Spring Planting Guide for Australian Gardens
Spring is not one month. Frost dates, soil warmth and the wet-season clock decide what goes in the ground.
Ruth Nguyen · 20 August 2026
Independent garden journalism
The Green Doctor
Long-form, climate-honest advice for Australian lawns, plant health and backyard growing. We diagnose first, then tell you what to water, feed, prune or leave alone.
Lead guide
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When to Prune Roses in Australia
Winter in the temperate south, lighter and later in the subtropics. How hard to cut, and what to pick up afterwards.
Ruth Nguyen · 15 June 2026
Lawn Fungus and Fairy Rings in Australia
Smoke-coloured mycelium, toadstools in a ring, and greasy spots after humidity are not always the same disease. Diagnose before you buy a fungicide.
Maya Chen · 20 April 2026
Root Rot in Pots and Garden Beds
Black, mushy roots and a plant that wilts while wet are not a thirst problem. Learn how to diagnose Phytophthora and overwatering, and when a plant is already gone.
Maya Chen · 11 April 2026
Indoor Plant Care in Australian Homes
Light, a pot with a hole, and water you can justify. Australian houses are bright, dry and full of hopeful overwatering.
Ruth Nguyen · 6 April 2026
A Lawn Fertiliser Schedule for Australian Climates
When to feed buffalo, couch and kikuyu, what NPK actually does, and why weed-and-feed is not a personality.
Tom Barrett · 2 April 2026
How to Mulch Garden Beds Correctly
Fifty to seventy-five millimetres, off the stems, refreshed before summer. Chip, leaf, sugarcane and gravel are different tools.
Helen Walsh · 28 March 2026
Topic hubs
Lawn Care
Diagnosis and practical repair for Australian turf: brown patches, bindii, grubs, watering, fertiliser and the buffalo-versus-couch decision.
Plant Health
How to read yellow leaves, mildew, scale, aphids, black spot, root rot and lawn fungus before you reach for a spray.
Soil & Compost
Clay, sand, compost heaps and mulch depth — the unglamorous work that decides whether anything else you do will stick.
Native Gardens
Grevilleas, bottlebrush and a working palette of Australian plants that cope with local soil and a dry summer.
Edible Gardens
Tomatoes, citrus and the Queensland fruit fly problem, written for backyards rather than commercial orchards.
Water-wise Gardens
Drought-tolerant planting, watering that actually reaches roots, and gardens that stay honest when restrictions return.
Seasonal Jobs
What to plant, prune and tidy in Australian spring and autumn, including rose pruning and indoor plant care through a dry house.
People also ask
What does The Green Doctor cover?
Lawn care, plant pests and diseases, soil and compost, Australian native gardens, edibles, water-wise planting and the seasonal jobs that keep a backyard honest.
Is this advice written for Australian climates?
Yes. We write in Australian English and split guidance across tropical, subtropical, temperate, Mediterranean and arid districts rather than copying northern-hemisphere calendars.
Can I write a guest post for Green Doctor?
Yes. Read the write-for-us guidelines and send a pitch through the guest post form. We commission original, useful Australian garden journalism — not recycled product copy.