Yates Growing With You Australia - Winter Edition 2021

WINTER 2021

Planting fabulous roses & winter rose care

Keep your

winter vegie PAT C H H U M M I N G

PREVENTING STONE FRUIT

l r u c f lea sensational indoor succulents

Growing tasty bush tucker STOP THE PRICKLE PRANCE! HOW TO CONTROL BINDII IN YOUR LAWN

For all lawns great and small .

Make it Yates Weed’n’Feed® Whatever type of lawn you have, caring for it is easy with Yates Weed’n’Feed® and Yates® Buffalo PRO® Weed’n’Feed™.

Scientifically formulated to do two jobs at once; eliminate broadleaf weeds, like Bindii and Clover, while at the same time giving your lawn a quick burst of nutrients to promote healthy, green growth.

Yates, Yates Weed ‘n’ Feed and Buffalo Pro are registered trade marks and Weed ‘n’ Feed is a trade mark of DuluxGroup (Australia) Pty Ltd

Letter F RO M T H E E D I TO R La Nina definitely made her presence felt at our place during autumn. In just one week, we received almost half of our average annual rainfall. It was very wet. Many plants have thrived and put on more growth in a few months than over the past few drought-ridden years. Other plants did not fare so well in the sodden soil. I will soothe my sadness with a few trips to our local garden centres to buy replacements!

Our winter vegie beds are in full delicious swing, with peas, broad beans, garlic, Asian greens, onions, broccoli and lettuce putting on lots of growth. I'm resting a few beds too with green manure crops. I love using supermarket wild bird seed mix to grow green manure - it's cheap and cheerful and grows lots of lush foliage for digging back into the soil.

I'm very excited that the dwarf Cavendish banana that I planted about 3 years ago is finally producing some bananas! We live in a very marginal area for bananas. It dips below zero during winter and we get the odd frost. Our bananas are growing in the most sheltered position we have, so it looks like there's enough warmth for them to be successful. We also have ducasse and red dacca bananas growing in the same spot, so we're looking forward to enjoying these interesting varieties once they mature.

Bring on the banana bread!

In addition to an assortment of chickens, we also have guinea fowl. Purchased originally as a snake warning system (I'm not sure how effective they are in this regard!), they are fascinating birds.

They will walk through an open gate and then not remember how to get back through the (still open) gate.

They make a ruckus when anything new is nearby, including inanimate objects, and their distinctive calls reverberate around our street (we have very understanding neighbours!).

They also lay eggs with amazing titaniumstrength shells. During autumn, I placed some guinea fowl eggs under a broody chicken, and also in an incubator, and we now have 5 more of these super quirky birds. They'll need reminding that they're here for snake scaring!

My winter gardening to-do list is long, and includes spraying our stone fruit trees for leaf curl with lime sulfur, cutting back spent perennial flowers, refreshing mulch in garden beds and planting all sorts of new trees. The list might be long, but the rewards are abundant.

I hope you have a wonderful winter in your gardens!

Angie Thomas Horticultural Communications Manager

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Fungus gnats are pesky little flies commonly found around indoor plants. The adult flies lay eggs in potting mix, and these hatch into larvae which can cause damage to the roots of plants. The best way to protect your indoor plants (and help prevent annoying fungus gnats) is to use a physical barrier on top of the potting mix, such as Yates® Gnat Barrier.

Great things start with Yates™

Yates is a registered trade mark and Great things start with Yates is a trade mark of DuluxGroup Australia (Pty Ltd)

What's inside 01

WINTER GARDENING ESSENTIALS

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WINTER VEGIE & HERB SEED SOWING GUIDE

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HOME GROWN BUSH TUCKER

Learn about key winter gardening jobs to keep your garden looking fantastic.

It's time to get busy!

Fresh home grown vegies & herbs - what to sow and grow during winter.

Tasty and nutritious bush foods you can grow at home.

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STOPPING THE PRICKLE PRANCE!

What to do during winter, to prevent bindii & clover from ruining your lawn in spring and summer.

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PROFESSIONAL WINTER LAWN CARE TIPS

Root to tip lawn care, preparing your lawn for spring and preventing damaging curl grubs.

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DELICIOUS HOME GROWN STONE FRUIT

OH MEYER!

COOL SEASON COLOUR

Grow a tangy Meyer lemon at your place and never buy another lemon from the supermarket.

Bring gorgeous colour into the depths of winter with delightful pansies, violas and hellebores.

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SPIDER ALERT

SENSATIONAL INDOOR SUCCULENTS

Common spiders to look out for around the house and garden.

Choosing the best succulents for growing indoors and how to keep them in tip top condition.

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LOVELY LEUCADENDRONS

WINTER TREE & SHRUB HEROES

Preventing dreaded leaf curl and how to grow the best stone fruit at your place.

How to grow these cool weather dazzlers.

Learn about the trees and shrubs that come to life during winter.

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CLEVER CUTTINGS

BRING IN A BUNCH

WINTER FLOWER SEED SOWING GUIDE

Your easy step-by-step guide to growing plants from cuttings.

Expert leucadendron cut flower tips to make your home grown bunch last longer.

Your handy guide to what flowers to sow and grow during winter.

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WINTER VEGIE WONDERLAND

Getting the most out of your winter vegie patch.

WINTER ROSE SPOTLIGHT

Plant a fabulous new rose during winter and how to give your roses a much needed winter clean up.

GARDENING IN DIFFERENT CLIMATES

Practical winter gardening tips for around Australia.

WINTER GARDENING

Essentials

The coolest months are an opportunity to tackle some important gardening jobs and give the garden a thorough tidy up after a busy growing season. It will also help make your garden a lot happier and healthier come spring. So grab your beanie, a warm jacket and get started!

Cold winter weather and frosts can damage plant foliage and shoots, particularly if unseasonable conditions have resulted in the autumn growth flush continuing later than usual, or tender new growth emerges prior to spring.

Plants can be injured by cold temperatures when ice crystals form inside plant tissues, leading to the cells rupturing, desiccating or bursting. It is believed that the amount of damage is influenced by how rapidly the temperature drops, rather than how long the cold snap lasts for. It is also thought that the speed of thawing can affect the amount of damage, with a slower thaw potentially helping to minimise plant cell injury.

» Remove weeds and grasses under and around trees and shrubs, to allow more sunlight and warmth to penetrate into the soil. » Spray foliage with Yates® Waterwise DroughtShield™, it forms a protective, flexible film over leaves which helps reduce frost damage. » Don’t prune off any damaged foliage until the risk of frost has passed, as the damaged leaves can help protect the rest of the plant.

To help protect vulnerable plants from cold and frost: » Move potted plants to a protected area such as on a veranda or up against a north facing wall. » Don’t dig or disturb the soil around plants, which can make the soil cooler and increase potential cold damage. » Drape frost or shade cloth over sensitive plants. » Water the garden well during the morning so the soil is moist – moist soil holds more warmth than dry soil. » Avoid watering plants in the afternoon, so that the foliage has a chance to dry off before nightfall.

Large scale frost protection Farmers use techniques such as carefully timed irrigation and use of sprinklers, wind machines, heaters, foggers or installing covers over rows of plants to help protect their crops from the cold.

Moss & algae control Prolonged wet weather, poor drainage and shade, can create ideal conditions for moss and algae, making pathways slippery and dangerous. To kill moss and algae, spray paths and hard surfaces with Yates Nature’s Way® Organic Weed Killer, which is approved for use in organic gardening. To reduce the chance of moss and algae returning, cut back any overhanging trees and shrubs to allow more light into the area. Yates Nature’s Way Organic Weed Killer will also control broadleaf weeds and grasses in pathways, with visible symptoms appearing on some weeds after 1 hour.

