Gardening Novice Needs Help

[George.com]

"Petesin" <wh@tthe****> wrote in message
...
> I have only just this year decided to try growing some plants. Didn't
> really know what I was doing and now I think I need some help!
>
> The garden beds are new (never had gardens there before) I dug up the
> existing soil added horse manure and more soil from a big hole I dug
behind
> the shed to raise it up a little. Got the soil tested and I was told to
add
> sulphur (found that interesting as around here we have a big red and white
> stack that pumps sulphur into the air all day long). I added the sulphur
and
> the resulting tests seemed to show it did the trick.
>
> I went and bought myself some plants from the local nursery that seemed to
> match the shade/sun exposure for my gardens and planted them along with
some
> "5 in 1". He said it was good stuff and would help them along nicely.
>
> I put in a basic watering system that gives them plenty of water (very
> little watering restrictions here) and let them go. The results were very
> poor. I lost one and the others didn't grow much at all. Some of the
leaves
> were turning yellow but I was willing to give them the benifit of the
doubt
> as it was coming into autumn and I thought their growing season was taking
a
> break. During winter I dug in some blood and bone and watered them with
> 'trace elements' and they started to pick up a bit. Now spring has sprung
> and the geisha's have started to come good after a light pruning but the
> leaves on the gardenias and 'sweet love' out the back are starting to turn
> yellow again and the leaves on the other plants seem to be browning off
too.
>
> 2 weeks ago while fertilising the lawn with grow force 303 I decided to
> throw some around the base of the plants too. Was this a mistake? It's
> only since then that the plants have started to turn on me.

Whats 303? Organic lawn fertiliser or granulated synthetic stuff? If the
latter you may have burnt the plant a little with something too strong for
it, especially if it high in nitrogen. Don't know for sure, only a guess.

The advice about getting advice from locals who grow it is good advice. If
you can't get this a suggestion is try gently digging in or mulching some
good backyard compost around the plant. Find a local who makes compost and
has a good garden and see if you can get some. This again is only a guess,
it may do nothing however compost is good stuff and quite beneficial.

rob

[Petesin]

I have only just this year decided to try growing some plants. Didn't
really know what I was doing and now I think I need some help!

The garden beds are new (never had gardens there before) I dug up the
existing soil added horse manure and more soil from a big hole I dug behind
the shed to raise it up a little. Got the soil tested and I was told to add
sulphur (found that interesting as around here we have a big red and white
stack that pumps sulphur into the air all day long). I added the sulphur and
the resulting tests seemed to show it did the trick.

I went and bought myself some plants from the local nursery that seemed to
match the shade/sun exposure for my gardens and planted them along with some
"5 in 1". He said it was good stuff and would help them along nicely.

I put in a basic watering system that gives them plenty of water (very
little watering restrictions here) and let them go. The results were very
poor. I lost one and the others didn't grow much at all. Some of the leaves
were turning yellow but I was willing to give them the benifit of the doubt
as it was coming into autumn and I thought their growing season was taking a
break. During winter I dug in some blood and bone and watered them with
'trace elements' and they started to pick up a bit. Now spring has sprung
and the geisha's have started to come good after a light pruning but the
leaves on the gardenias and 'sweet love' out the back are starting to turn
yellow again and the leaves on the other plants seem to be browning off too.

2 weeks ago while fertilising the lawn with grow force 303 I decided to
throw some around the base of the plants too. Was this a mistake? It's
only since then that the plants have started to turn on me. Should I give
them another hit of blood and bone and the trace elements that seemed to
work last time? The bloke on ABC radio always talks about sulphate of
potash. Can that stuff help me out? I really have no idea and just want
some plants to grow.

I'm sorry this was so long but I just wanted to give you a good idea of what
I have done so far.
Also I live in NW QLD and it's starting to get very hot very quickly so I
want to use this spring and summer to really get my gardens going.

