Plant Disorder

Plants dying long after the ‘Big Wet’ has finished? Some trees, shrubs or even pot plants can take up to 3 months to show signs of root rot (phytopthora). Signs of root rot are wilting, dieback at the tips of the branches, yellowing leaves, roots becoming mushy and eventually death. Treating early is key to the plant’s survival. Spray with …

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 …

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 which experiences very hot conditions in summer, especially in the afternoons. This …

Watch out for Black Spot on your pawpaws, generally seen in cool weather or after periods of wet weather. Plants lacking in minerals and unbalanced soil structures are more susceptible to diseases. Add a layer of 5IN1® Organic Plant Food over the soil and water plant with a dose of Searles Liquid Potash to keep pawpaws healthy and fruiting. How to …

Summer is the time you should start seeing developing mangos on your tree. If you notice a black spotting and dying off of the leaves you may have Anthracnose disease. Anthracnose is a fungal disease which can come on very quickly, usually during periods of long wet weather. It spreads from leaves to fruit flower, preventing fruit development. Treat Anthracnose with …

If you find your plants are not growing well, then it might be time to check your soil pH!   The easiest why to test your soil pH is to use an off the shelf kit, such as Searles Soil pH Test Kit. These kits have everything you require and can be used several times.   Optimum pH range Soil …

Spring is a time for gardens to sing with life and colour, but it’s also a time for some common plant health problems to arise. Problem 1: Psyllids Lilly-pilly trees are a very popular hedging plant, but can be vulnerable to psyllids which cause unsightly, but harmless lesions on new growth. To avoid this problem ask your local garden expert …

If your desiring a rose display that will rival Flemington Racecourse on Melbourne Cup, then follow these sound spring rose care tips. Pruning Roses Generally, roses should be pruned back by two-thirds in winter but if you haven’t done this by early spring, a gentle pruning to remove dead branches and excess straggly growth should suffice. Feeding Roses When new …

Iron deficiency (iron chlorosis) is a common problem in Australian gardens and can cause serious problems to plant health and vigour. The symptoms however are easy to both recognise and treat.   Iron deficiency first appears as a ‘veiny’ look on new growth, with a darker green pigmentation retained on the leaf veins and the rest of the leaf developing …