Growing With You Magazine -Autumn 2022 Edition

AU T U M N 2 02 2

BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO GROWING DAZZLING

Potted Plants

Easy Pots!

Vegie Patch Inspiration what to sow and grow in autumn

HEDGE HEROES Planting for Privacy HOW TO GROW

AGLAONEMAS

CONTROLLING LAWN WINTER GRASS

Get your lawn barefoot ready with Yates Weed’n’Feed® Make caring for it easy with Yates Weed’n’Feed® and Yates® Buffalo PRO ® Weed’n’Feed™. Formulated to do two jobs at once; eliminate broadleaf weeds, like Bindii and Clover, while at the same time giving your lawn a quick burst of nutrients to promote healthy, green growth.

Yates, Yates Weed ‘n’ Feed and Buffalo Pro are registered trade marks and Weed ‘n’ Feed is a trade mark of DuluxGroup Australia (Pty Ltd)

Letter from the editor

Don't tell the rest of the seasons but I think autumn might just be my favourite.

After the exhausting heat of summer, there's gentle temperatures and long afternoons that are perfect for pottering around the garden. Plus there's so much promise of a new season of sowing and growing opportunities.

We have a young quince tree that is ripening its autumn fruit (I really must protect it from the parrots this year) and I'm looking forward to trying my hand at making quince paste. Being a cheese platter addict, it's one of the main reasons I planted a quince tree! Together with apples, quinces help to bridge the gap between the last of the summer stone fruit and the winter citrus harvest. Speaking of apples, now that our collection of columnar apples is protected from the local wallabies, they're showing lots of fruity promise.

I have multiple punnets of broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower seeds planted, ready to go into vegie beds that had a well-mulched rest over summer. And I'm again looking forward to lots of delicious snow peas over the coming months. The plan this year is to sow one lot of seed at the beginning of autumn and at least another sowing in late autumn, to extend the picking season for as long as possible.

You can never have too many snow peas.

Another vegie patch inclusion will be garlic.

I peel and freeze a lot of our garlic and although some of the flavour diminishes and the cloves become soft on thawing, it's so handy to have our home-grown garlic on hand year-round to throw into different cooked dishes.

In the flower department, I'm going to repeat the bed of peony poppies that I enjoyed so much last spring and sow seed during autumn. The seed was a gift from my neighbour and what resulted was a stunning mix of single and double poppies in pink, burgundy and red. And the bees went crazy! It was a delight watching the bees excitedly rolling around in the flowers, collecting as much pollen as they could carry.

And I must put some sweet pea seed in too. Picking handfuls of sweet peas in spring is pure joy, so it's definitely worth dedicating some time to sowing seed in autumn. I hope you'll be able to find a spot for sweet peas too, whether that's against a bare fence or in a pot or hanging basket.

As life becomes busier and priorities pull us in different directions, burying one's face in a home-grown bunch of heavenly scented sweet pea flowers is precious. The simple but soul-uplifting pleasures of gardening.

I hope you have a wonderful autumn in your gardens,

Angie Thomas

Horticultural Communications Manager

Bring ‘The Great Outdoors’ indoors Keep your plants happier and healthier with a range of Yates® plant care products.

Indoor plant care is now much simpler with a specially designed range of potting mixes and fertilisers. From the smallest balcony to your indoor jungle, Yates® has a solution. This means every plant from leafy greens to stunning orchids will always get the care and nourishment they need.

Great things start with Yates™

Yates and Thrive are registered trade marks and Great things start with Yates is a trade mark of DuluxGroup Australia (Pty Ltd)

What's inside

01

AUTUMN GARDENING ESSENTIALS

13

WINTER GRASS

23

FLIES AROUND YOUR FRUIT BOWL?

Learn about key autumn gardening jobs to keep your garden looking fantastic.

Winter grass in your lawn?

How to get winter grass under control.

How to control the annoying flies around your fruit bowl and compost bucket.

03

15

25

THE PERFECT PLANTING SEASON

STARTING A NEW LAWN FROM SEED

Autumn's the perfect planting season. From cool season vegies and garlic to camellias and spring flowering bulbs. We're spoilt for choice!

Need a new lawn? How to start afresh from seed.

05

16

EASY POT PROJECT

YOUR AUTUMN LAWN CARE PLAN

RATS AND MICE KEEPING YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT?

Controlling rats and mice as the weather cools down.

27

HOME GROWN CUT FLOWERS FOR AUTUMN AND WINTER

Our beginner's guide to growing dazzling potted plants.

Help your lawn recover from summer AND prepare for it winter.

Grow your own! Fill your house with vases of home-grown flowers.

07

17

29

AUTUMN VEGIE & HERB SEED SOWING

Fresh home-grown vegies & herbs - what to sow and grow during autumn.

09

GET YOUR AUTUMN VEGIE PATCH HUMMING

AUTUMN FLOWER SEED SOWING GUIDE

Your handy list of what gorgeous flowers to sow and grow in autumn.

19

HEDGE HEROES PLANTING FOR PRIVACY

Top tips for a terrific harvest of brassicas, spinach and peas.

We look at some of the best hedging plants to grow a leafy screen and create a private garden haven.

11

21

HOW TO GROW AGLAONEMAS

Include some vibrant foliage colour in your indoor plant collection with Aglaonemas.

AUTUMN CITRUS LOVER'S GUIDE

How to care for your citrus trees in autumn and growing kaffir limes.

GARDENING IN DIFFERENT CLIMATES

Practical autumn gardening tips for around Australia.

AUTUMN GARDENING ESSENTIALS Autumn's mild conditions create a glorious time to be out in the garden.

The air temperatures are cooling but the soil is still warm enough for root growth and plants to establish, so it's an ideal season to sow and grow a wonderful range of plants. Here are some quick tips for your autumn gardening diaries.

Mother's Day inspiration Mums, Grandmothers and the special women in your life can be pampered on Mother's Day with a beautiful plant or gardening gift.

Here are some gift thought starters to help make it easy. »

Herb pot - a rustic terracotta pot planted with a combination of Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano is a practical and beautifully fragrant gift.

These herbs like a full sun position, keep the potting mix slightly moist and feed every 1 - 2 weeks with Yates® Thrive® Natural Vegie & Herb Liquid Plant Food to promote lots of leaf growth.

»

A 'mum' for a Mum - chrysanthemums, often called 'mums', are a Mother's Day favourite. From pale pastel pinks and mauves to vibrant yellows and oranges, you can choose the recipient's favourite colour. Dwarf chrysanthemums are pot-perfect and team beautifully with a lightweight terracotta or dark grey coloured Yates Tuscan® pot.

»

Indoor plants - perhaps your special someone would like to add a new plant to their indoor collection or they're keen to jump on the indoor plant phenomenon for the first time. Easy care options include peace lilies, Devil's ivy, hoya and ZZ plants.

Don't forget a decorative pot, a bag of Yates Speciality Potting Mix Indoor Plants & Ferns and a pack of Yates Thrive Plant Food Spikes Indoor Plants & Ferns to keep their new leafy gift well fed.

Gift tip!

A gift of some gardening time for Mum will always be welcome too.

Offer to prune some hedges, spread some mulch, plant a flower bed, mow the lawn or prepare a vegie patch.

G R O W I N G W I T H Y O U - YA T E S

1

Sweet pea sowing season

Cast your mind forward to spring when you could be burying your nose in a posy of fragrant home-grown sweet peas. Best grown from seed, autumn is the time to sow sweet pea seeds. St Patrick's Day (March 17th) has been the traditional time to sow sweet peas, though if the weather is still warm it's best to delay sowing until April. To cover a fence in sweet peas, look for tall growing varieties like heavily perfumed Yates® Sweet Pea 'Old Fashioned' or for pots and hanging baskets, Yates Sweet Pea 'Bijou' is delightfully colourful and compact.

