Pittwater Life November 2017 Issue

Garden Life
Garden Life
Jobs this Month
November
At last – it is raining off
and on! After a very
long dry spell, the rain
is beginning to heal scorched
plants. It is amazing how quickly
the gardens start to grow and
flourish once more. This month,
keep on top of the weeds. Spray
with ‘Slasher’, the organic weed
spray (don’t spray on a windy
day to avoid spray drift). It will
kill any plant that it touches, but
it leaves no residual in the soil.
The big ‘wet’
Even though we have had rain
the ground is dry; with a hot
summer ahead it is worth the
effort to apply a granular wetting
agent, before applying a
thick mulch. This will enable the
water to penetrate the surface
and soak into the ground, instead
of running off. It will also
reduce your water bills.
Encourage bees
Plant borage or scarlet nasturtiums
in the veggie garden to
attract the bees. Spray fruiting
trees and flowering veggies
with Beekeeper every week.
Without bees there is no crop!
Miner relief
Eco oil will keep the leaf miner
away from citrus trees. A CLM
sticky trap in the trees will
attract the male leaf miner and
Little Bambinos
Bambino bougainvilleas are
in full flower. Plant this dwarf
variety in pots, window boxes
or hanging baskets, to give
it time to settle in before the
Christmas festivities begin.
Cane cull
If you haven’t already done
so, cut back and remove
old canes from ornamental
gingers. New shoots will soon
come up from below the soil.
These are the shoots that will
flower after Christmas.
Top-dress time
Now the rain has returned it
is the perfect time to lightly
top-dress and feed the grass.
Lightly rake and scratch the
surface of any bare patches
before raking in a light dressprevent
them from mating
with the females.
Hibiscus care
Feed hibiscus this month with
dynamic lifter to get them going.
Protect them from hibiscus
beetle with granular Richgro
Bug Killa. It is a systemic
insecticide. If you apply it now
it will control the beetles and
by the time the flowers come
in summer, it will not be active
to hurt the bees.
More than less
Be ruthless in the garden. Pull
out any spring annuals that are
just hanging on and replace
them with petunias, dahlias,
verbenas, alyssum, lobelia,
or other brightly coloured
annuals. Get the kids to pot
up seedlings. They make ideal
presents for end-of-term gifts.
‘Carnival’ colour
Looking good this month
is Leucospermum Carnival
Orange. There are several
that are flowering along
our coast. Leucospermums
are hardy and droughttolerant,
the birds love
them and they will grow
right by the water’s edge.
(They are closely related to
our own waratahs.)
ing of Top Dressing soil. Don’t
put on too much at one time,
apply a thin layer first and
follow it with more at weekly
intervals if necessary.
Bush Tucker
Trim back native shrubs that
have finished flowering and
feed them with Bush Tucker
Native Plant Fertiliser. (It is
made by Neutrog and is brilliant
– the results are amazing.)
Cover the ground
If you want a new ground
cover for a tropical, shaded
or semi-shaded garden, plant
the new and very beautiful
Tradescantia Sunshine Gem.
The bright gold foliage lights
up the garden. Grow it in the
ground as a border or as an
indoor plant in bowls or pots.
If you have a dog, be aware
some dogs can be allergic to
rhoeos and tradescantias.
Crossword solution from page 67
Mystery location: ERIC GREEN RESERVE
70 NOVEMBER 2017
The Local Voice Since 1991