Growing Gardens

with Anita Morton

Houseplant holidays

This is an ideal time to round up all those scruffy, half-dead indoor plants and give them a little break outside in the fresh air. Houseplants give us their best month after month, but they really do need a few weeks outside occasionally. Collect the pots and put them in a well-shaded area - remove the saucers and set them aside for cleaning. Give all the smooth-leaved plants (not African violets) a good hosing to remove dust, and remember to water everything regularly for the next few weeks.

Check each pot. Is there a white coating on top of the potting mix? This is dissolved salts from slow-release fertiliser. Scrape off the top layer of soil and replace with new potting mix. Check that the plant isn't pot-bound - knock off the pot and examine the root ball; if the roots are circling around, the plant needs to go into new pot one size larger.

If the plant is looking sickly, check for white fluffy masses around the stem and in the top of the soil. This indicates mealy bug infestation, which is very common. Unfortunately, it's quite hard to get rid of and very easily passed to other plants, so you may prefer to heave the problem pot out. If you want to try saving it, peel off any loose material around the lower stem and paint with white oil or Pest Oil, made up as directed. Some people spray the plant with soapy water, and others dab the insects with methylated spirits. Whatever you do, repeat the process in three weeks to catch newly-hatched mealy bugs Keep the plant quarantined and hope for the best.

Remember to water all your plants regularly, but don't drown them. In three weeks they should all be looking much better, ready to come back inside and decorate your home for the winter.

Lismore Garden Club News

The April meeting/social outing of the Lismore Garden Club will be on Thursday, April 7, in the lovely, extensive garden of Charlie and Dot of Boorie Creek from 1.30pm. Visitors are most welcome. For info phone 6621 4100.

Remember two weeks ago we discussed the preparation of the autumn garden ready for planting. By now the countless millions of micro-organisms are working away in your garden. As are the wonderful little unpaid workers, the earthworms. Yes, the garden is ready for planting. There are a couple of options. You may choose to be a little adventurous and raise your own plants from seed. Either in a recycled styrene vegie box or directly into the garden bed. Most flower seedlings are best raised in the box and then transferred into your garden. Make sure your foam box has a good number of drainage holes. Use a top quality seed raising mix.

Most vegie seeds are best planted directly into the garden. Particularly the large seeds like beans and peas. Be sure to plant directly into the garden into a little seed raising mix. Always water in your newly planted seed with "Seasol" in a watering can.

The other option of course is to buy seedlings in punnets. To give your seedlings a good start, put a handful of compost under each one when planting, water in with "Seasol" and be sure to scatter snail bait around. That also goes for your own home grown seedlings. As your home grown seedlings appear, or after your ready grown seedlings have been in the garden a week, fertilise with half strength liquid fertiliser.

Happy gardening
Ron Burns