Root rot prevention

Wet weather or poorly drained soil can lead to the development of collar and root rot diseases.

These diseases affect the ability of plants to effectively absorb moisture and plants can, confusingly, appear wilted. Citrus and avocado trees and many Australian native plants can be particularly susceptible.

Yates Anti Rot Phosacid Systemic Fungicide can be applied as a foliar spray during autumn and the fungicide travels down through the plant and into the stems and roots to target root and collar rot diseases.

Orchid care

Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis spp.) are at their floral best as the weather cools down and are a gorgeous gift option for Mother's Day. To create the perfect foundation for orchids, choose a specially formulated and free draining potting mix like Yates Specialty Potting Mix Orchids. And feed orchids every two months with Yates Thrive Plant Food Spikes Orchids, which promote healthy leaf growth and lots of beautiful flowers. Keep your moth orchid in a brightly lit position indoors but away from direct light.

Mite control

If warm or dry weather lingers into autumn, mites can be a problem. Often called red spider or two-spotted mites, they're very tiny sap sucking pests that can damage plants like tomatoes, beans, roses and indoor plants. Look for yellowing or mottled leaves and in severe cases, masses of spidery webbing. Control mites by spraying affected plants every 5-7 days with Yates Nature's Way® Vegie & Herb Spray.

G R O W I N G W I T H Y O U - YA T E S

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Autumn the perfect planting season

Autumn's mild weather and warm soil create an ideal time for planting. Let's dig in!

What can we plant during autumn? From the prettiest flowers to the tastiest fresh vegies, there are lots of fantastic options to sow and grow during autumn.

Vegies »

In the vegie patch, we're spoilt for choice! Sow seeds of climbing peas like Yates® Sugarsnap Peas and Yates Snow Peas next to a trellis or teepee they can twine up. Grow nutritious Yates Baby Leaf Spinach, Yates Asian Stir Fry, Yates Silverbeet Compact Deep Green and Yates Lettuce Baby Combo to keep your kitchen stocked with leafy ingredients for salads and stir fries.

»

Plant brassica vegies, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower, which thrive in the cooler weather. Monitor for snails and slugs, which can rapidly devour young seedlings. A light sprinkling of Yates Snail & Slug Bait around the plants will help keep them protected.

»

Grow your very own flavoursome garlic by planting cloves, pointy end up, four centimetres deep in a sunny well-drained position. Once the first shoots emerge, feed the plants every one to two weeks with Yates Thrive® Vegie & Herb Liquid Plant Food to promote lots of leafy growth and good sized garlic bulbs.

G R O W I N G W I T H Y O U - YA T E S

3

Flowers, trees & shrubs »

Brighten the coolest months by planting flowers like pansies, violas, English daisies, calendula and dianthus. They'll look divine planted in groups throughout the garden or you can make a statement with a mass planting.

»

Plant spring flowering bulbs like daffodils, hyacinths and tulips (gladioli, ixias and babiana are best for warm areas) and spring flowering annuals like sweet peas.

»

Choose your favourite camellia from your local garden centre while it's in glorious bloom.

And it's also a great time to select a deciduous tree as they'll be clothed in their richly coloured autumnal foliage. Crepe myrtles and compact Japanese maples are ideal for smaller backyards and provide summer shade and let the winter sunshine in.

Professional planting tips »

A flourishing garden starts from the ground up. The secret is in the soil! So it's important to improve and nurture your soil before you plant anything. It's as simple as mixing handfuls of Yates® Dynamic Lifter® Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser into the soil. When planting trees and shrubs, mix Yates Dynamic Lifter into the soil dug from the planting hole and then backfill around the root ball with this enriched soil. Before planting flower and vegetable beds, mix 150 grams (approximately two handfuls) of Yates Dynamic Lifter into each square metre of soil.

»

Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser helps refresh and rejuvenate the soil, breathing life into the garden and nurturing new autumn plants. The rich organic matter in Yates Dynamic Lifter also helps increase the soil's water and nutrient holding ability, improve soil structure as well as encouraging earthworms and beneficial soil microorganisms.

»

To help maintain organic matter levels in the soil and provide plants with gentle slow release organic nutrients, reapply Yates Dynamic Lifter around established plants every 6 - 8 weeks during the growing and flowering seasons.

G R O W I N G W I T H Y O U - YA T E S

4

BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO GROWING DAZZLING

potted plants

There's a wonderful world of benefits of growing plants in pots. You can position them in a prime position when they're looking fabulous, take them with you if you have to move and have the flexibility to create different potted displays throughout the year. Growing plants in pots is also fantastic for beginners, as they're a small and easy project to tackle and doesn't take much time at all. Let's get potting!

Step 1 - Choose your plants

Step 1 - The pot

With so many fabulous plants on offer during autumn, it may feel a little overwhelming to know what to choose. However, for an easy 30 - 40 cm diameter pot project, head to your local garden centre and look for smaller plants, potted colour (which are advanced seedlings that are often already flowering) and seedlings, rather than large plants and shrubs. You can use a single plant or combine a few different plants in the one pot. Need more inspiration? How about:

Choose a pot! It can be as decorative, plain or imaginative as you like, as long as it has good drainage holes and is also suited to the size of the plant or combination of plants you're using. You might have a spare pot lying around or some retail therapy could be in order.

Strong, lightweight options are Yates® Tuscan Pots, which come in a range of sizes from 20 to 50 cm and are available in a traditional terracotta colour or the very popular Dark Grey Dulux® Colorbond® Monument.

»

Step 2 - Find a spot

»

A gorgeous autumn flowering salvia from the 'So Cool' salvia range from Plant Growers Australia.

A combination of Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage or a mix of salad greens like loose leaf lettuce.

'So Cool' salv

»

A pot filled with dainty honey scented crisp white alyssum.

»

Some bright orange or yellow calendulas or marigolds.

»

A few 'potted colour' pots of violas or pansies planted together in a window box or trough.

ias

Position the pot in it's final position.

For sun-loving plants look for a spot that receives at least six hours of sunshine a day. For plants that prefer shade, look for a protected area with dappled sunlight.

Plant tags will tell you the amount of sunlight the plants need.

Fill the pot with a premium potting mix like Yates Premium Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter®. It's enriched with Yates Dynamic Lifter to provide gentle organic nutrients to plants as they establish and fertilisers to feed plants for up to 6 months. It's a good idea to tamp the potting mix down so it's firm but not compacted.

G R O W I N G W I T H Y O U - YA T E S

5

Step 3 - Time to plant Gently remove your plant or plants from their original pots. Squeezing the outside of the plant pot can help loosen the root ball and allow you to more easily extract the plant. Dig holes in the potting mix that are the same size as the plant's root ball. Place the root ball into the hole and gently backfill around the roots with potting mix. The idea is for the final level of potting mix to be at the same level as the potting mix that was originally around the plant. Planted too deeply many plants can be prone to stem diseases, planted too shallowly and the upper roots can be left exposed and dry out.

Step 4 - Watering Water the new plants in gently and thoroughly. This helps settle the potting mix around the roots. Your new pot will need regular watering as the plants establish. It's also important to remember that pots dry out much faster than in-ground plants, and if the weather is warm and dry, watering each day may be required. The easiest way to check the moisture levels in the potting mix is to dig around with your finger in the top few centimetres of mix. You will be able to feel whether the mix is still moist or it's dry and needs a drink.

