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If you are looking for gardening advice, tips and solutions, use McGregor’s Help Shed for answers to all your gardening questions. The smallest and simplest tricks can make all the difference in your garden. Use the ‘Ask a question’ tool to submit your own questions for our gardening experts.

Latest Questions & Answers

How deep do I plant the seeds?

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Most seed packets tell you how deep to plant. A rule of thumb is to sow seeds two or three times as deep as they are wide. Take care not to plant seeds to deep. A seed contains a limited supply of stored food to nourish it during germination. If you plant…

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How do I grow garlic?

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Garlic is easy to grow in a sunny position and well-drained soil. Prepare your soil well. Mix in lots of good compost before you start planting. Break up the bulbs no longer than 24 hours before you plant them. Place the cloves 3-4cm below the surface,…

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How do I grow shallots from seed?

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Choose a sunny position where the soil is well drained. Dig the area in autumn, incorporating well rotted manure or garden compost. Approximately seven days prior to planting or sowing apply McGregor’s Vege & Ornamental Plant…

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How do I know when it’s the right time to transplant my seedlings into a larger pot?

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Tomatoes and other fast-growing plants may outgrow their pots before it’s time to move them into the garden. About a month after sowing or when seedlings are about 4’’ tall, gently remove one of the seedlings from its pot. If the roots are beginning to fill…

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How do I plant vegies and fruits in pots?

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The key to success in pot planting is keeping the water up. Pots dry out far quicker than garden beds and even if your plants don’t die they will be in survival mode, concentrating on seed…

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How do I prepare for an Edible Garden in March?

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Pull out any summer herbs and vegetables that have finished producing and add to your compost bin. Planting of winter seedlings will give you a good start in your home edible patch so prepare the soil. Plant seedlings of cabbage, cauliflowers, broccoli,…

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How do I sow grass seed and prepare the ground?

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Prior to sowing it is important to remove all weeds. Perennial weeds should be treated with a McGregor’s Weed Out Advanced as this will kill the roots. Once any weeds have died the area can be dug, removing any roots and large stones. Rake over the area to…

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My lawn is looking pale, weedy and dry; what could it be and how can I fix it?

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Acid Lawn Soil restricts grasses ability to absorb nutrients, making it appear pale and weedy. Check the pH levels with a soil tester, neutral is between 6.5-7.0, if your pH level is lower add Lime to your lawn as this will raise the pH level and help improve soil…

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My seedlings are spindly, what can I do?

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Plants grow tall and leggy when they do not receive enough light. Use grow lights to ensure that they receive 15 hours of bright light each day. Warm temperatures can also stimulate leggy growth. Try lowering the room temperature and reducing the amount of…

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Only one-quarter of my seeds germinated. What went wrong?

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There are a number of factors that affect germination. Check the seed packet to determine if all the requirements for temperature and light were met. If the soil was cold and excessively wet, the seeds may have rotted. Dig up one of the seeds and examine…

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The leaves on my tomatoes are starting to look purple along the veins and on the underside of the leaves, what’s happening?

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Purple leaves are an indication that the plant is not receiving enough phosphorus. If you have been using half strength fertilizer for the first three to four weeks of the seedling’s life, it may be time to increase the fertilizer to full strength. The…

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What are easy-to-grow Asian vegies?

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Oriental vegetable varieties have becomes a part of our everyday diets. And, like other fresh vegetables, they taste better if they’re grown in the home garden and harvested just as they’re required. Many grow easily from seed, which means you can…

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What are some tips to make sure I get the most out of my seeds?

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Sow seeds in shallow trays or recycled plastic plant punnets. Vegies that hate root disturbance, such as carrots and coriander, can be sown in peat pots. Sow in sterile seed-raising mix. This mix contains slow release fertilisers and fungicides to…

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What are the benefits of planting seeds vs seedlings?

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Starting from seed is much cheaper. A punnet containing six lettuce seedlings can cost twice as much as a packet of lettuce seeds, which in turn is likely to contain enough seeds to grow hundreds…

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What are the essential gardening tools to have for a start-out gardener?

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No volume of gardening brilliance can overcome the need for a few essential gardening tools: Sturdy Spade What’s a garden without a trusty spade? You’ll need a substantial one for digging large holes if you're…

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What can be harvested in January?

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Who doesn’t love munching on freshly picked sweetcorn? The fresher the better with this crop as immediately after harvest the sucrose sugars start to…

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