Do you love your dog? - Jul 24, 2020
It's time to spray Bindii!!!!!
Dear gardening friends
I'm sure you've found yourself out in the garden, enjoying the winter sun this week.
You may have noticed that broad leaf weeds, like Bindi and Clover are thriving in your lawn. It's been a great growing season for weeds.
Bindi sets seeds very soon, so if you don't spray now, the seeds will be sticking in your families feet, all summer long.
Kids can wear shoes, but your dogs can't.
So it's very important that you spray your lawn to control Bindii and Clover now.
We recommend a product called Richgro Bindii and Weedkiller. It's safe to use on all types of grass including Buffalo.
This small bottle is turbo charged, so it will treat up to 415m2 of lawn area.
Simply mix 30mls in 5 litres of water, and apply over 50m2 of lawn.
It's important that you use all the spray, over the 50m2. If you use it over 100m2, then you've used it, at half strength, and it won't work.
Your lawn must also be long.
So don't mow it, then come and get the spray, or it won't work. More weed leaves, means more spray, lands on the weed.
It's simple.
Add a squirt of dish washing detergent, to the spray bottle, once you've filled up the bottle, and added the chemical.
Detergent makes the spray finer, so it sticks to the leaves better. More spray equals better results.
Don't spray on windy days.
Spray drift can damage plants in your garden, and even plants across the street.
Roses and Grevillea's are particularly sensitive to spray drift.
Spray again in 7-10 days time.
One spray makes the weeds sick, the second spray, finishes them off.
Clover is especially hard to kill.
Don't mow your lawn, between sprays.
Measure your lawn before you spray.
If you don't know how big it is, how can you know, how much spray you will need?
For me, one big step equals a metre.
Length by width gives you square metres.
5x10=50m2.
We do have Hose on Bindii options.
These don't work as well, and the spray is very close to your face, so please be careful.
Keep pets off the grass, until the spray dries. This usually only takes about 20 minutes. If you've got chickens, that free range, don't spray your lawn.
I sprayed our lawn today.
It was a perfect sunny day, with no wind.
I waited until 11am, so the dew had dried.
I'll spray again next week, when conditions allow.
I drove up Lilian street, during the week, and discovered this amazing Magnolia in full bloom.
As I parked the van, to take a photo, I heard "look out Margaret, here comes Tim".
It turns out, I stopped to take a photo of this spectacular Tulip tree, about 10 years ago.
Margaret and Geoff planted the tree 37 years ago, to celebrate their 15th Wedding Anniversary.
It's certainly grown well since then.
It's at least 8 metres high by 6 metres wide. It's a whopper!!!!!
Margaret and Geoff fell in love with this house, the moment they drove up the street. There were flowering Plum trees, in full bloom, on both sides of the street.
The trees have gone now, all except one.
A lot of the houses are rented now, and the gardens have gone into decline.
Margaret tells me that the estate was a former dairy. The soil must have been pretty good for this Magnolia soulangiana, to grow so big. I've seen plenty, but this could be the biggest.
Margaret says it shades the house in summer from the hot sun.
There's another tree on the nature strip that helps block out the western sun too.
This Chinese Tallow has history Margaret tells me. Her boys were playing street cricket, and someone diving for a catch, ran into the tree and split it in half.
She was furious of course.
But the boys got tape and used it, to bring the two trunks, back together.
Miraculously the tree survived.
It's huge now too.
Margaret and Geoff were School teachers in the local area.
They became Principal's.
My parents were Principals too.
God I hope I've spelt that right.
Help me Graham Ross!!!!!
When I first came to Campbelltown, I'd often be doing deliveries up this hill.
The houses are all architect designed.
It's a beautiful part of Campbelltown.
Margaret has a beautiful garden.
She told me Guy used to prune all her hedges, before he moved up north.
She's looking for a good gardener now, to help. "I'm getting too old"
She tells me.
It was like a confession.
James came in yesterday wearing his famous Christmas Tree hat. He had his matching flashing lights necklace, and sequin tie on too.
He'd been to Campbelltown Mall and Minto Market Place, he told me.
"I'm wearing my Christmas Tree hat to cheer people up".
Well it is Christmas in July, I quipped.
"There's so much doom and gloom, out there Tim".
James could have been a show man.
He has done theatre productions, he's told me. "I've been trained to sing, but my voice has failed me now" he tells me sadly.
One of my staff gives me backchat during our conversation.
He's not very happy with me today, I tell James. Some of my staff are a bit nutty, some of my customers are a bit nutty too.
"I'm not nutty"
James quickly informs me.
I know you're not James.
You're beautiful mate.
Come in for a cuppa.
The people I meet.
Life is good.
I can see the beautiful things.
We have lots of beautiful things in the nursery. I was telling the staff just how neat and tidy, our nursery looks at the moment.
We are full of spring stock already.
Roses and fruit trees.
I don't mean tomato seedlings of course.
It's another month before they arrive.
Come and see us
Happy gardening
Tim