Step 5 - Feeding

of Yates Thrive® All Purpose Liquid Plant Food in a nine litre watering can and apply over the potting mix every week. One of the time-saving benefits of liquid fertilising is you can water and feed at the same time. While you're feeding, take the time to trim off any spent flowers and cut back any yellow or dead leaves and stems.

Step 5 - Protection Common insect pests like aphids and caterpillars can take up residence in your potted plants. You may notice that leaves are curling or yellowing, which is an indication of sap-sucking aphids.

Chewed leaves, stems or flower buds, as well as brown droppings, are an indicator of caterpillars. It's easy to protect your potted plants with quick sprays of Yates Pyrethrum Gun. Made with natural pyrethrin, an extract from the pyrethrum daisy, it's a ready to use spray that will control common insect pests like aphids and caterpillars.

Designer Tip:

Pots look good in groups of three and for extra flair, use three different pot sizes and position the larger pot at the rear and stagger the smaller pots at the front.

It's important to remember that potted plants are completely reliant on us for all their nutrients, so regular feeding is crucial to ensure plants are growing and flowering at their best. Feeding is not difficult or confusing! Dilute two capfuls

G R O W I N G W II T TH H Y YO OU U -- YA YAT TE ES S

6

VEGIES & HERBS

to sow

I N AU T U M N

As the weather cools down, there's a fabulous range of vegies & herbs to sow and grow.

Seeds by AUSTRALIA WIDE

TROPICAL / SUBTROPICAL CLIMATES

VEGIES

HERBS

VEGIES

FRUIT

HERBS

Asian Stir Fry

Basil - Gourmet Mix, Purple, Sweet, Thai

Beans Dwarf - Borlotti, Bountiful Butter, Brown Beauty, Gourmet's Delight, Stringless Pioneer, Snapbean Stringless, Tricolour Mix

Honeydew Melon

Dill

Beetroot - Baby Beets

Basil - Gourmet Mix, Purple, Sweet, Thai

Beans Climbing - Purple King, Stringless Blue Lake

Rockmelon Hale's Best

Oregano

Broad Beans Early Long Pod

Chives

Beetroot - Derwent Globe, Super King

Watermelon - Candy Red, Country Sweet, Sugar Baby

Sage

Brussels Sprouts - Drumtight

Garlic chives

Broccoli - Shogun Winter Harvest, Summer Green

Cabbage - Sugarloaf, Red Mini

Coriander

Capsicum - Giant Bell

Carrot - All Seasons, Baby, Topweight

Cress

Carrot - Manchester table

Cauliflower All Year Round Hybrid

Parsley - Italian Plain Leaf, Curled

Celery - Green Crunch

Chinese cabbage Wom Bok

Kale - Tuscan, Red Russian

Leek - Welsh Wonder

Rocket - Large Leaf, Wild

Chinese cabbage - Buk Choy Cucumber - Apple, Burpless, Continental, Gherkin Pickling, Long Green

TEMPERATE CLIMATES

COOL CLIMATES

VEGIES

VEGIES

Beetroot - Derwent Globe, Super King

Lamb's Lettuce

Broccoli Shogun Winter Harvest

Onion - Sweet Red

Carrot - Manchester table

Spinach Baby Leaf, Winter Queen

Chinese cabbage - Buk Choy

Turnip - Japanese Hakurei

Eggplant - Black Nite

Lettuce - Baby Combo, Frilly Mix, Greenway Iceberg, Mignonette Green, Salad Mix, Winter Triump Iceberg

Lettuce - Buttercrunch, Cos, Great Lakes Iceberg

Mesclun French Salad Mix

Pumpkin - Butternut, Hybrid Grey Crown, Queensland Blue

Onion - Hunter River Brown, Hunter River White, Odourless

Peas Dwarf - Greenfeast, Earlicrop Massey

Peas Climbing - Snow Peas, Sugarsnap, Telephone

Radish - French Breakfast, Gentle Giant, Salad Crunch, White Icicle

Radish - Confetti Mix

Swede - Champion Purple Top

Silverbeet - Compact Deep Green, Fordhook Giant, Perpetual Green, Rainbow Chard

Thyme

Sweet Corn - Early Chief, Honeysweet, Sun'n'Snow

Lamb's Lettuce Lettuce - Buttercrunch

Onion - Sweet Red Peas Dwarf - Greenfeast, Earlicrop Massey Radish - French Breakfast, Gentle Giant, Salad Crunch, White Icicle Spinach - Baby Leaf, Winter Queen

Check seed packs for sowing directions and the best sowing times in your area.

Swede - Champion Purple Top

Spring Onion

Tomato - Big Beef, Grosse Lisse, Heirloom Favourites, Patio, Roma, Small Fry, Sweetbite, Tiny Tim, Tommy Toe

Swede Champion Purple Top

Turnip - Japanese Hakurei

Tatsoi

Zucchini - Blackjack, Greyzini, Lebanese, Solar Flare

Turnip - Japanese Hakurei

HERBS

Dill

G R O W I N G W I T H Y O U - YA T E S

7

Here are the three easy steps to sowing and growing delicious vegies and herbs in autumn:

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Follow the directions on the seed packet and either sow seeds direct where the plants are to grow or sow into trays of Yates Speciality Potting Mix Cuttings & Seeds. Water gently and keep the soil or potting mix moist. For beans, limit watering until seedlings emerge as seeds can rot before germinating if the soil is too wet. For seedlings grown in trays, transplant them into their final home once they're large enough to handle.

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Step 2

Never visit the grocery store again 1LJ>QL

Choose a sunny spot in the garden that receives at least six hours of sunshine a day. There are some vegies and herbs, such as Yates Silverbeet Rainbow Chard and Yates Sweet Basil that can be grown in part shade. Many vegies and herbs are also perfect for growing in pots. Consider delicious options like Yates Asian Stir Fry and Yates Parsley Italian Plain Leaf.

Shop for all seeds great and small.

From juicy tomatoes to fresh leafy greens. Start growing vegies with our online shop. Choose from over 200 varieties of seeds all available at

shop.yates.com.au

Great things start with Yates™ @yatesgardening G R O W I N G W I T H Y O U - YA T E S

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Get your Autumn vegie patch humming!

OUR TOP TIPS FOR A TERRIFIC HARVEST

Cooling conditions in autumn is our opportunity to plant a delicious new range of vegies that will help provide home grown produce over the coming months. There's nothing more satisfying and joyful than picking your own fresh ingredients. Here's how to get the absolute best from three of the most popular vegies for your autumn patch or pot:

Brassicas

Baby leaf spinach

This group of nutritious vegies includes broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale and cauliflower. They flourish in cool and cold weather and are stars of comforting winter dishes. When brassica seedlings are young, protect them from voracious snails and slugs with a light sprinkling of Yates® Snail & Slug Bait. Keep the soil moist and apply Yates Thrive® Natural Vegie & Herb Organic Based Pelletised Plant Food around the plants.

These rich organic-based pellets are boosted with fast-acting nutrients and will feed your brassicas for up to six weeks.

These smooth and tender nutty flavoured leaves are a winner in salads, pasta and stir fries. Baby leaf spinach can be grown in a vegie bed or in pots, in a sunny or partly shaded spot. They're quick to grow and you can start picking individual leaves as you need them from just 6 weeks after sowing. They key to great taste and texture is to grow the plants quickly, keeping them well watered and fed each week with Yates® Thrive® Natural Vegie & Herb Liquid Plant Food.

Two of the common insect pests that plague brassicas are caterpillars and aphids.

Caterpillars can chew through leaves and stems and also into the florets of broccoli and the heads of cabbage and cauliflower.

