Garden Problems Archives - Page 12 of 15 - Andrea Whitely Garden Consultant

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Well, it might not feel like it as we shiver through more rain and cold weather here in Perth but nature is telling us that Spring is just around the corner.

We have had record rains this August and everything is about to burst into bloom.

Have you noticed the Acacia -yellow wattles and Chamelaucium uncinatum-Pink Geraldton Wax, in bloom on the side of the freeways and roadways?

Nothing says Spring quite like our Aussie wattles

More Geraldton Wax..ooh I can smell that honey-scented fragrance now

That’s natures’ way of saying, hang onto your sun hats, Perth peeps, our very short Spring and long HOT Summer is on its way.

Qualup Bells and Everlasting daisies are in flower right now!

Here are 6 Things to do this weekend to have your garden looking spring ready

1. Improve your soil

Add some mature compost or soil conditioner around the base of your plants and let the last of this rain soak that into your sandy soil for healthy spring/summer blooms. Your plants will be more disease resistant and much better able to survive the summer heat. It’s worth it!

2. Plant some natives

Grevillias offer striking colour and lots of food for pollinators

The garden centers are full of our West Australian native species in flower, even if you don’t have a native garden, why not introduce a few to help out the pollinators, you know, the birds and the bees, they need your help.

Look at these beautiful blooms-only in WA!

3. Weed, weed weed

No-one likes the prospect of this but it simply must be done! The rain has provided lots of nutrients and water to the soil which means that the weeds have all shot up-do yourself a favour and remove them before they take over completely! I use my favourite weeding tool the fabulous Cobrahead weeder

4. Plant some Annuals

Check out the seedlings at the garden centre, nothing says Spring quite like some pots of annual colour either side of your front door.

How about growing some pretty petunias for spring colour? These ones were in Michigan last year when I was there…..they get fed with liquid fertiliser for Flower and Fruit every week!

5. It’s Mulching Time

Time to get some mulch onto your garden beds so that your plants will be able to thrive in our hot summer sun. I like to use either straw mulch or Marri woodchips depending on the type of garden I am working on

6. Indoor Plant tidy up

Have a close look at your indoor plants, put them out in the rain or give them a hose down outside, wipe off the winter dust and give them a light dose of liquid fertilizer before bringing them back inside for your indoor jungle to be at its best for Summer entertaining

Pop your indoor plants outside for some rain and a bit of a wash down before bringing them back in for the summer

Need Help to get started??? email Andrea on nolilwhit@bigpond.com to make a booking

As a professional Garden Consultant, I like to think that everything I touch turns to green, however much like everyone else I sadly, must admit that I have my disasters from time to time too.

A week ago, I had a very healthy-looking six-year-old lime tree, beautifully clipped into a neat ball shape, standing about five feet tall and sitting in front of a very tidy planting of three Pyrus ‘Capital’, which have not even shown a single sign of Autumn leaf loss, is there such a thing as an evergreen ornamental pear? anyway, another story…moving on…the lime tree is now DECEASED, DEAD, GONE, NO TURNING BACK!

Granted, that darn tree, despite plenty of flowers has never had a single lime on it and in recent times, I have given it a very stern talking to however I was not expecting this kind of reaction.

Here’s the main stem-no signs of collar rot-no sign of life either

This lime has been loved, nurtured, given compost, given Potassium as well as a complete citrus fertilizer and up until a week ago looked very healthy. This plant has been treated well. It has been watered in the warmer months and mulched and now this!

Here are some of the possible causes of death:

Scale?-no evidence of any scale

Citrus Leaf Minor?-no evidence of that either

Collar rot?-mulch not pressing up against the trunk of the tree-no signs of collar rot

Armillaria?-according to the Department of Agriculture in Western Australia “Citrus trees affected by Armillaria root rot show decline with leaf yellowing and leaf drop. They may set a very heavy fruit crop in spring but collapse and die when the weather gets hot in summer.

Armillaria appears under the bark of affected trees as fan-shaped mycelia mats with a strong mushroom odour.” There’s no funghi, I have had no fruit and it is winter and the weather is cold so I’m eliminating that.

Phytophthora? “Phytophthora root rot in citrus is caused by the pathogenic fungi P. citrophthora and/or P. nicotianae. Below-ground symptoms are the loss of feeder roots. Above-ground symptoms are a loss of vigour and spindly growth.” says AgricWA It could be this but I’m not convinced.

Sooty Mould? There’s no blackening of the stems, so I am also ruling this out

Nematodes? I am thinking maybe, citrus nematodes (Tylenchus semipenetrans). Well, it could be them, they are microscopic but I will not know until I remove the tree and check out the roots of the plant and very difficult to diagnose.

So, what’s wrong with my lime tree? I have to admit that I am stumped, I don’t know what’s wrong with it but here’s my solution…

I’m ripping it out, goneski, it’s taking far too much of my energy and valuable time to diagnose the problem and it has never given us a single LIME-space is at a premium at my place and so it’s goodbye to you, lime tree!

Looks like I will be buying limes for my Gin and Tonic next Summer

….and now for the biggest (and I do feel guiltily mercenary) is…. what is going to replace the lime…it’s off to the garden centre for me….retail therapy fixes all woes.

Category: Garden Problems

Get Ready For Spring

We have had a death in the family