Category AnyAnnuals/PerennialsAustralian NativesBonsaiBromeliadsBulbs/Corms/TubersCactii/SucculentsClimbers/CreepersFerns/Palms/CycadsFruit & NutsGarden EnvironmentGarden Shop ProductsHandy HintsHedgesHerbsLandscapingLawns/GroundcoversOrchidsOrganicPest & DiseasesPestsPots, Planters & TubsPropagationRosesSeedsShrubs - nativeShrubs - non nativeSoilTools & MachineryTrees - nativeTrees - non nativeVegetablesVeggie PestsWater GardensWeedingWhat is this?Weeds
Topic Any
Red dots on Angophora costata is my Angophora costata sick or dying? I have a beautiful large Angophora Costata, but I am noticing that it's leaf canopy has become quite sparse and thin and its green leaves are starting to show red coloured spots - is my tree sick or dying? If so any tips on what I can do? or is this a common thing this time of year early Sept? Appreciate your help!
Removal of Camellia Roots Hi there I'm wanting to remove the raised garden bed from around my camellia tree. It's a very old tree and I’m not sure if was planted before or after the garden bed was installed. There are a lot of roots coming from the tree trunk that I would need to remove to bring it back to ground level. Does anyone know if I could safely remove or prune back any of the roots in the below picture?
Removing Mature Shrubs We are currently planning to plant a hedge at the front of our house. At present the front of our property has a number of mature shrubs which need to be removed. What is the easiest way to remove the shrubs and then what is required to prepare the soil for planting the new hedge.
Replanting Bulbs Outside Hello - I am a novice when it comes to gardening, so I am hoping you all may be able to help me. I recently received a basket of spring flowers; daffodils, hyacinth, tulips, crocus - it's just beautiful. The problem is, I don't know how to replant the flowers outside. I live in southern Wisconsin, so it will still be a few weeks before the ground is thawed. In the meantime, the flowers are fading, and I am not sure what to do with it at this point. Will I have to put them in the refrigerator for a while, or can I continue to just keep them watered and replant when it's warm enough? Is there any way possible I can get them to bloom again this spring after replanting outside? Do I separate the bulbs or replant as is? Thanks for your help!
Rhapis Palm scale infestation Hi, need advice on controlling a scale infestation on a Rhapis Palm. The palm lives in a large pot on an apartment balcony in full shade. I have been treating the infestation by spraying neem oil once a week for 8 weeks and removing the scale by hand, however the problem is not getting any better. The scale is covered in a white powdery substance that the ants love. Please any suggestions on how to tackle this? and ideal neem oil spray dilution rate. thank you in advance. Rachel
Rhubarb Toxicity I read that rhubarb leaves are toxic. Can they be put on the garden or compost to rot without problems?
Rose bugs Hi, just wondering if anyone can ID these bugs that invade my roses and other flowers every year. I only see them this time of year but they totally decimate the flowers very quickly. I've attached a photo of the bugs on the rose and the damage they do to the roses. Thank you Sandy
Rotational Planting I have set up a vegetable garden with six raised beds. I am now at the stage of the end of my first season, and would like some comments on rotational planting, with ideas on what to follow on from what. Know some, but not all.
Russel Lupins I am looking for Russell Lupin seeds - any ideas where I might get them? or does anyone have some seeds I can buy? I will pay postage.
Rusty Scale on Apricots As a beginner to gardening I am living on a 5 acre property with an orchard of 33 trees. There are four apricot trees and all are under stress from lack of water and neglect. The fruit has a rusty coloured, hard scale on the skin and the fruit is very small. What is causing it and how can I bring the trees back to health. They also need pruning as it has not been done for some years.
Sandy Backyard I will be moving into my newly built home very soon. The front will be landscaped professionally with waterwise plants and winter green roll on lawn. My question is....what do I do with a back yard of only sand. Where do I start? My preferences are natives and very little lawn. Something nice to look at from the alfresco area and big windows.
