Garden Care

Start with the problem, not the product

• Pale, slow growth. A fertiliser. Liquids act quickly, granules feed for months.
• Water beading and running off. A wetting agent. Nature's Soil Wetter comes as a liquid or as granules.
• Heavy clay that sets hard. Gypsum, as Clay Breaker granules or liquid Micronised Gypsum. It works on structure and leaves soil pH where it is.
• Acidic soil. Lime granules raise the pH, and dolomite granules do the same while supplying calcium and magnesium.
• Yellowing leaves from iron deficiency. Liquid Iron or Iron Chelate for a fast correction, iron sulphate for a slower, longer-lasting store of iron in the soil.
• Tired, sandy or depleted soil. Humic acid, fulvic acid, VolcaMin zeolite and worm castings, all in the soil conditioners and wetting agents range.

Liquid or granular fertiliser

Liquids deliver nutrients straight away, which suits pots, vegetables and a mid-season lift. Activ8mate is the all-purpose choice, made for lawns, garden plants, vegetables, trees and natives. Activ8EXTRA is the high nitrogen liquid for lawns, vegetable patches and leafy trees, and the liquid Flowers, Fruits and Roots is high in potassium for citrus, tomatoes, roses and native flowers at budding and fruiting time.

Granules are the base feed. Roots, Shoots and Leaves has an NPK of 16-2-10 and feeds for up to 3 months. It is weighted towards nitrogen for leafy growth, which makes it the natural match for hedging and screening plants. The granular Flowers, Fruits and Roots is 8-2-20 and releases over 4 to 6 months. A sound program uses both forms: granules for the long haul, a liquid when plants need a quick response.

Feeding new plantings

New plants need roots before they need top growth. Water them in with Seaweed Secrets, a kelp concentrate used as a plant tonic and soil conditioner from a plant's early stages onward, and hold the stronger feeding until you see new growth. On water-repellent ground, treat the bed with a soil wetter first, or the water you give a new tree will run past the root ball instead of into it. If the soil is worn out before you start, the soil enhancer packs among the planting kits and bundles are made for preparing ground ahead of seeding, planting or transplanting. Lawns and houseplants have their own ranges.

Browse the range by type: seaweed and plant tonics, liquid fertilisers, granular and controlled release fertilisers, lawn care, neem plant care, indoor plant care and potting mixes, mulches and fertilisers.

Common questions

Do I need a fertiliser or a soil conditioner?

Often both. A conditioner such as humic acid, zeolite or gypsum improves how the soil holds water and nutrients, and a fertiliser supplies the nutrients. Feeding a soil that cannot hold or release nutrients wastes much of what you apply.

Which fertiliser suits flowering and fruiting plants?

Flowers, Fruits and Roots, in liquid or granular form. Both are high in potassium, which supports flowering, fruiting and root strength. Roots, Shoots and Leaves is the nitrogen-led option for foliage.

Is seaweed a fertiliser?

Not in the usual sense. Seaweed Secrets is a tonic and soil conditioner made from kelp, with humic and fulvic acids added. Use it alongside a fertiliser, not in place of one.

What is in the bundles?

Each kit groups products that are used together. Gardener's Choice holds five products as a year-round soil and fertility program, and there are separate packs for soil health, new turf, lawns and indoor plants. Delivered Australia wide.