[Farm1]

"Petesin" <wh@tthe****> wrote in message
> I have only just this year decided to try growing some plants.
Didn't
> really know what I was doing and now I think I need some help!
>
> The garden beds are new (never had gardens there before) I dug up
the
> existing soil added horse manure and more soil from a big hole I dug
behind
> the shed to raise it up a little. Got the soil tested and I was
told to add
> sulphur (found that interesting as around here we have a big red and
white
> stack that pumps sulphur into the air all day long). I added the
sulphur and
> the resulting tests seemed to show it did the trick.
>
> I went and bought myself some plants from the local nursery that
seemed to
> match the shade/sun exposure for my gardens and planted them along
with some
> "5 in 1". He said it was good stuff and would help them along
nicely.
>
> I put in a basic watering system that gives them plenty of water
(very
> little watering restrictions here) and let them go. The results
were very
> poor. I lost one and the others didn't grow much at all. Some of
the leaves
> were turning yellow but I was willing to give them the benifit of
the doubt
> as it was coming into autumn and I thought their growing season was
taking a
> break. During winter I dug in some blood and bone and watered them
with
> 'trace elements' and they started to pick up a bit. Now spring has
sprung
> and the geisha's have started to come good after a light pruning but
the
> leaves on the gardenias and 'sweet love' out the back are starting
to turn
> yellow again and the leaves on the other plants seem to be browning
off too.
>
> 2 weeks ago while fertilising the lawn with grow force 303 I decided
to
> throw some around the base of the plants too. Was this a mistake?
It's
> only since then that the plants have started to turn on me. Should
I give
> them another hit of blood and bone and the trace elements that
seemed to
> work last time? The bloke on ABC radio always talks about sulphate
of
> potash. Can that stuff help me out? I really have no idea and just
want
> some plants to grow.
>
> I'm sorry this was so long but I just wanted to give you a good idea
of what
> I have done so far.
> Also I live in NW QLD and it's starting to get very hot very quickly
so I
> want to use this spring and summer to really get my gardens going.

I dunno what geishas are and I can't grow gardenias where I live so
can't help there either so I'll be very general. My advice would be
to go for a walk and peer over fences. If you see a good local garden
then go in and ask the residents what they are doing that works for
them in your area. Garden centres often just try to flog what gets
them the most money and few of them these days seem to have a
horticulturalist on staff (or even know much about plants)

You may need to start off with plants that are a bit lower down the
diffficulty chain as a novice gardener.

And go a bit easy on the fertiliser to begin with. Blood and bone is
spread at the rate of a handful/metre and should be like a thin
coating of icing sugar on the top of a sponge cake and depending on
growth rate can be spred once month in hot moist areas or less often
in cooler slower growing areas. Trace elements are more like a
teaspoong over a metre once a year. You can poison your soil if you
overdo these.

Waht about the quality of your water?

[Petesin]

> Waht about the quality of your water?

Thanks for your advice.

I assume my water is ok (not that i drink it) becaue everyone else would be
using it (I assume) because we arn't allowed rainwater tanks up here due to
the sulphur and lead being pumped into the air.

[Rob & Shel]

Yikes!!! (re no rainwater tanks & dodgy air)....may I ask where you live?
Mt. Isa?
I'm in Conondale Suncoast Hinterland.

I'm fairly much in the same boat as you re being a novice....I just try to
grow any fruit & veg that takes my fancy. I'm planting our all sorts of
things quite often.
I look around & see what my neighbours are growing & what sorts of things
are farmed here.

Rob


"Petesin" <wh@tthe****> wrote in message
u...
>
>> Waht about the quality of your water?
>
> Thanks for your advice.
>
> I assume my water is ok (not that i drink it) becaue everyone else would
> be using it (I assume) because we arn't allowed rainwater tanks up here
> due to the sulphur and lead being pumped into the air.
>

[Chookie]

In article >,
"Petesin" <wh@tthe****> wrote:

> I have only just this year decided to try growing some plants. Didn't
> really know what I was doing and now I think I need some help!
>
> The garden beds are new (never had gardens there before) I dug up the
> existing soil added horse manure and more soil from a big hole I dug behind
> the shed to raise it up a little. Got the soil tested and I was told to add
> sulphur (found that interesting as around here we have a big red and white
> stack that pumps sulphur into the air all day long). I added the sulphur and
> the resulting tests seemed to show it did the trick.
>
> I went and bought myself some plants from the local nursery that seemed to
> match the shade/sun exposure for my gardens and planted them along with some
> "5 in 1". He said it was good stuff and would help them along nicely.
>
> I put in a basic watering system that gives them plenty of water (very
> little watering restrictions here) and let them go. The results were very
> poor. I lost one and the others didn't grow much at all. Some of the leaves
> were turning yellow but I was willing to give them the benifit of the doubt
> as it was coming into autumn and I thought their growing season was taking a
> break. During winter I dug in some blood and bone and watered them with
> 'trace elements' and they started to pick up a bit. Now spring has sprung
> and the geisha's have started to come good after a light pruning but the
> leaves on the gardenias and 'sweet love' out the back are starting to turn
> yellow again and the leaves on the other plants seem to be browning off too.
>
> 2 weeks ago while fertilising the lawn with grow force 303 I decided to
> throw some around the base of the plants too. Was this a mistake? It's
> only since then that the plants have started to turn on me. Should I give
> them another hit of blood and bone and the trace elements that seemed to
> work last time? The bloke on ABC radio always talks about sulphate of
> potash. Can that stuff help me out? I really have no idea and just want
> some plants to grow.
>
> I'm sorry this was so long but I just wanted to give you a good idea of what
> I have done so far.
> Also I live in NW QLD and it's starting to get very hot very quickly so I
> want to use this spring and summer to really get my gardens going.

