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April, 2010	Scotts Australia home
In And Around Your Garden - Garden notes for summer end Hello, Autumn is the season for reflection in the garden - a time to review the successes and failures of the past spring and summer. With the rain that followed the terrible bushfires and drought, most gardens are now at the best they've been in years, and good preparation and planning over the next couple of months will see them bursting at the seams next spring. Best wishes The Garden Team Scotts^® Australia

Now the weather's mellowing, it's time to give the lawn some attention.

Regular rainfall has ensured most lawns are now lush and green, but it takes effort to keep them that way.

Read our FOUR top tips for Autumn lawn care and don't forget to check out our Autumn in your garden page for more gardening tips.

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Scotts® products such as Osmocote®, Miracle-Gro® Maxfeed, Defender™ and Lawn Builder™. Find out more.

Almost as soon as seedlings are planted out or new growth appears on beloved plants, it seems they are immediately attacked by chewing and sucking pests that threaten to devastate the lot.

Control pests like aphids, caterpillars, white fly and thrips before the harm is done.

1. Keep a watchful eye out at all times

2. Apply an insecticide as soon as the pests are first noticed - don't wait until damage becomes obvious because that may be too late.

Defender™ Pyrethrum Insect Spray will kill most soft-bodied insects on contact without entering the food chain or accumulating in the environment, and is quite safe to use on edible plants.

Defender™ Pyrethrum Insect Spray is made from a natural extract of pyrethrum daisies grown in Tasmania.

Apply a light mist directly on to the pests, and you'll have them under control in no time!

Did you know?

Get those spring bulbs in now!

Give your vegies a head start

Miniature home orchards

It is possible to have your own home orchard producing fresh fruit even if your outdoor space is limited or most of your gardening is done in containers?

Fruit tree growers have been working hard in recent years to produce a comprehensive range of dwarf fruit trees including apples, pears, lemons, limes, oranges, peaches and nectarines.

The trees may be small in stature but their fruits are the same size as those of more traditionally proportioned fruit trees.

Grow them in narrow garden beds - they are columnar or very compact in habit, or espalier them against a fence or trellis.

They not only look attractive but they'll provide you with a ready supply of fresh fruits throughout the year.

It may sound like an 'old wives' tale' but it is true - the planting of spring flowering bulbs, with the exception of tulips, should be completed by Anzac Day, 25 April.

Why plant early?

Early planting ensures they are in the ground during the coldest months, which promotes abundant flowering.

Treat tulips differently

Tulips require slightly different treatment - they need a period of deep cold before planting so about four to six weeks before planting, place the bulbs in the vegetable crisper section of your refrigerator - NOT the freezer! - then plant out by mid May.

Planting tips for bulbs

•	Make the holes or furrows a little deeper than required.
•	Place a small amount of Osmocote® PLUS for Garden Beds in the base of each hole.
•	Backfill with a layer of soil so the bulbs are not sitting directly on the fertiliser.
•	Position the bulbs at the suggested depth and spacing, then cover completely with soil.

Winter vegetable seedlings planted in early autumn, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and cavalo nero, should all be well established by now.

It's essential they keep growing strongly before colder weather arrives.

1.	*Give them fortnightly boosts* of Miracle-Gro® MaxFeed Tomato Plant Food until at least the middle of May in southern areas and well into June in more temperate regions.
2.	*Water them every two weeks* with Miracle-Gro® Seafeed 3in1.

About Miracle-Gro® Seafeed 3in1

Seafeed 3in1 is a seaweed and fish emulsion tonic with added nutrients that promotes strong roots and cell walls to help combat frost damage.

Seafeed 3in1 also encourages worms and beneficial soil microbes that improve soil health and structure, and results in stronger and more productive crops.

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