Have Your Leaves Gone Spotty? - Aug 23, 2024
Dear gardening friends
"Broccoli Boy" is back in business. I grew huge Broccoli a few years ago and I just haven't been able to get those huge heads. As you know, I have a competition with Hayden every year, so we both really take this seriously.
I prepared my soil like never before with Tim's Cow Manure and Chicken manure. Then I added Tim's FAST FOOD and mulched with Sugarcane.
But then I noticed the plants were slow to get going, so I added Garden Lime. This is the secret ingredient. When you add Tim's Cow Manure to your soil twice a year, your soil will become acid. When this happens, the nutrients become unavailable to the plants.
When I added the Garden Lime the soil PH increased and my plants started to grow enormous leaves. The enormous Broccoli soon followed. I've got another crop growing and I expect the heads to be even bigger than this.
If you're preparing your vegetable garden for spring planting, and you've added Cow manure for several years, then you will need to add Garden Lime to your soil too. One big handful per m2 will be enough.
You'll be amazed by the results.
We have everything you need here.
I just had a customer who had been sent by his mother. He had a photo of her Hibiscus, she wanted something she could spray to fix this problem. I'm amazed how often gardeners think that a chemical is the answer. Well it's not.
This Hibiscus is an older variety, Hibiscus are tropical plants so they don't like the cold. When it gets cold the stress causes the plant to get spots on its leaves. Lots of leaves have fallen off too. Yes you start to think it's going to die.
A chemical isn't what this plant needs. It needs warmer weather which is coming, but it also needs a good prune. Pruning makes plants wake up, plants grow in response to pruning.
It also needs to be fertilised with Tim's Cow manure. This will invigorate the soil and fertilise the Hibiscus.
The plant will respond with fresh new green growth that will be spot free. It's a miracle.
No chemicals needed.
Have you got plants with spotty leaves???
Our Tim's Cow manure will help them fight off the winter blues, its natures way of healing unhappy plants.
Are you stressed after a cold winter, have you got spots? You need to get out in the sun. Walk around your garden, smell the soil, it's starting to warm up.
Smell nature, it will make you feel better.
We are just like plants.
I know you guys think I just eat my way around Campbelltown, but I've recently discovered Ingleburn. I come here to do my banking, now that most of them have disappeared, from Campbelltown.
I've discovered this fabulous Vietnamese Pho called DJ Restaurant. The servings here are huge and such good value. I've already eaten my lunch, so I'm just getting a snack of Rice paper pork rolls. The Peanut sauce is to die for.
I've noticed this popular restaurant has recently doubled in size, so you will always get a table. I sit out the front in the fresh air and admire the trees, that have recently been planted here. It's been a success story.
If you like good food, rather than fast food, check out DJ Restaurant. You might see me sitting here. This snack cost $7.00 with a tiny cup of tea.
I planted these Manchurian Pear trees to celebrate the birth of our children. So Bailey and Dan each have their own tree. Dan's 19 and Bailey will be turning 21 in November.
After they were born, I went back to Campbelltown Hospital to plant Manchurian Pear trees there too.
I planted at least 12 but only one survives today.
The Hospital has been renovated and the carpark has been landscaped with native trees. I love the idea of planting trees to celebrate life. I love the idea of planting trees.
I've watched these trees grow up so fast, I've watched my boys grow up, so fast too. These trees are covered in white spring blossom today. They go from bare to beautiful, within 24 hours.
The closest tree got damaged in a storm. The tree split right down the middle. A friend who's an arborist, Ben Abelevan, came out and trimmed the top so the tree was straight again. He cleaned up the wound with his chainsaw. The tree has totally recovered. Trees are amazing!
It's time to spray Clover and Bindi.
I'm using David Gray's DART. It's safe for Buffalo lawns and Kikuyu. I've added a squirt of detergent to help make it stick to the weeds. I'll spray some again in 7 to 14 days.
I've had great success using DART so we are stocking it here at Tim's Garden Centre. It kills most broadleaf weeds without killing your lawn.
Follow the instructions carefully to get the best results. Wear shoes and long plants please.
I wear a mask too, a Covid mask will do.
Don't spray on windy days or when rain is coming.
Spray again in 10-14 days to kill hard to kill weeds like Clover. One spray won't work.
Happy gardening
Tim