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Hydrophobic soil is common among house plants. Watch our video to learn what causes hydrophobic soil, how to identify and treat it  Hydrophobic Soil In House Plants

Edema (or oedema) is a plant disorder often seen in new foliage in popular house plants such as Fiddle Leaf Figs. What is edema and what are its causes? Tammy Huynh (leaf_an_impression on Instagram) from Gardening Australia says “Fiddle Leaf Figs often develop reddish-brown spots due to moisture stress from irregular watering, especially during periods of growth. When the plant finally receives water, its roots absorb it faster than it can transpire leading to increased water pressure within the leaf cells and subsequent bursting.”  Other signs that your plant is suffering from edema include:  -  Guttation: droplets exuding from the edge of foliage or stems as the plant releases excess water. Generally, a sign edema could follow if continued.  - ...

Australia is known for its dry and hot summer weather, however with the predicted El Nino, the weather is set to be a difficult summer for all living things including our plants. While our established gardens may need extra care this summer, its important to consider what plants will suit best when you are adding new specimens to your garden before the coming heat. With reduced rainfall and drought conditions to be expected, choosing drought hardy plants is a great way to add new foliage textures and colours into your garden.  Some great examples of drought tolerant plants include Cordyline, Lomandra, Olive trees (Olea species), Dragon Tree (Dracaena draco), Ponytail Palms (Beaucarnea recurvata), Jade (Crassula species), Giant Spear Lily (Doryanthes...

Often gardens that contain a variety of plants are seen humming with the presence of birds, bees, insects, and other animals. This abundance of wildlife can be attributed to the benefits animals derive from their symbiotic relationship with plants.  Encouraging the presence of animals by selecting specific plants is a beneficial way improve the overall health of your garden and environment, some example benefits include:  Bees: Bees are vital when it comes to pollination and food production. Pollinators like bees are estimated to pollinate approximately 75% of the worlds flowering plants, 35% being food crops including fruit and vegetables. Bees therefore help plants reproduce, while they gather pollen to produce their own food source. Birds: Many birds eat a variety of insects, including...

With the weather warming up, we naturally gravitate to being outside and getting ready to tend to our garden’s needs. While you can fertilise your plants, spray them and care for them above ground, you may notice some plants don’t thrive where they are planted and mightdiscolour or even die off. Sometimes this may be due to what’s happening below ground to the pH of your soil. Soil pH is a scale measuring the acidity or alkalinity of your soil, which determines the amount of nutrients available to plants. This will give you an indication of the types of plants that will thrive in that pH level or how much you need to amend the pH. This is especially important...