Yates Nature's Way® Caterpillar Killer (Dipel) is based on naturally occuring soil bacteria and specifically targets caterpillars.

For aphids, Yates Nature's Way Vegie & Herb Spray (Natrasoap) contains an insecticidal soap that is effective against small sap sucking insects like aphids.

Caterpillar Both Yates Nature's Way Caterpiller After being sprayed with Killer and Yates Nature's Way Vegie & Yates Nature's Way Caterpillar Herb Spray are approved for use in Killer, caterpillars will stop organic gardening. eating and then fall from the plant after a few days.

tip

Peas Please!

Whether you love crunchy snow and sugarsnap peas or peas for shelling, autumn is the prime pea growing time for most areas around Australia.

Peas are super simple to grow from seed. For climbing peas, such as Yates Snow Peas and Yates Sugarsnap Peas, in a sunny well-drained spot sow seed into moist soil at the base of a trellis or wire frame for the plants to climb up. Don't water again for a few days as pea seed can rot if they're kept too wet. As the plants establish, start feeding every one to two weeks with Yates Thrive Flower & Fruit Soluble Fertiliser, which is boosted with extra potassium to promote flowering and pea development.

You can be harvesting your own peas in as little as eight weeks from sowing. To promote a longer season, pick pods regularly.

Watch out for the first signs of powdery mildew disease on peas, which appears like a dusting of talcum powder over the leaves.

To help reduce powdery mildew, keep the leaves as dry as possible by gently watering at the base of the plants rather than over the top of the plant. And spray foliage with Yates Mancozeb Plus Garden Fungicide & Miticide every seven to ten days. In addition to controlling powdery mildew, Yates Mancozeb Plus will also control leaf spot diseases on peas.

Peas in pots?

You don't need a vegie patch to be able to grow peas.

Climbing peas can also be successfully grown in pots.

Insert a teepee or tripod into a 30 - 40 cm diameter pot filled with Yates Premium Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter®. Place the pot in a warm sunny spot and sow pea seeds at the base of the tripod. It will grow into a pyramid of peas!

Turn barren into bountiful ® Yates® helps create healthy soil, the foundation for life in your garden.

Yates® Dynamic Lifter® is an organic blend of composted chicken manure, fish meal, blood & bone and seaweed. It helps improve soil health for better water and nutrient holding capacity, whilst encouraging beneficial earthworms and micro-organisms. Give your plants the perfect start and turn barren, ordinary dirt into bountiful, nutrient rich soil.

Great things start with Yates™

Yates and Dynamic Lifter are registered trade marks and Great things start with Yates is a trade mark of DuluxGroup Australia (Pty Ltd)

HOW TO GROW

AGLAONEMAS If you're after interesting and colourful foliage, Aglaonemas are a must-have inclusion in your indoor plant collection.

Their striking leaves can be mottled, speckled or fringed in red, pink, yellow, green, cream or silver. Also called 'Chinese evergreens', they're native to tropical and sub-tropical areas in Asia. They're slow growing, but will develop into an attractive forest of soft leafy stems up to 60 cm tall.

Look out in your local garden centre for the Nature's Décor™ Aglaonema collection from Ball Australia including 'Lady Valentine' with green leaves with hot pink speckles, 'Nightsparkle' with heavily flecked light green foliage with bright pink midribs, 'Red Valentine' with green leaves splashed with pink and red highlights and 'Spitfire' with speckled green and rosy-pink leaves.

How to pot up your aglaonema

Lady Valentin e

Remove the aglaonema from its original pot and gently tease out any compacted roots. Insert the plant into the new pot and backfill with Yates® Specialty Potting Mix Plants & Ferns.

Water the plant well to settle the potting mix around the root ball. The final level of potting mix should be at the same height as the original mix around the plant. After watering, you may need to add more potting mix.

Position the aglaonema in a brightly lit spot inside, but away from direct light, which can scorch the leaves. Varieties with lighter coloured foliage do best in a brighter location than darker colours. And hailing from the tropics, aglaonemas also prefer to be kept away from cold draughts.

Being slow growing, aglaonemas can stay in the same pot for several years.

How to feed & water Night Sparkle For a brand new aglaonema or repotting an existing plant, choose a decorative pot at least 25 cm in diameter (or slightly larger than the existing pot) that has good drainage holes. Alternatively, a plain plastic pot (with drainage holes) can be sat inside a decorative pot without holes. It's important not to let excess water sit around the base of the plastic pot.

Aglaonemas will be much more lush and healthy when regularly fed from spring to autumn. It's as easy as inserting a Yates Thrive® Plant Food Spike Indoor Plants & Ferns into the potting mix.

The spikes are a source of concentrated nutrients and will feed the aglaonema for up to two months. When it comes to watering, Chinese evergreens prefer the top few centimetres of potting mix to dry out slightly in between waterings. They do not like being waterlogged.

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HOW TO PROTECT YOUR AGLAONEMA

Red Valen ti

ne

Have you noticed very annoying tiny black flying insects around your indoor plants? They're likely to be fungus gnats.

These winged adults lay eggs in the potting mix and these eggs hatch into larvae which can damage plant roots.

To protect your aglaonema and the other plants in your indoor jungle from fungus gnats, apply a layer of Yates® Gnat Barrier granules over the surface of the potting mix. These abbrasive granules deter the female adult fungus gnat from laying her eggs, helping to break the fungus gnat life cycle.

Another common pest of indoor plants like aglaonema is mealybug. They get their name from the white, powdery 'mealy' waxy material that covers their bodies. Sap sucking mealybugs will often be found in secluded parts of the plant and initial symptoms can include leaves wilting and becoming distorted and the disease sooty mould developing. Sooty mould appears as a black film developing over the leaves and stems.

Small numbers of mealybugs can be gently scraped off leaves and stems. For larger infestations, spray mealybugs directly with an insecticidal soap like Yates Nature's Way® Vegie & Herb Spray.

Aglaonema in the garden?

If you live in the tropics or sub-tropics then you can grow aglaonemas outdoors.

They need a protected shady position and are ideal for bringing lively colour into darker spots in the garden. Plant in amongst rich green foliage plants like Spathiphyllum and Philodendron to highlight the aglaonema's colours.

A natural non-toxic physical barrier against fungus gnats

Win the war on gnats!

Win the war on gnats with Yates® Gnat Barrier – natural pumice granules which provide an effective barrier against fungus gnats.

Fungus gnats are pesky little flies commonly found around indoor plants. The adult flies lay eggs in potting mix, and these hatch into larvae which can cause damage to the roots of plants. The best way to protect your indoor plants (and help prevent annoying fungus gnats) is to use a physical barrier on top of the potting mix, such as Yates® Gnat Barrier.

Yates is a registered trade mark and Great things start with Yates is a trade mark of DuluxGroup Australia (Pty Ltd)

Great things start with Yates™

Winter grass in your lawn?

HOW TO GET WINTER GRASS UNDER CONTROL The soft, tufty light green grass that you start to notice in your lawn during autumn is winter grass (Poa annua). Being a different colour and shape, it really stands out and ruins the look of a nicely manicured lawn, particularly when winter grass starts to produce its masses of creamy coloured seed heads.

Winter grass starts to germinate when the soil temperature reaches around 120C, most commonly during autumn but also as the weather warms up in spring. Although it will naturally die off during prolonged periods of hot weather, being a prolific seed producer it can spread rapidly, creating larger populations each year and gradually overtaking the lawn in winter.

Although it's called winter grass, autumn is the time to get winter grass under control. Winter grass can be prevented and controlled with Munns® Professional Winter Grass Killer. It contains a pre-emergent herbicide and kills new winter grass roots as the seeds germinate. It will also kill young winter grass seedlings.