Schinus molle My first post so hoping for some help here. We live in Dongara WA and have planted 10 x Schinus molle to create a wind break. They've been in the ground since April and growing well but getting very long branches and we're wondering if we should be trimming them off now or let them just keep growing. We've had to stake them pretty hard against the southerly wind
Shade Good for Fish Too Shade isn't just good for keeping evaporation down - its also vital for your fish. So many folks are making water gardens these days - but they are mostly not deep enough so the water heats up much more quickly - especially if there is little or no shade. I reckon more garden fish die of broiling than any other ailment.
Shadehouse Location I am contemplating putting a shadehouse on the eastern side of my house which does not receive much sun throughout the day. Will this be ok or is it preferrable for a shadehouse to receive as much direct sunlight as possible? Any suggestions would be gratefully received.
Sheenas Gold - losing leaves / dying Hi Gardners, I have a sheena's gold hedge that has been loosing leaves rather badly over the past couple of months. The leaves are getting a dark discolouration and slowly die after a month or so. The regrowth that has replaced it is pretty sparse and the leaves are narrow and spindly. I'd love to hear if you have any suggestions!
Shrub Identification Please Hi, First time poster. I am looking to identify this tree/bush. I have three of them that the previous owner had carved into ball tree's. Do you have any idea what they are?
Sick Avocado Tree Hi, my very young avocado tree’s leaves have turned brown and feel really dry and crispy. The soil is moist so it’s definitely getting water. The rest of the plant is green.
Sick creeper? Dear garden braintrust For years we have had this lush and healthy creeper (don’t know the name as it came with the house when we bought to 7 yrs ago) on the corner of our house. All of a sudden it seems to have started to wither with leaves initially turning a lighter pale green and eventually brown and falling off. Large areas of the plant are already completely bare. Any ideas/advice would be much appreciated. Thanks
Sick Cycad I have a cycad that has just replaced all it's old fronds with new growth. These new fronds seem to be diseased. It looks like all the leaves are curling and are kind of white underneath. Does anyone have any idea why this is happening?
Sick Eumundi Quandong Dear members, Help please! Am I overwatering my eumundi quandong or is something else going on? Beautiful and healthy when I planted them in new soil and container has plenty of drainage. Leaf tips are dead on existing growth. There is new growth coming in which is fine.
Sick Photinia New growth on photinia tree/hedge is losing colour. This is then spreading to the whole tree and killing it. Trees are in a well drained area and have been established for a long time. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
Silver Birch - Invasive Roots?? Are Silver Birch trees able to be planted near drain pipes without fear of blocking them up?
Silver birch dying branches I have planted two silver birches in my front garden in sandy soil and in sunny positions. These were planted in the last six months. They have been well watered almost every day. The tree I planted first has branches dying from the bottom up. The second tree is starting to do the same. Does anyone have any ideas as to why this is happening? I live in a bayside area in Melbourne, Victoria.
Silver Birch in Pots What's the best way to grow silver birch tree's to advanced (6'+)stage in pot's to plant out later.?? Any advice would be appreciated. Len. P.S. Is this the best way to grow big/quickly.?
Slugs and Beer Its an old trick but it works very well. Place a saucer of beer in the garden and see all the slugs crawl in and then be too inebriated to get out!! Yay, gottem.
Small white jumping mites all over soil Just looked closely near my carrots and discovered loads of little walking jumping bugs that are tiny as. Anyone know what it may be? And solutions if to get rid of them if they are harmful?
Smooth vs Mophead Hydrangea Hello gardeners! We are keen to plant hydrangeas in our front yard and I like both the smooth hydrangea and the mophead hydrangea. We live in Melbourne, Australia. We have two garden beds. One is under a very large gumtree and gets morning sun and afternoon shade. The other garden bed gets only dappled sun. Which species of hydrangea (mophead or smooth) would be suited to the garden bed under the gumtree (given that the tree will suck nutrient and moisture from the ground)? Which species of hydrangea (mophead or smooth) would be better suited to the garden bed with only dappled sun (mostly shade)? Thank you in advance!
