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How Do I... Choose Plants That Are Easy to Grow?
Are you lacking the green-thumbed gene? A horticultural expert reveals six of the easiest plants to grow
In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning design, decorating and gardening questions. Here, horticulturist and Yates consultant Angie Thomas shares six no-fail plants that even a gardening novice can keep alive.
Perhaps you’re a beginner gardener, you don’t have much time to care for a garden, or you just have an unfortunate tendency to kill every plant you encounter. Fear not: here are six plants that are almost impossible to go wrong with.
1. Daisies
Daisies will add a pretty touch to your garden, with their yellow, vibrant pink or crisp white petals. Different types of daisies will reach varying sizes, up to around 60 centimetres tall and wide.
Where to plant: Daisies prefer a frost-protected, full-sun position in either pots or garden beds.
When to plant: Between early to mid spring and early to mid autumn.
Daisies will add a pretty touch to your garden, with their yellow, vibrant pink or crisp white petals. Different types of daisies will reach varying sizes, up to around 60 centimetres tall and wide.
Where to plant: Daisies prefer a frost-protected, full-sun position in either pots or garden beds.
When to plant: Between early to mid spring and early to mid autumn.
Care requirements: Daisies are perennial plants that are easy to maintain. Just trim plants back by around 30 per cent after flowering and they’ll last for many years.
Watering guide: Once established, daisies don’t require too much water, although potted varieties will need more frequent watering than ones in the ground. Daisies might also benefit from being fed a plant food designed for flowering plants.
How often your daisies need watering will depend on your location and climate. The best way to see if they need watering is to gently dig around in the top few centimetres of soil or potting mix with your finger. If it feels dry and dusty, water. If it feels moist and some of the soil or potting mix sticks to your finger, leave watering for another few days.
Watering guide: Once established, daisies don’t require too much water, although potted varieties will need more frequent watering than ones in the ground. Daisies might also benefit from being fed a plant food designed for flowering plants.
How often your daisies need watering will depend on your location and climate. The best way to see if they need watering is to gently dig around in the top few centimetres of soil or potting mix with your finger. If it feels dry and dusty, water. If it feels moist and some of the soil or potting mix sticks to your finger, leave watering for another few days.
2. Succulents
These are super easy to grow – ideal for beginner gardeners or kids. Many types of succulents are also easy to propagate with leaf cuttings, which makes them cost-effective. These include sedums, echeveria and kalanchoe.
Where to grow: In full sun in garden beds or in pots on a balcony. Be aware, however, that succulents do like protection from the harsh afternoon sun and frost. Some succulents, such as mother-in-laws tongue and string of pearls, will grow well in a sunny spot indoors too.
When to plant: Any time of year.
These are super easy to grow – ideal for beginner gardeners or kids. Many types of succulents are also easy to propagate with leaf cuttings, which makes them cost-effective. These include sedums, echeveria and kalanchoe.
Where to grow: In full sun in garden beds or in pots on a balcony. Be aware, however, that succulents do like protection from the harsh afternoon sun and frost. Some succulents, such as mother-in-laws tongue and string of pearls, will grow well in a sunny spot indoors too.
When to plant: Any time of year.
Care requirements: Every now and then succulents may be attacked by sap-sucking pests such as mealy bugs. Small numbers can be picked off by hand or controlled with an insecticide.
Watering guide: Succulents only need watering around once a fortnight in warm weather and less in winter. They’ll also need an occasional feed with a liquid fertiliser.
Tip: Succulents don’t like wet feet, so it’s important not to overwater. If grown in the garden, they’ll need to be in a well-drained spot. If planted in a container, choose one with a good number of drainage holes and use a quality potting mix.
Watering guide: Succulents only need watering around once a fortnight in warm weather and less in winter. They’ll also need an occasional feed with a liquid fertiliser.
Tip: Succulents don’t like wet feet, so it’s important not to overwater. If grown in the garden, they’ll need to be in a well-drained spot. If planted in a container, choose one with a good number of drainage holes and use a quality potting mix.
3. Silverbeet
Silverbeet is a hardy plant that tastes great in recipes (try hiding it in the kids’ spaghetti bolognese). It can be grown from seed or seedlings and will be productive for many months, with individual leaves being harvested as you need them. They can be grown in full sun or part shade and prefer a well-drained soil or potting mix.
Where to grow: In a vegie patch in the garden or an edible balcony garden.
When to plant: From spring to autumn in cool and temperate areas. All year round in tropical and subtropical areas.
Silverbeet is a hardy plant that tastes great in recipes (try hiding it in the kids’ spaghetti bolognese). It can be grown from seed or seedlings and will be productive for many months, with individual leaves being harvested as you need them. They can be grown in full sun or part shade and prefer a well-drained soil or potting mix.
Where to grow: In a vegie patch in the garden or an edible balcony garden.
When to plant: From spring to autumn in cool and temperate areas. All year round in tropical and subtropical areas.
Care requirements: Silverbeet requires regular feeding every week with a fast-acting liquid plant fertiliser. Harvest leaves regularly to encourage new ones to grow.
Watering guide: Potted silverbeet may need daily watering during the warmer months; silverbeet grown in the ground will need watering three or four times a week. The best way to know if your silverbeet needs re-watering is to check the soil or potting mix moisture level with your finger. If it’s dry, water. If it’s moist, leave it a few days.
