Don had some great tips on pruning, fertilising and sowing seed, as well as some fun for the kids. Sow seed: This is a great time of the year to sow seed. It’s fun to do and by the time the drought’s over your seedlings will be ready to plant out in the...
Never let anyone talk you into putting duckweed, or any other floating weed, into a pond. Duckweed (Lemna sp.) spreads very quickly in still or slow moving, nutrient-rich water. It grows 30% faster than water hyacinth and can actually double in size in a few days....
A drought is a tough time for all plants in your garden, especially the poor brown lawn! Here are Don’s tips on what to do, and what not to do, during the drought. Use glazed or plastic pots If you haven’t got much water, grow your plants in glazed or...
Although there is a drought in many areas of Australia, there is no need for gardeners to despair. It is possible to water plants efficiently while still complying with the current water restrictions. Don showed some of the ‘leaky hose’ products that can...
The worst problem facing gardeners in Australia today is that when soils dry out, they can become water repellent, or hydrophobic. When this happens, water just runs off instead of soaking into the soil. Don showed an example of a water repellent soil and...
Every year thousands of viewers write to Burke’s Backyard and tell us that weeds are ruining their lives! Don has been through all the letters and compiled a list of the problem weeds, starting with with worst, public enemy number 1, bindii. Bindii: Many parts...
Don looked at some ‘must do jobs’ for spring. Repot now Over the next few weeks plants will make about 90-95% of their growth for the year, so repot any plants that need it now. Repot any plants that have been in the same pot for two years or more. This is...
Toadstools Sarah Munday, of Camberwell in Victoria, wrote to ask Don what to do about all the toadstools in her garden. Sarah thinks that the toadstools are poisonous and she is worried that her young brother and sister might eat them. Don said that as a...
Tibouchinas (Tibouchina sp.) should be pruned after flowering or whenever necessary to promote dense, bushy growth. The plant shown in our segment was looking spindly and ugly, so Don pruned it back severely. He started by removing all the dead and dying wood. He then...
Plant selection is very important if you want a low maintenance garden. Some plants are high maintenance nightmares. At the top of the list is lawn, which needs regular mowing, fertilising and edging (paving is a much better low maintenance choice). Azaleas need...