Soil care for acid loving plants Plants such as azaleas, camellias and blueberries prefer the soil to be acidic, that is, below pH 7. This allows the plants to access the nutrients they require, including iron.

Acid loving plants growing in alkaline soil (pH above 7) will often be deficient in iron, which shows up as pale leaves with darker green veins. To help make soil more acidic, apply some Yates Soil Acidifier Liquid Sulfur. It’s easy to apply using a watering can and can be reapplied every 4 weeks until the required pH is achieved.

Winter grass If you haven’t already treated your lawn for winter grass, there’s no time to lose! Winter grass seed germinates when the soil temperature reaches around 12°C, and young winter grass seedlings begin to establish during autumn. An application of Munns® Professional Winter Grass Killer will help control young winter grass seedlings before they have a chance to flower and set seed, helping to prevent future generations of winter grass.

Orchid feeding Orchids that flower during the cooler months will appreciate a feed. It takes a lot of energy to put on a fabulous flower show! It's as easy as inserting a Yates Thrive® Orchid Plant Food Spike into the potting mix. The spikes have been specially formulated to provide the right balance of nutrients for orchids and are easy to use, no mess, and out of sight. The spikes contain a concentrated blend of slow release nutrients to feed your orchids for up to 2 months.

Bindii & Clover

CONTROL

Bindii

Do you remember tiptoeing painfully across the lawn last spring and summer, trying desperately to avoid the bindii prickles? Or did your dog or children refuse to play on the lawn for fear of becoming a pin cushion?

It’s time to prevent those future prickles and treat the lawn for bindii now.

Bindii & clover » 'Broadleaf weeds' is a general term used to describe annual or perennial weeds with relatively large leaves (compared to grasses). Broadleaf lawn weeds can grow at a rapid pace during winter and take advantage of the lawn’s slower growth.

Dandelion

White Clover

Lamb's Tongue

Thistle

Cudweed

Capeweed

» Two of the most troublesome broadleaf weeds in lawns during winter are clover and bindii. » Significant patches of clover can develop, crowding out the lawn, stealing valuable moisture and nutrients and ruining the neatly manicured lawn look we all love. » Bindii plants grow during winter, before maturing and starting to flower and set seed as the weather warms up in spring. The bindii seed heads are the nasty prickles, so it’s very important to kill the bindii in winter, before it produces flowers and seeds.

Other broadleaf weeds » Other common broadleaf lawn weeds that grow during winter include catsear, capeweed, cudweed, lamb’s tongue, thistles and dandelions. Many of these weeds have a strong and deep taproot, making them challenging to remove by hand. » Broadleaf weeds will spread if not treated.

Winter is the perfect time to control them, before they have a chance to flower and set seed.

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Liquid weed control solutions » For lawn lovers that like using a pressure sprayer, or may only have patches of weeds, a concentrated weedkiller is ideal. For common lawn types like kikuyu and couch, dilute Yates® Lawn Weedkiller Bindii & Clover Concentrate in water in the sprayer, and apply over the weed affected areas. For buffalo lawns, use specially formulated Yates BuffaloPRO® Weed Killer Concentrate, which is safe for use on buffalo lawns. » You can also control the most common broadleaf weeds in lawns in only a few minutes by using easy hose-on packs. If you have broadleaf weeds in a couch or kikuyu lawn, apply hose-on Yates Weed’n’Feed®. It contains a wetting agent to improve spray coverage and leaf penetration for a better weed kill result. » If you have a buffalo lawn, it’s important to choose hose-on weed killers that are safe for buffalo, such as Yates Buffalo PRO Weed’n’Feed. Visible weed control symptoms, such as leaf curling, can take a few weeks to appear.

Granular weed control options » Yates Weed’n’Feed and Yates Buffalo PRO Weed’n’Feed are also available in fast acting granules, which are applied over the lawn by hand. These granules are ideal for treating small patches of weeds or places where hose access is difficult. » How do the granules work? The granules contain concentrated iron, which has a salt-burn effect on broadleaf weeds. The large weed leaves receive a relatively severe burn compared to the vertical blades of grass. » Apply the granules onto moist grass when the weather is fine and still. Leave on for 2 days then water thoroughly.

The lawn will turn black for a few days but will recover.

Yates Weed’n’Feed and Yates Buffalo PRO Weed’n’Feed granules are also both rich in nitrogen to promote rapid lawn greening.

Professional lawn tip

Need a simple way to see where you have sprayed? The easy solution is adding a dye to liquid herbicides.

It can often be difficult to see where you have sprayed a liquid herbicide.

This can lead to missed areas or potentially damaging over-application.

Add some Yates Easy-See Spray Dye to your sprayer, which turns sprayed lawn areas temporarily blue.

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What's going on underneath your lawn?

What goes on in the soil beneath your lawn is just as important as the leafy green growth we see on top. The health of the soil and lawn roots play a significant role in how well your lawn looks and performs. Here’s how to make sure your lawn is getting the full top to toe treatment during winter.

ROOT CARE

PRE-SPRING SOIL BOOST

A strong root system helps promote a healthier lawn, including during periods of drought and stress. Munns® Professional Root Regenerator™ combines a range of soil improvers, including seaweed and humates, as well as microbes, to assist nutrient uptake and stimulate deeper lawn root development.

As spring approaches, lawns will start to emerge from their winter slumber.

We need to make sure that there’s enough nutrients to support all the upcoming growth. Yates® Dynamic Lifter® Concentrated Lawn Food is an ideal late winter lawn food, providing a rich source of organic matter that will nurture and improve soil structure and quality, encourage hardworking earthworms and beneficial soil microorganisms and feed the lawn with fast acting nutrients to promote lush, healthy green growth.

Munns Professional Root Regenerator can be used all year round on all lawn types and is applied over the lawn via a pressure sprayer or hose-on applicator and then watered in to move the root regenerating ingredients down into the root zone.

EFFICIENT WATERING Ensuring moisture is getting down to the lawn’s root system is vital in keeping the lawn healthy. Sometimes the soil underneath the lawn can become water repellent (hydrophobic) and moisture doesn’t penetrate evenly or effectively down into the root zone.

Munns Professional Smart Wetter Lawn Wetter contains a combination of two professional grade wetting agents, plus seaweed. It alleviates water repellency and increases water availability in the soil, helping to keep water in the root zone for longer. Easily apply Munns Professional Smart Wetter Lawn Wetter over the lawn using a pressure sprayer or hose-on applicator and then water in well.

Lawn watering tip!

It's best to water your lawn thoroughly and deeply once or twice a week, rather than daily small waterings. This helps promote deeper root growth.

PROACTIVE LAWN INSECT CONTROL Curl grubs are a common and destructive lawn insect pest during spring. Adult African black beetles mate and lay eggs during early spring, which hatch into curl grubs.

These ravenous curl grubs chew through lawn roots, cause dying and dead patches throughout the lawn and sections of affected lawn can be rolled back like a carpet.

Baythroid® Advanced Insect Killer for Lawns is a broad spectrum insecticide for control of a wide range of lawn insect pests, including adult African black beetle.

Applying Baythroid Advanced Insect Killer for Lawns during late winter will help control the adult African black beetles, before they’ve had a chance to lay eggs, which turn into destructive curl grubs. This proactive approach is an effective way to help limit future lawn damage.

Baythroid Advanced Insect Killer For Lawns will also control adult billbug, adult Argentine stem weevil, ants and grasshoppers in lawns, as well as armyworm, which is common during summer and autumn. For most lawn pests, Baythroid Advanced Insect Killer for Lawns can be applied by either a garden sprayer or watering can.

