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.
Preparing an autumn/winter vegie garden
The first section here covers soil preparation, watering tips and site selection. With these covered, not much can go wrong! Below this section, are 6 families of vegetables and herbs with specific guidelines for each. It is worth reading the whole article to get a...
Lettuce and light
Light-dark requirements for lettuce seed germination Top tips: lettuce seed needs light to germinate lettuce seed has a shelf life of one year prepare a firm, moist seed bed for planting lettuce and keep seed moist at all times know the light and dark requirements for...
5 pretty purple local plants in Banyule
Nature abhors bare earth. Where there’s bare earth, mother nature finds something to fill it. In spring, that’ll likely be weeds. Why not instead fill some small spots in your garden with something that’s pretty and local to the area? They’ll require very little (if...
Myths about Sustainable Macleod
Sustainable Macleod is nearly 11 years old. We were a small group back in 2011and there are just a few of the original members still involved. It is not surprising that myths and misunderstandings have grown up over the years. Time to set some of them right! Myth #1:...
What is a Community Battery…and why would you want one?
Most people are familiar with home batteries, such as those produced by Tesla. These privately owned batteries usually sit on an exterior wall of the house and are located behind the meter. This means they store energy (from solar panels), for that household, allowing...
The life in the soil and why you should soil your undies!
Diversity is important. Above ground, there is an amazing array of plants, birds, animals, flowers and insects. In the ocean, there are amazing fishes, crustaceans and other animals. Diversity below the ground is important too. The micro-organisms below the soil are...
8 Ways to Reduce Light Pollution Impacts on Wildlife
Leaving unnecessary lights on at night is a waste of electricity, carbon emissions and money. Importantly, it’s also creating harmful impacts on some of our wildlife. Artificial light at night directly impacts the health and safety of individual creatures and...
FOGO Waste Collection in Banyule
The kerbside green waste revolution coming soon A new waste management system is coming our way soon, with the start of the Food Organic and Garden Organic (FOGO) waste collection in the City of Banyule. From 4 July, food and garden waste will be collected every week....
Simple steps to make your home more energy efficient
Last month I wrote about some of the basics in building a more energy efficient home. This article describes some of the ways you can make an existing home more energy efficient with some simple steps. While a full 'ground up' retrofit can make a house far more energy...
Queensland Fruit Fly blog #8
Now is the perfect time to put out Wild May to attract overwintering male QFF. Place fresh Wild May liquid in QFF containers and position on the east side of the tree, 1.2-2m high within the canopy. Lemon trees are ideal places to hang the containers as males collect...
Growing perfect peas
Top tips for growing peas water pea seed at planting and not again until they shoot plant in slightly alkaline soil (pH 7-7.5) support climbing peas with a trellis or frame With a little care, peas are very easy to grow. Autumn, winter and spring are ideal planting...
Growing perfect parsnips
Top tips for growing parsnips use fresh seed cultivate the soil to a fine tilth keep ground moist from seed sowing to emergence of seedlings thin seedlings at 5-6 weeks My survey this week (last week of May) revealed that parsnips on average are $12.50 per kilo and...
The Swift Parrots are back!
The Swift Parrots (Lathamus discolor) have returned to mainland Australia. Research published in December 2020 suggests there may only be several hundred Swift Parrots left, meaning they are on the very brink of extinction. Logging and habitat destruction are the most...
Sustainable Housing
Looking around at new houses being built in Macleod, there are multiple examples of houses that could be far more sustainable if they followed some simple principles of environmental design. Older houses in the area also suffer from not following some basic principles...
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.