Australian House & Garden

Question: I have two citrus saplings (a Meyer lemon and a Tahitian lime), both about 60cm tall. They’re in pots approximately 30cm in diameter and 1m high. Is this sufficient to ensure they’ll produce fruit?

Answer: Your pots are not very wide but they are high, so there’s a reasonably large volume of soil for the trees to grow in. They should be fine for several years. However, be aware that as the trees grow larger, such tall and narrow pots will eventually become top-heavy and may become unstable, especially in windy conditions. For now, ensure the potting mix you use is premium quality, because cheap potting mix is a bad bargain and can make all the difference between plants growing well or not at all. Price is a good guide: the best mixes are also the more expensive. In the first year or so, it’s best to remove most of the fruit to allow the trees to put their energy into developing a strong framework of branches. Keep your citrus evenly watered, especially when fruit begins to form; if the plants become water-stressed at this point, the fruit will be shed. Fertilise with Dynamic Lifter For Fruit & Citrus or Osmocote Plus Pot, Planters & Indoors. – Helen Young

Photography by Allison Michael Orenstein

Question: Less than two weeks after I brought home a potted cyclamen, half the leaves turned yellow. It’s positioned in the kitchen but not near a window, so it doesn’t get direct sun. I water it at the base when the soil is getting dry. How can I keep it healthy and flowering?

Answer: The secret to cyclamens is to put them outside at night to enjoy the cold. They flower mostly in winter and, although it’s possible to keep them going for much of the year, to achieve this, they are normally rested in a shady, cool spot outdoors and kept dry through summer. The warmer your climate, the shorter their lifespan. You can water them from the top but only when the soil is dry. Never allow water to stand in the saucer. In your case, the cyclamen may not be getting enough light. Although they don’t like direct sun, they do like bright light – the middle of a room may be  too dark. It’s fine to treat a potted cyclamen as a long-lasting bunch of flowers, recycling the plant in a compost heap when it starts to look tired. The months of flowers you enjoy make it great value. - Helen Young
Photography by Maria Mosolova

Question: My coriander refuses to grow, even though basil and parsley thrive in the same patch, which gets morning shade and full afternoon sun. What’s the secret?

Answer:

Welcome to the club – most of us struggle to succeed with this delicious herb. Coriander is an annual that normally grows, flowers and dies within about four months. However, it’s notorious for bolting, ie flowering too quickly, after which it dies. This problem is worse in the heat of long summer days, so you’ll have a better chance of success in spring and autumn. Temperatures between 15ºC and 18ºC are ideal, although established plants will tolerate light frosts. Coriander doesn’t like to be damp and will do better in dry rather than humid areas. A light, well-drained soil is best, with protection from sun and wind. Sow a few seeds every fortnight so you have a continuous supply, spacing the seeds 20-30cm apart. Sow seeds directly where they are to grow as transplanting also tends to make them bolt. Coriander doesn’t like to be grown near fennel, but its strong scent helps repel aphids, while the flowers attract beneficial insects. - Helen Young

PHOTOGRAPH Rachel Weill

Question: Can you recommend potted shrubs that are flowering now and would look attractive in my courtyard all year?

Answer: The best shrubs that flower mid-winter and thrive in pots would be camellias. They bloom for two to three months and their glossy foliage looks good year-round. Cultivars of Camellia japonica suited to pots include ‘Nicky Crisp’ (pale pink blooms), ‘Black Opal’ (black/red), ‘Sweet Emily Kate’ (fragrant creamy pink), ‘Buttons ‘n Bows’ (pink and cream) and ‘White Nun’. Poinsettias also flower in winter. They’re usually bright red but there are pink and cream forms, too. Otherwise, choose plants with attractive foliage colours and strong, architectural forms. Consider Cordyline ‘Red Fountain’ and ‘Electric Pink’, or one of the many forms of New Zealand flax (Phormium) such as ‘Maori Chief’, with its apricot and bronze striped leaves. - Helen Young
Photograph: Southern Stock

Question: I’ve been told not to water pot plants at noon. Is this correct?

Answer: It’s not wrong to water any plant at noon. Yes, evaporation is higher then, but this would be more significant if you were hosing a whole garden. At worst, in the heat of the day, water splashed on delicate leaves might cause some sun scald. Watering in the morning is usually recommended because if you water at the end of the day, the soil can stay wet and cold overnight. Leaving foliage wet during the night may encourage fungal diseases. - Helen Young
Photography by: Tumi