Myths and superstitions are part of the rich fabric of our lives – we rely on them to forecast the weather, tell the future and even to grow plants! The trouble is that sometimes it’s very difficult to separate fact from fiction. Throughout the program Don debunked a few of those classic old husbands’ tales.
Tale: Crocks in the bottom of pots improve drainage
Don warned against using broken crocks or anything else in the bottom of pots, because it can actually impede drainage. Modern potting mixes drain beautifully, so choose a good potting mix and no other action is necessary. The only exception is that some pots, especially terracotta ones, have only one small drain hole in the bottom. The best solution to that problem is simply to drill a few more holes.
Tale: Trees benefit from a mulch of lawn clippings around the base
Don said that putting fresh lawn clippings around the base of tree trunks can cause collar rot. Lawn clippings do contain nutrients that are good for the garden, but it’s better to put them in the compost heap first, along with kitchen scraps and other coarser materials. An even better idea is to remove the catcher from your lawnmower and leave all the grass clippings on the lawn. When using compost or any other mulch, make sure that it does not touch the stem or trunk of the plant.
Tale: Burying nails around a New South Wales Christmas Bush (Ceratopetalum gummiferum) will make it flower
Plants can only take up nutrients in solution, and nails would take such a long time to dissolve that the effect would be minimal. If you have alkaline soil your plant may need extra iron, but there are much better ways of applying it than burying rusty nails. Use either iron chelates or iron sulphate as per the instructions on the packet. New South Wales Christmas bushes are not easy to grow and seed grown plants vary in quality. Don recommended planting about three, that way you have a better chance of having at least one good one.
Further information:
Iron chelates and iron sulphate are available at nurseries, garden centres and hardware stores. Expect to pay around $7.30 for 250g of Iron sulphate, and Manutec Iron Chelates costs about $10 for 250g.
