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	Topic and Question	Answer
	Rozella plants NSW When should I harvest the fruit after the flower flowers or before? The plants have a lot of grubs eating the leaves does this hurt the tree, also do we have to save the seed and replant when crop finishes or leave the plant for next crop of fruit? BACK TO TOPICS	Harvest rosella fruit as soon as they come away from the bush easily. If you leave them longer they will be tough and fibrous. Pick the grubs off by hand if you can or squirt them off with a hose. It’s the end of the season so I wouldn’t be too worried about them. Save some seed for sowing in spring for new plants as the shrubs are short-lived.
	Heirloom Fruit Trees NSW I'm hoping you can help me regarding a couple of fruit varieties that I'm trying to track down. One is a peach and a plum tree. The peach is a red fleshed one called Peche de Vigne, sometimes referred to as a blood peach, they are quite common in NZ and there it goes by the name of "black boy peach". There are plenty in NZ, but I can't get them sent here. The plum is a small yellow one called Mirabelle de Nancy, there are some vendors in Europe, but again can't import them. I'm hoping you may know someone that would have them in Australia. I'd even settle for seeds/pips. BACK TO TOPICS	Try either Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery in New South Wales or Flemings Nurseries in Victoria. They might be able to help you. If they don’t grow them they might be able to recommend a similar variety.
	photinia - super red NSW My photinias don't seem to be growing much and they are constantly being attacked by bugs...what can I do? BACK TO TOPICS	There are several possible reasons for plants not performing to your expectations. Being attacked by bugs tells me the trees are stressed. Too much or not enough water; overwhelming root competition from nearby trees; poor drainage; infertile soil and not enough light will cause your photinias (normally a robust shrub) to languish. Check all of these conditions and see if you can ameliorate the situation.
	yellow coloured worms QLD I am finding small yellow worms in a garden bed on a property where we have moved. They are about 5cm, shiny and not slippery like ordinary garden worms. I don't know if they are a grub and if I should leave them in the ground, or dispose of them? I would so appreciate your advice. BACK TO TOPICS	I would be taking a photo of the worms and sending it to your Dep’t of Agriculture for identification and advice. They may be beneficial so you don’t want to kill them if they are!
	citris WA We have a 3yr tree in large tub which we wish to plant in the ground. We are 200kl south of Perth...when is a good time to do it? BACK TO TOPICS	You would be okay to plant a citrus tree from a tub into the ground during winter in your area. Dig a hole bigger than the rootball of the tree and add some compost to the soil that is used for backfilling. Take the tree out of the pot and check the rootball; tease out some roots if it appears to be potbound. Water in well with a seaweed solution.
	watering in homemade hothouse NSW We have just exchanged the green shadecloth on our shadehouse for the white plastic recommended by the manufacturers, to create a "hothouse" for the cooler months. I want to see if I can grow tomatoes and extend my basil crop right through till Spring. In summer we used sprinklers on the seedlings and a drip on the bigger tomato plants. I'm wondering which is best for cooler times when the sun is not consistent to dry the leaves off. Can you also please recommend the ideal amounts to water basil under these "hothouse" conditions. It is all experimental for me at the moment but really want to be able to grow my basil all year. BACK TO TOPICS	It may be possible to grow both tomatoes and basil in a hothouse during the winter. Just keep the soil moist but not wet. I would be using all drip irrigation if you can to lessen the incidence of fungal disease. The problem maybe that if it is too cold for bees there will be little pollination of the tomato flowers to produce fruit set. You might need to pollinate the flowers yourself. I have heard that using an electric toothbrush or similar works! You hold it against the tomato stem and it vibrates the entire plant shifting the pollen around!
	Plants dying for no apparent reason VIC Having lost many roses,2 citrus trees, a pear tree etc I am concerned there may be something in the soil (fungal?) How can I check for this? The plants seems very healthy then seem to die almost overnight I have spoken with nurseries who say the only testing they do is a ph test and useless in this case. BACK TO TOPICS	It may be fungal attack but it may be the extended dry period we had this summer – I lost quite a few trees and plants seemingly overnight too. Try contacting your Dep’t of Agriculture for advice. Some soil testing labs can test for fungus as well as pH. I would get a horticultural consultant to come and visit – I think they would be worth every penny.
	non-fruiting orange trees NSW An orange tree bought in a nursery several years ago and left potted for 3 years was planted in ground 3 years ago. As yet it has budded only twice and not fruited at all. Any ideas? BACK TO TOPICS	Possibly the tree has not sent out roots into the soil. It might be worth digging it up this winter and checking the root ball. If it is still in essentially the same shape as the pot, some root pruning might be necessary before replanting. Pay attention to drainage, watering, fertiliser and sun. Citrus trees like good drainage, plenty of water especially during summer, feeding in spring/summer and full sun not part shade.
