Plant Hospital

Most people know moving some plants between Australian states is restricted to prevent pests and diseases. Bringing plants or seeds into Australia is far stricter, as even small breaches can introduce serious biosecurity risks. Plants must arrive free of soil and plant debris, clearly labelled with their full botanical name, securely packaged, and declared. Even soil on boots can carry …

Apply borax carefully to correct boron deficiency and give your fruit trees a vital boost—stronger growth, better flowering, and improved fruit set start with the right trace elements. Boron is an important micronutrient for tissue development in plants, pollination and the quality of flowers, fruit and in seed set. Boron deficiencies develop more often in dry weather, soils lacking in …

Learn to spot sawfly larvae early — their caterpillar-like bodies and clustered feeding habits make them easy to identify before serious leaf damage sets in. A heads up for those who spend time out in the garden in autumn, sawfly larvae are about too.  As a child we use to call this mass of caterpillar like creature’s spitfires.  They wave …

You planted seedlings one day and their gone the next? A very common problem is seedlings freshly planted disappearing, let’s look at the possible culprits.   • A cutworm or armyworm • Wallabies, kangaroos, rabbits, rats, mice or bandicoots • Snails or slugs • A neighbour who envies your garden No to the neighbours, but the other three are highly …

  Here are some top tips for garden recovery after heavy rainfall and windy weather. Turn off automatic irrigation systems until garden has dried out. Rake all fallen leaves and use as mulch on the garden Stand up fallen pot plants and give them good water as they likely didn’t get the soil wet when they were lying down While …

 If you want a perfect lawn that you can walk on without all the painful bindii prickles, then you need to spray now to clean up for spring. Winter is a time when many nuisance weeds and prickles seem to invade our home turf, causing much pain and frustration. One such major nuisance weed is the bindii. If you have …

A plant in good health can withstand pests and diseases far more efficiently than a struggling plant. When a plant is stressed, it may succumb to the pest and disease far quicker, and the issues may be more severe and harder to treat. Fungal issues usually have certain prevalent precursors before the fungal problems are evident. Fungal disease generally needs …

If you’ve ever grown fruit of any kind, especially during spring and summer, you will know that fruit fly can be a real nuisance. However, there is an easy solution to help control these pesky insects.   Fruit Fly damage  In our hot climate, fruit flies cause much fruit loss from stinging the fruit. It is the female that is …

Using plants to furnish your home is a great way to introduce green life into indoor areas. However, as with gardening outdoors, some consideration needs to be given in selecting the appropriate plants to suit the varying climates within the home. Hot spots Many homes have a room that experiences very hot conditions in summer, especially in the afternoons. This …

The presence of Citrus leafminer can be identified by the silvery lines it leaves on leaves. These are the tunnels left by the larvae as they ‘mine’ their way through the insides of the leaf. When the larvae are fully grown, they curl the leaf edges shelter inside the curled section and emerge as adult moths. Leafminers can cause a …