Lawn pest signs: In addition to dead and dying patches appearing, you may also see birds pecking and scratching in the lawn. They're searching for grubs and are an indicator that the lawn could be under attack. Sometimes the birds themselves can also cause significant damage to the lawn.

MUNNS® PROFESSIONAL CONCENTRATES Introducing Munns® Professional Concentrates, a range of liquid lawn fertilisers that will take your lawn to the next level

Learn more at munns.com.au Munns and M it must be Munns logo are registered trade marks and Green Dominator, Smart Wetter, Lift Off and Root Regenerator are trade marks of Munns Lawn & Garden Company.

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WINTER STONE FRUIT CARE

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Preventing Leaf Curl Distorted and discoloured foliage on stone fruit trees, like peaches, nectarines and plums, is caused by a fungal disease called leaf curl. The tree ends up looking awful and in severe cases it reduces the tree’s ability to photosynthesise, which in turn can affect plant health and fruit yield. Winter is the time to act to prevent this disease, so, sprayers at the ready everyone!

Leaf curl disease spores lurk in bark crevices and around leaf buds during winter, waiting to infect the newly emerging foliage in late winter and early spring. Leaf curl is a disease that needs to be prevented by killing the disease spores before they infect the new leaves, as the damage done by leaf curl is irreversible.

It’s easy to break the leaf curl disease cycle and stop leaves from being affected by spraying stone fruit trees during winter with Yates® Lime Sulfur.

Spray trees thoroughly with Yates Lime Sulfur while the trees are dormant and before bud swell.

Yates Lime Sulfur will also control other stone fruit diseases like freckle, rust and shot hole, which hide on fruit tree stems during winter, as well as some scale insects. Spray all stems and the trunk thoroughly before new foliage emerges.

This will help give fruit trees a fresh start in spring, so they can concentrate on giving you a fantastic harvest.

Note on Yates Lime Sulfur – it does have quite a strong odour (it smells a little like rotten eggs), however it’s definitely worth putting up with the smell and applying during winter to help protect your fruit trees against a range of common diseases.

IT’S TIME TO PLANT STONE FRUIT! If you love feasting on stone fruit during summer, imagine picking your very own fresh peaches, nectarines, plums or apricots. If that sounds heavenly, then winter is an ideal time to plant a stone fruit tree or two, while the trees are leafless and dormant. Garden centres will be stocked with bare-rooted or potted stone fruit trees during winter and you'll be spoilt for choice.

For peach fans, look out for ‘Pixzee’ in the Trixzie® miniature fruit tree range from Fleming’s Nurseries.

This is a delectable yellow fleshed peach, with full sized fruit, on a selfpollinating dwarf tree that reaches around 1.5 m tall and wide. Its compact size means it’s great for growing in a pot, but is just as happy out in the garden.

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There are also 'columnar' peaches, which grow upright rather than in an open vase shape. Dwarf columnar 'Crimson Rocket' peach, reaching only 1 - 1.5 m wide, has round fruit with yellow flesh, and its compact size makes it perfect for growing in tight spots and in pots. A Yates 40 cm diameter Tuscan pot makes a stylish home for a dwarf stone fruit tree.

Check the plant label of your chosen variety to ensure it will suit your climate.

In warm areas, choose varieties of stone fruit that require less ‘chilling hours’.

Try growing a subtropical ‘DelightFulPeach™, which is a red and yellow skinned peach with sweet and juicy yellow flesh, that will still be productive in warm climates.

Also check the label to see if your tree requires a pollinating partner.

Most peaches and nectarines are self-pollinating, however many plums, apricots and cherries require a pollinator. Labels will usually suggest suitable choices.

When planting a new bare rooted or potted stone fruit tree, improve the soil in the planting hole with some Yates® Dynamic Lifter® Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser. It’s a rich source of organic matter to promote improved soil health and structure and provides the newly establishing tree with gentle slow release organic nutrients.

In spring, deciduous fruit trees will burst into life, needing plenty of nutrients to support all the blossoms and new leaves.

At the end of winter, apply two handfuls of Yates Thrive® Natural Citrus & Fruit Organic Based Pelletised Plant Food around the root zone of fruit trees and water in well. These pellets contains a special combination of organic ingredients, which nurture the soil, and a customised blend of fast acting fertilisers to promote healthy leaf growth and encourage lots of flowers and fruit.

PRUNING TIPS Most dwarf stone fruit trees require minimal pruning, apart from removing dead stems and thinning any crowded growth. However, for larger stone fruit trees, prune off any weak or dead growth and any stems growing into the centre of the tree (to allow in more sunlight).

The aim is produce an open, vase shape, with three or four main outward pointing branches spaced around the tree. Also trim back branches that are too high for you to harvest from. It is helpful to know that peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots produce fruit on stems that are one year old, so it's important not to cut off all of last year's growth.

Apricot & Cherry Pruning Tip: These trees best pruned during summer, which helps the healing process and reduces the chance of disease.

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Clever Cuttings Do you have a favourite deciduous shrub or vine growing in your garden that you would like to clone? Well, this winter, try your hand at taking some ‘hardwood’ cuttings. It’s easier than you think! Hardwood cuttings is the technical sounding term for taking pieces of leafless stems from plants like hydrangeas, wisteria and grapevines during winter and encouraging them to grow their own roots.

Here’s a step by step guide to growing new plants from hardwood cuttings: » Choose leafless stems around 0.75–1 cm thick and cut off 15–18 cm long pieces using sharp, clean secateurs. » The top cut should be just above a node (the bud where the new leaves develop) and the bottom cut just below a node.

Make a slanted cut at the top so you can remember which way is up. » Dip the bottom ends of the cuttings into Yates® Clonex® Red Rooting Hormone Gel. Yates Clonex Red contains a concentrated plant hormone that helps promote root development as well as helping to seal and protect the cutting. » Insert the dipped ends of the cuttings into small pots or trays filled with Yates Speciality Potting Mix Cuttings & Seeds and keep in a cool, sheltered, well lit position.

» To help protect the cuttings and retain moisture, place a plastic bag over the pots, supported by some chopsticks or skewers. This creates an ideal environment to keep cuttings until they form roots in a few months time. » Once roots are well established and new leaves have started to develop, individual cuttings can be transplanted into slightly larger pots to grow until they are big enough to be planted out into the garden or decorative pot.

Yates Cutting Powder If you're a plant propagator that prefers using a cutting powder, you can also dip the ends of cuttings into Yates Cutting Powder.

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Soft and semi-hardwood cuttings Keen to grow more of your favourite plants using cuttings?

It's an economical way to grow lots of plants and is very rewarding. Different plants are suited to other types of cuttings, taken at particular times of the year. 'Softwood' cuttings use tender new leafy growth and 'semi-hardwood' cuttings are taken from stems that have partly matured.

Here's a quick guide to some popular plants that are suitable to grow from these types of cuttings: » For winter flowering shrubs, such as camellias and daphne, take semi-hardwood cuttings in early summer. » For spring flowering shrubs, such as azaleas, viburnum, hibiscus, gardenia and weigela, take semi-hardwood cuttings in late spring and early summer. Buxus cuttings can also be taken at this time. » For perennials such as salvias, daisies, penstemons, fuchsias, pelargoniums, and asters, take cuttings in late spring, using the new spring (softwood) stems.

Lavender can also be propagated using softwood cuttings, taken after the flower flush.