Watering guide: Potted silverbeet may need daily watering during the warmer months; silverbeet grown in the ground will need watering three or four times a week. The best way to know if your silverbeet needs re-watering is to check the soil or potting mix moisture level with your finger. If it’s dry, water. If it’s moist, leave it a few days.
4. Lilly pillys
These Australian natives have lush green foliage, white or pink flowers, and delicious edible berries. Flowers attract bees and other beneficial insects, and both flowers and fruit provide food for native birds. The berries can be made into mouthwatering jams, jellies and chutneys too.
Where to grow: Either in full sun or a shaded area in the garden. Compact varieties can look fantastic in a pot on the balcony. They can even be trained into a standard (lollipop) or trimmed as topiary.
When to plant: Between early spring and autumn.
When to pick the berries: When they colour up (purple, pink or white, depending on the variety). Just don’t leave them too long as they’re adored by birds and bats.
These Australian natives have lush green foliage, white or pink flowers, and delicious edible berries. Flowers attract bees and other beneficial insects, and both flowers and fruit provide food for native birds. The berries can be made into mouthwatering jams, jellies and chutneys too.
Where to grow: Either in full sun or a shaded area in the garden. Compact varieties can look fantastic in a pot on the balcony. They can even be trained into a standard (lollipop) or trimmed as topiary.
When to plant: Between early spring and autumn.
When to pick the berries: When they colour up (purple, pink or white, depending on the variety). Just don’t leave them too long as they’re adored by birds and bats.
Care requirements: Lilly pillys prefer moist, well-drained soil, but will tolerate drier conditions once established.
Watering guide: It depends on the season and rogue heatwaves, but generally for in-ground lilly pillys, a deep drink (about a full bucket of water) once or twice a week once the plants are established should do.
Potted plants dry out much faster than in-ground ones, so potted lilly pillys might need watering every day, particularly between mid spring and mid autumn. In winter, water once a week.
Watering guide: It depends on the season and rogue heatwaves, but generally for in-ground lilly pillys, a deep drink (about a full bucket of water) once or twice a week once the plants are established should do.
Potted plants dry out much faster than in-ground ones, so potted lilly pillys might need watering every day, particularly between mid spring and mid autumn. In winter, water once a week.
5. Bromeliads
Bromeliads are hardy plants that require minimal maintenance other than dividing off young plants every few years in order to reduce overcrowding. They have a gorgeous foliage colour, ranging from purple and grey to red, and some have stripes.
Where to grow: Most bromeliads prefer a sheltered spot with dappled sunlight and protection from harsh afternoon sun. They can be grown in the garden or in pots on a protected spot on the balcony.
When to plant: All year round.
Bromeliads are hardy plants that require minimal maintenance other than dividing off young plants every few years in order to reduce overcrowding. They have a gorgeous foliage colour, ranging from purple and grey to red, and some have stripes.
Where to grow: Most bromeliads prefer a sheltered spot with dappled sunlight and protection from harsh afternoon sun. They can be grown in the garden or in pots on a protected spot on the balcony.
When to plant: All year round.
Care requirements: Most bromeliads prefer dappled sunlight and thrive under the canopy of trees where it’s often hard to establish other plants. There are also some sun-loving broms such as aechmea.
Watering guide: If the bromeliad has a rosette, keep the centre filled with water during the warmer months. For a strappy-leaf bromeliad without a rosette, water once a fortnight between spring and autumn, and less often during winter.
Watering guide: If the bromeliad has a rosette, keep the centre filled with water during the warmer months. For a strappy-leaf bromeliad without a rosette, water once a fortnight between spring and autumn, and less often during winter.
6. Dwarf sacred bamboo (Nandina domestica ‘Nana’)
This super-hardy, low-maintenance shrub has very attractive foliage that turns from lime green to crimson. It is suitable for garden beds or pots.
There are nandinas to suit every spot; newer varieties include low-growing plants that are only 30 to 40 centimetres tall (almost ground cover) and larger types that will grow up to 1.5 metres tall.
Where to grow: In the garden in full sun to part shade.
When to plant: Early to mid spring and autumn.
This super-hardy, low-maintenance shrub has very attractive foliage that turns from lime green to crimson. It is suitable for garden beds or pots.
There are nandinas to suit every spot; newer varieties include low-growing plants that are only 30 to 40 centimetres tall (almost ground cover) and larger types that will grow up to 1.5 metres tall.
Where to grow: In the garden in full sun to part shade.
When to plant: Early to mid spring and autumn.
Care requirements: Nandinas grow well in both full sun and part shade. They are tolerant to dry conditions, humidity and cold temperatures. They’ll appreciate a twice-yearly feed of a quality plant food to encourage fresh, healthy growth.
Watering guide: How often you need to water will depend on your location and climate. The best way to see if they need watering is to gently dig around in the top few centimetres of soil or potting mix with your finger, as with other plants mentioned.
Watering guide: How often you need to water will depend on your location and climate. The best way to see if they need watering is to gently dig around in the top few centimetres of soil or potting mix with your finger, as with other plants mentioned.
Tell us
Which plants do you find impossible to kill? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like, share or bookmark this story. Join the conversation.
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Which plants do you find impossible to kill? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like, share or bookmark this story. Join the conversation.
More
Read more ‘How Do I… ’ stories