DFB's Greenthumb Project

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by FTE217

Love your good info DFB especially that your a regular user landscaper etc….
AK suits my needs by the look of it plus always been a fan of the orange brand got one of their whipper snippers.
Thanks !


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The only thing to note with the BGA 57 is that the throttle is either on or off, no variable speed like the larger AP models (BGA 86/100/200).

[FTE217]

now you tell me,
Nah got to have throttle control, need to look more now.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by FTE217

now you tell me,
Nah got to have throttle control, need to look more now.

The next one up is the BGA 86 -

https://www.stihl.com.au/STIHL-Produ...Skin-Only.aspx

This one has variable speed but................. the price is more. These are not sold in a kit so you will need the battery and charger -
BGA 86 - $399
AP200 Battery - $219
AP Charger - $139
Total - $757

That's far too much for a battery blower, even if you can justify the charger and battery for use in other tools.

I would be going for this EGO in your case, variable speed included. The $429 price includes a battery and charger.
https://www.totaltools.com.au/110393...er-kit-lb5302e

EGO also have a great range of tools to add in the future if you need.
https://www.totaltools.com.au/brands/ego

[DFB FGXR6]

For the first in many many years, I have planted some Tomato seedlings in our back garden. Six plants split between Roma (the best variety for Fruit Fly resistance), Grosse Lisse and Sweet Bite. Just have to rig some irrigation up now.



I also replanted these pots on the deck with summer flowering annuals. Petunia's, Hollihocks and Impatiens. Along with the Tomato's, I laced these with Osmocote to feed them right through. (I don't do Seasol!)





And the Sweet Peas are beginning to flower. These were planted from a chuck-out punnet of seedlings from work, stock we deem unsalable, and they have done so well considering.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Great to see the dog so happy on the lawn.

Got a red maple here, too. Would really like to shift it but the root ball would be a mess. Very occasionally get a couple of seedlings that start (it’s a graft) but they don’t last two years.

He loves being in the garden.

[FTE217]

EGO is not a dirty word !
I like that makes more sense Thankyou !

Nice seeing our friends in the garden with us, don’t we all love it !

Here’s our little recent collection talking herds or otherwise



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[FTE217]

Here’s our Lucky the white Lion



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[FTE217]

DFB,
Osmocote to feed them right through. (I don't do Seasol!)

Agreed mate, man that seasol stinks as well, osmocote all the way.

Hey by the way, I cannot believe seeing the state of your decking -I don't wish to add to your cleaning ocd but I suppose the amount of time your clensing your fleet and work when do you have time to give the timber a lick of oil or stain
In saying that the Boss loves the worn look yet whilst she's sleeping in a weekend morn here or there I've got the oil stain out and brushed before her morning cuppa haha....
Whats that smell

Thankgoodness just the week before last I gurnied our sandstone pavers/walls and timber rails in the recent pics.
Mind you I'm very wary and annoyed of the wind debree around the Boss's 3 little vege patchs lol.....

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by FTE217

DFB,
Osmocote to feed them right through. (I don't do Seasol!)

Agreed mate, man that seasol stinks as well, osmocote all the way.

Hey by the way, I cannot believe seeing the state of your decking -I don't wish to add to your cleaning ocd but I suppose the amount of time your clensing your fleet and work when do you have time to give the timber a lick of oil or stain
In saying that the Boss loves the worn look yet whilst she's sleeping in a weekend morn here or there I've got the oil stain out and brushed before her morning cuppa haha....
Whats that smell

Thankgoodness just the week before last I gurnied our sandstone pavers/walls and timber rails in the recent pics.
Mind you I'm very wary and annoyed of the wind debree around the Boss's 3 little vege patchs lol.....

I have a bit of a hateful passion for Seasol! That company has marketed their product so well that it is now the byword for "fertiliser".

I liken Seasol to a multivitamin for plants. And while a multivitamin can be a good thing for humans, you certainly can't survive on them. It's the same for plants, Seasol has some mild fertility to it but it's best used as a stress reliever at planting time. To stimulate growth or correct a deficiency, it just does not have the guts to it to be effective. I also believe there are better seaweed based products on the market such as Maxicrop.

So when a customer tells me that they have fertilized, for example a yellowing shrub, I always ask what they used and 9 times out of 10 they respond with Seasol. I then go on to explain what they need, however that can be a struggle to convey in a way that doesn't sound like I'm trying to up-sell them. I don't care about the added money it adds to sale, I just want the customer to get the results. Again, Seasol have marketed their product so well that it becomes hard to show or explain why it may not be the best product to use.



