September in your Sub-Tropical garden

Prune hibiscus, removing long growth to encourage a bushy form for the plant. These branches can be reduced by about a third, though ugly woody stems can be cut further back to encourage new growth. This pruning will help to encourage denser bushy plants.

Keep newly planted trees and shrubs well watered during any dry periods. If you didn't apply SaturAid at planting, this should be done now to ensure effective water up-take.

As early flowering native shrubs complete their display they should be tip-pruned back to maintain dense growth.

Fertilise naturalised bulbs as they finish flowering, using Phostrogen Plant Food. Retain daffodil foliage for six weeks after flowering to ensure the bulb is prepared for next year.

Prepare lawns for summer by removing thatch, aerating the soil, applying a wetting agent and fertilising with Phostrogen Plant Food.

Watch out for the symptoms of red spider mites, especially on azaleas. The leaves become dull and increasingly yellowed ultimately taking on a very silvery appearance. Red specks can be seen on the underside of the leaves. Repeated applications of maldison or dimethoate will assist control. Take care to treat the underside of the leaves.

Gladioli are very susceptible to thrips. Regular spraying with malathion will help provide protection.

Apply snail bait around young vegetable and flower seedlings.

Cabbage white butterfly becomes active early in spring and continues throughout the summer. Caterpillars can be picked off it infestation is light, but where infestations are heavier use Deris Dust or Cabbage Dust regularly.

Plant eggplant seedlings into soils with ample organic compost through the soil. Avoid a site where tomatoes or capsicums have recently been cultivated. Plant seedlings 50cm apart with 1m between rows. Mulch the soil with Debco Mulch'n'Feed, avoiding application of the mulch around the stem to reduce risk of fungal disease. Apply Phostrogen Plant Food every two weeks during the growing season and thin out fruits to five or six per plant to ensure larger fruits.

If your garden is small, grow vegetables in pots. Many vegetables and herbs will grow well in containers if provided with sufficient water and fertiliser and placed in a sunny position. Debco Terracotta & Tub is an ideal Mixture for container grown vegetables.