Story: Answering Community Questions
Episode: 13
Presenter: Neville Passmore
Air Date: 14 November 2026

Neville answers your gardening questions with practical solutions to common garden problems!

• Fruit Damage – If rats are damaging fruit on trees, try bagging individual fruit to protect them as they develop.
• Chewed Foliage – Slugs and caterpillars are common culprits when plants are being eaten overnight. Check plants after dark with a torch, inspect the undersides of leaves and hand-pick any caterpillars. Check beneath pots and other cool, dark hiding spots for slugs, and create a barrier of fire ash around plants to deter them.
• Yellowing Leaves and Poor Flowering – Epsom salts are not a complete fertiliser, so use a balanced plant food to provide the nutrients needed for healthy growth and flowering. As the weather warms up, tropical plants such as mandevillas should also begin to thrive.