Gardening Australia's guide to reviving your garden after heavy rain
By Ruth Barber
Wild weather has delivered record-breaking rains in parts of the country, and the forecast is for more in NSW and Queensland in the coming days.
Gardening Australia's experts have shared their tips and tricks for wet weather prep and clean-up — and have offered their advice for creating a more resilient garden.
And if your green spaces are already a little worse for wear, there are plenty of simple ways to give them some much-needed TLC to help them thrive again.
Before the weather arrives
Although the damage is ultimately up to Mother Nature, there are a few things within your control that can help minimise risk:
Check that yourguttersandpipesare clear so they don't contribute to blockages and water damage due to heavy rainfall
Prune back treesnear houses or power lines to prevent them from falling and causing damage
Remove any objects that might become projectiles with strong winds, such astrampolines,outdoor furniture, and smallerpot plants
For serious events, keep an eye onweather updatesviaABC Emergency, yourlocal ABCradio station, and the Bureau of Meteorology for the latest warnings and alerts
Whether it's garden beds, paths, or retaining walls, creating a barrier across contours slows and catches water. There are several ways to do this:
Hay balesare a fast, cheap way of creating a short-lived retaining wall and, if placed in two layers, also offer wind protection. Lay them like bricks and they’ll be stronger
Hessianand mulchact like shock absorbers to stop heavy rainfall from destroying soil structure.Attach hessian with timber or metal stakes, then add straw and compost mulch for flatter slopes, or heavier bark mulch for steeper sites
Swalesmight be a fancy term, but it's essentially a trench: a natural or made low tract of land running across the contour of a hill where water naturally pools. Use a mattock and shovel to create mini-swales as temporary rainwater control
Cleaning up after extreme weather
As keen as you might be to repair your beloved garden, it's important to be aware of the following:
Make sure there areno currentweather warningsand any flood danger has passed
Wet weather events attract mosquitoes so make sure you wearmosquito repellent,and empty water features, saucers, and old buckets so you don't give them a chance to breed
Weargardening glovesbecause it's very easy to get cuts and scratches while cleaning up, and there are soil-borne diseases like tetanus that you can catch
If you do get scratches or abrasions, treat them quickly withantiseptic
Given the damage waterlogged soil can so quickly cause plants, it's a good idea to undertake a bit of restoration work:
The first step is tolet the soil drynaturally (sandy soils will dry more quickly)
A shortcut is to add lots of coarse organic material.Compostis always the best for this, but mulches such aspine barkcreate an artificial pore structure that lets the air get back into the soil
You need to beextra carefulwithclay-based soil. Churning up wet clay-based soils can cause them to become compacted. This will be even more of a nightmare to fix and no good for planting. Give it lots of time and careful additions of compost to the topsoil
Since you don't know what was in the water that flowed over the soil, it's a good idea to do apH test. If the soil is too acidic, add a handful oflimeper square metre on the surface
If you grow vegetables or fruit,test for contaminantssuch as chemicals or biological residues
Applyblood and boneor somepoultry manure: about a handful per square metre will kick the soil back to life
Mud can be rich in nutrients and beneficial for your garden — as long as it's not too thick.
As a general rule, if the mud is more than 50 millimetres thick, take it off andsend it awayto the tip
If it's less than 50mm, applymulchand dig it back into the soil
To prevent mud from drying out and turning as hard as concrete, spread a thick layer ofgypsumall over the ground and then dig it in. This will help the mud to break down into a friable soil and the addition of some organic matter will help too
Give it a good application oforganic fertiliser:it's important to reinvigorate free-draining soil because so many of the valuable nutrients will have been leached out
Here's what to look out for and what you can do:
If you've got plants with leaves that are coated with a muddy residue,hose it offstraight away because that enables those leaves to breathe
If mud is caked up around the trunk of a tree, it could induce a disease called collar rot, soscrape it awayto let the trunk breathe
Prune backdamaged stems which will stimulate growth
Add someorganic wetting agentbecause sometimes waterlogged soils can become water-repellent. You can find directions to make your ownhere
Tips for a more resilient garden
There are many ways you can futureproof your garden against extreme weather events:
Createraised garden bedsto shorten the recovery periods after intense rainfall. Another solution is to grow plants in ridges so that they're free-draining
Permeable surfaces,such as a gravel path, are important as they allow rain to percolate through the rocks to the soil below, reaching the roots of trees and shrubs growing alongside. They also stop nutrients and soil being washed off your garden into stormwater drains
You can createlarge swales(trenches) and plant a row of shrubs just below. The water that pools in the swale will be used by the shrubs
Fibrous-rooted, quick-growing plants likegrassesprotect the soil from rain and bind the soil, preventing it from eroding
Flood-proof your home and garden withthese tipsfrom an architect
Plants that Gardening Australia recommends for high rainfall and wet sites in QLD and northern NSW:
Clumping bamboo
Ornamental gingers
Swamp lilies
Native sedges and rushes (eg. Knobby club rush)
Rainforest palms
Swamp banksia
Watergum
Check with your local native nursery for the best advice for your area.
Get the most out of your backyard
If all this talk of gardening has got your thumbs turning green, Gardening Australia has plenty of guides to help with all things outdoors: from finding the right plant, building a garden bed, planting veggie's for your climate, to getting started with worm farming, and how to water. Check out their range of online resources.