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Reduce shaded lawn areas by cutting back overhanging trees and shrubs.

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Fix lawn bare patches during autumn by oversowing with Yates® Lawn Seed Repair.

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Keep your lawn well fed to promote thick healthy growth, which helps deter weeds like winter grass.

It's as easy as applying Munns Professional Golf Course Green over the lawn, which contains a triple action combination of premium ingredients to feed the lawn, promote soil health and encourage strong root growth.

Best results are achieved by applying Munns Professional Winter Grass Killer during Autumn. Apply to a cool, well watered lawn. Follow by watering the lawn in order to move the active ingredient down to the soil. Winter grass will die slowly, with effects taking up to three weeks to appear.

Munns Professional Winter Grass Killer can be used on common lawn types such as buffalo, couch and kikuyu and comes in an easy to use hose-on applicator.

One 2.4L pack will treat 240 m2 of lawn.

Extra winter grass tips: »

Thin, patchy and shaded lawns are particularly vulnerable to winter grass infestation.

Winter grass control

in spring

Make a note in your gardening diary to reapply Munns Professional Winter Grass Killer over your lawn in spring, when more winter grass seeds can germinate.

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LAWN ARMYWORM ALERT During late summer and early autumn, lawn armyworm caterpillars can be a destructive lawn pest.

During the day the caterpillars hide in the thatch layer of the lawn, emerging in the late afternoon and evening to chew through lawn leaves. The first signs of a lawn armyworm infestation include dead or dying patches of lawn, the grass may have a straw-like appearance or exhibit chewed or tattered leaf tips or margins.

Small discoloured patches may also appear in the lawn and rapidly radiate outwards over several nights. You may also notice birds pecking and scratching at the lawn - they're after the caterpillars.

To control lawn armyworm apply Yates® Grub Kill & Protect for Lawns at the first signs of any damage. It's available in a granule, that can be applied over the lawn by hand or with a spreader, and a liquid concentrate that is applied using a sprayer.

What's in a name?

Lawn armyworm are so named because of their army-like nature, where large numbers swiftly advance and decimate areas of the lawn and other vegetation.

Extra lawn armyworm tips To limit the lawn armyworm population, regularly mow the lawn to reduce egg laying sites and dethatch the lawn to reduce day-time hiding places for caterpillars.

REPAIR PATCHES WITH MUNNS PROFESSIONAL LAWN SEED RANGE • FAST GROW technology with germination in 5-7 days*

• Added 3 month fertiliser

• Multi-purpose seed coating

• Added wetting agent

Winter grass control in spring Make a note in your gardening diary to reapply Munns Professional Winter Grass Killer over your lawn in spring, when more winter grass seeds can germinate.

Need a new lawn?

How to start afresh If your lawn is more weeds and bare patches than grass and you're dreaming of greener pastures, early to mid autumn is the perfect time to start a brand new lawn from seed.

Starting a new lawn from seed (sometimes referred to as 'seeding a lawn') is economical and can be easy when you know how. Autumn's mild temperatures provide a gentle environment for the lawn to establish and the soil is still warm enough to encourage new grass roots to grow. Here are the simple steps to follow: »

Start with a clean slate - your new lawn will not like competing with any existing weeds and grasses (and they'll also spoil the look of your lawn), so two weeks before sowing lawn seed, spray the area with Yates® Zero® Weedkiller. This will kill existing weeds and grasses, roots and all. After the weeds and grasses have died, remove them with thorough raking.

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Soil preparation - rake the soil surface thoroughly to create shallow furrows of soil. If the area is uneven or the soil hard and compacted, applying some lawn topdressing is recommended.

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Measure - measure the area and calculate the correct amount of lawn seed.

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Choose a lawn seed - one of the most popular types of lawn is kikuyu. Munns® Professional Kikuyu Premium Seed Blend contains a combination of premium fine-leaf Emerald kikuyu and improved turf type ryegrass.

»

The ryegrass acts as a protective mother crop while the kikuyu establishes.

Munns Professional Kikuyu Premium Seed Blend is coated with an advanced germination booster to provide germination within 5-7 days (dependent on temperature and soil moisture levels) and contains an added wetting agent to improve moisture penetration into the soil.

Munns Professional Kikuyu Premium Seed Blend will create a drought tolerant, dense rich green lawn that can handle wear and tear from kids and pets and is suitable for full sun or up to 80% shade.

»

Time to sow - to help give the new lawn the best start, mix the lawn seed with Munns Professional Buffalo & All Lawns Starter Fertiliser. It contains a blend of nutrients and organic ingredients to nurture the grass seedlings and promote strong root development. Broadcast the mix evenly over the area then lightly cross rake to mix the seed into the top soil.

»

Watering - gently water the area with a fine mist spray.

It's very important to keep the soil consistently moist for the first two three weeks to allow the seed to germinate.

Your autumn

L AW N C A R E P L A N

Your lawn needs a care plan during autumn, to help it recover from a busy summer and get it prepared for winter. Here's how to get your lawn in tip top autumn shape.

It's EASY being green! »

»

»

After a busy summer of backyard cricket and entertaining, your lawn will be exhausted! Rapid summer growth and frequent mowing will have removed lots of nutrients from the soil, leaving your lawn pale and depleted. Winter is also on its way, so autumn is an ideal time to strengthen the lawn to get it ready for the cooler months ahead.

An easy way to provide your lawn with all the nutrients it needs and promote deep green growth is by using a specialised lawn food.

Munns® Professional Golf Course Green Lawn Fertiliser contains a triple action formulation with premium ingredients to feed your lawn from root to leaf tip. It contains nitrogen for rich green growth, phosphorus for strong root development and potassium for lawn health.

Munns Professional Golf Course Green also contains rich organic matter to nurture the soil plus a natural wetting agent.

Apply one third of a handful (approximately 22 grams) per square metre of lawn using a sweeping arc motion. To enable a more even spread of fertiliser over the area it helps to divide the required amount of Munns Professional Golf Course Green in half

and apply one half across the lawn in an east-west direction and the other half in a north-south direction. »

Water well afterwards to move the granules down to the soil where they'll begin their wonderful lawn greening work.

Simple lawn weeding »

Don't let lawn weeds ruin your lovely green lawn. Broadleaf weeds like thistles, dandelions, plaintain and cudweed can take hold during autumn and if they're left to flower and set seed, they'll create future generations of weed heartache.

»

A simple way to control broadleaf weeds in lawns is by using Yates® Weed'n'Feed®, or Yates BuffaloPRO® Weed'n'Feed if you have a buffalo lawn (or you're unsure about the type of lawn grass you have).

Available in easy to use hose-on packs (with a handy on/off switch on the applicator), they'll control some of the most common broadleaf weeds in lawns.

Weed control made easy!

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Autumn

flower seeds It's time to sow a fabulous range of flower seeds, to bring glorious floral colour into your garden and outdoor spaces over the coming months.

And the bees and butterflies will love you for it!

