It smells like rotten eggs gas - Jul 13, 2012

Dear gardening friends,

I know you have been putting it off, but it really is the right time to prune roses.

The first thing you will need is a sharp pair of secateurs.

Secateurs are like cars, the best ones are made in Germany. The best value ones are made in Japan and the really cheap crappy ones are made in China. If you are driving a car made in China I am really, really sorry!

I use Kamaki seceteurs which are made in Japan. They are great quality and I use them every day. We sell these at the nursery for $43.99. You can try and be brave, but sensible people wear gloves when pruning roses.

Start by removing all the twiggy thin stemmed branches on the inside of the plant. This will allow air and sunshine into the centre of the plant which will help prevent fungus diseases like Black Spot and Powdery Mildew.

Now prune the main branches back to an outward facing bud. This will encourage the new growth to grow away from the centre. Always make cuts at an angle so the water will run off. This will help to prevent Die Back. Once the rose bush is pruned it should be no bigger than your knees. If your a really short person then up to your waist!

If you are pruning standard roses use all of the above information except the bit about up to your knees.

Now you need to spray your pruned rose bushes with Lime Sulphur mixed with water. This stuff smells like rotten egg gas or if your from New Zealand it smells like home! Only joking, it smells like Rotorua.

Lime Sulphur kills scale insects on the stems of your roses and it also cleans up black spot spores. Spray the ground around your roses but try not to get it on other plants. If this is impossible, just hose the plants off after spraying.

You could also spray your fruiting peach, nectarine and apricot trees with Lime Sulphur. This is best done at bud swell. (When the buds are about to shoot out). This will prevent the fungus disease known as Peach Leaf Curl.

Always wear a mask and long pants when spraying and do it when there is no wind.

Time is running out for you to spray for Bindii. The seeds will be starting to form now and once they ripen it is too late. We have a spray that is safe to use on all lawns including Soft Leaf Buffalo. Come and see us for this fantastic product. Don't mow your lawn for 7 days before or after spraying, and put a squirt of dish washing liquid in with the mix for best results.

I was in Queensland during the week and came across this huge tree growing beside a river. Check out the photo. This tree is called a Weeping Fig ( Ficus benjamina). It is often sold as an indoor plant. Sometimes when the indoor plant gets sick people plant it in the garden hoping to bring it back to life! Be careful or you could end up with a monster in your garden.

They will never grow this big in Macarthur and they can be pruned into a lollipop.

I also fell in love with African Tulip trees. These have the most spectacular orange red, tulip shaped flowers. You will be able to grow one of these if you live on one of the hills surrounding the Macarthur District. We have just a few in stock. It is best to plant one in Spring when the weather warms up.

I was watching River Cottage the other night on TV and he was picking home grown Asparagus. River Cottage is a fantastic show if you're into growing vegetables and cooking. The show reminded me that it is time to plant Asparagus now. We have crowns at the nursery ready for planting. These are much older plants than the ones you buy in spring on the herb bench so you will get spears sooner. Asparagus crowns cost just $5.95 so they are good value.

Don't forget you get your Tim's Garden Club Discount off almost everything you buy.

Beautiful weather is forecast for this weekend so come and see us for all your gardening requirements.

Happy gardening

Tim