YOUR PAW solved PROBLEMS
WHY DO THEIR LEAVES GO BLACK? Blackened leaves are the biggest problem encountered with kangaroo paws. Basically, anything that kills leaf tissue causes unsightly dark black marks to appear on the leaves. Irregular black marks are a reaction to environmental stress and caused by damage from snails or slugs, frost (right), too much or too little water, or nutritional stress. Fungal leaf spot diseases, such as rust and ink spot, show as circular lesions. Manage leaf problems by protecting plants from slugs, snail and frost. Ensure they don’t come under stress by growing them in full sun with well-drained soils and adequate low-phosphorus fertiliser. In heavy soil, grow paws in raised beds or large containers. Many modern cultivars are resistant to rust and ink spot disease. MY PLANTS KEEP DYING… Fungal rots in the below-ground parts of kangaroo paws account for most plant deaths in Australian gardens, in my experience. These rots are worst in heavy soils and humid climates. Keep them at bay with good drainage – plant in a raised bed, rockery or pot. Alternatively, grow tall varieties that are much more resistant to these problems and grow well in virtually all soil types and Australian climates. DO THEY NEED FERTILISER?
Good nutrition maximises flower displays and keeps the foliage green and healthy, thereby avoiding leaf
blackening. While kangaroo paws are not as sensitive to added phosphorus as banksias, grevilleas and waratahs, it’s still wise to use a low-phosphorus fertiliser for native plants. Give plants a generous handful after pruning at the end of their flowering season. DO THEY NEED WATERING? Kangaroo paws need an adequate supply of moisture while their flowers are forming. Drooping flower buds are a sign that extra watering is required. A bumper flower display can rapidly wilt if the garden dries out during late winter and spring. THEY’RE LOOKING A BIT STRAGGLY… Like many perennials, kangaroo paws need pruning after flowering. I cut most of mine back hard. Wear long sleeves and trousers, protective goggles and a dust mask to prevent hairs on the spent flowers causing irritation. Tall cultivars can be chopped back to ground level each year in late summer or autumn as flowering finishes. This tough love cleans up any dead or blackened foliage. Be bold. I use a whipper snipper or hand hedging shears for a small job, and mechanical shears, a motor mower or tractor slasher for the big jobs.
Smaller cultivars require more work to maximise their relatively short lives. Each flower stem arises from a leaf fan that is comprised usually of six leaves that gradually die and turn black as flowers finish. Rather than cutting the whole plant back to ground level, it’s best to remove the spent flower stems one at a time, as a savage cut back all at once will often kill the plant. As you remove the stems, make sure you take out the old leaves that are associated with them.