THE DREADED CHILLI THRIP

1. Change your expectations about your roses :) Roses will always bring us joy, now that the hotter weather brings more challenges, don't expect fantastic flowers in the middle of summer. You will however get the best out of your roses in Autumn and possibly early winter! High summer will be the time to nurture your roses readying them for a spectacular autumn

2.  Do NOT prune affected growth. Leave it be. Pruning encourages new growth and more tasty morsels for Chilli thrip No new growth, the chilli thrip cant feed Keep the ground raked and free of dead leaves and weeds. A neat low layer of mulch will assist in keeping the roots cool and weeds out.

3. Hand water your roses whenever possible. A good over head spray with the hose will create a more humid microclimate which chilli thrip and spider mite do not enjoy Also your roses will love a cool shower on a hot day

4. Mavrik and Success Ultra are beneficial sprays to combat thrip when it is active. This is when the new growth is emerging and fresh. Spray this new growth only. Only spray when the temperature is under 28 degrees for a few days at least. Chemical burn is real!

5. Prune in late July/August – Spray pruned Roses with Lime Sulphur 20ml into 1lt of water, you should also spray the ground (Will protect the rose from Powdery Mildew, black spot, rust, two spotted mites).
   

The healthier the rosebush the more chance it has at beating and surviving chilli thrip.

We like a fortnightly application of GoGo Juice and fertilising with Sudden Impact or Troforte will keep them strong.

SPRING GARDENS ARE MADE IN WINTER

I know it’s cold and wet and the couch and the heater is sooooooooo nice…… BUT your garden needs you and you need your garden. Effort now will reward you in Spring and Summer with a fabulous garden to enjoy when it warms up again.

And, as an added bonus you’ll be looking great too as gardening is brilliant for the body and soul.

Raking leaves and debris from the garden: Dead leaves are a great addition to your compost. It is always best to remove old leaves etc as otherwise potential pathogens get into the soil and this can cause fungal diseases in your plants. A good example of this is black spot on your roses. You will also get a great shoulder and waist workout. Winning!

Adding manures: Do your hedges become yellow in winter? An application of cow or sheep manure will help your Murraya, or Buxus hedge maintain their lush green throughout winter. Kind of like putting a blanket on your garden beds. Another top workout for your upper body too.

Weeding: I know, I know. Get on top of the weeds now while they are easy to pull and you won’t be faced with a daunting task in spring. All that squatting down is a bonus for your behind.

Plant now: There is always room for more in the garden. Winter is the ideal time for planting winter veges, deciduous trees, new roses, camellias, citrus and natives. Digging new holes is fantastic for a cardio workout.

So what have you got to lose?? Just a little bit of couch time and possibly a kilo or two  Your garden will flourish, you will feel great and the couch will still be there. Happy winter gardening!

AUTUMN IN THE GARDEN

Autumn is a fantastic time of year in Perth, a time for some beautiful colour in the garden as the heat dies down and the much needed rains start trickling in. Here are some beautiful flower displays to look out for or plant this Autumn.

• Begonia

• Salvia

• French Marigold

• Iceland Poppy

• Primula

• Lobelias

• Chrysanthemum

• Snapdragon

• Dahlia

• Impatiens

As well as Petunias and Geraniums still going strong, and we cant forget all the beautiful colour from the deciduous trees toward the end of Autumn such as the London planes and Liquidambars before they drop their leaves for winter.

As the weather has started to cool down from the heat of summer we have just experienced, it is feeling much easier to get outside back into the garden and catch up on some of those jobs we may have let slip by during the heat:

• Make sure you clear any weeds that may be going to seed, as the rains come in and the seeds hit the ground they will be prime candidates to start an infestation, especially that thistle I see flowering everywhere at the moment.
  

• Get those last runs of fertiliser in for autumn before winter hits, Autumn is still a really busy time for plants to do a lot of growing and flowering so they will need to keep their nutrition up, but don’t leave it too late as fertilising in winter usually means feeding the weeds while a lot of plants lay dormant.
  

• If you have fruit trees ripening up at the moment be on the lookout or take preventative measures for Fruit-Fly, It is everyone’s responsibility to do their part when it comes to Fruit-Fly, not just for your own Fruit but the whole neighbourhood, put out traps and don’t leave fallen fruit on the ground to get infested.