Your Garden Questions Answered
Episode: #8 19/05/07
Presenter: Kim Syrus
Andy of Torrens Park is having real problems with his plumbago. The plant seems to be dying off and he wants to know what is wrong. There is a simple explanation for this, and it is all in the leaves.
Pick a damaged leaf and hold it up to the sun. If you look carefully, you will see a little wriggling insect inside. This is a leaf miner larva, chewing and eating its way through your leaf and there are probably hundreds just like this on the bush.
Moths have laid eggs on the leaves and these have hatched into those tiny burrowing grubs that do enormous damage in a very short time.
Best thing here, is to use a systemic insecticide and give the plant a good spray. Just make sure you are wearing a mask, goggles and gloves .The spray is systemic, the chemical will be taken up by the plant, go into the leaves and stop the problem pronto.
Elaine of St Morris has a small garden to fill and wants advice on the best water smart plants for this area.
Correa’s are just great, producing fantastic fuchsia like blooms from autumn to spring, Hebe’s (Hebe, Hybrid Cultivar, ‘Variegata’) give a nice display of flowers in summer, just don’t be afraid to give them a regular trim to keep in shape. Convolvulus (Convolvulus cneorum) is a tough ground cover and lovely colour contrast. Dianella’s (Dianella caerulea ‘Little Jess’) with their bamboo like foliage are super hardy and if you love fragrance and colour then a rose is very tough to beat.
No matter what plant you choose, the most important thing to remember is spend time preparing the ground before you put them in.
Kim takes a look at a really good example of why it is a good idea to group plants together. One lone native ginger, has really suffered from the heat while the group next door seem unaffected. That is because the ones grouped together have worked together.
Each plant has helped protect the other from serious scorching. The ground is also shaded, kept cool and evaporation reduced meaning more water and better growing plants. It only goes to show, there is safety in numbers, even in the plant kingdom.
If you just love gardening and are constantly looking for loads of information or have plenty of questions then become a member of our Garden Gurus online club. Join now for your chance to win a copy of the latest Yates Rose Guide.
Presenter: Kim Syrus
Andy of Torrens Park is having real problems with his plumbago. The plant seems to be dying off and he wants to know what is wrong. There is a simple explanation for this, and it is all in the leaves.
Pick a damaged leaf and hold it up to the sun. If you look carefully, you will see a little wriggling insect inside. This is a leaf miner larva, chewing and eating its way through your leaf and there are probably hundreds just like this on the bush.
Moths have laid eggs on the leaves and these have hatched into those tiny burrowing grubs that do enormous damage in a very short time.
Best thing here, is to use a systemic insecticide and give the plant a good spray. Just make sure you are wearing a mask, goggles and gloves .The spray is systemic, the chemical will be taken up by the plant, go into the leaves and stop the problem pronto.
Elaine of St Morris has a small garden to fill and wants advice on the best water smart plants for this area.
Correa’s are just great, producing fantastic fuchsia like blooms from autumn to spring, Hebe’s (Hebe, Hybrid Cultivar, ‘Variegata’) give a nice display of flowers in summer, just don’t be afraid to give them a regular trim to keep in shape. Convolvulus (Convolvulus cneorum) is a tough ground cover and lovely colour contrast. Dianella’s (Dianella caerulea ‘Little Jess’) with their bamboo like foliage are super hardy and if you love fragrance and colour then a rose is very tough to beat.
No matter what plant you choose, the most important thing to remember is spend time preparing the ground before you put them in.
Kim takes a look at a really good example of why it is a good idea to group plants together. One lone native ginger, has really suffered from the heat while the group next door seem unaffected. That is because the ones grouped together have worked together.
Each plant has helped protect the other from serious scorching. The ground is also shaded, kept cool and evaporation reduced meaning more water and better growing plants. It only goes to show, there is safety in numbers, even in the plant kingdom.
If you just love gardening and are constantly looking for loads of information or have plenty of questions then become a member of our Garden Gurus online club. Join now for your chance to win a copy of the latest Yates Rose Guide.
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