Soft yard We live on very slight sloping 3/4 acre block. It has established lawn of approx 9 years. We have a septic system in front lawn. This appears to be working correctly and is serviced yearly. The front half has quite thick grass but the ground has become very soft to walk on to the point of leaving indents from feet and the rideon mower. The back yard which is the highest point has always been hard with much less thicker grass. It is also soft now to the point it indents also and is covered in small mud mounds from worms. We have used a rideon without a catcher and recently started using a new mower with mulcher. The front has gotten much softer over the years. Any suggestions on why our yard is getting softer.
Soil Suppliers Hi there, I have a soil supply concern that I'd like to share with this forum as I'm unable to source a good landscaping provider in the Northern Sydney area and wondered if others are affected by it. I have attempted to source a premium grade gardening soil from the Hornsby area, including Belrose \ Terrey Hills. ISSUE: Nothing seems to grow in the soil purchased. As it turns out the soil being sold at the moment has an extremely high PH. The first two batch's I bought a year ago from different suppliers had a PH of 8.5 to 9.5. My last hope of purchasing through a large reputable company had a PH of 8-9. Selling soil in these ranges isn't acceptable, as these supplier would know that most plants grow in the PH range of 5 to 7.5. It cost me valuable time and money correcting this problem. This hasn't been a once off issue for me it's been occurring for over a year. Is anyone else experiencing this issue?
Soil Water Retention Is there a way to build up the water-retention properties of a no-dig garden? The water runs through the layers very quickly and the plants wilt each day.
Something eating my Dwarf Canna I've grown my first garden this year of Dwarf Canna & Alstromeria, have already been invaded by whiteflies and other insects but cannot figure out what is eating large holes and even severing half of one leaf? Can anybody suggest what kinds of creatures would do this? I live in Melbourne.
Sooty mould I have a large established tree in my garden which I think is a bottlebrush of some kind (perhaps you can tell me what it is). Some of the upper branches are covered with a black, charcoal-like substance. Within the charcoal are shiny red bumps that look like sap. Is this a plant disease of some kind? See photo. As far as I know, the tree has not been set on fire or anything. Most of the other branches are fine and the tree seems otherwise healthy. It is currently flowering with fuzzy purple flowers.
South facing garden Suggestions for plants under 1m in a south facing garden 2m x 6m at front of house. Full sun 3 months, summer. Full shade rest of year. Planting suggestions? Have considered Agave foxtail but not sure if enough full sun.
Spanish Shawl I was wondering where in South Australia I would be able to buy a ground cover called Spanish Shawl from. My local nursery had never heard of it
Spindly hedge revival? I’ve moved into a house in Canberra where the hedge has had little attention and looks very spindly. Is there a way to revive it and encourage more foliage?
Spreading brown tips: Vriesea Hieroglyphica Hi all, Looking for advice regarding spreading brown tips on my bromeliad - a beautiful variagated Vriesea Hieroglyphica. The plant has been happy and healthy indoors for 3-4 months since purchasing from a garden centre in Sydney, Australia. It receives good indirect/shaded sunlight across the day from a north-facing window. We keep the central well topped up with clean water, which we drain and replace about once a month. The plant sits in a regular draining plastic pot, which then sits on top of 3-4 cms of large pebbles inside a ceramic "outer" pot. We have not fertilised or repotted the plant at all. Recently (we think after some hot and dry weather here in Syd) several of the leaf tips began to turn brown and "die off". The brown has been slowly spreading down the leaf toward the centre of the plant, with these leaves looking like they're basically dying off. In some of the photos you can see we have marked the location of the "rot" to monitor its progress down the leaf. The plant otherwise looks very healthy, with the rest of the leaves bright, shiny and colourful, with new bract growth in the central well, and with no pup growth yet. We assumed underwatering (because the brown started at the tips, not at the centre, and because the leaf tips are dry and crispy rather than mushy). We have given the pot a good soaking, allowing it to dry thoroughly first. If the leaves can't be saved and it keeps spreading, what should we do? Should we cut off the dying leaves at the centre with a sterilised blade to stop it from spreading to the centre of the plant? Any advice very much appreciated!
