the easiest ways to reduce household waste. Kitchen scraps (excluding meat and dairy, unless using a bokashi bin), garden clippings, newspapers and cardboard can all be composted, breaking down into a nutrient-rich soil conditioner for your garden.

You can purchase ready-to-use compost bins, such as a tumbler or Gedye bin, or if you have the space, build a three-bay system for larger-scale composting.

Layer green materials (fruit and vegetable scraps as well as fresh garden clippings) with brown materials (dry leaves, shredded paper) to maintain balance. Turn the compost regularly to speed up decomposition. Short on space? Try a worm farm.

Refresh the lawn

After months of constant use over summer, lawn soil can become compacted, making it harder for water, air, and nutrients to reach the roots. To rejuvenate your lawn, start by aerating the soil with a garden fork or aerator.

This improves drainage and encourages deeper root growth. Follow up with an application of organic lawn fertiliser to nourish both the soil and lawn. If there are any bare patches, fill them in with lawn seed.

Weed ’n’ reap

Overgrown garden beds and weeds creeping through paths can make a garden look untidy. Weeding is a time-consuming task, but it can be surprisingly cathartic once you get into it.

While you can spray, it takes time for weeds to die down, whereas hand-pulling provides instant results. (You can always spot-spray anything that pops up with an organic weedkiller later, if desired.)

For heavily overgrown areas, a quick pass with a whipper snipper can help clear the way before pulling weeds by hand.

More jobs for the long weekend (if you have time)

• Sow a green manure crop to improve soil health. You can purchase seed packets designed specifically for this purpose, which often include a mix of crops like clover, buckwheat or mustard. Simply scatter seeds over bare soil, lightly rake them in, and water well. Cut plants back before they flower and dig them into the soil, allowing them to break down and enrich the soil with nutrients.
• Recycle old plastic pots by checking with your local nursery to see if they have a drop-off point. Alternatively, give them a thorough clean with warm soapy water, then dip them into a diluted bleach bath (1 part bleach to 20 parts water) and allow them to dry before reusing.
• Clean out and reorganise the shed. Compost old potting mix, sharpen tools and tidy up so everything is easy to find. Plus, it keeps the space free from trip hazards!
• Clear out existing veggie beds, improve the soil with compost or aged manures and plant out autumn veggies like kale, snow peas, cabbage, beetroot and carrots.

Tammy Huynh is a horticulturist, presenter on Gardening Australia and the owner of Leaf an Impression.