Ok, in the last 6 months you have added the following to your soil:

horse manure
sulphur (It wasn't sulphate of ammonia, was it?)
5 in 1 (it's a mix of blood & bone, animal manures and mushroom compost)
blood & bone
trace elements
grow force 303

I think you have probably just overdone the fertiliser, particularly the
nitrogen. Did you add all the fertilisers at the recommended rate on the
packet? Even if you did, I'm inclined to think you've been killing them with
the plant equivalent of too much rich food. Have a look at the information on
the packets and see if you can spot something like "re-apply after X weeks".
Generally, you add fertilisers once or twice a year. (Don't feel too bad --
most of us have over-fertilised soemthing at least once!)

Unfortunately, you'll just have to wait for the excess nutrient to leach out
of the soil. Regular watering will help. Note that most plants don't like
boggy wet soil -- too much water is as bad as too little, so be judicious.
You could also try sprinkling a thin layer of dry lawn clippings (NOT fresh --
they contain nitrogen then!) or using pine bark as a mulch. It should take up
some nitrogen from the soil as part of decomposition. You could even try
planting sweet corn as it likes lots of nitrogen!

I'd also suggest testing your soil pH again. It might have become quite
acidic. Anything below about 5 or 6 is a problem for most plants, but if your
soil was very alkaline to start with (over 8) I wouldn't add any lime -- it
will even itself out.

I like the Global Garden site and it has some handy stuff for beginners (usual
disclaimers apply). This section might help you:

http://www.global-garden.com.au/gardenbegin.htm

Good luck and welcome to the great obsession!

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

[SG1]

"Petesin" <wh@tthe****> wrote in message
...
>I have only just this year decided to try growing some plants. Didn't
>really know what I was doing and now I think I need some help!
>
> The garden beds are new (never had gardens there before) I dug up the
> existing soil added horse manure and more soil from a big hole I dug
> behind the shed to raise it up a little. Got the soil tested and I was
> told to add sulphur (found that interesting as around here we have a big
> red and white stack that pumps sulphur into the air all day long). I added
> the sulphur and the resulting tests seemed to show it did the trick.
>
> I went and bought myself some plants from the local nursery that seemed to
> match the shade/sun exposure for my gardens and planted them along with
> some "5 in 1". He said it was good stuff and would help them along nicely.
>
> I put in a basic watering system that gives them plenty of water (very
> little watering restrictions here) and let them go. The results were very
> poor. I lost one and the others didn't grow much at all. Some of the
> leaves were turning yellow but I was willing to give them the benifit of
> the doubt as it was coming into autumn and I thought their growing season
> was taking a break. During winter I dug in some blood and bone and
> watered them with 'trace elements' and they started to pick up a bit. Now
> spring has sprung and the geisha's have started to come good after a light
> pruning but the leaves on the gardenias and 'sweet love' out the back are
> starting to turn yellow again and the leaves on the other plants seem to
> be browning off too.
>
> 2 weeks ago while fertilising the lawn with grow force 303 I decided to
> throw some around the base of the plants too. Was this a mistake? It's
> only since then that the plants have started to turn on me. Should I give
> them another hit of blood and bone and the trace elements that seemed to
> work last time? The bloke on ABC radio always talks about sulphate of
> potash. Can that stuff help me out? I really have no idea and just want
> some plants to grow.
>
> I'm sorry this was so long but I just wanted to give you a good idea of
> what I have done so far.
> Also I live in NW QLD and it's starting to get very hot very quickly so I
> want to use this spring and summer to really get my gardens going.
>
During my time in the Isa I found the guy in West st to be fairly knowing.
Unless he sold out or something. The good thing is that you can grow pumkins
12 months of the year. Mine started again after the winter solstice. Good
luck and Moondarra water is good if a little too chlorinated.
Jim