Monstera are a beautiful plant. Having rich, dark, uniquely shaped leaves and a tolerance for shaded positions has made Monsteras a very popular plant for indoor growth. It is also common that over time these beautiful leaves can become damaged. Once damaged, can your Monstera leaves be fixed? Unfortunately, the short answer is no.

What should you do with damaged leaves?

Well, it depends on how much damage there is. A small cut can be left as-is with no harm to the plant. Larger damage or unsightly leaves will need to be pruned. Pruning the damaged leaves and applying fertiliser will help the Monstera grow new, healthy leaves.

How should I prune damaged leaves?

Simply get a sharp pair of secateurs and cut at the node, not at the leaf. (If you are looking for some high-quality secateurs, here are two great options depending on your budget: option 1 and option 2.)

After pruning back apply a liquid fertiliser like Thrive Indoor Plant Food to help your Monstera grow new leaves.

What should I do if most of my Monstera’s leaves are damaged?

If the majority of your Monstera’s leaves are damaged, it may be best to prune the Monstera back in stages. Start with the worst effected, removing the worst 2-3 leaves. Once new leaves are showing cut the next 2-3 leaves off.

However, the real question to ask if why are so many leaves damaged in the first place? Perhaps changes need to be made to stop more damage occurring.

How to prevent damage to Monstera leaves

1. Remove from walkways and traffic areas
   Monstera leaves are quite fragile. Brushing past whilst walking through a tight area, or stepping on leaves can cause damage. Move your plant to a more open area where this is less likely to occur.
2. Remove from windy areas
   Monsteras do not like the wind. Keep them in a protected area to prevent future damage.
3. Avoid direct air conditioner air
   Monsteras do not like dry air or extreme fluctuations in temperature. Direct air from an air conditioner can cause damage to the leaves. It’s best to move your Monstera to a more protected area.

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Can damaged Monstera leaves be fixed?

If you would love some help with your lawns and gardens, contact Silverstone Gardening for a quote today. We have qualified and experienced gardeners who are able to help make your lawns and gardens look amazing.

The post Can damaged Monstera leaves be fixed? appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

If you have black spots on your kangaroo paw, unfortunately it is likely to be a fungal disease commonly know as ink spot.

The black spots are caused by a fungus called Alternaria alternata. The disease starts on the tips of the kangaroo paw leaves and moves down to the stems. This ugly disease can be deadly for weak or juvenile kangaroo paws so it needs to be taken seriously. (Here is an organic fungicide that will help with Powdery Mildew and Black Spots.)

How to treat Kangaroo Paw Ink Spot

The first thing to do when treating ink spot is to cut off any growth that is showing signs of the disease, even if this means cutting the whole plant down to 4-5cm from the base. Whilst this may seem like it could hurt the plant, in the long run it will be much more beneficial.

After pruning, apply a complete, high quality fertiliser. Neutrog Bush Tucker is good option. It is high in phosphorus which will help the Kangaroo Paw grow back more resistant to future disease.

In some cases, a fungicide may be needed to help treat the disease and prevent it from reoccurring. If this is the case, a simple Mancozeb treatment (product here) or a copper-based fungicide (product here) should be effective treatments. Apply thoroughly to all remaining foliage as per label directions.

How to stop Kangaroo Paw black spots from reoccurring

There are three things you can do to prevent this disease in the future:

1. Avoid leaf moisture
   The longer the leaves are wet, the more likely a disease is to occur. Whilst we can’t do anything about natural rain, we can do something about our reticulation. Firstly, avoid watering your garden early in the night and instead water in the morning to reduce the time it takes for the leaf to dry. Secondly, consider changing your sprinklers from a spraying sprinkler that waters the leaf, to a dripping sprinkler that waters the soil. Thirdly, avoid over watering in general.
2. Prune back twice a year
   This will help keep the kangaroo paw healthy. Prune after flowers have finished. October/November and January/February are usually good times to prune your Kangaroo Paws.
3. Regular fertilising
   Neutrog Bush Tucker and Troforte M Native are both great products. Apply as per the label to have a stronger healthier plant (not to mention increased flowering and greener foliage).

