Blog
Our blog features a variety of gardening and growing tips on topics such as soil biology, wicking bed construction, composting, grafting, pruning, water-saving and irrigation. Plus we regularly post recipes to help you make the most of the ‘seasonal glut’ and tips on how to live in a more sustainable way.
June garlic hint
There is not much to do for garlic in June - it is now too late to plant it. Presuming you have weeded, mulched and watered your patch, you have done all you need to. Now it is time to wait until the shortest day after which garlic heads will develop. Garlic is...
Compost activators, accelerators, starters, boosters, inoculators – do you need to pay for them?
First, let's define what terms like activators and accelerators mean. This is not easy because most people, including commercial manufacturers of such products, use these terms interchangeably and do not define what they mean. Manufacturers do not detail the actual...
Microbats: nature’s answer to mosquito control
I grew up in a mud brick and recycled timber house with inevitable little gaps in lots of places. Maybe it’s unsurprising then that I have grown to love our native microbats. We had one flying around inside after dark at least a couple of times every year. When I was...
What is a sustainable community? Part 1
As we approach the Annual General Meeting, it is timely to revisit the concept of a sustainable community and Sustainable Macleod's purpose and place in the community. The name 'Sustainable Macleod' was chosen for our organisation to indicate that our purpose was to...
Silverbeet, spinach, Swiss chard, rainbow chard… what is the difference?
Top planting tips: prepare soil to a fine tilth soak silverbeet/chard seed but not spinach seed add compost or well-rotted manure keep well watered Silverbeet, spinach, Swiss chard and rainbow chard all belong to the Amaranthaceae family but they are not all the same....
Polystyrene Waste
From bean bags to waterways – why polystyrene has to be eradicated from our lives. In the early 1970s, my family had two orange bean bags. They were very fashionable items at the time, and besides the allure of lounging in them, I loved unzipping the bags and plunging...
QFF success at the community garden!
Sustainable Macleod has succeeded in having a summer season with NO infection of fruit and vegetables at the community garden! We are proud of this achievement and inspired to spread the word about how we did this throughout the Banyule community and beyond. Please...
Jagajaga Community Volunteer Awards
Congratulations to Sustainable Macleod's nominees for Jagajaga Community Volunteer awards. From left Amanda Tattam, Lou Marks and Jen Willis. Amanda and Jen were recognised for their contributions to the newsletter and development of Sustainable Macleod’s...
Comfrey
Comfrey In the 1970s, comfrey (Symphytum Officinale) was the 'in' herb. Countless articles, papers and books were written on the subject, trials held and societies formed to promote it. Sadly, it is rather obscure these days partly because in spite of evidence that it...
10 tips for winter vegetable planting in Melbourne
Brassicas - cauliflower, cabbage, cabbage, kale 1. Before planting out, dip seedlings in Dipel, an organic bacterium that takes care of green caterpillars, the eggs of which may already be on the underside of the leaf. It is available from Yates as 'Nature's Way...
Wanting to stand for the next executive?
Words of wisdom from the current officeholders. The AGM will be coming up in May so we thought it timely to interview all 4 office-bearers about their roles so that others wishing to stand for the executive have a good understanding of what the roles entail. This...
EV charging in multi-residential developments
In my previous article, 'Supporting the change to electric vehicles', I discussed the possibility of including in council building regulations a requirement for new developments to include electric vehicle charging infrastructure. I have been in contact with Banyule...
Bulleen River Red Gum to stay
There’s some good news about the Bulleen River Red Gum, with confirmation from the North East Link Project team that it will no longer be felled for construction works. This is a significant win for locals who were outraged about its planned removal for the freeway...
The shelf-life of garlic: choose cultivars to last year round
Garlic isn't just garlic! Garlic encompasses a wide range of flavours from spicy to buttery, nutty to sweet, mild to hot and more. There are 11 groups, several of which are not grown in Australia, and each has its own distinct growing and harvest season, soil and...
Join Sustainable Macleod
Become a member and get access to the community garden, the tool library and our seed library. We welcome all members of the community and have regular events and workshops to enjoy.