In this newsletter:

Jobs for the April garden
What to plant NOW
Sambung - Longevity Spinach
Garden Pest - Armyworm
VIP Special Offer
Photo Competition Winner
Retailer Update

Jobs for the April Garden

• Plant late Winter/Spring bulbs - the Jonquils, Daffodils, Tulips, Hyacinth, Snowdrop (etc) bulbs will all be available soon. (Hint - there's usually a good selection available at the Garden Festival.) Plant them for some lovely colour and scent in the garden - often when there's little else around in the cooler weather.
• Plant a fruit tree! Bare rooted trees won't be available for a couple more months yet (many good nurseries have an order list - so contact them and get on it!). But if there are good opportunities to plant potted trees or evergreen fruit trees like Citrus - Autumn is a fabulous time to do so.
• Feed your lawn! Once the weather cools down you're maybe a bit too late - but the weather is still warm so give your grass a light feed or top dress now (don't leave it any longer) - if you haven't already done so.
• Sow your spring flowering annuals from seed. Poppies, Sweet Peas, Stocks, Aquilegia, Alyssum, Nasturtium - just for a few - to give bees & beneficial insects some food! Also things like Borage (pictured right) - which grows very easily at this time of year and is a great plant if you've got a bit of room. It can grow about 75cms x 75cms at least - but is such a lovely Bee plant to have!
• Watch for slugs & snails - as soon as we have some rain these little guys get really active in our gardens.
• Get your Winter vegies in ASAP. Check out healthy seedlings as a faster option to be harvesting sooner. Start some seed now for your successive crops to follow.
• You can cut down on watering your indoor plants now, as the seasons are changing. Do check out the moisture in your pots before watering; most indoor plants are killed by overwatering (not under watering) so you're often best to let the soil dry out just a little bit before watering again.  Got things to repot?  Have you tried our Indoor Potting Mix?
• Depending on where you are, it might be almost time to cut back asparagus and prepare beds for winter dormancy with a big load of good compost. Plan on doing this sometime in the next month.
• Cut back Lavender, Geranium (and other summer flowering perennials). Use the off-cuts for cuttings & see if you can grow new plants for free!
• Harvest your Sweet Potatoes - dig around for the tubers. Plants will slow down and potentially die back a little over winter (if you have them in a cooler spot) so make the most of the tubers you have grown. Get some more slips growing to start again in the Spring. See our fact sheet on propagating them here.

What to Plant NOW

With Autumn conditions barely here...  there's loads of opportunity to plant your Autumn/Winter crops, but you'd better get a wriggle on if you're growing from seed - you may be better off looking for established seedlings to get a quicker harvest, and grow a few seeds for successive crops which will be ready to harvest 6-8 weeks later.

Do check out our FREE downloadable planting guide for Perth (see link here) - but here's a quick list of vegies & herbs to try now:

Artichoke (Globe), Asian Greens, Beetroot, Beans (Bush & Broad), Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Coriander, English Spinach, Garlic, Kale, Kohl Rabi, Leek, Lettuce, Mint, Onion, Oregano, Parsley, Parsnip, Peas, Potato, Radish, Silverbeet, Snow Peas, Spring Onion, Swede, Turnip.

Here's a link to our growing guide on POTATOES - if you've never given them a try before, it's definitely worth having a crack! You don't need a huge amount of space, as the fact sheet will tell you - there are a range of ways you can get a good crop.  We've got Certified Organic, Manjimup grown seed potatoes in stock (pictured above) - but be quick!!!

Remember - there's HEAPS of free information, tips & growing guides right here on our website; please feel free to share in your social media groups! (And tag us in your garden photos!)

I first received a cutting from one of my customers about 7 years ago. She was a European lady and we were just talking herbs in general. She said she had this amazing herb that was a "gift from God”. She started talking its praises and that’s when I knew I had to have one.

Sambung’s botanical name is Gynura procumbens. Other common names that Sambung has been known as are Moluccan Spinach, Leaves of the Gods, Sambung Nyawa, Akar Sebiak, Daun Dewa, Kelemai Merah, Bai Bing Ca and let us not forget Longevity Spinach.

It is a hardy perennial of the Asteraceae family (daisy family), and includes many plants useful to man, eg. German chamomile, echinacea, sunflower, calendula, dandelion and St. Mary’s thistle.

The bush may grow 30cm to 100 cm tall, and staking the plant is an advantage as the oval-shaped leaves to 10cm long have a rather thick, fleshy feel, and can weigh down the stems. The stems are green, and may get tinges of purple, and the leaves may also have purple colourings.

Sambung grows easily from stem-cuttings. (Seeds are not viable, that’s not to say they don’t produce seeds, I have just not had much luck growing Sambung from seed.)  If you don’t stake your Sambung, you can also propagate it by layering. 

(if you are not sure how to propagate your own plants, I have an online propagation workshop you can sign up for https://oaktreeherbalclinic.com.au/collections/workshops/products/propagation-on-line)

It is best grown in well-draining, fertile soil that is kept moist at all times. Semi-shade is preferred by this plant although it can be slowly adapted to grow in full sun, provided the plant does not dry out at the roots.  I prefer to grow in semi shade.  Initial planting under direct sunshine will result in burnt leaves and stunting in growth. (I tried to grow this amazing herb in full sun, but our harsh summers just killed it.)In shade, the leaves are darker green and appear rather flat but under direct sun, the two sides of each leaf may develop a slight V shape along the mid-rib and take on a lighter green colour.

