No matter what the weather forecasts tell us it’s officially autumn on March 1, so time to consider refreshing your spring-flowering daffodil and jonquil plants before they start their regrowth and produce  their little bulblets.  

In fact, if you have established clumps of any of the spring flowers and wish to move or thin them out, do it now, before they start their new growth cycle.  

Many of these varieties generate strong root growth before the flowers emerge, and they could suffer a setback if they are disturbed.  

A garden bed with deep friable soil or a large garden pot will do, providing the drainage is good. An open, sunny position suits daffodils best, although some protection is needed during their flowering period.  

Under normal conditions they should be planted 6 to 7cm deep. Space the  bulbs 8 to 10cm apart. They should be able to stay in the bed for three to four years without needing to be lifted.  

Now to your questions! Keep them coming.  

Q. Hi Glen, One of my friends told me he read somewhere that banana skins make a good fertiliser. Is this true? If so, how would I use them? – Curious, Kyneton  

A. Hi Curious, yes, that is correct. In fact, banana skins are an excellent source of potash, and as they are high in water content, they rot quickly and the potash soon becomes available to the plant. Up to six to nine skins can be put around each  shrub, mashed and dug in. Researchers in the United States have found that monthly applications in spring and autumn were the most beneficial.  

Q. Hi Glen, many of my plants look unhealthy, yet they receive adequate water and fertiliser, and I feel are well maintained.  One of my friends, who is a keen gardener, told me that perhaps I had a chemical deficiency in my soil. Could this be possible? If so, how could l find out what chemicals are deficient without resorting to expensive tests and equipment? – James, Woodend   

A. Hi James, tell-tale signs for detection of soil deficiencies can help you grow better plants, once you learn to read them. If the growing conditions are correct look for nutrient deficiencies such as these: Nitrogen – yellowing of the leaves – starting from the base of the plant; Phosphorous – poor root system, dull leaves, seeds fail to form, spotty leaves; Magnesium – yellow blotches between the larger veins on the leaves; and Calcium – weak growth, inadequate root systems. All of these symptoms must be considered when correcting deficiencies.

Your garden questions answered. Simply email your enquiry to: Garden queries to glenzgarden@gmail.com You should see your answer in the next edition of The Local

Keen-eyed koala scouts ahead for likely new home.  

There was great excitement recently, when this solitary koala was spotted atop one of the massive eucalypts fronting our house, much to the delight of the local children and their parents.  

Unfortunately, it was only a whistle-stop. After  a couple of days of scouring our local properties –  with a grunt and sigh he/she did a moonlight flit to ‘greener pastures’.  

This wasn’t the first koala experience we’ve had.  Our property includes an easement that runs right down to the old gold mines in Doctors Gully, and over the years we’ve encountered a few adventurous youngsters off to find a tree and a mate of their own.  

Garden queries for Issue 325:  Q. Hi Glen, Where have all the flowers gone? Not one of my rose bushes has flowered  this year, although they look healthy and have lots of leaves. What could be causing this? In previous years they have never failed to flower. – Sandra, Clunes  

A. Blame it on El Niño. And maybe a little too much care and attention? Roses  are fond of well-drained, compost rich soil and a little boost feed once the flowers are in bud. Any other time it all goes into the new growth… hence the lack of flowers.  

Another cause could be the use of a growth stimulating, nitrogen-rich fertiliser. I  must confess that we mis-judged the weather with our rose pruning this year – they  have responded with fewer flowers – and lanky long stems.  

Q. Is there such a thing as a salad tree? My neighbour said she read that there were fruit trees that bear more than one type of fruit on them. Is this possible, and if so, would  it be successful in our climate? – J.B. Kyneton  

A. Yes, the tree you are thinking of is known as a multi-grafted fruit tree, where several varieties of similar fruits are all grafted or budded to a parent tree. The most  common are nectarine and apricot.

ln the case of apples, pears and plums more than one variety is needed for pollination. The simple reason is to have more fruit varieties in a limited space. I am not too sure that they would suit our climate. You would  have to contact one of the wholesale specialist nurseries for an answer to that.  

Q. Glen, I started a strawberry patch last year and have had some very nice fruit this  season, but now they are sending out young plants all over the place. What should I do  with them? – Keith W, Creswick  

A. This is great. Leave them growing until they have established roots then cut them off at the plants. Plant them into pots of sandy soil mix and if you have the  space once they have established, extend your strawberry patch, or place them in large  pots.  

