Maintenance & Care

  Deadheading is the removal of spent flowers, or ones past their peak, on annuals and perennials.  Deadheading may seem pointless, but it regularly promotes more flowers to develop because the plant does not spend energy producing seeds but concentrates on continual flowering. The plant’s performance intensifies, and a simple task enhances its appearance. To deadhead, you can snap the …

Spring is the perfect time for top dressing and fertilising lawns to take advantage of the warm weather growth ahead. For a wonderful green lawn right through to next year, start fertilising in early spring with Searles Robust Lawn Booster. Searles Robust is a slow release fertiliser that will slowly feed lawn roots and leaves for up to 4 months …

What is the difference between re-wetting granules versus water crystals? Each product serves a very different function to improve water effectiveness in soils. Put simply, re-wetting granules aid water penetrating into the soil, water crystals act like water reservoirs in the soil for when the plants need the water. What do Re-wetting granules do in soil? Re-wetting granules are ideal …

Simple watering tips to follow for garden success.    • Water when appropriate. Don’t overwater your plants, however, if unsure of whether your plant needs watering you can always stick your finger into the soil to see how moist it is. • The most effective times to water are in the mornings and the afternoons so that the heat of …

But as many Australians know, we prepare for all varying weather events which may eventuate during out four seasons. Here are some tips to flood or drought proof your garden.   Start with improving the soil Garden plants will tolerate extreme fluctuations in weather better if the soil is healthy and full of rich composted nutrients with a free draining, …

Lawn grubs are easy to control. Sprinkle Searles Dead Grub Pro (Bifenthrin) granules evenly over the ground where lawn grubs are present and water it in well.   The granular shaker bottle means there are no messy concoctions or spraying. For the white curl grub, use the hessian bag test (mentioned earlier) after a week to make sure all grubs are gone. Keep …

Okay, we all know that cacti and succulents are tough, but if yours aren’t performing as well as expected, here are some trouble-shooting tips… It is important to note here that most pests and diseases can be avoided by giving these plants the correct light, watering and feeding conditions. As with other plants, healthy cacti and succulents will be less …

Probably the most common problem for passionfruit grown in home gardens is poor fruit set, which is generally due to a lack of flowers being pollinated. We have listed tips to grow more passionfruit flowers.  This can occur for a number of reasons, the main one being a lack of pollinators. This means there are not enough bees around to pollinate the …

There are two main types of lawn grub, each of which can cause devastation to lawns before you are even aware of their presence. Here are some easy ways to recognise and deal with them before they do too much damage. White curl grub The first type of lawn grub is the white curl grub. These white, ‘C’-shaped grubs are …

Choosing the right hedging plant for the right location will set you up for success. Here is a ‘how to guide’ to planting, growing and pruning hedges.    Choosing a hedging plant When choosing a plant variety, consider the height and width you want the hedge at its final size, and choose a plant variety which will match this. Consider the …