Sambung is well known in South East Asia, with folklore medicinal uses in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and the leaves of the plant are also eaten as a vegetable. Leaves have a mild flavour and can be used raw in salads, added to soups, stir-fries, casseroles, condiments and sauces, rice dishes and other savoury meals. When growing very well, and leaves are in excess, feed some to laying hens.

Leaves can be made as a herbal tea using 5-10 cut up leaves to 1 cup of boiling water, stir and leave to steep 5 minutes, drink hot or cool. The flavour is quite pleasant. Other herbs can be added to the tea if desired, like peppermint, lemon myrtle, citronella grass, etc. Many people just make it “a way of life” to eat 2-3 leaves a day, for the many benefits to health the plant may provide.

The herb has been noted for anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, anti-pyretic, antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-ageing, anti-allergy properties, and also actions as a blood cleanser, tonic, diuretic, and pain killer. Some of its uses include: treating migraines, dyspepsia, constipation, arthritis, rheumatism, diabetes, dysentery, fevers, malaria, varicose veins, kidney stones, joint and back pain, knitting broken bones and strengthening ligaments, stroke and cardiovascular conditions, high cholesterol, lymphatic diseases, cancers, leukaemia, hepatitis, detoxifier, coughs, colds, sore throats, halitosis, laryngitis, flu, sinusitis, depression, urinary infections, renal failure, varicose veins, and as a “skin-care-elixir” for skin diseases, skin care and toning, acne, boils, bites. It supports male reproductive health and performance, including prostate function. Females have taken the herb for breast firming, menstrual cycle problems, and vagina contraction. (Herbsarespecial)

Green Life do have stock of this amazing herb but get in quick as stock is limited. I am sure if you ask nicely, they will get some more in for you.

If you are interested in learning more about this amazing herb, I have done a more detailed blog on Sambung which you can read here:
https://oaktreeherbalclinic.com.au/blogs/news/sambung-aka-longevity-spinach

Leesa (pictured right) is a qualified Naturopath, Master Herbalist, Nutritionist and Aromatherapist. She grows a range of edible and medicinal vegetables and herbs under her business “The Greenhouse Organic” – available at The Green Life Soil Co. You can visit her web page at www.oaktreeherbalclinic.com.au and www.thegreenhouseorganic.com.au

Armyworm are not actually 'worms' - they're the larvae of a moth - so they're technically caterpillars.  They're not new to Perth, but this year they seem to have been particularly bad.  There are three existing species recorded in Australia - and depressing news - a 'new' variety (Fall Armyworm - originally from America) was discovered in Australia in 2020 (including Northern WA).  Dubbed 'The Coronavirus of Agriculture' - it has caused widespread crop damage in other parts of the world, and has never been fully eradicated anywhere; although Australian scientists have announced trials with parasitic fungus as a biological control does look promising.  Given that the adult/moths can fly 100 - 200kms (and each moth can lay 100's of eggs in a single laying; producing many thousands in a lifetime) it may not be too long before these guys arrive in Perth.  Click here for a link to the WA Ag Department site which talks a little more about Fall Armyworm.(Also - DPIRD is presenting a talk on Fall Armyworm @ Perth Garden Festival 3.30pm Saturday 1st May if you'd like to learn more.)

Armyworm has been around for a while in our gardens.  They're called 'Army Worm' - because they literally turn up in battalion strength of numbers - and can cause a lot of devastation in a very short space of time.  They are more active at night, and in the day may hide in the soil or amid the plant's growing tips.  Often the first sign they're there is the destruction of leaves being chomped from the margins inwards - until you're left with just the stalks, and the tell-tale khaki dollops of their frass (poo).  They have a wide range of plant hosts - including lawns and vegetable crops.  If you suspect you have them - go out at night with a torch and you'll probably catch them red handed; as it were. 

Young caterpillars are a couple of centimetres long and lighter in colour.  As they grow (to about 4cms long and maybe 6mm across) they tend to be darker, and develop distinctive stripes that run down the length of their body.  When disturbed, the caterpillars curl up in a tight "C" shape.  They are smooth (not hairy) and their bodies are segmented.  Colours can range from green to dark brown.  The adult moths are a non-descript brown colour about 3-4cms long with a similar wingspan.

If you have Armyworm - you probably will know it - they do so much damage!  Different species have different times of year they're active; but we've certainly seen a lot at the end of summer/Autumn this year.

Retailer Update

Please support your local independent retailer who supports us! The specialist retailers listed here will be happy to give you gardening advice and help you with our products - please call to check what lines they carry.

Waldecks Melville - 6317 0939 (Store renovated & re-opened under new management)
Waldecks Stirling - 9254 6730
Zanthorrea Nursery - Maida Vale 9454 6260

Ardess Nursery (Albany) 9842 9952
Australind Landscaping Supplies 9796 1720
Blossoms Nursery (Denmark) 9848 2014
Boyup Brook Co-op (Boyup Brook) 9765 1001
Margaret River - Nutrient Ag Solutions (formerly Landmark) 9758 7677
Soils Ain't Soils (Busselton) 97515 322

Remember all stockists carry different items - if there's an item of ours they don't usually carry, in most cases they'd be very happy to add it to their next order for you.

Know of anywhere in your area that you'd like to stock our products? Let us know (as well as letting THEM know!) and we'd be happy to approach them.

Remember to keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages for news & updates regularly.

THANK YOU for being part of the Green Life family - stay safe, stay healthy & keep gardening!