Staghorn I have a staghorn fern that has a disease. Seems to attack around where the new leaves come out, seems to cut the leaves off before they have a chance to grow. There seems to be a furry type substance around it as well. Can you tell me if there is anything that I can buy to help me with this one. Thank you for your help.
Star Jasmine I have a star jasmine in trouble. The leaves start out deep green but slowly turn yellow and, in time, red. It still flowers but doesn't look well. It's about 7 years old and this only happened in the last year. From all the literature, I can't figure out exactly what it might be. I've fed it and mulched but nothing works. Please HELP!
Star Jasmine - Sunlight Requirements I wanted to put create a Star Jasmine wall on my balcony, but the only place it could fit would have the pot hidden under a gutter out of sunlight. Does the entire plant need sunlight, or if the vine of the plant reaches past the gutter and into the sun, is that enough sun for the entire plant?
Steel Edging I'm interested in purchasing everedge. Can you tell me what colour is galvanised? Thank you
Steel Edging cut-end Regarding Flexible Steel Garden Edging (COR-TEN for my purpose), does cutting to a length less than the 1m standard size present any issues? Does the cut edge require a coating?
Stinging Nettles I have infestation of stinging nettles. I pulled original large plants out by hand and have continued to pull out tiny and small plants as soon as I can. They continue to pop up before my eyes! Will digging tiny plants back into soil help cull them or will that just stimulate faster growth? Any other suggestions please. I do not use chemicals of any type in my garden. Thanks. Janet
Stink Bug Beetle Any suggestions on killing stink bug beatles in my orange tree.
Strawberry Plants I am a new gardener and would like to know about strawberries. I have plants in an old toilet bowl and they are setting runners after a very fruitful season. When can I shift them from this container? when can I plant out the runners? will they fruit as well as the parent plant? what is the best soil for them? I hope someone can help me with these questions. Colleen
Streptocarpus I would like to grow some Streptocarpus plants, but can-not find any source of seed, plants, or leaves for propagation.
Struggling/ dying olive tree Hello all, I'm a very novice gardener so looking for some basic, easy to understand advice here. One of my 3 olive trees, not potted, has for the past several weeks been showing signs of distress. There was initially some yellowing and leaf curl, along with some black spots on the underside which I have treated with copper (appears to have largely worked), but now the symptoms have spread more broadley, with leaves going brown and curling across the plant. There has been no new growth for the past few months whilst our other trees have gone great-guns. Thinking it's a problem with the roots. Have treated with Yates anti-rot several times directly to the leaves, and also turned over the top soil (adding further premium mix). No obvious results yet. Any advice on what else to try or how long to expect results? Some yellowing leaves now noticeable on the adjoining plant.
Succulent on balconies Succulents are often a good choice for balconies, although many are prone to damage by frost.
Suggestions for Shady Area Hi, I'm looking for a plant for my front patio. Any suggestions on what would meet these criteria would be appreciated! - outdoors (East facing) but always in FULL SHADE - perrenial - low maintenance - fit comfortably in a 45 cm square pot (not too big root structure that would outgrow pot) - preferably flowering - attractive year round (inc when not flowering) I'm thinking of Camelia Japonica, Fiddle Leaf (but not flowering)... or maybe while Lobelia. Any other ideas? Thanks!
sunflowers hello all trying to grow some sunflower seedlings for the first time ever i planted some in the garden....the sprouted but before a second set of leaves appeared something plucked them or at them.......but they are gone i have tried now planting some seeds in a seed raising container (clear lid plastic tray) and i have soaked the seeds for a few hours and planted them pointy end down and put them in the cupboard (water inthe bottom) some of them have sprouted after a few days but they a growing sideways rather than up ( a spindly looking white shoot) just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on why this would be
Syzygium in pots hi, i found a syzygium australe in a smaller pot in my garden. My mother in law had plans for it. I was wondering if I could use it as a bit of a privacy barrier because our garden is exposed. Is it possible to grow it to 4m in a pot? What size pot? How long would it take to get to get to 3m please? It is currently 1m high. Thank you. David.
