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LIFE IS SHORT,
BUY THE PLANTS

Turn your garden into a magical paradise.

BASIC TIPS & INFO

What to do when you take home your new plants.  Firstly you need to understand how they have been grown so you can keep them looking as beautiful as they were in the nursery.  Nursery conditions represent optimal growing conditions.  You will need to take some extra care of your plants while they transition into their new garden as they will not be toughened up or drought hardy straight away.

Your new plants have been:

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Watered daily, maybe twice

Fertilized and fed

Planted in premium potting mix

Grown in a specific area of shade or light

Cared for, cleaned, treated for pests and trimmed

Water!  Deep infrequent watering is more beneficial rather than more frequent shallow watering.  Consider your soil - Sandy soil is going to hold less water than a heavier clay soil, therefore sandy sandy soil will dry out faster.  It is also important to remember too much water can be as much of a problem as not enough.  Windy conditions will dry out your gardens.  Different species have different requirements.  Drought tolerant plants do still need water.

Mulching your garden will help to conserve moisture and reduce weeds.  Over time mulches will break down and enrich the soil.  It is important to re-mulch or top-up your mulch as required.  Mulches are available in different textures, colours and some alternatives to mulch are decorative pebble.​

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Your gardens will require some food too!  Fertilize every spring with either osmocote or nutricote 12 month release.  Palms will require an extra application of fertilizer in autumn.  Follow the detailed instructions for quantity and directions on the packet.

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Lilly Pillys require trimming several times per year as this encourages new growth.  Although they are an Australian native plant, they require more water initially while becoming established.  Wind will dry them out easily.  Loss of leaves from the center of the plant is an indication of not enough water.  They can also be prone to psyllids.  This is recognized by the blistering of leaves.  Trim the plant back and use an insecticide.

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Black spots on the leaves and trunks can be recognized as fungus. Heavy rains and humidity can promote fungus which is best treated with a fungicide.  Mealy bug, Aphid and Scale require a systemic or oil based spray.  removal of dead palm fronds will help to reduce these garden pests.

  • Make sure the ground where you are planting is moist to begin with.

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  • Mulch your gardens.

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  • Regularly test irrigation systems.

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  • Use wetting agents and water crystals.

  • Feed your plants.

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  • Treat pests & fungus as soon as detected.

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  • Keep up the water during extreme heat and winds.

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  • Plants over 1.5m need to be staked until established.

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