Episode: #2 17/03/07
Presenter: Melissa King

Elizabeth Chong is one of Australia’s best loved food legends and is a woman who loves her garden. She has a gorgeous little courtyard that is full of Camellias (Camellia sasanqua cv.)

Every good cook has a lemon tree but Elizabeth’s lemon tree (Citrus x limon) is not fruiting. Melissa is to the rescue to see why and give Elizabeth some tips to fix the problem.

There a few signs of pests, citrus leaf miner, some left over scale and citrus gall wasp. It is important to chop the citrus gall wasp off before the end of August otherwise wasps will start to emerge and cause havoc. But these problems are not the cause of her lemon tree not fruiting; Melissa believes it is all in the pot.

Watering your potted plants all the time leaches all the nutrients out. Citrus are big feeders so they like to feed regularly with a good complete citrus food and a good kick of Yates Sulphate of Potash as potassium is important for fruiting and flowering.

It is a good idea to get some Yates Water Storage Crystals to add to the pot. Get a knitting needle, chop stick or skewer and dig holes about around the tree and pour down some of the crystals. They will swell up and absorb water and the plant draws on the water when it requires it.

Melissa gives Elizabeth some herbs that are from the Mediterranean and the Middle East such as rosemary, thyme and oregano and they will grow well with little water.

Waterwise Tips:

• To shelter your plants and living areas use windbreaks such as pergolas, screens, lattice, shade cloths and vines.
• Maximise the use of hard landscaping such as paving and soft landscaping such as mulches without creating hotspots due to large areas of landscaping.
• For more water saving tips visit our website for links to your water supplier

Yates Sulphate of Potash

• Rich source of potassium for encouraging flowering and fruiting in all plants, as well as promoting disease resistance.
• Completely soluble.
• Safest and most concentrated forms of potassium.
• Ideal for mixing with blood and bone for an organically based complete fertiliser.

Waterwise Water Storage Crystals

• When added to potting mix or garden soil, the crystals absorb up to 500 times their own weight in water.
• The water is released over a period of time as the plants require it.
• Reduce water usage and increase the times between watering.
• Effective for up to five years and biodegrade harmlessly.
• Prevents the soil from drying out, improves soil aeration and drainage.
• Potassium based.