I hope this has helped you understand and solve a common problem in WA gardens.

If all of this seems like too much effort, or you simply just want a professional to take care of your lawns and gardens for you, then Silverstone Gardening is here to help. We hire experienced and qualified gardeners who can identify and solve your lawn and garden issues so that you don’t have to worry about a thing.

Contact Silverstone Gardening today for a quote.

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The post Why is my Kangaroo Paw turning black? How do I fix it? appeared first on Silverstone Gardening.

In the lead up to writing this article I came to realise that the plant that I am about to write about is without a doubt one of the most underrated plants in Australian gardens. The Wattle is in a league of its own as a plant that is:

• Bird attracting
• Fast growing
• Has beautiful flowers
• Is water wise
• Comes in many shapes and sizes
• Is tolerant of most conditions
• Takes little maintenance
• Has its own national day
• Is the basis of an entire countries sporting colours (green and gold)
• And is the national floral emblem of Australia.

Talk about an impressive resume. So if you are thinking about planting a Wattle in your garden this National Wattle day (September 1^st) then here is what you need to know about one of the world most amazing and underrated plants.

The Basics

The genus Acacia is part of the Mimosaceae family which has almost 1000 species in Australia alone. These species can vary dramatically from the dwarf varieties to 15-meter-high trees.

Wattles are fast growers and the yellow flowers come in either tiny tennis ball-like pompoms or arranged in cylindrical spikes. Three popular varieties are the dwarf Acacia “limelight”, Acacia Vestita and Acacia Pycnantha which is the Australian floral emblem.

What to do before planting

Wattles are fast growers and most are around 2-3 meters high so you need to take that into consideration before driving down to your local nursery. Once you have bought your plant position it in a spot that has plenty of sunlight, a well drained soil and plenty of room to grow. Wattles will not need a lot of encouragement to grow so fertiliser isn’t necessary but a nice deep hole with some compost of manure at the bottom of is certainly won’t hurt.

What to do after planting

Wattles will need watering until they are established but after that natural rainfall will most likely be enough. Pruning helps keep wattles bushy and prolongs their life but stay away from pruning anything thicker then the size of a pencil. A light prune after flowering should do the trick, if you are experiencing die back then raise the crown by removing the bottom branches to let some light into the base.

The easy way to grow from seeds!

Wattles are relatively easy to grow from seeds, which is great considering that some wattles only have a life expectancy of around 7-12 years. To propagate from seed

1. Place seeds in a cup of boiling water and let them sit for 30 seconds
2. Pour out the hot water and place the seeds in cold water for 12 hours. This will allow the seeds to swell over that time.
3. After 12 hour simply remove any seeds that have not swollen and immediately plant the remaining seeds into a pot or punnet containing seed raising soil.
4. Keep in a warm sunny spot and water enough to keep the soil damp. That’s it!

Which variety of wattle should I choose?

So, if you are considering a wattle there is only one questions left. Which variety of wattle should I choose?

Each house and setting is different. So I think the best solution will be to take some photos of the area you want to plant your wattle in, head down to your local nursery and ask the nursery expert what variety would best suit your needs.

But here are three popular varieties to give you some ideas

Acacia cognata Limelight

Beautiful flowing foliage. A great plant for modern gardens. Grows 1m wide and 0.5-1m high. Loves full sun to part shade.

Acacia lasiocarpa prostrate

Called the “glow wattle” because of the masses of golden fluffy flowers. Grows 1m wide and around 1.5m high. Loves full sun to part shade.

Acacia drummondii

A large, beautiful shrub with stunning flowers. Grows 2m high and 2m wide. Loves full sun to part shade.

If reading this has got you excited about wattles but you want a professional to help you with your wattles (or anything else in your lawns and gardens) contact Silverstone Gardening today. We have experienced and qualified gardeners who will be able to help you.

Here’s more information about Wattles!

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