Episode: #10 4/11/06
Presenter: Melissa King

We get a lot of emails from viewers keen to know what to do in the garden this month. In spring there are so many jobs to get stuck into, but Melissa has a list of some must do?s this weekend.

If you want to give the garden a real lift, get out there and use an organic food that doesn?t just feed your plants, it encourages healthy soil too ? which is the foundation of a great looking garden.

We all know that familiar dynamic lifter smell, its great stuff which is made up of composted chicken manure, Blood and Bone, fish meal and seaweed and plants love it. The natural, organic ingredients release nutrients slowly to plants and at the same time encourage earthworms and beneficial soil micro-organisms and help to enrich and improve the soil.

Liriope is one of the best evergreen groundcovers and requires very little care, but the one thing you can do at this time of year is to remove any yellowing leaves to keep it looking good. You can actually cut it right back every three to five years to generate new foliage. The same applies to Mondo Grass.

Now for our water saving tip of the week:

Before the heat of summer arrives, apply a wetting agent around the drip line of trees, to improve moisture penetration, and allow water and nutrients to soak deep into the root zone, reducing the need to water.

* Stage 1 water restrictions are now in place in Melbourne. For more information please visit www.ourwater.vic.gov.au or contact your local water authority. *

If you want a rose display that is to die for, get out there and give them a boost with Rose Food. If you have established roses in the garden then it is the fertiliser to use. It is a granular rose food but also fast acting and specially formulated to boost flowering.

It has everything the plant needs to grow and perform well, so nitrogen for healthy foliage growth and potassium for big healthy blooms and pest & disease resistance ? plus all those essential trace elements.

Apply it in spring after new growth has started and then again in mid summer to promote that second flush in autumn.

If you want to give potted roses a real boost, you are best using soluble fertilizer which is rich in phosphorus and potassium and trace elements, to encourage prolific flowering.

We keep all our Garden Club members up to date on what to do in the garden each month, so for all of those seasonal gardening tips, log onto our on-line club.

Featured Products

Thrive Granular Rose Food:

• Specifically developed granular fertiliser for feeding established garden rose bushes.
• Fast acting granular rose food.
• Contains nitrogen for foliage and potassium for rose blooms and to combat pests and disease.

Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food:

• This is a versatile feed for all garden, potted and Australian native plants.
• Slow release nutrients improving structure and retention of the soil.
• It also encourages earthworms and is beneficial to soil micro-organisms

Waterwise Hose-on Soil Wetter

• For use on garden beds and potted plants.
• Contains a combination of fast acting wetting agents and soil conditioners that improve moisture penetration of water repellent soils and aid soil structure.
• Includes trace elements for added vitality and healthier plants.
• Includes seaweed which is a natural plant growth promoter.
• Convenient to use and easy-to-apply, just attach the hose and spray.

Thrive Soluble Fruit and Flower

• Complements Thrive Soluble all purpose plant food.
• A trusted, safe, easy-to-use formula.
• Ideal for feeding indoor & outdoor plants.
• Promotes prolific flowering and abundant fruit.
• Convenient handy pack - measuring spoon and resealable pack included.