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Get rid of that shed smell by cutting an onion in half and leaving it on the shed bench. Tie a scarf around your mouth to avoid inhaling harmful odours and dust.
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CARING FOR ROSES - Recently planted roses must be kept well watered for the first few months and probably through the first two summers. Roses need good, regular, deep watering, not occasional light sprinkling. Water is preferable in the morning to reduce the risk of fungal disease and flower damage.
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Check with your council first to see if approval is required before planning your retaining wall.
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Clean gutters and valleys of your roof regularly to help maintain your roof. Debris can cause water to spread under the shingles and cause damage.
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Clean soil stained hands after gardening by rubbing some olive oil and sugar between your palms.
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For a great flower fertiliser, place your banana skins just below the surface of the soil - they rot quickly and supply calcium, magnesium, sulphur, phosphorous, sodium & silica.
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GARDEN PESTS & DISEASES - Most scale insects can be sprayed with Malascale, a mixture of Malathion and White Oil, which is not overly toxic. Sudden die back of plants is usually caused by root rot. Remove and destroy the plant. Then, improve drainage before planting a rot resistant variety.
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GRAFTING PLANTS - Begin by placing the understock plant and the new top close together. Use a scalpel to cut a 2.5cm long strip of bark from both plants then tie the stems firmly together with budding tape. Remember to remove suckers below the graft before they take over the ornamental part of the tree.
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Ground coffee as fertiliser. Save the coffee grounds from your percolator or plunger as fertiliser for your garden. It is high in nitrogen and particularly effective for your rose bushes.
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HOW TO SAVE WATER - Water your garden early in the morning for best results. That’s because evening watering encourages fungal disease and watering during the day is less effective due to increased evaporation. And remember, too much fertiliser makes lawns thirsty and healthy ones use less water than sick ones.
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If you have small children, consider the structure of the fence on the internal side to ensure children cannot climb the fence or slip through the gaps.
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INDOOR PLANT CARE - To refresh a favourite plant simply re-pot into a larger container using a good quality potting mix. But remember, most indoor plants die from over fertilising and lack of sunlight. So use a nine-month slow release fertiliser and make sure plants receive lots of indirect natural light.
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INSTALLING GARDEN LIGHTS - Install the transformer at a minimum height of 30cm above ground level and away from the proximity of sprinkler heads. Lay out low voltage cable into position, plug in the transformer and switch 'on'. Connect lights and push into ground at their chosen location.
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Keep the leaves on your indoor plants looking green & healthy by rubbing them with castor or mineral oil.
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Keep the shrubs and trees around your pool trimmed to minimise debris in your pool.
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Keep your indoor plants out of draughts and away from cold windows at night time unless protected by heavy curtaining.
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Kill grass and weeds in paving cracks and driveway by spraying with a mixture of water and vinegar or salt water. Be sure to keep away from plants you want to keep alive though!
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Plan your garden - so that you group plants that have similar watering needs together.
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Plant radishes amongst carrots and lettuce. They help mark the row of slow germinating carrots and protect lettuce from bugs.
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PLANTING BULBS - Dig up bulb and remove any bulbettes growing on its side. Replant mixing a trowel of fertiliser into the soil at the bottom of the hole. Plant the bulbettes twice as deep. Apply mulch and fertilise again in Spring when new growth appears.
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PLANTING SEEDLINGS GROWN FROM SEED - When your seedlings have their first leaves gradually expose them to a little more sun each day. After a week or so transplant them into the garden early in the morning when it’s cooler. Remember to water seedlings before removing from punnet by their leaves. Plant firmly into soil and water with half strength liquid fertiliser.
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Plants are as irritated by smoke as many people are, therefore if you're expecting some heavy smoking guests, move your plants into another area until your guests leave.
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PREPARING SOIL FOR PLANTING - Remove the grass and dig a large hole, turning the soil over. Remember to dig through plenty of organic matter until the soil is slightly higher than the surrounding ground to help improve drainage.
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Prevent drips in a hanging pot plant by placing a piece of sponge at the bottom.
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PRUNING FRUIT TREES - Prune fruit trees so that their branches form a cup shape. This ensures that the centre is open and airy, and that sunlight can easily penetrate all parts of the tree.
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Reduce evaporation by watering your garden first thing in the morning or in the cool of the evening, not during the heat of the day or on windy days where your garden will not get the maximum benefit.
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Revive an indoor plant by re-potting into a larger pot using a good quality potting mix. Most indoor plants die from over fertilising and lack of sunlight so use a slow release fertiliser and make sure plants receive lots of indirect natural light.
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Roses - newly planted roses must be well watered for the first few months and usually through the first two summers. Roses need good, regular, deep watering.Water in the morning to reduce the risk of fungal disease and flower damage.
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Safe snail repellent - sprinkle sawdust around the plants, snails will not crawl over as it sticks to them and is safe for pets and young children.
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Save seeds from plants before they fall to the ground by slipping an old pantyhose leg over the seed head while the seeds ripen, and as they fall they'll be collected in the toe. You can then hang the hose in the shed until you need the seeds.
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Save the pot water when you boil eggs to water your plants, it is full of nutrients. Let it cool down first.
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Save your empty egg cartons to start your spring seedlings in.
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Save your left over tea and tea leaves from the tea pot as a fertiliser for your garden. Tea is especially good for roses, azaleas, violets, hydrangeas and even parsley and passionfruit. Loosen the soil and sprinkle the leaves around the base of the plant.
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Seedling survival - seedlings grown from seeds are very fragile therefore you should gradually expose them to a little more sun each day rather than planting them directly in the garden. After a week or so of easing them into the sunlight, plant them early in the morning when it's cooler. Water seedlings before carefully removing from punnet by their leaves. Plant firmly into soil and water with half strength liquid fertiliser
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Stop blooms on gardenias & camellias turning brown by sprinkling with salt.
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Turn potted plants around regularly to stop them leaning toward the light.
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Use matchsticks to keep worms away by placing them in the soil end down. The sulphur repels the worms.
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Water your lawn early morning so less water is lost by evaporation. Don't water at night as the lawn stays wet which encourages fungus and lawn diseases.
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WEED CONTROL - Most summer weeds can be effectively controlled with one of the herbicides that work only through green tissues, not through the branches, trunk or soil. Purchase a weeding wand for easy application and apply to the mature leaves as well as the new growth.
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Well planned gardens can assist with the energy efficiency of your home by providing shade to your home in summer and protection from harsh winds in winter.
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Yellow leaves - if your plant suddenly turns yellow it doesn't always mean you r plant is hungry. Inspect the leaves closely for tiny sap-sucking black or red mites, or white, brown or greyish scales. Buy an oil spray at your local garden centre and follow the instructions on the back.
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