Episode: #5 30/09/2006
Presenter: Paul Hoffman

Spring is now well and truly upon us. The weather is really starting to warm up and the gardens are again starting to grow. Plants are putting on new growth and the lawn is leaping out of the ground. Now is the time to give your garden an old fashion spring clean.

Have you ever been to an open garden and wondered how they get their plants looking so good? Great gardens look good because their owner put in the time and effort. One of the best tips is to Fertilise. All your ornamental plants, shrubs and trees will benefit from a good fertilise right now.

When you are standing in the nursery looking at all the different types of fertiliser available there are usually so many different colourfully boxes on the shelves to choose from. If you what a fast acting and economical fertiliser that will give your plants a quick pick me up, check out soluble powders like Thrive Soluble All Purpose.

Just use the teaspoon that will dissolve easily in your watering can water and apply. This would have to be the quickest and easiest way to fertiliser as its absorbed through the leaves as well as the roots.

Soluble powders can easily be used during water restrictions. When you are filling up your buckets why not add in a teaspoon of fertiliser to the water and do 2 jobs at once.

If you are in an area were you can?t water the whole garden, then why not try a garden in pots. Adding a splash of colour and creating your spring display is easy with a few decorative pots and some colourful annuals.

You can add seedlings around the edge of your existing pot plants or create a whole new pot filled with potted colour like, marigolds, salvias and petunias, or check out the old fashion annuals such as delphiniums, foxgloves and hollyhocks as these are really starting to make a come back and look great as cut flowers.

Dead heading is the key to keep your annuals flowering longer. It is as simple as removing the older faded flowers before they go to seed, encouraging new flower to take their place. Another trick is to use a specially formulated fertilizer like Thrive Flower and Fruit Plant Food, which will help promote flowering and fruiting. If you want faster results, go for a liquid concentrate which can be absorbed through the leaves and roots and apply with a watering can. These are available at your local nursery.

As the weather warms up keep a look out for fungus attacking the new growth of plants in the garden and also vegies. Powdery mildew is a white powdery looking fur which starts to cover the leaves of Roses, strawberries, cucumbers. Also keep a look out for Rust on Frangipannis Cannas and daylilies. To keep these at bay it is a great idea to keep a systemic fungicide on hand, like Yates Fungus Gun.

With spring in the air there is plenty to keep you busy out in the garden.

You can join our on line garden club and have you questions answered by one of the gurus team. Just go to the Garden Gurus website and follow the links.

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• Fast acting, complete, liquid fertiliser ideal for feeding a wide rage of flowering and fruiting plants.
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• Systemic control of fungal diseases on roses & ornamentals
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