As for the deck, yes she needs some attention. No prize for guessing the cars and work get first priority.

[DFB FGXR6]

Rhaphiolepis 'Oriental Pink' in my front garden are doing their thing at the moment.



These compact shrubs grow to about 1m x 1m and are generally known to be slow growers, perfect for low maintenance gardens. There is also a variety called 'Oriental Pearl with white flowers. I have found these to very tough plants, able to withstand hot sunny positions with ease.

And a couple from my neighbors garden. These Clivia's are looking great in a pot under a carport and the Gold Bunny rose is ready to burst into the first flowering of Spring.

[DFB FGXR6]

This is one of my favorites, Weigelia Florida 'Variegata'.



This is a slow growing deciduous shrub to about 2mt high, flowering profusely in early spring. I really love how the variegated foliage adds strong contrast to the garden. Weigelia are said to suitable for full sun to part shade positions, however I have found in my area these tend to suffer from burnt foliage on really hot days. This specimen is planted under a flowering plum so will have plenty of summer protection. I would also suggest keeping these well watered in summer.

[DFB FGXR6]

Another Gold Bunny rose, the first flowers of the season are always the best.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Another Gold Bunny rose, the first flowers of the season are always the best.

image

Aarrgghh, Roses! The Dragon Lady found aphids on one of hers a few days ago, so I had to spend the afternoon mixing rose Shield and spraying the rest (>40) this arvo.

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by GasoLane

Aarrgghh, Roses! The Dragon Lady found aphids on one of hers a few days ago, so I had to spend the afternoon mixing rose Shield and spraying the rest (>40) this arvo.

My mother in law is at a loss, she just can't grow roses, they keep dying.
The old fella pulled me aside and said "Keep your mouth shut boy, I'm poisoning them one at a time"

Try Initiator tablets for the aphids, its a systemic pesticide that lasts for about twelve months.
Or for a more PC approach plant some sunflowers, they attract lots of ladybirds, predatory wasps and insects. You'll get some kudos from the mrs when they flower too...

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

My mother in law is at a loss, she just can't grow roses, they keep dying.
The old fella pulled me aside and said "Keep your mouth shut boy, I'm poisoning them one at a time"

Try Initiator tablets for the aphids, its a systemic pesticide that lasts for about twelve months.
Or for a more PC approach plant some sunflowers, they attract lots of ladybirds, predatory wasps and insects. You'll get some kudos from the mrs when they flower too...

That's both ingenious and hilarious!

[Citroënbender]

You’d be on edge if he offered you a cuppa.

Sort of garden related, starting to think bees have a sense of humour. They’re repeatedly terrorising one neighbour, and only one. Today one hive swarmed, he got in his car and ran away. Broke my no calls on Saturday rule and rang the apiarist - he came and said that hive has quite a few queen cells in it. So more swarms are pressingly imminent.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Try Initiator tablets for the aphids, its a systemic pesticide that lasts for about twelve months.
Or for a more PC approach plant some sunflowers, they attract lots of ladybirds, predatory wasps and insects. You'll get some kudos from the mrs when they flower too...

I just looked up Initiator tablets. Sheesh at one tablet per plant I'll need to take out a loan! How often do you need to use them?

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by GasoLane

I just looked up Initiator tablets. Sheesh at one tablet per plant I'll need to take out a loan! How often do you need to use them?

Wow I just looked them up, we get them in commercial quantities at work so never realized what they were worth.
They're meant to last twelve months but after one dose I haven't seen an aphid on our roses for a couple of years now.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Wow I just looked them up, we get them in commercial quantities at work so never realized what they were worth.
They're meant to last twelve months but after one dose I haven't seen an aphid on our roses for a couple of years now.

Works out at about 70c per tab at the cheapest places.

Is Initiator the same as Confidor? I read so many Google sites I got lost, but I think somewhere it said that there was a name change.

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by GasoLane

Works out at about 70c per tab at the cheapest places.

Is Initiator the same as Confidor? I read so many Google sites I got lost, but I think somewhere it said that there was a name change.

Its a shame you can't but small quantities, I think the small bottles were about 300 tablets.

Looking at the msds its the same active constituent, Imidacloprid, as Confidor, but at a lower rate, and with some fertilizer in there too.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by GasoLane

Works out at about 70c per tab at the cheapest places.