How to take softwood and semi-hardwood cuttings: Take 10 cm long cuttings, remove all but the top few leaves. Dip the stem ends into Yates Clonex Purple Rooting Hormone Gel and insert into small pots or trays of Yates Specialty Potting Mix Cuttings & Seeds. Keep moist in a bright, protected spot until roots form. Once the roots are established, they can be transplanted into slightly larger pots to mature before planting out into their final home.

EW

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Feeding your plant babies is now child's play Yates® Thrive® Indoor Plants Natural Plant Food Spray is the ultimate indoor plant fertiliser which is sure to see your indoor plants thrive.

Made from a gentle blend of natural minerals and nutrients, this spray will give your indoor plants a nourishing boost. A spray once a fortnight is all your plants need to keep them healthy and happy!

Yates and Thrive are registered trade marks and Great things start with Yates is a trade mark of DuluxGroup (Australia) Pty Ltd

Winter Vegie WONDERLAND

Keep your kitchen stocked with fresh and delicious home grown vegies with our top winter vegie tips.

Peas » Whether you love crisp and crunchy snow peas, tender and sweet telephone peas or versatile sugar snap peas for either pods or peas, there's a pea for you! » If you haven't sown pea seeds already, they can still be sown throughout Australia during winter. Climbing peas such as snow, sugar snap and telephone peas need a tall 2 m trellis to grow up or can be grown in pots with a tripod. Dwarf peas such as 'Greenfeast' and 'Earlicrop Massey' are great for garden beds, reaching around 50 cm tall. » Protect young pea seedlings from hungry snails and slugs with a light sprinkling of new Yates® Snail & Slug Bait. » Once the seedlings are established, feed each week with potassium-rich Yates Thrive® Flower & Fruit Soluble Fertiliser to promote lots of flowers and pea pods.

Broad beans » Broad beans produce a heavy crop of proteinpacked, nutty-flavoured beans. Yates 'Early Long Pod' broadbean seed can be sown during early winter in sub-tropical and tropical areas and throughout winter in temperate and cool climates. » Feed plants each week with Yates Thrive Natural Vegie & Herb Concentrate. It's a complete liquid fertiliser that contains more than 50% natural ingredients, including fish, seaweed and blood and bone, and will promote healthy broad bean growth. » Aphids are a common broad bean pest, which feast on sugary plant sap and cause leaves to curl and distort. To control aphids, spray plants each week with ready to use Yates Pyrethrum Insect Pest Gun.

Grow your own seedlings » There are many benefits of growing your own seedlings, including being able to economically grow as many seedlings as you need, when you need them. It's also immensely satisfying to watch a tiny seed develop into a young leafy seedling. » Many vegie seeds, such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, are best sown into punnets or trays (rather than sown direct into the soil), and then transplanted into their final home when they're around 5 cm tall. » To grow your own seedlings, fill punnets or trays with Yates Specialty Potting Mix Cuttings & Seeds and firm down. Sow seed at the depth indicated on the seed packet. » It's important to keep the mix consistently moist, but not wet, until the seeds have germinated and the seedlings are established. They're ready for transplanting once the roots are well developed.

Warm climate vegies » Keep the soil or potting mix consistently moist for tomatoes, as any moisture stress can lead to a condition called blossom end rot, where the base of fruit develops a sunken black patch.

Applications of liquid lime, such as Yates Hydrangea Pinking Liquid Lime & Dolomite can also help reduce blossom end rot, as lack of calcium can exacerbate the problem. » Watch for powdery mildew on pumpkins and zucchinis. Initial symptoms are small powdery white spots on leaves, which can multiply and lead to leaves yellowing and dying. Control with regular sprays of Yates Mancozeb Plus. » Continue sowing sweet corn seed to give you an ongoing supply of super juicy golden cobs. It's best to sow sweet corn in blocks, rather than rows, to aid pollination and kernel formation. Pick cobs once the fine silk emerging from the top of the cob has just browned.

Caterpillar control tip

Caterpillars can decimate vegies during winter, particularly brassicas like broccoli, cabbage, kale and cauliflower.

Sometimes it's difficult to spot the caterpillars themselves, often all you'll see are holes in leaves or caterpillar droppings. To control caterpillars on vegies, spray the plants each week with Yates Success Ultra. Derived from a naturally occuring soil bacteria, it's a very effective way to control a wide range of caterpillars.

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VEGIES & HERBS

to sow

IN WINTER

The weather might be cool and crisp, but you can still continue to sow and grow a fantastic range of fresh vegies during winter.

Seeds by NATIONAL

TROPICAL / SUB TROPICAL

VEGIES

VEGIES

Baby Beets

Asian Stir Fry

Carrot All Seasons

Chinese Cabbage Buk Choy

Lettuce - Baby Combo, Buttercrunch, Winter Triumph Iceberg

Broccoli 'Shogun Winter Harvest'

Radish - Confetti Mix

Cabbage - Red Mini, Sweet Eureka

Spinach - Baby Leaf, Winter Queen

Capsicum Giant Bell

Spring Onions

Cauliflower All Year Round Hybrid

Broad Bean 'Early Long Pod'

Cucumber Long Green

Peas - Snow Pea, Sugarsnap Pea, Dwarf Pea 'Earlicrop Massey'

Eggplant Blacknite

Check seed packs for sowing directions and the best sowing times in your area.

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Here are the three easy steps to sowing and growing delicious vegies and herbs in winter:

Step 1 Choose a sunny spot in a vegie patch that receives at least 6 hours of sunshine a day. There are some vegies, such as Yates Baby Leaf Spinach and Yates Lettuce Baby Combo, that can be grown in part shade. Many vegies are also perfect for growing in pots, so you don't need a big backyard to grow some of your own produce.

Consider delicious small-space options like Yates Radish Confetti Mix and Yates Snow Pea. Seed packets include helpful information about how much sunlight your chosen vegie needs and whether it's suitable for growing in pots.

Never visit the grocery store again

Step 2 Follow the directions on the seed packet and either sow seeds direct where the plants are to grow or sow into trays of Yates Specialty Potting Mix Cuttings & Seeds.

Water gently and keep the soil or potting mix moist.

For peas and beans, limit watering until seedling emerge, as seeds can rot before germination if the soil is too wet. For seedlings grown in trays, transplant them into their final home once they're large enough to handle.

Shop for all seeds great and small.

From juicy tomatoes to fresh leafy greens. Start growing vegies with our online shop. Choose from over 200 varieties of seeds all available at

shop.yates.com.au

Step 3 Once the seedlings are established, encourage lots of healthy growth by feeding each week with Yates Thrive® Vegie & Herb Liquid Plant Food.

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Oh Meyer!

Growing marvellous Meyer lemons

Meyer lemons (Citrus limon 'Meyer') are a hardy variety of lemon that can produce lots of fruit over much of the year. You can grow your very own lifetime supply of lemons!

Meyer's decorative golden yellow, slightly rounded juicy fruit is sweeter and less acidic than other lemons, such as Eureka and Lisbon, so is perfect for juicing.

Meyer lemon trees can grow up to 5 m tall or around 2.5 m for dwarf grafted trees, which are ideal for growing in smaller spaces and also pots. They'll thrive in all but the coldest areas and do best in a spot that receives at least 6 hours of sunshine a day.

In addition to the bright yellow fruit, Meyer lemons also have glossy green leaves and sweetly perfumed white flowers in spring, so they're both beautiful and delicious.

As the weather warms up in late winter and early spring, it's time to plant your very own Meyer lemon. Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil and mix some Yates Dynamic Lifter® Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser into the soil in the bottom of the planting hole.

