Snails come out to play - Sep 30, 2011
Dear gardening friends
We have had lots of people complaining about their newly planted seedlings disappearing overnight. It has been some time since these guys have gardened and they have just forgotten that snails and slugs love eating plants too. With so much rain about the snails and slugs have come out to play.
If you are planting seedlings you really do need to use snail pellets to protect your plants. I have a dog so I use Multiguard Snail and Slug Killer. Multiguard is a revolutionary new generation slug and snail killer that was invented in Australia. Unlike the traditional snail pellets which are responsible for poisoning dogs,birds,lizards,earthworms,etc, Multiguard is not a scheduled poison. The best news is Multiguard actually kills snails and slugs faster than the pellets you have been using.
The pellets last one to four weeks depending on rainfall. Get some now because seedlings are expensive food for snails.
I planted up my vegetable garden on Monday morning before I went to work. I had already dug in the cow manure so I just covered the soil with a thick layer of Sugar Cane. This stops the weeds from growing and it also locks in the moisture so you get better vegetables using less water. I always water the Sugar Cane immediately. I once had a terrible experience with Sugar Cane. I mulched a garden and when I returned after lunch the mulch had all been blown away.
To plant my veggie seedlings I just poke a hole through the mulch. This works brilliantly and I almost never loose a seedling.
At the end of summer when my crop is finished I add more cow manure on top and then turn the soil over with a garden fork.
My soil is now full of big juicy worms. I took some to Manly beach last year and caught 5 whiting. Oops that's a sad story for the worms.
It is safe to plant Basil and Cucumbers now. If you plant these too early they just drop dead on the cold nights. I am trying Thai Basil this year too. This is great to use in stir fries.
I was driving up The Parkway in Bradbury during the week and noticed these beautiful Ivy Geraniums spilling over a retaining wall. Geraniums are considered Old Granny Plants by some people but when you see them looking this good in spring it makes you want to plant some. The good news is modern varieties like these flower much better than the ones granny grew. They grow well behind retaining walls because Geraniums love good drainage and they love the heat. Oasis have brought out new varieties in punnets so they are cheap to buy. If you can't grow geraniums give up gardening and get the place concreted.
If you fertilised your lawn last weekend with Tim's Rapid Results then your lawn will be turning bright green before your eyes. Best results are always achieved after rain. If you haven't fertilised yet come and get some.
More rain is expected so don't waste this free water!
Kevin The Lemon got a great write up in this weeks Macarthur Chronicle. I was also interviewed on 2UE about this exciting new lemon tree that can be grown in a pot. We have planted Kevin in a pot at our entrance. You need a pot this big to have success so check it out. We have used Parsley as a border planting. It just makes me smile to think that there is a plant called Kevin.
Someone spotted pig at the Capitol Theatre watching Marry Poppins during the week. Pig has been heard singing " I'm practically perfect in every way" ever since. Marry Poppins is still looking for her umbrella.
We have had so many new plants delivered this week. Our nursery has never looked more colourful so come and see us this long weekend.
Happy gardening
Tim