Leaf Tips

A good companion when growing cucumbers, radish, beans and peas is the wonderful oregano.

Growing parsley is beneficial for roses, tomatoes, carrots and asparagus when grown together.

Growing chives with carrots, roses or parsley is mutually beneficial.

Marigolds planted among your vegetables reduces problems with nemitdes and the bright flowers attract bees that assist with pollination.

Avoid growing fennel near cabage or lettuce.

The onion group are good companions for most vegetables except beans and peas.

Thyme and cabbage grow well together.

Parsley and mints aren’t good companions and should be grown separately.

Cabbage love to grow with mint, oregano and penny royal but not with strawberries or tomatoes, so try to keep the bad companions apart.

Micro Nutrients

These nutrients are essential for different aspects of plant health and are deficient in most Australian soils. Only very small amounts can make a dramatic improvement to your plants.

 Boron (B) Necessary only in small amounts but assists other nutrients to function eg. it helps in the production of plant sugars and is vital for the development of fruit and seed.

 Copper (Cu) Helps the plant utilize the proteins that it has manufactured and plays an important role in plant reproduction.

 Chloride (Cl) Helps the plant metabolism.

 Iron (Fe) Vital for the plant as it is necessary for the formation of chlorophyll. ( Chlorophyll is needed for photosynthesis which produces the plants energy.)

 Manganese (Mn) Helps with the breakdown of carbohydrates and is necessary to metabolise nitrogen.

 Molybdenum (Mo) Important because it helps the plant use the available nitrogen.

Zinc (Zn) Regulates the plant sugar consumption and is essential in the transformation of  carbohydrates. Zinc also is part of the system that regulates growth.

Using a wetting agent such as Spredmax can improve effectiveness by up to 30%  with herbicides and fungicides.

Using mulch to cover the soil  around plants will help to conserve moisture and also reduce weed growth. Organic mulches break down and are incorporated in the soil adding organic matter and nutrients to the soil, regular mulching and fertilising your soil will help to maintain your soil health which will improve your plant health. In winter if you are using frost protection cloth remove the mulch beneath the cloth so the radiant heat from the earth can escape and warm the air inside the protective cloth.

Regular mowing, irrigation, fertilising and aerating your lawn will keep the lawn healthy so it can combat weeds by it’s own vigourous growth without the need for herbicides.

Regularly prune herbs even if they are not used so that they produce more fresh young tasty growth which will be in prime condition when you want some fresh herbs.

Envy is an anti transpirant and frost protectorent, it can add 4ºC to a plants frost resistance.
Be sure to keep any new growth sprayed during the frost season.

Thermasheild is a light long lasting fabric that insulates plants from frost. It can increase night time temperatures by 5ºC.

Seasol can reduce the plant cell freezing point to –6.10ºC if applied as advised in linked PDF Technical Bulletin.

When disposing of diseased plants they should be burned or taken to the rubbish tip.