You can also grow a dwarf Meyer lemon in 40 cm diameter (or larger) pot filled with Yates Premium Potting Mix. After planting your new tree, water it in well. When new leaves begin to appear in spring, start feeding every 1-2 weeks with a fast acting liquid plant food such as Yates Thrive Natural Citrus & Fruit Liquid Plant Food, which will encourage healthy new growth. It's important to keep the soil moist throughout spring and summer as the Meyer lemon establishes.

Winter citrus care Fruit fly - as citrus fruit continues to mature during winter, maintain fruit fly prevention measures. Spray Yates Nature's Way® Fruit Fly Control over the lower foliage, or a band around the trunk, each week, until all fruit are harvested. It attracts and kills both Queensland and Mediterranean fruit fly, using a combination of a protein and sugar based bait and an insecticide derived from a naturally occurring soil bacteria.

Citrus gall wasp - lumpy swellings along the stems of citrus trees are an indication of citrus gall wasp. Citrus gall wasp (Bruchophagus fellis) is native to warm coastal areas in New South Wales and Queensland but has also become an increasing problem in Victoria and Western Australia. Its original host was the native Australian finger lime but can also seriously affect other citrus including lemons, grapefruit and oranges.

There are 3 main stages in the citrus gall wasp life cycle: 1. The small black adult wasp lays up to 100 eggs underneath the bark on soft new spring growth.

2. Larvae hatch from the eggs, eat the stem tissue and the lumpy galls form around the developing larvae.

3. The larvae mature into the adult wasp which emerges from the gall the following spring, leaving small pin prick holes.

The galls not only look unattractive they can lead to poor plant health and a reduced harvest. It’s important to be vigilant and look out for these galls and winter is an ideal time to act to reduce this nasty pest, before the adult wasps emerge in spring. There are no sprays registered for controlling citrus gall wasp in home gardens and once galls are formed the damage is permanent.

Prune off affected stems and place these sections in a sealed plastic bag and put them in the garbage (don’t put gall infested stems in the compost bin). Disposing affected stems before the adult wasps have emerged stops the life cycle and helps to reduce new infestations in spring.

Extra citrus tips: • If there are shoots growing from beneath the graft, trim these back flush with the trunk. These shoots are from the tree's hardy rootstock, but will not develop the fruit you're after. They can be viciously thorny and also eventually take over the tree if not removed.

• Refresh the mulch around the root zone of citrus trees, however keep it from contacting the trunk, as this can promote diseases.

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Spider alert Out in the garden, spiders can be very efficient at reducing numbers of insect pests such as flies, caterpillars, mosquitoes, leafhoppers and aphids.

However when spiders take up residence in our outdoor living areas or venture inside, they can be frightening or potentially dangerous. Here is some information about the most common types of spiders you may come across.

Huntsman spiders - these large, usually grey-brown hairy spiders can live for up to 2 years. They're often found inside, lurking high on walls. Although efficient killers of cockroaches and mosquitoes, they are terrifying for many people and can bite if provoked. The bite is not poisonous but can be painful.

White-tailed spiders - with a distinctive white tip on the end of their abdomen, these relatively small dark brown spiders are often found in clothes left on the floor and, disturbingly, in amongst bedding.

Their bite can cause local pain, swelling and irritation.

Redback spiders - easily identified by the orange-red stripe on their upper abdomen, these spiders will often seek shelter in garden sheds, underneath the rims of pots, and under rocks, outdoor furniture and underneath the house.

Female redback spiders have a dangerous bite, can cause severe pain and medical attention is required if you are bitten.

Funnel-web spiders - there are 35 different spiders described as 'funnel-web' spiders, however the most notorious is the Sydney Funnel-web spider.

Usually black and up to 5 cm across, the Sydney Funnel-web makes tubeshaped burrows in moist, cool, sheltered areas.

Always wear gloves and shoes while gardening, shake out your shoes before putting them on if they're left outside and take care when removing old tree stumps.

Sydney funnel-web spider bites can be deadly and urgent medial attention is required if you are bitten.

To minimise spiders entering the house, ensure gaps underneath doors and around window frames are sealed.

To create an additional spider barrier, spray Yates® Home Pest Long Term Barrier Spray onto outdoor surfaces, such as cracks and crevices, along walls, under the eaves, awnings, air vents and around doorways and window frames.

It will control spiders (and other crawling insects such as ants and cockroaches) and prevent them getting inside the house, for up to 3 months, and will control spiders inside the house for up to 12 months. Yates Home Pest Long Term Barrier Spray comes in handy, ready to use 750mL and 2L packs.

Spider family tree Redback spiders are native to Australia and are closely related to the black widow spider, which comes from the United States.

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Leucadendrons Cool season dazzlers

Native to South Africa, Leucadendrons provide welcome splashes of colour during winter and into spring. The stunning new variety ‘Spring Blaze’, from www.ausflorapacific, has gorgeous soft green foliage with a pink blush, and as the cones start to develop during autumn, the foliage becomes a vanilla colour and the small cone is surrounded by a ring of pink. During spring, 'Spring Blaze' puts on its finest show, developing a large burgundy cone surrounded by red and green foliage.

Leucadendron 'Spring Blaze' grows to 1.5 m tall and 1.5 m wide and is very attractive when grown en mass or as a feature plant. Like other Leucadendrons, 'Spring Blaze' prefers a slightly acidic, free draining soil and is drought hardy once established (water regularly during the first 12 months while the root system establishes). Leucadendrons are quite frost resistant (down to – 5˚C) and respond well to a yearly mid spring prune, which helps maintain their size and shape.

When planting a new leucadendron, mix some Yates® Dynamic Lifter® Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser into the soil in the bottom of the planting hole. It's a composted and pelletised blend of chicken manure, blood and bone, fishmeal and seaweed and will help improve the quality and structure of the soil. Leucadendrons, being a member of the Proteaceae plant family (which also includes Australian native plants like grevilleas, banksias and waratahs), can be sensitive to the nutrient phosphorus in some fertilisers.

Yates Dynamic Lifter contains gentle, slow release nutrients and is safe to use on Australian native plants and leucadendrons.

To promote healthy growth, sprinkle pellets around the root zone every spring and autumn and water in well.

For more information on Leucadendron ‘Spring Blaze’ visit www.ausflorapacific.com.au 'Spring Blaze' images courtesy of Linda Sijpkes.

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Bring in a bunch HOME GROWN CUT FLOWERS

You can bring the beauty of your home grown leucadendrons inside by creating a gorgeous and long lasting cut flower display.

Judith Browne from Sydney Flower School (sydneyflowerschool.com.au) shares her tips on how to get the best out of your cut leucadendrons: » Look for stems that are at least 40 cm long with fully coloured ‘bracts’ (modified leaves) that enclose the small flower at the end of the stem. » With a sharp pair of secateurs, cut the stems and plunge them straight into a bucket of cool water while you’re out in the garden.

» ‘Native’ confusion Leucadendrons are often used in bunches of ‘native wildflowers’ in florist shops, combined with proteas, leucospermums (‘pin cushion’ flower), eucalypt foliage and banksias. Perhaps they should be called ‘Gondwanan wildflowers’, as leucadendrons, leucospermums and proteas are native to South Africa and eucalypts and banksia hail from Australia.

No wonder people get confused about what’s an Australian native plant!

» Once inside, remove the lower foliage from each stem, re-cut the stems at a 45 degree angle and then place directly into a vase half filled with cool, clean water. » Replace the vase water every other day. » And try mixing leucadendrons with other flowers & foliage you might have on hand. Leucadendrons are one of the few flowers that combine well and take on the appearance of just about all flower types. They’re perfect to mix with other wildflowers as well as with tropical and traditional flowers such as roses and all styles from contemporary to vintage.

Judith calls them “the little camouflage flower” as they can blend in and become a lovely part of whatever they’re mixed with.