Is Initiator the same as Confidor? I read so many Google sites I got lost, but I think somewhere it said that there was a name change.

Confidor's active constituent is imidacloprid. Many companies now use this in their own versions of this now.

Richgro sell a granular version. We use this on indoor plants, an environment where spraying is not desirable. This is sprinkled on then watered in.

https://www.richgro.com.au/product/b...n-insecticide/



Confidor also come in tablets which work out at around $2.50 a pop.

https://www.thenile.com.au/home/conf...SABEgJyVPD_BwE



Another option could be to use the hose on type lawn beetle killers as some of these also contain imidacloprid. This is a wink/nod recommendation as this is not exactly what these were designed for, so you didn't here it from me ok.

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/moss...ch-/1162541104
https://www.petandgarden.com.au/conf...idor&results=9

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Confidor also come in tablets which work out at around $2.50 a pop.

I noticed that if you buy the 750g bottle (300tabs) at around $200 the price works out to about 60c a tab.

Still a lot of money for pretty weeds.

[FTE217]

Ha huh talking about bugs etc…
My poor good sized olive tree has been invaded by bugs eating the leaves and in turn loosing heaps of them :(
Scale insects from my reading.
Just thought if DFB or anyone has good advise which product and way to manage for I want to hit Bunnings later today and buy what I need.



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[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by FTE217

Ha huh talking about bugs etc…
My poor good sized olive tree has been invaded by bugs eating the leaves and in turn loosing heaps of them :(
Scale insects from my reading.
Just thought if DFB or anyone has good advise which product and way to manage for I want to hit Bunnings later today and buy what I need.
image


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You need to be careful with the chemical you use here due to it being a productive tree, assuming you are eating the olives.

Use a white oil product or perhaps even one with potassium soap as the active ingredient. Both of these are non-systemic sprays that kill on contact and wont transfer to the fruit. Being non systemic means you will need to ensure a thorough coverage to get a good kill. Also be careful with the oil based product in temps exceeding 32 degree or you risk burning the foliage.

Potassium Salt example (Look for "Potassium salts of fatty acids" as the active ingredient) -
https://www.yates.com.au/product/gar...SABEgIYLfD_BwE

While oil/pest oil (Look for "Petroleum oil" as the active ingredient)-
https://www.yates.com.au/product/gar...SABEgKOGPD_BwE

Sorry for the late response.

[Citroënbender]

Do you think the siting might be an issue, too? I’ve got a massive Arbutus Unedo that has suffered since a monstrosity was built next door, it’s not getting the same cycles of airflow and sunshine. Wondered if this olive tree might be suffering in a similar way - change of ambient conditions.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Do you think the siting might be an issue, too? I’ve got a massive Arbutus Unedo that has suffered since a monstrosity was built next door, it’s not getting the same cycles of airflow and sunshine. Wondered if this olive tree might be suffering in a similar way - change of ambient conditions.

Most certainly could be.

It might be wise to trim some material from the center of the tree to improve airflow and sunlight, perhaps preventing those issues.

As for the Arbutus Unedo, geez, have not seen one of those for years!

[FTE217]

No need to apoligise DFB.
Thanks for your input, I'll look into it, I've read soapy water sprayed on could be an ok excercise but not an out and out deterent.

CB, this one is only a 4yr old young tree and in good position, lots of sunshine etc.....and been going ok through our weather cycles to me, infact it was healthy as, this has occured just the last month.
It puzzles me why mind you, we have another bit younger not effected to date.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by FTE217

No need to apoligise DFB.
Thanks for your input, I'll look into it, I've read soapy water sprayed on could be an ok excercise but not an out and out deterent.

CB, this one is only a 4yr old young tree and in good position, lots of sunshine etc.....and been going ok through our weather cycles to me, infact it was healthy as, this has occured just the last month.
It puzzles me why mind you, we have another bit younger not effected to date.

You can make your own oil/soap insecticide.

Basically one part soap, two parts oil. Then add one tablespoon into 1 litre of water.

https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/fac...te-oil/9437342

[GasoLane]

Had a bit of an 'Oops' in the Fernery/grapevine area the other day.

After some rain the old little chain finally rusted away....The sleepy one on the floor is supposed to be tucked up under the one on the pole

[Tonz]

chains....I donno nothing is made to last these days.
Good time of the year to remount it on hardwood backing and if chain use quality heavy plastic link chain.

DO NOT use the banana skin idea, all its useful for is attracting ants.