Seeds by AUSTRALIA WIDE

TROPICAL / SUBTROPICAL CLIMATES

TEMPERATE CLIMATES

Accent on Blue

Hanging Basket Mix

Ageratum Blue Mink

Ageratum Blue Mink

Accent on Pink

Hollyhock Double Elegance

Borage

Borage

Accent on White

Lobelia Cascade Mixture

Echinacea

Nasturtium Cherry Rose, Jewel Mixed

Alyssum - Cameo Mixture, Carpet of Snow

Marigold - Petite Yellow, Safari Mixture

Coleus Pots of Beauty

Snapdragon

Aquilegia Columbine Mixed

Nigella Persian Jewels

Marigold Cupid Mix

Paper Daisy - Pink, Yellow

Bee Pasture

Pansy Giant Supreme

Nasturtium - Cherry Rose, Jewel Mixed

Butterfly Field

Poppy - Iceland Artist's Glory, Red Flanders

Phlox Drummondii

Calendula Pacific Beauty

Primula Fairy Primrose

Portulaca Sundancer

Chrysanthemum Snowlands

Rockery Mixture

Salvia - Blue Bedder, Dwarf Scarlett

Cineraria Starships

Statice

Snapdragon

Colonial Garden Collection

Stock Giant Perfection

Sunflower - Yellow Empress, Bronze Shades, Dwarf Sensation

Cornflower - Double Mixed, Mystic Blue

Sweet peas - Bijou, Blue Reflections, Brilliant Fragrance, Colourcade, Old Fashioned, Original

Paper Daisy - Pink, Yellow

Cottage Garden Mix

Virginian Stock

Swan River Daisy

Delphinium Pacific Giants

Wildflowers of the World

Dianthus Double Pink English Daisy Everlasting Daisy Festival of Flowers Forget-me-not Foxglove Freesia Giant Masterpiece Gypsophila Baby's Breath

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Shop for your garden from the comfort of your…er, garden.

Shop for all gardens great and small.

Now you can discover a wide range of products for your garden online. Find what you’re looking for at

shop.yates.com.au

@yatesgardening

™ Great things start withG Yates ROWING

W I T H Y O U - YA T E S

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HEDGE HEROES Planting for Privacy Dense F ence Vi

burnum

You can hide a less than desirable view or create a private garden haven by growing a living screen.

Looking at a lush wall of greenery is much more soothing than being able to see into your next door neighbour's living room or watching traffic whiz past your house. Hedges can also help protect you from prying eyes and turn your outdoor areas into a sanctuary. OzBreed is an Australian company that specialises in a wide range of reliable and low maintenance landscaping plants, including plants that are perfect for growing as hedges.

Here are some of our favourites: »

Dense Fence™ Viburnum - a lush and dense variety of sweet viburnum that grows to around 3.5 m tall and 2 m wide.

It can be left unpruned or trimmed down to 2.5 m tall. It's quick growing and wonderfully leafy and the new foliage has a subtle red tinge. Dense Fence™ requires less pruning than common viburnum and will tolerate light frosts once established.

You can also grow Dense Fence™ in a pot.

»

Thin Red™ Photinia - photinia has long been used as a hedge, however some can grow quite wide, making them challenging to manage in smaller backyards. Thin Red™ is an excellent choice for narrow spaces as it only grows 60 cm wide but still creates an effective 3 - 4 m high screen. Doing best in full sun or part shade, it has striking new red growth in spring and small white flowers in mid to late spring.

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Sweet Privacy™ Murraya - needing less pruning than the common Murraya, Sweet Privacy grows up to 2.5 m tall and 1.5 m wide and has delightfully fragrant white flowers in spring and also late summer and early autumn. It can be grown in full sun or part shade and makes a perfect potted plant too.

Thin Red Photi

nia

Sweet Privacy Murraya

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Australian native options »

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Straight and Narrow™ Syzygium - this psyllid resistant lilly pilly is very slender, only growing 1 - 1.5 m wide. It has dense foliage and white flowers, followed by attractive pink-red fruit. It can be left to reach up to 8 m tall (so is ideal when you need a tall screen) or can be pruned down to 2 m. Straight and Narrow does best in moist, well-drained soil in full sun to shade.

Slim™ Callistemon - with a stunning display of bright red bottle brush flowers during spring, summer and late autumn, this unique callistemon only grows to 1.3 m wide and 3 m tall. Slim™ is drought and frost tolerant and is a hardy hedge choice for tight planting spaces.

Planting and maintenance tips »

Your hedge is going to be an important part of your garden for years to come, so it's important to give the plants the best possible start. Before planting, nurture and improve the soil with Yates® Dynamic Lifter® Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser. Mix Yates Dynamic Lifter into the soil dug from the planting holes and then backfill around the root ball with this enriched soil.

»

For the best privacy effect, space the plants out as per the plant tag directions. For example, plant one to two Dense Fence™ Viburnum per linear metre and for Slim™ Callistemon one plant per linear metre.

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Keep the soil moist for at least the first three months as the plants establish and then a thorough watering each week after that. Applying a mulch of bark chips around the plants will help keep the soil moist.

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To promote healthy growth, feed your hedge with Yates Dynamic Lifter every 6 - 8 weeks during the growing and flowering seasons. Yates Dynamic Lifter is safe for feeding Australian native plants.

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Hedges can be trimmed as required to keep them to the height and width you need. Regular pruning will also help keep the hedge tidy and promote dense growth. For flowering plants, it's best to prune after flowering has finished.

Hedge pest watch Plants like bottlebrush, viburnum and murraya can be prone to scale infestations, which appear as raised white or brown bumps along the stems or leaves. As soon as scale are noticed, spray scale directly with Yates® Scale Gun. Lilly pillies can be affected by psyllids (pronounced 'sillids') that are small sap sucking insects, which cause permanent pimple-like distortions on new leaves. To help protect leaves from psyllid damage spray foliage with Baythroid® Advanced Garden Pest Insect Killer Ready to Use as soon as early psyllid symptoms are noticed. Spray both sides of foliage as psyllids often feed on the underside of leaves.

Slim Callistemon

Straight and Narrow Syzygium

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AUTUMN CITRUS

lovers guide

As the citrus harvest season starts, help keep your trees healthy, well fed and protected to promote the best quality fruit. Here are our top citrus care tips for autumn.

CITRUS TREES ARE ALWAYS HUNGRY! Citrus trees will be maturing their fruit during autumn, so it's important to make sure they are well fed, to help give you the most delicious fruit. Yates® Thrive® Citrus & Fruit Liquid Plant Food has been specially formulated to provide citrus with the nutrients they need. Mix two capfuls of Yates Thrive Citrus & Fruit Liquid Plant Food in a nine litre watering can and apply around the root zone every one to two weeks.

PEST WATCH It's a good idea to regularly inspect your citrus trees for signs of pests. Common insect pests include scale, which appear as raised white, brown or pink coloured bumps on stems, leaves and fruit, and aphids. Masses of tiny aphids enjoy feasting on tender new leaves and stems and cause leaves to curl under. Scale and aphids are both sap sucking insects and excrete a sweet sticky substance called honeydew.

Ants are attracted to honeydew and if you see ants moving up and down your citrus tree, it's likely to be a sign of a sap sucking insect like scale or aphids.

The disease black sooty mould, appearing as a black film over the leaves, is another

consequence of honeydew. Living off the honeydew, the black sooty mould will disappear once the sap sucking insects are controlled.

Another citrus pest during autumn is citrus leaf miner. The adult citrus leaf miner moth lays her eggs on new autumn foliage and the eggs hatch into larvae that create silvery tunnels in the leaves and cause leaves to twist and distort.

It's easy to protect your citrus trees from aphids, scale and citrus leaf miner with regular sprays of Yates® Nature's Way® Citrus & Ornamental Spray.

Based on natural pyrethrin and vegetable oil, it's a ready to use spray that will control common citrus pests like aphids and scale and help prevent citrus leaf miner damage.

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A NEW CITRUS TREE Autumn's mild conditions create the perfect opportunity to plant a new citrus tree. Not sure what to choose? A dwarf Eureka lemon is a great place to start. It has its peak fruiting season in winter but in many areas can produce fruit almost all year round, so you'll always have tangy lemons on hand.

