Next on: Tonight 7.30pm, Rpt Sunday 1.30pm on ABC + iview | | | | | |
| | | | | Millie is at a sprawling garden bursting with spring colour, Tino plants pulses and grains at The Patch, Guest Presenter David Fripp looks at the fascinating world of ferns and Sophie makes natural confetti | | | | | | | | |
 | | | | | | | | Tonight 7.30pm on ABC + iview | | | | Sophie gets crafty exploring some natural home-grown alternatives to store-bought confetti | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | Fact Sheet | | | | Guest presenter David Fripp takes us through his incredible collection of ferns and explains how these living fossils inspired his passion for plants | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | |  | | Gardening Australia Weekly Quiz
Q. In plants, the 'petiole' refers to?:
a) The point where flower petals join together
b) The stalk that attaches the leaf to the stem
c) A flower with small petals
Answer to last week's question:
Q. Beneficial insects refer to:
A. a) Insects that control pests and pollinate plants | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Find a full year's inspiration for your garden with the 2020 ABC Gardening Australia Magazine Diary and Calendar.
Available from newsagents, bookshops and online. | | | | | | |
| | | | | Tropical Climate Zone - Asparagus
- Carrots
- Radish
- Water Chestnut
Subtropical Climate Zone - Basil
- Cucumber
- Pumpkin
- Squash
Arid Climate Zone - Beetroot
- Chives
- Eggplant
- Rocket
Temperate Climate Zone - Broccoli
- Carrots
- Sweet Corn
- Tomatoes
Cool Climate Zone - Broccoli
- Carrots
- Sweet Corn
- Tomatoes
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| | | | | COOL - Keep an eye on fruiting trees for pear and cherry slugs - small black larvae that will decimate foliage quickly. Squash them by hand or treat them with a couple of coatings of wood ash.
- Keep on top of the mowing at this time of year, and ensure you tame your turf before your grass sets seeds or gets overrun with weeds.
- Roses are putting on a magnificent show right now, so head out to some open gardens, rose clubs and garden centres to track down some new stunners for your collection.
TEMPERATE - It’s spring in warm temperate areas when the jacarandas are blooming! These stunning feature trees, native to South America, will be awash with their purple flowers for months.
- If your garlic foliage is beginning to turn brown, it’s harvest time! Lift cloves from the ground, brush away dirt and hang in bunches in a warm, dry spot for a month to cure before storing.
- Squiggly, silvery lines appearing on the surface of your citrus foliage? You’ve probably got leaf miner. The best treatment is removal of damaged leaves and an early morning spray with a horticultural oil.
SUBTROPICAL - With the humidity humming in the subtropics, it’s a good idea to space any vegie seedlings further apart than usual, to avoid festering fungal issues. A nice thin layer of fresh straw mulch is a winner as well.
- It’s the perfect time to separate bromeliad pups from parent plants. Using a sharp knife, remove pups from the base of the parent, and place into a pot with free-draining cacti potting mix.
- Paw paws are putting on a growth spurt and need a feed to stay happy and healthy. A good application of homegrown compost and aged manure this weekend is perfect for your papayas.
TROPICAL - If you’re looking for lettuce that loves the wet season and thrives in humidity, try sowing some Indian lettuce cultivars (Lactuca indica) or oakleaf varieties.
- Grasshoppers are feasting on foliage at the moment, so hop out into the garden with a bucket early in the morning, when they are sluggish, and collect these pests for the chooks.
- The dragon fruit (or pitaya) is a tropical treat – delicious fruits and fragrant night-time flowers from a tough, vigorous cactus. Give them something solid to climb on and they’re away! What’s not to love?
ARID - It's important to keep the fertiliser up to your fruiting plants, vegies and herbs at this time of year. A fortnightly liquid feed of fish or seaweed emulsion is just the ticket.
- If you're mad for mint and love chomping on chocolate, you'll love the chocolate mint, a vigorous member of hte mint family that tastes tremendous. Great in pots and loves the heat.
- Weeds popping up in your pavers? Put away the herbicide and reach for the kettle - boiling water poured onto weeds is an excellent way to manage pesky plants, without the chemicals
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Catch up on ABC iview | | | | Never miss a gardening moment! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
