Gardenias with a small teaspoon of magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) to stop the leaves from going yellow.

Citrus with citrus food or a complete fertiliser then apply a layer of mulch. If you already have mulch down, then pull it back before you scatter the fertilizer.

Flowering annuals with a liquid fertiliser to keep them strong and healthy.

Indoor pot plants with Seasol to give them a booster tonic. Mix to the consistency of weak tea and water the soil or put in an atomiser and spray the leaves.

Stone fruit trees that have finished need a feed to form a good crop for next year. Use an organic fertilizer like manure, compost or dynamic lifter.

Pelargoniums and geraniums with liquid fertiliser.  back to top

Powdery mildew (grey cover on leaves of roses, crepe myrtle, hydrangeas & many others) may be treated with a fungicide.

Black spot (irregular yellow spots with a rim of black). Remove leaves and dispose of in plastic bag in garbage so the fungal disease doesn’t spread. Spray with Triforine.

Army worm / Lawn grub with Baythroid or Confidor. Let’s hope they don’t like the heat and dry because there really isn’t enough lawn to eat.

Mealy Bugs with a spray of Confidor. The other option is to squash them by hand, which is really gooey but effective.

Aphids with a blast from the hose every few days, soapy water or spray with Pyrethrum.

Scale insects with Pest Oil which is specially formulated to minimise burning of leaves.

Check for Citrus Leaf Miner which shows as small silver lines on the new growth. Spray with Pest Oil every 2 weeks.  back to top

Reduce the number of buds on Camellias, Dahlias & Chrysanthemums so the ones left on the plant will be showier for longer. This saves the plant energy by not producing lots of so-so flowers.

Sow winter and spring flower seeds in seed raising mix under cover or in a mini greenhouse.

Trim Pelargoniums and geraniums to improve their shape.

Take tip cuttings of Fuchsias to propagate.

Regularly water camellias & rhododendrons so their buds continue to form.

Prune roses now for another flush of flowers in Autumn.

Deadhead annuals, hydrangea, pelargoniums, fuchsias and everything else. This encourages more flowers and keeps the plant more compact and bushier.

Rip out annuals that have finished, add some compost and manure to the be then replace them with more colour.

Check your drip irrigation watering systems for any leaks or blockages and repair them. If the ends of your system are left open when not in use bugs and dirt can get in and clog up the holes. To prevent this, the open ends can be covered with the cut off finger of a rubber glove or check out this great tip from our Did You Know section..

Most importantly, enjoy a cool drink in the shade while pondering you next move.  back to top

Pull out summer crops (when they are finished). Dig in lots of manure and compost then leave the bed to rest for at least a week.

Powdery mildew (grey cover on leaves of cucumber, zucchini, squash and pumpkin) may be treated with a fungicide, but be sure to harvest first and wait the full withholding period stated on the label.

Cabbage White Butterfly with Dipel or Yates Success. Picking them off by hand goes a long way to reducing the damage they do especially if you don’t want to spray anything.

Plant Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, and Peas but try to put them in a different spot to last season to minimise the risk of diseases still in the soil from a previous crop.  back to top