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Winter rose planting spotlight Garden centres will be brimming with fabulous selections of bagged, bare-rooted roses during winter. Here's how to plant your brand new rose and some important winter rose care tips to keep it looking fantastic.

How to plant » When you get your new rose home, unwrap the plastic from around the roots and then place the plant in a bucket of diluted seaweed solution, so that all the roots are covered. It’s important not let the roots dry out.

Ensure that the graft union (bump on the stem) will be sitting at least 5 cm above the final ground level.

Backfill around the roots gently with Yates Dynamic Lifter enriched soil and then water in well.

to

» Choose a well-drained, airy spot in the garden that receives at least 6 hours of sunshine a day, as roses growing in shady conditions will develop spindly growth and have less flowers. » Dig a hole around 30 cm wide and deep.

Mix some Yates® Dynamic Lifter® Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser into the soil dug from the hole. It will improve the structure and quality of the soil and provide the rose with gentle slow release organic nutrients as it establishes. » Create a pyramid shaped mound of soil in the bottom of the planting hole. Place the rose in the hole with its roots sitting on and around the mound of soil.

» Apply a layer of organic mulch, like bark chips or pea straw, around the new rose, keeping the mulch a few centimetres away from the stem. » Keep the soil moist while the new rose establishes. » Roses are also fabulous for growing in pots, like this beautifully fragrant rose called ‘ShowpieceTM Berry’ from Anthony Tesselaar Plants.

How to prune » When roses are leafless and dormant during winter, it's the ideal time to prune. Pruning helps promote healthier plants and a much better spring flower show. » Completely remove any dead stems, which are usually grey, and crowded or overlapping growth in the middle of the bush, and then cut all the remaining healthy stems down to around knee height (apart from standard or ‘lollipop’ roses). » It's best to prune each stem to just above an outward facing bud. This encourages new stems to grow outward, rather than in to the centre of the bush, allowing in more flowerpromoting sunlight.

Winter clean up » There is a range of common rose pests and diseases, such as powdery mildew, scale and mites, that are lying in wait on rose stems during winter, ready to infect new spring foliage, stems and flower buds. » Used at the higher winter rate, Yates® Lime Sulfur will control powdery mildew, scale insects and mites, helping to break the pest and disease cycle and give the rose the best possible fresh start in spring. » Once the rose bush is pruned, spray all stems thoroughly with Yates Lime Sulfur. It’s a pungent (it smells a little like rotten eggs) but very effective way to control rose pests and diseases. » Did you know that Yates Lime Sulfur can also be used to control rust, two-spotted mites and powdery mildew on roses from spring to autumn? Just apply at the lower rate indicated on the pack.

Late winter feed » At the end of winter and early spring, roses will start to wake from their winter slumber and it’s time to feed them with a specialised rose food. Yates Thrive® Natural Roses & Flowers Pelletised Organic Based Plant Food is a complete fertiliser that is specially formulated to provide roses with the nutrients they need to grow healthy foliage and lots of heavenly flowers.

Frost protection tip If you live in a really cold area, delay pruning until August as pruning can stimulate new leaf growth that could be damaged by frosts. If your rose does produce vulnerable new shoots prematurely during winter, spray leaves and stems with Yates Waterwise® DroughtShield®. It creates a thin flexible protective film over the shoots which helps reduce frost damage.

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Home grown bush tucker

Syzygium T uck Bush Cherry er

Tasty Aussie treats

Warrigal Greens

Mark Tucek from Tucker Bush™, which specialises in edible Australian native plants, shares some insider tips about growing bush foods at home. Their popularity has soared in recent years, so it's time to join the bush tucker movement and add some tasty local ingredients to your meals.

Here are some of Mark's favourite bush foods: » Midyim berries (Austromyrtus dulcis) considered among the most delicious of all the bush tucker plants, this evergreen shrub bears small, white purple-speckled berries over late summer and early autumn. The berries are sweet and tangy, with a complex flavour, and can be enjoyed in desserts or preserves. The plant can grow up to 2 m tall, but can be trimmed back after fruiting, or grown in a pot, to keep it more compact. It makes a wonderful edible hedge. » Native thyme (Prostanthera incisa) - a type of native mint, it's highly aromatic, rich in essential oils and has a hint of pepper and earthy tones. Perfect for flavouring meat dishes, it does best in a full sun position with well-drained soil.

It's a fast-growing, evergreen shrub, growing up to 2 m tall, with pretty purple flowers in spring. For maximum mintiness, harvest leaves just before you need them. » Sea parsley (Apium prostratum var. prostratum) - a close relative of European parsley, it carries hints of the ocean in its unique flavour. It can be used as a herb or vegetable to add a peppery zing to soups, salads and meat dishes. Growing happily in either full sun or part shade, it's important to keep the soil moist as dry conditions can lead to it

bolting to seed. The leaves start out light green, darkening as they mature, and you can pick individual outer stems as you need them or harvest the entire plant. » Tucker Bush Cherry - lilly pillies (Syzygium australe) are popular evergreen shrubs that are not used enough for their edible fruit. Appearing during autumn, the prolific bright pink berries have an apple-like texture with a mild astringent sweetness. They can be enjoyed fresh or used in jams, jellies, muffins, pickles and wine. The 'Tucker Bush Cherry' is a psyllid-resistant variety of lilly pilly, its leaves starting out bronze and turning a deep green as they mature. Its full height is 4 m, however can be trimmed to a 1 m tall edible hedge. Pruning regularly will help encourage new growth and maintain a bushier appearance. Although lilly pillies are rainforest plants, they will tolerate drier conditions once established.

Recipe inspiration If 'pan fried pink snapper with native lemongrass reduction, vegetable puree, sauteed sea parsley and warrrigal greens' sounds delicious, visit tuckerbush.com.au/recipes/ for this and other recipes.

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Bush tucker tempters Other bush foods to try in the Tucker Bush range: Fruit and nuts - finger limes, which are prized for their citrusy caviar-like pulp, warmth loving wild currants, anti-oxidant rich Davidson plums, delectable white native mulberries, juicy grape-like Illawarra plums, tropical Atherton raspberries, attractive Burdekin plums, spicy apple flavoured muntries, tangy smallleaved tamarinds and world famous macadamias.

Vegetables, herbs and spices - shade-loving red back ginger, lemon myrtle, with its intense citrus fragrance and flavour, spicy mountain pepper, refreshing round baby pigface, spinach-like Warrigal greens and moisture-loving river mint.

To promote lots of healthy growth and a lots of tasty bush tucker, feed your bush food plants every spring and autumn with Yates® Dynamic Lifter® Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser. It's an organic rich plant food that's safe for Australian native plants.

Muntries

Bu rde

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m

For more information on Tucker Bush plants, visit www.tuckerbush.com.au

A unique blend of natural ingredienTs to enrich & improve the soil & feed plants with gentle, slow release organic nutrients

Cool colour

Florals to brighten winter You can lift your spirits during the coldest months and add beautiful colours into your garden with delightful pansies and violas and gorgeous hellebores.

Pansies & violas » The delightful face-like blooms of pansies and violas help brighten the gloomiest of winter days. They're closely related, both being in the Violaceae plant family, and their names are often used interchangeably. Flower colours range from crisp white, sunshine yellow and rich orange, to pretty pinks, deep burgundy and many shades of purple. Many have dual-toned, patterned or interesting 'whiskered' petals. » Pansies and violas do best in a sunny garden bed or are also perfect for growing in pots and hanging baskets.

