Blog
Our blog features a variety of gardening and sustainablity articles on topics such as soil biology, composting, grafting, pruning, water-saving and irrigation clean energy, waste and biodiversity. 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.
What is a sustainable community? Part 2
What is a sustainable communityPart 2: Inclusion, diversity and belonging Last month I used Sustainable Macleod as an example of an organisation seeking to assist the development of a sustainable community. In this article, I want to dig a little deeper, into what a...
Pruning and care of fruit trees
Pruning and care of fruit trees First published in July 2022 Top tips follow the timetable below for individual fruit trees prune on a warm, dry day, especially for apricots and cherries avoid using wound healing sprays remove suckers avoid Bordeaux mix and use lime...
What to plant in June in Melbourne
Late in June begin planting seeds in punnets for early spring planting in late August/September. Succession plant some winter seedlings so that they will be available when your first crop finishes and carry you through to the time when spring vegetables are ready. It...
Urgent jobs in the garden for June
Make compost. Collect autumn leaves to make leaf litter or to add to compost. Mow the leaves before using. Add sparingly to compost as too much in a layer causes matting. Mix leaves well with other ingredients to prevent this. Net brassicas and Asian greens with...
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...
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.