Syzygium Leaf Curl Hi there, I have some otherwise very healthy Resilience lilly pillies that are recently having a problem that started with one plant, but now all 7 seem to have it. The new growth is small and completely curling in on itself. No discolouration anywhere. I can see no mealy bugs, and I can't find a solution anywhere online because every website wants to tell me that the problem is psyllids, which is not what this looks like (it is also a psyllid resistant cultivar). I really need these trees to keep growing strong as they are a privacy screen, any advice would be very much appreciated!
Tennis Court Weeds What can I use to kill weeds on a tennis court and also on a long driveway. I've tried roundup but it just doesn't do the job. The weeds are back in a short time. I'd really appreciate some help. Thanks.
Termite resistant wood chip Hi I would like to lay some turf , make some paths to chicken run, two raised garden beds and two fruit tress. Is wood chips good for paths? and good at keeping weeds at bay?. Would the wood chips harm the fruit trees one peach and one orange. I do not want to encourage termites.What is a good wood chip to use? I don't want to use pebbles or stones. Thankyou.
Testing Soil Quality Hi, we have an above-ground vegetable garden built by the previous owners. When we bought the house 1 year ago, the vegetables were growing well. We tried running greywater but my wife forgot and stain remover ended up in the soil, which killed some of the plants. Since then, plants haven't grown very well at all - although I tested the pH a while back, and it seemed fine. We now want to dismantle the garden bed and relocate the soil, but we're not sure if it is any good. As I've been digging down through it (the bed is almost 1 metre deep) its clear that there have ben many generations of gardens there, with different soils added. Also many roots coming up, we suspect from a nearby Celtis tree. The borders of the garden bed are lined with weed mat which lets some water through, but around the edges the soil has a white substance caking it - which I think maybe greywater contamination. Long story short - what tests can we do to see if this soil is good for using elsewhere (for shrubs etc). Is there a danger that the soil will 'poison' whereever we put it? I am new to gardening and know very little about soil contamination.
The Name Of This Plant G'day, My wife was given this plant. I would like to find the name of the plant please
Tilia europea HI, I have been searching to buy a Tilia Europea (linden lime or common linden tree) but so far no luck. Do you know who in Australia might have it for sale. Thanks Boryana
Tipuana Growth Shape Hi there, would appreciate some advice on a young Tipuana (Tipu) tree. It is spreading very wide horizontally but hardly growing taller vertically. (some branches/leaves are already touching the ground.) Am new to tree growing and have no idea what to do, assuming that it needs to be pruned, etc. Any help in the right direction would be very much appreciated.
Tomato Fruit Fly Arrhhh.... fruit fly in my tomato plants can you help me stop it this year!!... is there any natural ways to stop this?.. what are the best and safest chemical way??...thank you
Transplanting Staghorn I recently found that a stag horn fern (Platycerium bifurcated) had germinated and begun to grow, on a water feature alongside my fishpond. At what stage can it be transplanted for growing-on? How does one separate it from the surface on which it has grown with out fatally damaging root structure? NOTE: The plant is now at least twice as big as pictured.
Treated Pine Why do they say that you cannot saw treated pine without voiding the warranty - surely it defeats the purpose of buying timber, doesn't it?
Treated Pine for Raised Veggie Beds I have read that you can't use treated pine for raised veggie beds. But that makes it very difficult or expensive to build one as that only leaves hard wood, that would last.
Tree Fern Shortening I have a very tall tree fern that I wish to shorten as it is at gutter height and suffering from the heat. I wish to know if it will regrow when cut off 75cm from the ground, or must i dig it out and replant the top section only. Can someone also suggest the ideal PH for the above. thanks
Tree ID please Hi Garden Forum, Please help Would you know what the name of this tree is? Regards, Martin
Tree Roots A garden bed, close to a casuarina and nearby to poplars, is filled with a mat of fine roots. Nothing has grown well in the bed, although getting plenty of sun, as the plants always seems short of water. Are the trees the culprits?
© 2010-2022 GardensOnline Shopping Pty. Ltd.
The following error found:
Close