Pittwater Life January 2024 Issue

Garden Life
Jobs this Month
January
Garden Life
The strange summer
weather is causing
havoc in the garden.
One day it is hot and the next
day it rains. Take care when
the heat comes back: plants
will burn. If the foliage is
burnt, resist the temptation
to trim it. Wait until new
growth appears before
trimming, as the burnt leaves
will protect the branches
from sunburn.
Mind mildew
Fungus problems are
everywhere. Spray with
Yates Fungus Fighter on
ornamentals at first signs of
powdery mildew. Be careful
on the veggies: use a natural
spray, there are several that
are commonly used. A cup
of milk mixed with 10 cups
of water, 50ml of vinegar in
1 litre of water, or 4tsp of
bicarbonate of soda, 2 litres
water, 2 drops of vegetable
oil and 2 drops of washing-up
liquid are all tried recipes for
sprays.
Living Xmas trees
After New Year make sure to
take living Christmas trees
back outside. For the first
week keep them shaded from
Grubby matters
Watch out for suspicious
brown patches in the lawn.
Army grubs love rain,
humidity and heat. Spray with
Eco oil mixed with Dipel for
control. Dipel is harmless to
birds and animals that may
eat the dying grubs.
the sun, then harden off
gradually to avoid sunburn.
Carefully looked after, a living
tree will grow with the family
for many years.
Veggie refresh
Take a look at the veggie
garden. It is not too late for a
second planting of tomatoes,
beans, zucchini, and
cucumbers before the seasons
change.
Help nature
Sometimes veggies need
a helping hand. Zucchini,
pumpkin, squash and
cucumbers have both male and
female flowers. When the days
are dull, and the bees are not
around to cross-pollinate the
flowers, you can help. Female
flowers have tiny fruit behind
the flower and male flowers
are on single stems. With a
paint brush, take pollen from
the male flower to the centre
of the girls. Some days you will
have only girls and sometimes
only boys. Both sexes need
to open on the same day for
success. Watch daily and you
can double your harvest.
Feeding time
It is time to feed the garden.
Camellias, azaleas, pieris,
magnolias, begonias, fuchsias
and other acid-loving plants
all love Kahoona pellets.
Citrus, roses, veggies and
Puzzle solutions from page 64-65
flowering plants will thank
you for feeding them with
Power Feed to keep the flower
buds coming.
Scale insects
Check orchids for scale
insects. They are hard to
control, as they live and breed
where the leaves join the
stems. Ants that are attracted
by the sticky secretion carry
the scale from one plant to
the next. It takes time and
patience to eliminate the
scale. You need a small paint
brush and a bottle of Isocol
(a rubbing alcohol that has
many uses). Carefully paint
over any visible scale, making
sure to get the Isocol well
into every nook and cranny!
You may need to repeat this a
couple of times at fortnightly
intervals.
Mystery location: BILGOLA
72 JANUARY 2024
The Local Voice Since 1991