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.
Kaolin clay: part of the solution to controlling Queensland Fruit Fly
Originally used on fruit trees to prevent sunburn on fruit, you may know kaolin clay is tremendously beneficial as an organic deterrent to Citrus Gall Wasp. It turns out that kaolin clay is also proving to be very effective at protecting fruit against Queensland Fruit...
Can electric cars go the distance?
To reach the very modest target of net zero worldwide emissions by 2050, a serious shift away from petrol driven vehicles is essential. ‘Net zero emissions’ refers to achieving an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions...
Biodiverse planting for pest control in the orchard and vegie garden
One of the best strategies for preventing insect attack in the fruit and vegie garden is to plant a wide array of flowering plants that attract beneficial insects. Beneficial insects are great at disposing of 'bad bugs', usually defined as sap sucking or leaf chewing...
Under Threat: A rare tree that’s been hiding in plain sight – Studley Park Gum
Image courtesy of Banyule City Council. If you’ve ever walked through Cherry Street Reserve in Macleod you’ll have seen one of the endangered unique trees we’re lucky enough to have growing on our doorstep. You might not have realised though. The Studley Park Gum...
Why used coffee grounds might harm your plants
Why sprinkling used coffee grounds on your plants might be harming them - ABC Everyday This is a must read article and I am very glad to have read it. Last year for the first time my tomatoes looked tatty and produced less than usual - that is, the ones which I added...
World Environment Day: “Let’s get active, not anxious”
June 5 was World Environment Day. This year's theme is REIMAGINE. RECREATE. RESTORE. It also marked the start of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. ‘This is our moment. We cannot turn back time. But we can grow trees, green our cities, rewild our gardens, change...
Crowns – rhubarb, strawberry, asparagus and horseradish
Some fruit and vegetables are grown from crowns and these require careful planting. A crown is defined as a part of a plant where stem and roots meet. Examples are rhubarb, strawberries, asparagus and horseradish. For rhubarb and strawberries, it is important that the...
The role of urban agriculture in a Banyule food strategy
In a previous newsletter (March 13, 2021), I have written about the importance of a food strategy for Banyule. A Banyule food strategy would address issues such as the climate emergency, a secure supply of nutritious food for all residents, regardless of income and...
Queensland Fruit Fly strategy #2 – 5 simple steps
Sustainable Macleod's 5 simple steps Hang pheronome lures (Ecolures) in trees from May onward to monitor male Queensland Fruit Fly and to kill those males overwintering in evergreen trees, especially lemon trees. Hang protein baits in trees in September to kill both...
Good news about single use plastics
The blight of plastic pollution is a frequent reminder of our throw-away convenience culture. But in Victoria at least, the end is near for the pesky large and small single-use plastic items. From February 2023, the state government is banning from sale or supply...
Queensland Fruit Fly strategy #1 – start right now!
Sustainable Macleod is developing a simple and effective Queensland Fruit Fly Strategy for Banyule. We will be rolling it out in a series of blogs and seminars and collecting data to help keep track of results. Using the strategy at the Macleod Organic Community...
Spending Green for Covid Recovery
With governments worldwide spending significant money to assist their economies recover from economic downturn due to the onset of the pandemic, now is an excellent time for major investment in environmentally sound projects. According to Oxford's UN-backed research,...
Quick composting of autumn leaves
Nature is currently providing us with an abundance of raw nutrients for next season’s garden in the form of leaves and grass clippings, both excellent ingredients for composting. Deep rooted trees pull trace minerals from deep in the soil and deposit them in their...
Hints for pressing and curing olives
Suzy Sharpe, who designed and manages the Sustainable Macleod website, phoned me the other day with a question about olives that I could not answer. I then phoned David Strutt who has a wonderful olive grove at Arthurs Creek, and from whom Sustainable Macleod buys...
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.