To promote healthy growth and lots of blooms, feed every one to two weeks with fast acting Yates® Thrive® Rose & Flower Liquid Plant Food, which is rich in flower-promoting potassium. And in addition to keeping the plants looking tidy, removing spent blooms will encourage further flowering. » Pansies and violas can be vulnerable to 2 key pests - aphids and caterpillars. Aphids can infest stems, causing plants to yellow and grow poorly. Caterpillars can chew through leaves and ruin flower buds. Both aphids and caterpillars can be easily controlled with Yates Rose Gun. Spray plants every 2 weeks to protect them from aphid and caterpillar damage.

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Hellebores » Also known as winter roses, hellebores are perfect for growing in full to partly shaded spots such as underneath the canopies of trees or in a pot on a shady patio. They are a delight during the cooler months of the year, putting on a prolific display of large, bell shaped flowers for many months throughout winter and into early spring. You can even bring potted hellebores indoors for a few days at a time to show off their flowers.

» Once the hellebore has established, during periods of new foliage growth and flowering, sprinkle Yates Thrive Natural Roses & Flowers Organic Based Pelletised Plant Food around the root zone every six to eight weeks. It contains a special combination of more than 50% natural ingredients, boosted with fast acting fertilisers, including flowerpromoting potassium, to encourage both vigorous green leaf growth and lots of beautiful flowers.

Plant Growers Australia have some spectacular hellebores to tempt you this winter: » ‘Charmer’ is a stunning hellebore, with masses of delicately mottled burgundy-red flowers that sit neatly above the lush green foliage. Growing to around 30 cm high and 50 cm wide, it has a smaller and more compact habit than other hellebores. » Hellebore ‘Molly’s White’ has beautiful white flowers with blush pink tones and ‘Penny’s Pink’ has lovely deep pink flowers. Both these varieties grow to around 60 cm tall. » Hellebore ‘Anna’s Red’ has striking deep rich magenta blooms that sit above the foliage. Growing to around 50 cm high and 60 cm wide it flowers for many months and looks wonderful when mass planted in a shady garden bed. » Despite having a delicate appearance, hellebores are hardy plants that are both dry and frost tolerant. » When planting a new hellebore into the garden, mix some Yates® Thrive® Natural Roses & Flowers Organic Based Pelletised Plant Food into the planting hole, to enrich and improve the soil.

INSIDER TIP: Beautiful hellebore flowers can also be cut for a vase.

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SENSATIONAL INDOOR

succulents

Jade plant Donkey's tail

Have you tried growing succulents indoors? Many an indoor plant lover will have attempted to grow their favourite succulents indoors, only to have them yellow, rot away or develop tall lanky and unhealthy growth. Read on for our top tips on growing succulents indoors.

Most succulents love an airy spot outdoors in bright sunshine, with free-draining soil that's kept on the dry side. When we bring succulents indoors, we limit the air circulation, significantly reduce the amount of light they receive, often grow them in poorly drained pots and potting mix and then over-love them in the watering department. We also commonly choose succulents that are just not suited to growing indoors. So, how do you balance a succulent addiction with a passion for indoor plants?

First, it's important to choose the right succulents. Not all succulents will tolerate the lower light levels indoors, even on your sunniest windowsill. Here are some succulent options for growing indoors: » Mother-in-law’s tongue (Dracaena trifasciata) – a very hardy, low maintenance, slow growing plant with long sword like variegated leaves.

Mother-in-law's tongue will tolerate low levels of light and likes the potting mix to dry out almost completely in between watering. » String of pearls (Senecio rowleyanus) – a trailing succulent that creates an interesting curtain of bead covered stems.

Position the pot, or hanging basket, in a brightly lit spot but out of direct sunlight. » Donkey’s tail (Sedum morganianum) – another wonderful cascading succulent with thick bluish green leaves, that’s great for a hanging basket. It needs a brightly lit spot to do well. A word of caution, the individual leaves can fall off the stems with the lightest touch. » Zebra cactus (Haworthia sp.) – forms clumps of thick, pointed zebra-striped leaves. Grows slowly and makes a striking, low-maintenance desk plant in a brightly lit office. » Jade plant (Crassula ovata) – reported to bring good luck, a hardy succulent with thick, shiny round green leaves. Mature plants can develop woody stems. Best positioned in a very brightly lit spot, ideally where it will receive some direct morning sunlight. » Panda plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa) – has attractive furry grey-green leaves with brown margins or spots. Position the pot in a brightly lit spot with some direct morning sun.

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» Mistletoe cactus (Rhipsalis sp.)

– many are native to tropical areas and have masses of long thin cacading stems and leaves. Another perfect succulent for a hanging basket or where the foliage can overflow out of a decorative pot. This is a succulent that can handle humidity.

Indoor succulents need a pot with good drainage holes. It's very important that excess moisture is allowed to escape, as waterlogging is a death sentence for succulents. They also need a gritty, free draining mix that doesn’t hold too much moisture. Yates Specialty Potting Mix - Cacti & Succulents is ideal, as it's a coarse, fast-draining mix, that's been tailor made for cacti and succulents. It also contains a biostimulant for plant and root health and controlled release fertiliser to feed your succulent for up to 6 months.

When watering succulents, avoid watering the leaves (water the potting mix directly) as wet leaves can lead to diseases. And only water when the potting mix feels dry. Over-watering is one of the quickest ways to kill your succulent. And apart from Rhipsalis, don't grow succulents in a humid bathroom - they're desert plants, not rainforest dwellers!

Despite being hardy, succulents will be much healthier when they're fed regularly.

It doesn't have to be complicated.

Yates Thrive® Plant Food Spikes Cacti & Succulents have been specially designed to provide a balanced blend of slow release nutrients to cacti

and succulents, feeding them for up to 2 months. They're super easy to use just insert a spike into the potting mix, midway between the plant stem and the pot edge, so they sit just below the surface of the potting mix. No measuring or mixing, and they're out of sight.

One of the insect pests that plague many succulents is mealy bugs.

These sap sucking menaces appear as powdery mounds on stems and leaf bases and can lead to leaves yellowing and distorting, poor plant health and also sooty mould disease, due to the sweet honeydew that mealy bugs excrete. A few mealy bugs can be gently scraped away, for larger infestions, take the succulent outside into a shady spot, spray the mealybug infested leaves and stems with Yates Nature's Way® Vegie & Herb Spray, and allow the spray to dry before bringing the plant back inside.

Repeat spray each week as required to get mealy bugs under control.

Mistletoe c

actus

Mother-in-law's tongue

Sunlight tip: If your succulent starts to develop tall, spindly growth or is generally looking pale despite correct watering and feeding, it could be a lack of sunlight.

Try moving your succulent into a more brightly lit position.

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TOP TREE & SHRUB

Wint er Heroes Many trees and shrubs are bare skeletons during winter, or are having a well-earned holiday from the frantic activity during the warm seasons. However, for others, winter is their time to shine. Magnificent perfume, stunning flowers or colourful stems are just some of the cool season delights. A visit to your local garden centre or botanic garden during winter will provide some spectacular tree and shrub inspiration.

Here are some of our favourites.

DAPHNE One of the most divinely fragrant shrubs, daphne is an absolute treat during winter. Daphnes do best in well-drained soil or in a large pot filled with a good quality potting mix like Yates® Premium Potting Mix. Daphne also prefer slightly acidic soils, so in alkaline areas apply some Yates® Soil Acidifier Liquid Sulfur to help reduce the soil pH. Some of the newer daphne varieties, such as 'Perfume Princess™' and 'Eternal Fragrance' will tolerate a full sun position. Monitor daphne for scale insects and control with Yates Scale Gun. CAMELLIA

Camellia japonica, which flowers later than Camellia sasanqua, will brighten up darker corners in the winter garden.