Most citrus need a full sun position (at least six hours of sunshine a day) to do well and must have well-drained soil. Heavy or poorly drained soil can lead to root rot.

When planting a new citrus tree, mix some Yates Dynamic Lifter® Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser into the soil dug from the planting hole and then backfill around the new citrus tree with this enriched soil. This will improve the soil and help give the tree a great start.

WANT TO TRY SOMETHING NEW? HOW ABOUT GROWING KAFFIR LIMES Kaffir limes (Citrus hystrix), sometimes known as makrut limes, are usually grown for their unusually lobe shaped, intensely fragrant leaves. They're a star in Asian cooking in dishes like curries, soups and stir fries. Kaffir limes also produce small knobbly fruit, which can be juiced or used for flavoursome zest.

Native to tropical areas in Asia, kaffir limes need a warm, frost-free position to do well. In cooler areas, try growing a kaffir lime in a pot against a sunny protected heat-absorbing wall. Yates Tuscan® pots are ideal for growing kaffir limes and other citrus trees. They're stylish, lightweight and strong pots and are available in a traditional terracotta colour or the very popular dark grey Dulux® Colorbond® Monument. A 40 or 50 cm diameter pot is perfect for citrus.

To plant your new kaffir lime, half fill the Yates Tuscan pot with a premium potting mix like Yates Premium Potting Mix with

Dynamic Lifter®. It's enriched with Yates Dynamic Lifter to provide gentle organic nutrients to plants as they establish.

Remove the kaffir lime from its existing pot by gently squeezing the sides of the pot to loosen the root ball away from the pot wall.

Place the root ball on the potting mix in the new pot and backfill around the roots, gently firming down the mix. The final level of the new potting mix should be the same as the mix originally around the stem. Water the new kaffir lime in well, which helps settle the potting mix around the roots. Keep the potting mix moist while the new tree establishes.

It's important to remember that potted citrus will run out of water and nutrients much quicker than in-ground citrus, so regular watering and feeding is very important.

Feeding established potted citrus is as easy as diluting two capfuls of Yates Thrive® Citrus & Fruit Liquid Plant Food in a nine litre watering can and applying over the potting mix every week from spring to late autumn.

Check potting mix moisture levels regularly by digging around in the top few centimetres of mix. Potting mix can become water repellent over time, which leaves the root ball dry and plant health will suffer. To help moisture move effectively down into the root zone, at the beginning of each season apply Yates Waterwise Soil Wetter for Lawns, Gardens and Pots, which breaks down the waxy water repellent layer on the potting mix. And to assist moisture retention in the potting mix, apply a three centimetre layer of mulch, like bark chips, over the surface.

Keep the mulch away from the trunk itself to maintain good air flow, which helps reduce the incidence of collar rot disease.

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Flies Around your Fruit Bowl ?

Vinegar flies, often referred to as 'fruit flies', are the annoying tiny flying insects found around your fruit bowl and compost bucket. Don't let them make your kitchen a misery - it's trapping time!

Vinegar flies (Drosophila melanogaster) love the smells coming from your fruit bowl, kitchen sink, compost bucket and garbage bin.

Not to be confused with the fruit flies that plague outdoor fruit trees and vegie patches, vinegar flies are small pale brown insects, around 2.5 mm long, with bright red eyes. They have a rapid life cycle, which can be as little as seven days from an egg to a mature fly during warm weather. Female flies lay eggs into ripe and rotting fruit and other organic material (such as your bin and compost bucket) and to up the squeamish factor, the female fly will also include some of her faeces on the egg. Those eggs hatch into small larvae (tiny white grubs around 3 mm long) which feed on the sugars and yeast organisms in the fermenting food.

To limit the number of vinegar flies, regularly dispose of past-their-best fruits and vegetables and place a lid on your compost bucket. To further reduce these irritating 'fruit flies', use a trap.

Place the traps upright on a solid surface, remove the cap from the lure bottle and insert the bottle tip into the centre hole of the trap. Empty half of the bottle into each trap and place the traps in areas where flies have been seen. Discard the traps after 45 days of use.

What are the other tiny winged insects inside the house?

If you have indoor plants then fungus gnats will be another flying menace.

The tiny black adult female lays eggs in the potting mix, which hatch into larvae that eat the organic matter in potting mix as well as damaging plant roots.

To help stop the fungus gnat life cycle, apply a layer of Yates® Gnat Barrier granules over the surface of the potting mix of indoor plants. They are special abrasive granules that deter the female fungus gnat from laying her eggs.

Designed in the shape of an attractive bright red apple, the Yates® HomePest® Indoor 'Fruit Fly' Trap contains a food-based pesticide-free liquid lure.

The flies enter the trap, are captured and can't continue to breed. Each trap contains a lure that lasts for up to 45 days and has a built-in window for monitoring the lure level.

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There’s nowhere for your household pests to hide.

For all homes great and small .

Looking for an easy-to-use and fast acting way to protect your home from pests?

The Yates® Home Pest range has you covered. With up to 12 months protection inside your house, Yates® Home Pest Barrier Spray is an effective solution against cockroaches, ants, spiders, flies, cat fleas, silverfish and mosquitoes. Using Yates® professional microcapsule technology means long last control and peace of mind for you and your family.

Yates is a registered trade mark and Great things start with Yates is a trade mark of DuluxGroup (Australia) Pty Ltd

Great things start with Yates®

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RATS AND MICE KEEPING YOU UP AT NIGHT? HOW TO PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM RODENTS

Rats and mice will be searching for indoor shelter as the weather cools down in autumn. You might hear scratching and gnawing in the roof or walls, notice chewed food packets and rodent droppings or pets acting strangely or being overly excitable.

There are multiple effective ways, including baits and traps, to control rats and mice, helping you sleep at night and protect your home.

Poison-free options Ratsak® Naturals Rodenticide Bait Pellets kills rats and mice by dehydration.

The pellets are made from natural ingredients and while deadly to rodents, they're safe to use around humans and animals when used according to the instructions. Rodents need to feed on these pellets for two to five days and will then die within seven days.

Ratsak Clean Kill Mouse Traps are a no-see, no-touch hidden kill solution.

The mouse is covered when caught and can be released easily from the trap by lifting the tab. The trap includes Precision Impact Technology™, which means the mouse is placed in the perfect position when the trap is activated, resulting in a quick and humane kill. The traps are easy to bait too. The bait door allows simple and safe baiting and the trap can even be baited when the trap has already been set. The bait door also eliminates the chance of mice stealing the bait.

Ratsak Clean Kill Mouse Traps are ideal for narrow areas, such as next to the fridge or behind

cupboards, which are favourite places for mice. The tunnel design helps keep pets and children away from the trap mechanism too.

Bait options Ratsak Fast Action Wax Blocks kill rats and mice after just one feed. The blocks are moisture resistant, making them ideal for damp areas like the garage and laundry.

They also have a hole in the centre of the block, which allows them to be pinned or tied off the ground or where rodents are climbing.

The Ratsak Fast Action Reusable Rodent Bait Station is a ready to use pre-baited station for rats and mice. It can be placed where rodents are active, including the shed and in the roof void. The station is lockable with the included key, which helps keep bait away from pets and children. Once rodents have consumed the four wax blocks inside the station, it can be refilled with more Ratsak Fast Action Wax Blocks.

Professional tip When handling baits or traps, wear gloves to prevent a human scent being transferred, which can deter rodents. from approaching.

Removes rodents without removing your house So unless you’re a rodent, you can trust RATSAK® to safeguard your home this rodent season. With our wide range of Baits, Traps, Repellents and Natural Baits, you’ll always find the right solution with RATSAK®.

