Your Garden Questions Answered
Episode: # 9 02/06/07
Presenter: Kim Syrus
Our Garden Gurus club members are always asking us to solve their winter gardening woes. Jeff of Noarlunga, who needs advice on what to do for his patchy kikuyu lawn.
Lawns often suffer a fair amount of wear and tear - walking, games and water restrictions certainly take their toll. Outside the backdoor or around paving are high traffic areas and is where ground quickly becomes compacted resulting in that patchy look.
A compacted lawn has trouble draining. During winter water can lay on the surface, encouraging moss to develop and the lawn to die off. Opening up the ground will help this valuable water soak in and an easy way to do it is with a garden fork.
Hop onto your garden fork, it is like a pogo stick without the spring and push the prongs deep into the ground. Just remember check where the irrigation lines are before starting. Doing this over the area will aerate the soil making it easier for lawn roots to establish and seriously improve drainage.
Kim is sure we have all had plants that have struggled in your yard this year. Deb of Colonel Light Gardens has some hydrangeas that have not performed anywhere near their best and it is crunch time. Time to look at replacing these with better suited low water users.
A tough hedging plant like a euonymous or escallonia would be a good choice, and look great in this narrow bed.
Digging doesn’t mean destroying. These hydrangeas will do much better in planted in another, more suitable spot in the yard - so carefully lift and put aside.
Work over the bed, adding plenty of organic matter. Place the pots to check the spacing then get planting. Add water crystals to each hole, plant, backfill and water in well. Here’s one garden that’s ready and waiting for next summer.
With the cooler weather about, your flowering seedlings are probably looking for a feed. Using a soluble fertiliser like Yates Soluble Flower and Fruit Plant food every 2 to 3 weeks will guarantee great results.
A soluble fertiliser dissolves quickly in water and releases its nutrients immediately, so your seedling will quickly take up the feed producing fabulous flowers and full foliage in no time.
Head to you local mitre 10 or good garden centre and pick up a copy of the latest Garden Gurus Newspaper. There is plenty to read. Check out our stories on gorgeous natives, exotic Singapore gardens or, Kim’s article on easy rose pruning.
Feature Products
Yates Thrive Soluble Fruit and Flower
Presenter: Kim Syrus
Our Garden Gurus club members are always asking us to solve their winter gardening woes. Jeff of Noarlunga, who needs advice on what to do for his patchy kikuyu lawn.
Lawns often suffer a fair amount of wear and tear - walking, games and water restrictions certainly take their toll. Outside the backdoor or around paving are high traffic areas and is where ground quickly becomes compacted resulting in that patchy look.
A compacted lawn has trouble draining. During winter water can lay on the surface, encouraging moss to develop and the lawn to die off. Opening up the ground will help this valuable water soak in and an easy way to do it is with a garden fork.
Hop onto your garden fork, it is like a pogo stick without the spring and push the prongs deep into the ground. Just remember check where the irrigation lines are before starting. Doing this over the area will aerate the soil making it easier for lawn roots to establish and seriously improve drainage.
Kim is sure we have all had plants that have struggled in your yard this year. Deb of Colonel Light Gardens has some hydrangeas that have not performed anywhere near their best and it is crunch time. Time to look at replacing these with better suited low water users.
A tough hedging plant like a euonymous or escallonia would be a good choice, and look great in this narrow bed.
Digging doesn’t mean destroying. These hydrangeas will do much better in planted in another, more suitable spot in the yard - so carefully lift and put aside.
Work over the bed, adding plenty of organic matter. Place the pots to check the spacing then get planting. Add water crystals to each hole, plant, backfill and water in well. Here’s one garden that’s ready and waiting for next summer.
With the cooler weather about, your flowering seedlings are probably looking for a feed. Using a soluble fertiliser like Yates Soluble Flower and Fruit Plant food every 2 to 3 weeks will guarantee great results.
A soluble fertiliser dissolves quickly in water and releases its nutrients immediately, so your seedling will quickly take up the feed producing fabulous flowers and full foliage in no time.
Head to you local mitre 10 or good garden centre and pick up a copy of the latest Garden Gurus Newspaper. There is plenty to read. Check out our stories on gorgeous natives, exotic Singapore gardens or, Kim’s article on easy rose pruning.
Feature Products
Yates 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.
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