February in your Sub-Tropical garden

Prepare your vegetable garden now by digging it over and adding humus. Add lime in heavy, acid soils and gypsum where it is clay. Good production of crop is dependent upon good soil preparation so time spent getting your soil into condition now is well worthwhile.

Plants that are growing strongly have a greater ability to resist disease. Red spider can be a problem on azaleas over the coming months. By applying a fertiliser now, you can get them into good vigour so they can better resist such problems. Apply Phostrogen Acid Plant Food on a weekly basis at half strength to encourage healthy growth.

Prune your roses now in preparation for their late summer flowering. Observe how long it takes roses to flower after pruning and note this information for future use. They will perform in a similar way each year. Following pruning, apply Phostrogen Plant Food to fertilise, improve the soil and encourage effective growth.

Prepare soil for autumn sowing of lawns by cultivating the ground, applying gypsum and lime, and breaking up the soil surface before raking it to a fine tilth. Dragging an old wooden gate over the surface helps to level off the soil and get rid of dips and bumps.

Given warmth and good moisture, dahlias may have grown beyond your original expectations. Their stems can easily be blown over so staking is a good idea. Tie them quite loosely, ensuring that you don't damage the fleshy rhizomes.

Lush growth in early summer flowering plants can be cut back at this time. The New South Wales Christmas bush, for example, can be cut back in new wood to encourage future growth. Any dead wood should also be removed.