G'day,


You wrote:

....I gave them some slow release fertiliser that I picked up from
Bunnings about 4 weeks ago. I dug the fertiliser just 1-2cm below the
surface....

Go check the label and see how little space is devoted to 'digging in'.
Fertilizers are a concentraion of many different salts and, just as when
someone leaves your kitchen salt out on the table after a good barbie ,
they will suck in moisture if they can. If they (the fertilisersw) ,
happen to be mixed within the soil, then that is where they will suck in
their moisture. To cut a long story short it is called 'osmosis', (their
word, not mine!).

Years ago, it was called 'Killing with kindness'... {:-(



You wrote:

.... second died despite me watering it with a hose every other day.....

Refer to my earlier post on this matter.


China
Wingham
NSW


Professionals built the Titanic.
Amateurs built the Ark!