When To Fertilise Australian Natives.

Boronia ledifolia

Fertilising Australian native plants and gardens was considered a laughable and pointless practice as recently as the 1970s. Since then, it has become a widely accepted but hotly debated topic. Some, but not all, Australian native plants are sensitive to phosphorus. Fertilising with chemical fertilisers high in phosphorus can cause these plants to overdose on this naturally scarce nutrient. With all this confusion and debate on what to feed your natives, people often forget an almost more important question: When should you feed your natives?

When should you fertilise natives?

It is best practice to feed your new native plantings for the first couple of years so they grow desirably, forming an attractive shape and stem/branch structure. When combined with diligent tip and structural pruning, you’ll cultivate plants and gardens that look beautiful and reflect what we prefer to see in gardens, as opposed to potentially scrappy plants that grow naturally in the bush.

After these important first couple of years, it’s a good idea to reduce feeding, opting for organic methods or lessening the amount of fertiliser used. This helps ensure your native plants don’t become dependent on the diet you provide, encouraging them to spread out their roots in search of nutrients, resulting in stronger, more resilient plants.

Okay… but when?

Fertilise your Australian native garden twice a year: once at the start of spring and once at the start of autumn. In spring, use a nitrogen-rich source of plant food for vigorous leafy growth. Then, in autumn, apply a product or organic input that is higher in potassium for optimum flowering.

Adding too much nitrogen to your native garden can cause plants to produce excessive leafy growth but reduce flowering, and in some cases, stop flowering altogether. Remember, when it comes to feeding natives, less is more. Building healthy soil by using organic materials to feed is always the best and safest option for you, your garden, and the environment.

You can read all about feeding your natives organically here.

Hakea dactyloides

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