Don’s Tips: Old Husbands’ Tales #7 – All Plants Need Tender Care

passion flower

“All plants need tender care” – not true!

Today’s furphy is that all plants need tender loving care.

Most plants like to be looked after with water and fertiliser but some don’t.

Most native plants do best when left alone. Water and fertiliser can poison them or make them grow too fast, causing a shorter life span.

Some plants resent pampering. Bougainvilleas will refuse to flower and instead produce thorns if you water, fertilise or prune them.

Passionfruit will refuse to fruit if they get pampered with fertiliser and water.

So, for in-ground planting water all plants at planting time, and for the first few weeks, but the ones mentioned then need to be left alone. The list of these plants is:

Most natives

Bougainvilleas

Passionfruit, and

Mediterranean plants like edible figs, olives, lavender, thyme, sage and rosemary.

Hooroo! Don