Your garden questions answered!  Simply email your enquiry to:  Garden queries c/o glenzgarden gmail.com. You should see your answer in the next edition of The Local     

We live in a house of many guises – beginning as two goldmine offices in Doctors Gully, Hepburn Springs  before being hauled onto logs by a team of horses to become the basis of a family cottage, after the closure of the mine sometime in the early 1900s.  

Those early pioneers must have been avid gardeners  judging by the selection of beautiful century-old trees and shrubs and traces of rock walls they left for us to build upon.  

We thank them, almost daily, as we are greeted by an ever-increasing variety of insect-eating and nectar sipping feathered friends, who daily visit our bird bath and seed feeders unknowingly helping us in our garden by pollinating our fruit and feasting on many of the insect and grub invaders.  

Among the regular feathered visitors are a couple of king parrots and a pair of  gang-gang cockatoos, who stop over on their yearly pilgrimage to feed on our ash trees.

One particular king parrot pair now have the cheek to land on our balcony and herald their arrival.  Last year the male left the others, came up and fed from my hand, while the female wavered in the distance.

So I’m hoping she will have the courage to accompany him all the way this year.  

 Q: A struggling liquidambar

I shall be grateful for your advice on a suitable replacement for a variegated  liquidambar we planted in our north-facing lawn last spring. It seems to be suffering from wind burn as the leaves are turning black at the edges. We plan to shift it to a more sheltered spot at an appropriate time and replace it with a more sturdy one once it has shed its leaves in winter. Perhaps the blackened leaves could  be caused by overhead watering and strong winds. Sarah, Creswick  

A: You have answered your own question when you say “perhaps it had too much water!” Especially if it’s mostly on the foliage. With your young liquidamber surrounded by lawn and, more than likely, nearby tree roots it would be unlikely to get its fair share.  

I would suggest that you should leave things as they are until late autumn when deciduous trees are bare and the soil super moist. You can then carefully lift your  liquidambar and replant it in a new shady non-north facing plot.  

As for a replacement I would suggest you would do very well with the bronze leaf  “smoke bush” (cotinus coggygria) which is a large shrub/small tree with large olive green leaves which turn bronze to purple in autumn.  

Q:. I have a lot of red gum seeds that have fallen off the tree and still remain in the pod. Some are open but most are still closed. How can I get them out without damaging them? Ray, Woodend  

A: The best way of opening the pods would be to place them in a dry box with a layer of dry sand on the bottom and leave them in the sun. They should soon dry out  and open of their own accord.     

Your garden questions answered!  Simply email your enquiry to:  Garden queries c/o glenzgarden gmail.com  You should see your answer in the next edition of The Local.

Dear reader, After more than 60 years of writing and broadcasting on both radio and television, telling you what I thought you should know about growing the ‘perfect  garden’, my creaking joints, fading memory, and caring spouse, tell me it’s about time to wind back.  

Hence this note and changed format.

So for you to find out the answer to your particular garden problems simply email me at glenzgarden gmail.com, and with  luck, your answer will appear in the next issue of The Local. Just like the following.  

Hi Glen,  I have a pretty bare block and want to plant it up. Which is better (easier) native or exotic? I love roses…but which type would establish faster?  Louise, Eganstown  

Hi Louise, There are plenty of fast growing and sturdy trees and shrubs, both native and exotic evergreens. Obviously the natives grow pretty quickly if you choose the ones that originally came from this area or with similar soil and climate – mainly because they have been propagated in our soils and climate.  There are plenty of nurseries specially dealing in native varieties, who would be best suited to help you.  

Roses seem to thrive in most Victorian soils and climes as long as they are fed and watered well, and they certainly earn their place when they bloom.  

Hi Glen,  I need a good border plant for a side that doesn’t get much sun. What would work? Something up to about two metres. Is it better to buy bigger plants to start  with? How often do you need to trim them?  Mark, Creswick.

Hi Mark,  Firstly what do you want the border to achieve? If it’s a neatly trimmed hedge you would do well with something like a box – neat, closely growing, light green or variegated leaves, needing a light clip every other month to look great.

If it’s just an upright border plant for an edge marking effect then the choice is wide open. This  includes lavender, fuchsias, pelargoniums, diosma and marguerite daisies.  

Hi Glen,  I’m after some more pruning advice for my (once upon a time) straggly lavender border. Last time I worried that they were just sitting there all straggly, now they’re boisterous and full of flowers, ready to take on the whole garden. If I just pick the  flower stems, will that benefit the plants in any way?  Dora, Trentham.  

Hi Dora, Picking lavender flowers is one of the best and most pleasing ways of pruning  lavender I can think of. Not only does it mean a pleasant perfume indoors, it means  you are keeping them in shape.