Grow a Mango tree! - Nov 02, 2018
The “Relatives" are coming!
Dear gardening friends
There’s only seven weeks till Christmas, so that means it’s time to get planting, if you want your garden to be full of flowers on Christmas Day!
Hydrangeas arrived yesterday.
These old world, shade loving plants, have the most spectacular flowers.
We’ve got Lace Cap and traditional varieties.
The one in the photo above is a Lace Cap Hydrangea. These are my favourite.
Hydrangeas grow best in a morning sun position, followed by afternoon shade.
They like to be watered often or the flowers will droop all day and the plant will look sad and grumpy.
They can be grown in big pots using our Tim’s Best Potting Mix. A “big pot” should hold at least 2 bags of Tim’s Best Potting Mix. If it only holds one bag, then it’s called a “little pot”!!!!!! They need almost daily watering when it’s hot like this.
We have Pink, Red, Blue and White flowering Hydrangeas today. The plants are huge and they are great value at just $27.99. You’ll save 5% when you use your Tim’s Garden Club Card. If you’ve lost your card, don’t worry. We’ve still got your details in our system.
Hydrangeas make spectacular flowering gifts. If you give them one of these, they will remember you for life.
We have a free gift wrapping service too!
One of our customers told me that she loves our nursery “because it makes her feel good”. Isn’t that a lovely comment?
It’s only just being recognised that flowers really do make you feel better. And when you spend time in your garden, nurturing plants, you will have improved mental health. I’ve been working in the nursery for 30 years and it’s never felt like work.
Hayden and Lisa are working so hard to keep our nursery full of spring colour. It’s really never looked better than this.
Come for a visit, it will make you, feel better too!
Geraniums are great in pots and hanging baskets but did you know they are great garden plants too. Vicki showed me a picture of her garden in Menangle during the week and the “Big Red” Geraniums were the star of the show. “Big Red” is a Hybrid Geranium that stays bushy and it produces huge flowers. They are much bigger than traditional varieties.
We have “Big Red” and “Big Pink” Geraniums in the nursery today.
Always improve your soil with our Tim’s Cow Manure or IGC Planting Compost when planting colour like Geraniums in your garden. If you don’t use soil improvement products then you won’t have success like Vicki.
Geraniums will last for years in your garden. If they ever look untidy simply cut them back by 50% and fertilise with Tim’s Fast Food. They will be flowering again within weeks.
Mangoes are in fruit shops.
There are numerous varieties available but the best tasting Mango by miles is The Bowen Mango. This is synonymous with Kensington Pride. We have Mango Trees in the nursery and they will grow in your garden. There are some beauties in Campbelltown. The Catholic Club has one in their garden.
The photo of the Mangoes above was taken in Ingleburn last March. Mangoes fruit later in Sydney and they grow much bigger than the fruit you see in the shops.
We have seedling grown and Grafted Mango trees, in the nursery today.
They are big plants and some of them will flower this summer. They start at just $45.00.
You will get at least 50 Mangoes once they get growing. That’s $150 worth of fruit for free every year.
Mangoes just like Citrus trees grow best when planted on a mound of IGC Planting Compost Improved soil. This gets the roots out of the clay and gives them the best start in life. Never fertilise newly planted trees or they will die.
Mulch around the base of your tree with Tim’s Termite Resistant Woodchip. This insulates the soil from the hot sun and makes your plant get more water.
More water and more nutrients means more growth and more Mangoes!
Mango trees grow huge in the tropics, but our cold winters, means they only grow about 5 metres high in 20 years here.
They make beautiful evergreen shade trees.
Tomato plants can get attacked by Two Spotted Mites when the weather gets warmer. These tiny insects sit under the leaves and suck out the nutrients.
The foliage will turn silver grey and begin to curl up. To control these pests, spray “under the leaves” with Pestoil or Eco oil. This is best done in the late afternoon when it’s cooler.
If your Tomato plants are growing against brick walls or near covered verandahs they are more likely to be attacked.
Just remember Tomatoes need to be watered daily. If they aren’t, the fruit might get blossom end rot. The fruit gets a black spot on the base. The lack of water causes a calcium deficiency. Daily watering will prevent this.
Come and talk to us this weekend.
Happy gardening
Tim