	Growing chillies WA A friend has given me a couple of chilli plants, the plants look very healthy a couple of chillies have started to grow but have just started to turn a blackish colour on small areas of the chillies. Is this normal, if not what can i do to fix it? BACK TO TOPICS	I’m not sure if this is normal or not. Chillies like hot weather and can start to look sick when the weather cools. Black spots could be a result of wet feet, cool weather, bacterial infection or even sun scorch! At this time of year if I wanted to grow chillies it would be in a pot in a hothouse or on a sunny kitchen ledge.
	panama red passionfruit NSW Hi, i have two grafted panama red passionfruit one approx 14 months the other 6 months. The older vine has an abundance of fruit the younger one is also fruiting profusely. Due to a lack of bees i resorted to hand pollinating which has proven very successful. My problem is that the fruit takes ages before changing colour when i have removed one from the vine the skin is extremely thick, seeds are not completely formed and the pulp is quite bitter. I composted before planting have mulched around both vines applied fruit and citrus fertilizer and have also sprayed with seasol. Can you tell me if this is common with young vines or am i missing out on doing something. BACK TO TOPICS	I think you’ve had quite a bit of rain recently where you are (and therefore less sun). That might be a reason. Otherwise you are doing everything else right! I was told to always leave the fruit of a passionfruit inside for a few days before eating it. Then the flavour goes from sour to sweet.
	which plants do I use? NSW We have a garden bed built of concrete blocks so it retains some heat, is underneath a concrete verandah, and has a northerly aspect which receives direct sunlight in winter but no direct sunlight in summer. A watering system can be installed if needed. What plants would best suit this environment? BACK TO TOPICS	The plants that first jump to mind are succulents (no watering system needed). Then I think of bromeliads and hardy ferns and things like monstera and philodendron. For colour impatiens should be okay.
	soil additives QLD I have some copra, surplus from my wifes horse feed. I was wondering if it's ok to add to the garden, soil, veggies, citrus, etc. I believe it's just crushed/ground coconut. Also, what is the nutrient breakdown of copra? BACK TO TOPICS	I believe copra for horse feed is high in oil and protein. I’m not sure if it is suitable for putting on the garden. Perhaps you could try some in a small area before spreading it everywhere. Keep an eye out for any fungal outbreaks or if it makes the soil hydrophobic (water repellent).
	training/tying VIC What is the best thing/product to use to secure two pencil pines into an arch shape? BACK TO TOPICS	I think the best thing would be strips of velcro. Then you can easily adjust the tension. You can buy it from nurseries expressly for this purpose. I would not be using wire, fishing line or cable ties as they can cut into the bark if forgotten.
	Nourishment when first planting trees VIC We have been given the advice that Molasses together with Seasol ( 5 litres/1litre/1000litres of water ) put into the hole prior to planting trees is very beneficial. Has anyone heard of this? BACK TO TOPICS	I would certainly recommend a seaweed solution but I don’t know about the molasses! I did a quick search of the internet and found conflicting opinions about using molasses. Maybe try it with a few trees and a few not and observe the results.
	cordyline potted indoor plant NSW I have a large Cordyline in a pot in my kitchen. The tips of the leaves are turning brown. Is this because it's not getting enough light as it doesn't get a lot of light where it is or am I over watering it? BACK TO TOPICS	It might be under or overwatering. Try this experiment: take it to the sink and run the tap until water flows out the bottom. If the water runs through very quickly, the potting mix might be hydrophobic (water repellent). Take it out of the pot and look at the rootball! If it is essentially still dry, try treating the soil with a soil wetting agent. It’s best to water indoor plants thoroughly but rarely, rather than briefly and often. Stick your finger in the soil up to the second knuckle. If your fingertip is moist the plant is okay. It might also need a bit more sun.
	Identifying an unusual flower NSW I was wondering if you could tell me the name of a plant I saw on holidays recently. It had leaves similar to an agapanthus but slightly smaller, and had a flower kind of like a bottlebrush, but with much thicker and less frequent stamen (maybe 1cm apart) with filaments (I think) coloured a very strong purple with almost fluoro pink anthers (again, I'm guessing on the terminology). I saw this flower in a caravan park near 7 mile beach in Gerroa, NSW. BACK TO TOPICS	I’ll take a guess and say it’s a bromeliad – possibly an aechmea. I have one flowering now and it matches your description exactly.

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Rozella plants NSW Heirloom Fruit Trees NSW photinia - super red NSW yellow coloured worms QLD citris WA watering in homemade hothouse NSW Plants dying for no apparent reason VIC non-fruiting orange trees NSW	Growing chillies WA panama red passionfruit NSW which plants do I use? NSW soil additives QLD training/tying VIC Nourishment when first planting trees VIC cordyline potted indoor plant NSW Identifying an unusual flower NSW
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