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.
Growing kohlrabi – king of the cabbages
What is kohlrabi? It is hard to imagine why kohlrabi is not cultivated more often as it is easy to grow, crops twice a year and is delicious raw or cooked. There are two types of kohlrabi in Australia - white (or light green) and the princely purple. Both grow a bulb...
A clean energy plan for Banyule
Banyule City Council has released the Community Climate Action Plan, following feedback and submissions through the Shaping Banyule Portal on the BCC website. The Plan is intended to have the Council take the lead in "planning for, and responding to, climate change."...
Growing ginger, galangal and turmeric in Melbourne
This article is based on my own experience. Over 40 years ago my first shot at growing ginger was when I was owner of the first Tasmanian herb nursery. Planting ginger was an experiment with little expectation of success. I cut the ginger rhizome into pieces each with...
Garlic growing hints for September
From now until 2 weeks before harvest in November - December… Water your garlic twice-weekly, deeply, directly onto the soil. Don't allow soil to splash onto the plants and avoid overhead watering. Weed your patch. Mulch well with sugar cane mulch. Keep the mulch...
Growing celeriac
What is celeriac? Celeriac is the bulbous root of a member of the celery family. It is often described as ugly as it is rough and knobbly on the surface but when peeled this gives away to crisp flesh similar in colour to parsnip. Short celery fronds top the bulb. How...
A winning lime sorbet
Winning in-season recipe To celebrate the launch of our new website, Facebook Page and Instagram account, we ran a virtual baking/cooking competition using in-season item, LIME. Thanks for sharing your yummy recipes. Although we didn't get to taste all the entries, we...
A glut of cabbage
Chocolate cabbage cake This is fun to make. It consists of a double chocolate sponge covered with leaves of dark chocolate formed by using the leaves of a fresh cabbage as moulds. Choose your favourite sponge recipe and make 2 cakes in 20 cm tins. Fill the layer...
Members growing spring seedlings at home
Sustainable Macleod is keen to continue to supply the community garden, members and the public with its much revered spring seedlings. Because the community garden is closed, members have taken on the task of raising seedlings from home. Robin's potting shed and...
Having fun with fungi
It's estimated there are potentially 250,000 fungi species in Australia, but only 10,000 or so have been described. Fungi are crucial to our ecosystems. They provide food for wildlife, plants rely on them through symbiotic relationships and they are nature's...
Natural gas – part of the solution, or part of the problem?
So-called 'natural' gas was - and still is - touted as a 'clean' fuel. I recall when it was first introduced in Melbourne in 1969. Until that point, 'town gas' was used. This was produced with a range of fuels, including coal and oil refinery gas. Town gas had a...
Are bicycles the new black?
The current pandemic has made riding bicycles much more popular. What if that popularity extended beyond the lockdowns and became a preferred mode of transport? Ibbott Ward Councillor, Tom Melican, agreed to talk bicycles. As many of you will already know, Tom is a...
A glut of guavas
Guavas are a tropical fruit but grow well in Melbourne, and fruit in winter. They grow on medium size bushes and are a tart fruit about the size of a tom bowler marble. Pineapple guavas are yellow skinned, and cherry and strawberry guavas are dark red skinned. Any...
Deficiency diseases in citrus
What is the Ideal pH for citrus? Citrus likes a close to neutral pH i.e. between 6 (lightly acid) and 7. High alkaline soil prevents the absorption of iron, magnesium and zinc which are necessary for the production of chlorophyll, the green substance of leaves....
How to keep trees safe from Citrus Gall Wasp
What is citrus gall wasp? Citrus gall wasp, an Aussie wasp originally from Queensland, can affect all citrus but seems to be most prevalent in lemon, lime and grapefruit trees. The galls are the result of the injection of eggs by the adult wasp into the soft stems of...
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.