Planting and watering
Autumn to early spring is the ideal time to plant Australian species. Planting in summer is possible but water daily or even twice a day on hot days, especially if the plants are small as they will have immature root systems.
Plants from tube-stock often give the best results. Larger plants in containers may get root bound. It is hard to tell if a plant has been root-bound in the tube prior to potting into the larger container. Death by strangulation due to root binding two to four years on is the most common cause of death in garden plants. Always buy plants from a reputable accredited nursery.
Dry area species should survive just on the winter rains and, once established, will not need supplementary watering. They may look ‘off colour’ by the end of summer but that is normal and once winter rains start they will recover. Many Australian plants have low water requirements but not all are drought-tolerant. Ask garden centre staff about watering requirements, particularly for the first year.
Some plants from the southwest such as the brown scented boronias need cool moist root soil for most of the year but will grow well in a self-watering pot.
Gardens with overhead sprinklers may not be not ideal, especially for species with furry or felty leaves or flowers that may hold water for a long time. Water gathering on foliage creates humid conditions and encourages fungal disease. However, most Australian plants can tolerate a sprinkler system provided they are not over-watered. Over-watering reduces their flowering and produces lush growth that is more attractive to pests and diseases. In the case of species from dry areas, over-watering shortens their life and can kill them.
Other means of irrigation may be more efficient or effective depending on the situation. Drip irrigation can be a good means of watering native plants provided outlets are not placed too close to the main stem where they may encourage collar rots. Subsurface trickle irrigation may be an option in some situations. Each method has advantages and disadvantages. Drip is more visible and if problems occur they are easily noticed and fixed whereas with subsurface irrigation the first sign of a problem may be dead plants. Many drippers are adjustable and can be installed using lengths of 4mm tubing which can be moved around as plants grow or plantings change. Because subsurface irrigation needs to be installed relatively close to the surface in sandy soils it is also easily broken when digging in the garden. Additional watering will be needed during establishment. Correct spacing of the lines relative to plants is crucial in sands as there is little lateral movement of water.