RATSAK® is a registered trademark of DuluxGroup (Australia) Pty Ltd

Home grown guide

Cut Flowers

Imagine having vases of vibrant flowers in your home throughout the year. They're beautifully colourful, many are fragrant and flowers are a real mood lifter, but can also be an expensive treat, unless you grow them yourself! It's time to be a DIY florist! Here's part two of some of our favourite home grown autumn and winter flowers.

Autumn flowering »

Calendula and Ornamental Kale - these annuals love the cool weather and are a real delight in the garden and in a vase display. Calendula colours range from the traditional bright orange to pale yellow and peach.

Ornamental kale develops gorgeous rosettes of cream, purple or pink leaves which make an impressive statement in floral arrangements.

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Chrysanthemum, Aster, Echinacea and Salvia - perennial flowers can provide welcome autumn colour both in the garden and indoors. Chrysanthemums, synonymous with Mother's Day, can create a gorgeous petite posy or the larger flowered varieties a huge bunch of blooms.

Easter daisies (Aster novi-belgii) produce masses of dainty flowers in white, pink or mauve and are best picked for a vase when around one third of the flower buds have opened. Commonly used in herbal remedies, echinacea (coneflowers) also make a delightful cut flower.

Sow Yates® Echinacea seed in spring for their pretty pink autumn flowers. Perennial salvias are one the floral stars of autumn and they're underused for vase displays. Available in a rainbow of colours from vivid sky-blue to pastel pink and vibrant magenta 'Wendy's Wish'. Pick salvia stems for a vase when just a few of the buds have started to open.

's Wish' Salvia 'Wendy

»

Belladonna Lily - also known as naked ladies, the leafless flower stems that emerge in autumn are perfect for a vase.

These sweetly fragrant flowers come in white or pink and are a tough bulb for naturalising in a sunny spot in the garden.

»

Camellias - a bunch of stems, or even single stems, of autumn flowering sasanqua camellias (or later flowering japonica camellias) look fabulous in a vase, or float a few blooms in a shallow bowl of water. Pick camellia stems when the flower buds have just opened.

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Winter flowering »

Cornflowers - when sown in early autumn, cornflowers will start blooming in mid-winter . Yates Cornflower 'Mystic Blue' produces an abundance of beautiful blue flowers and Yates Cornflower 'Double Mixed' has a blend of soft pink, blue and white blooms.

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Jonquils - one of the first bulbs to flower in winter, jonquils have intensely fragrant creamy white flowers. Just one stem can perfume a room. Like daffodils, jonquils are best put in a vase on their own as their sap can affect other flowers. Plant jonquil bulbs during autumn in a well-drained sunny spot in the garden or a pot.

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Hellebores - also known as winter roses, hellebores will thrive in a partly shaded garden spot underneath the canopies of trees or in a pot on a shady patio. They put on a beautiful show of large, bell-shaped flowers in winter and there's lots of colours to choose from in the Plant Growers Australia Hellebore Collection, including mottled burgundy 'Charmer', elegant white and mulberry 'Sophie's Choice' and 'Tutu', which has pale pink flecked petals around a ruffled centre. It's best to pick mature hellebore flower stems, as young flowers are more prone to drooping.

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Leucadendrons and Proteas - Leucadendrons, native to South Africa, are treasured for the colourful bracts that surround their small flowers. From rich red 'Misty Sunrise' to bright yellow 'Golden Mitre', leucadendron stems team well with Australian native wildflowers as well as tropical and traditional flowers. Proteas are another South African native with most varieties having stunning large flower heads. One of the most impressive is the king protea, which has flowers up to 30 cm in diameter. To promote the longest vase life for leucadendrons and proteas, remove all the foliage that will sit below the water line.

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Foliage - don't overlook greenery when it comes to filling a vase, whether it's on its own or blended with flowers.

Eucalyptus, pittosporum, viburnum, conifer, fern and ivy can all create a gorgeous leafy display.

er' Hellebore 'Charm

Simple flower growing tips »

Flowering plants need regular feeding to promote the best possible flower show. It's easy to provide flowering plants with the right blend of nutrients by using Yates Thrive® Roses & Flowers Organic Based Pelletised Plant Food. Spread the pellets around the plants every six to eight weeks during the growing and flowering seasons. For flowers like proteas and leucadendrons, feed them with Yates Dynamic Lifter® Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser. It's safe for phosphorus sensitive plants like proteas and leucadendrons, as well as Australian native plants.

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To protect flowering plants from common insect pests like aphids and caterpillars and diseases like powdery mildew, spray Yates Rose Gun® G R Onoticed.

W I N G W I T H Y O U - YA T E S over affected plants as soon as pests or diseases are

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Gardening in different climates All around Australia there are lots of things to keep you wonderfully busy in the garden during autumn.

In sub-tropical and tropical climates »

For a delicious winter harvest of beans, sow seeds now. Next to a two metre tall trellis or support grow Yates® Climbing Beans 'Stringless Blue Lake' and for pots or a vegie bed grow compact Yates Dwarf Beans 'Gourmet's Delight'.

You'll be picking your very own beans in just 10 - 12 weeks.

»

After a wet summer, monitor the lawn for discoloured patches that could be a sign of diseases like brown patch and dollar spot. To help protect the lawn from further disease damage, apply Yates Mancozeb Plus Garden Fungicide & Miticide over the lawn.

»

Plant warm-loving spring flowering bulbs like ixias, gladioli and rain lillies (Zephryanthes) in a sunny well-drained spot in the garden. Compact baby gladioli and babiana create a wonderful display when mass planted in pots.

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Add vibrant colour into shady areas around the garden and outdoor living areas with New Guinea impatiens. Available in a beautiful range of flower colours, they need the soil or potting mix to be kept consistently moist and perform best when fed every one to two weeks with Yates Thrive® Flower & Fruit Soluble Fertiliser.

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In cool climates »

Rake up fallen autumn leaves and use them to make your own compost. Blend the leaves with kitchen scraps, shredded newspaper, garden prunings and lawn clippings plus handfuls of Yates Dynamic Lifter® Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser to feed the hard working composting microorganisms.

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Prune back perennials like Easter daisies, phlox, salvia and lavender that have finished flowering. This will help keep the garden looking tidy and promote fresh new growth.

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Help protect vulnerable plants from early frosts by moving potted plants to a protected spot, draping frost cloth over sensitive plants and spraying foliage with Yates Waterwise DroughtShield™ before frosts are predicted.

It forms a protective, flexible film over the leaves that helps reduce frost damage.

In temperate climates »

Create a mini field of Flander's poppies to commemorate Anzac Day by sowing Yates 'Flanders Red' Poppy seed. Seed can be scattered over bare soil in a sunny spot and covered very lightly with Yates Specialty Potting Mix Cuttings & Seeds. These poppies produce beautiful rich red blooms over a long period.

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Many spring flowering bulbs flower best when chilled before planting. Put tulip, hyacinth, daffodil, iris and crocus bulbs in a paper bag in the fridge crisper for four to six weeks to trick them into thinking they've been through a cold winter.

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Keep your kitchen stocked with healthy greens and sow seed now of Yates Spinach 'Baby Leaf' or Yates Spinach 'Winter Queen'.

To promote lots of lush growth, feed the spinach plants every one to two weeks with Yates Thrive Vegie & Herb Liquid Plant Food.

You can pick the tender nutty flavoured leaves individually as you need them.

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Snails and slugs can rapidly devour newly planted seedlings. Protect seedlings from snails and slugs by lightly sprinkling Yates Snail & Slug Bait over the soil or potting mix around the plants.

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We also plant seeds in the heads of gardeners

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