Their gorgeous single or double blooms come in a stunning array of shades of pink, red, white and cream, some with multi-toned flowers, such as breathtaking Camellia 'Volunteer', pictured right.

Japonica camellias do best in moist, but well-drained soil and like a spot in dappled sun. While camellias are flowering or growing new foliage,

feed every 6 weeks with Yates Thrive® Natural Roses & Flowers Organic Based Pelletised Plant Food. It's rich in flowerpromoting potassium as well as nitrogen for healthy green leaf growth.

CORREA Sometimes called 'native fuchsias', correas are wonderful Australian native shrubs that have lovely bell shaped flowers during the coolest months. Colours including bright and delicate pink, orange, pale green and white. Correa ‘Catie Bec’ (pictured right) delightfully named for one of the granddaughters from Bywong Nursery where the variety was bred (bywongnursery.com.au), has pink bell flowers that appear for many months from autumn to spring. ‘Catie Bec’ is a hardy shrub that grows to around 1m tall and 1.5 m wide. It’s suitable for a wide range of soil types and will tolerate both coastal and inland climates. Nectar feeding birds love correas, so ‘Catie Bec’ is definitely a plant to include in your garden if you love attracting feathered friends. It does best in a sunny or partly shaded spot with well-drained soil.

It also makes a fantastic container plant.

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It can be trimmed back lightly after flowering. Correas can be fed each spring and autumn with Yates® Dynamic Lifter® Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser.

It’s perfect for native plants, releasing organic nutrients slowly to help promote healthy growth and lots of flowers.

MAGNOLIA Late winter and early spring are when the bare branches of deciduous magnolias are smothered in stunning large goblet shaped flowers. They are truly gorgeous and absolutely traffic stopping. The range of flower colours include burgundy, white, magenta, purple, hot pink and eye catching yellow. Some magnolias are fragrant and there are also variations in flower type, including the multi-petaled star shaped ‘stellata’. Magnolias are slow growing trees that do best in fertile, slightly acidic soil. They grow well in cool to warm temperate zones and need protection from winds and frosts.

Leaves can be damaged during hot dry weather and so deciduous magnolias will look their best if grown in a semi-shaded position that is protected from harsh afternoon sun.

WATTLES There are almost 1000 species of wattles (Acacia spp.) found in Australia, ranging from petite shrubs to tall trees.

We're most familiar with sunshine yellow flowering wattles, many which flower during winter and remind us that spring is on the horizon.

Wattles are so important to Australia that Acacia pycnantha, the golden wattle, is Australia's floral emblem.

Wattle flowers are laden with pollen, that bees (including native bees) appreciate as a winter food source.

Choose a wattle that's suited to your climate, soil type and garden size.

Some compact wattles, such as 'Honey Bun' sticky wattle and cascading lush lime-green 'Limelight'can be grown in a pot.

CORNUS

Cornus alba 'Sibirica' (red twig dogwood) tends to fade into the garden until winter, when its bright red bare stems create a vibrant statement.

Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea' (yellow stem dogwood) puts on a similar show, but with bright yellow stems. Both have green leaves during the warmer months and white flower heads in summer, followed by small white berries.

These shrubby deciduous dogwoods, growing one to three metres tall, do best in cool to temperate climates with some protection from harsh afternoon sun. Some Cornus can sucker, so prune back any wayward stems to soil level and also old or congested stems. The benefit of pruning is that the colourful winter stems make an excellent vase display.

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Winter

flower seeds to sow Don't let the cold weather stop you from growing flowers! There are lots of beautiful flowers you can sow and grow during winter, which will help set you up for a fantastic floral-filled spring.

Seeds by NATIONAL

TROPICAL / SUB TROPICAL

TEMPERATE

Cottage Garden Mix

Ageratum Blue Mink

Alyssum - Carpet of Snow, Cameo Mixture

Wildflowers of the World

Aster Colour Carpet

Bee Pasture

Californian Poppy Sunshine Mix

Butterfly Field

Carnation Fragrance

Gerbera Colour Mix

Coleus Pots of Beauty

Marigold Cupid

Cornflower - Blue, Double Mixed

Pink Paper Daisy

Cosmos Sensation Dahlia Cinderella Everlasting Daisy Impatiens Busy Lizzie Nasturtium - Cherry Rose, Jewel Mixed Phlox Drummondii Poppy - Red Flanders, Iceland Artists Glory Salvia - Blue Bedder, Dwarf Scarlet Zinnia Sunrise Mix Yellow Paper Daisy

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Shop for your flowers online How cool, temperate and sub-tropical is that?

24 l Name: Centaurea cyanus

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Gardening in different climates.

All around Australia, there are lots of things to keep you wonderfully busy during winter.

In cool climates it's time to: » Apply a layer of Yates® Gnat Barrier granules over the potting mix of indoor plants. These abrasive granules act as a physical barrier to deter the adult female fungus gnat from laying her eggs in the potting mix. This helps break the fungus gnat life cycle and stop those annoying tiny black insects from flying around your house. » Feed spring flowering bulbs each week with Yates Thrive® Flower & Fruit Soluble Fertiliser. It's a complete fertiliser to encourage healthy bulb growth. It's also rich in potassium, the nutrient that promotes flowering, and builds up the bulb's energy for next year's fabulous flower show. » Sow a green manure crop in a bare vegie bed. Spread Yates Dynamic Lifter® Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser over the bed, top with handfuls of mixed wild bird seed and then rake it all into the soil surface. Keep the soil moist while the seedlings germinate and establish. When there's lots of lush green growth, dig all the plants back into the soil and cover with a layer of sugar cane or lucerne mulch. Over a few weeks, the green manure crop will break down and enrich the soil with lots of lovely organic matter, so it's ready for planting in spring. » At the end of winter, spread some Yates Thrive Natural Roses & Flowers Organic Based Pelletised Plant Food around the root zone of spring flowering shrubs.

G R O W I N G W I T H Y O U - YA T E S

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In temperate climates it's time to: » Control weeds that have sprung up in the garden, before they have a chance to set seed and spread, with Yates Nature's Way® Organic Weed Killer. Based on clove oil, it provides fast acting control of weeds and grasses and is approved for use in organic gardening. » Feed orchids with Yates Thrive Plant Food Spikes - Orchids during their busy flowering season. It's as easy as pushing a spike into the potting mix, midway between the pot edge and the stem, every 2 months. » Towards the end of winter, get a spring vegie head start by sowing seeds of tomatoes into punnets or trays and placing them on a sunny windowsill. Seedlings will be ready for planting once the chance of frost has passed. » Continue vigilance for rats and mice, which seek shelter and food indoors during cool weather. Ratsak Clean Kill Mouse Traps are a no-see, no touch solution for catching and killing mice and Ratsak Pre-Baited Rat Traps make rat control simple.

In tropical and sub-tropical climates it's time to: » Protect azaleas from common pests and diseases. In late winter, start spraying azaleas with Yates Mancozeb Plus to prevent petal blight. And as soon as any azalea lace bug symptoms appear on new growth (leaf silvering or mottling), spray foliage with Baythroid Advanced for Gardens. » Feed tomatoes each week with Yates Thrive Tomato Liquid Plant Food, to promote healthy green leaf growth and lots of flowers and delicious tomato fruit. Keep common tomato pests and diseases under control with easy to apply Yates Tomato & Vegetable Dust. » Pamper indoor plants with Yates Thrive Natural Indoor Plant Food Spray. This unique spray is made from 100% naturally derived ingredients, and is applied to the potting mix (not the foliage) to help feed plants and nourish the potting mix.

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