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.
How much do you really know about eastern grey kangaroos?
Eastern Grey Kangaroos (Marcrocarpus giganteus) are iconic Australian animals, commonly seen in our area, including at Gresswell Forest and in Banyule Flats. A recent video popped up in my social media feed highlighting the winning ‘Dance Your PhD’ video competition...
Sustainable Macleod Inc. AGM 2024
The Sustainable Macleod AGM was held on Saturday, 20 April at 2pm. The new committee was elected unopposed. Marsha Merory and Paul Sharpe stepped down from their positions as Vice-president and Treasurer and were warmly thanked for their service. The new committee is:...
Congratulations to Jagajaga Community Volunteer Award recipients 2024!
Four members of Sustainable Macleod received recognition for their community volunteering at the Jagajaga Community Volunteer Awards held at Viewbank College on 20 April. Three received awards for their work over a number of years for Sustainable Macleod. Catherine...
Circular economy: what’s it all about?
It is almost 50 years since the phrase ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ was first popularised in the US. If people did just two of the three things, they thought they were doing the right thing. But fast-forward to 2024, and it's clear that the three Rs just won't cut it. So...
Growing exceptional cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts
Top tips: Prepare soil well Choose a site with 6-8 hours of sun per day Water the soil well regularly Do not overcrowd. Cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts are members of the Brassica family. With good site selection, soil preparation and ample water...
Lose the lawn – ditch mowing forever
How natural is your nature strip? What role does your lawn play in reducing carbon in the atmosphere - the CO2 that wreaks havoc with the climate? Lawns and tidy nature strips can look attractive and appear part of the natural world, but what is the reality? Given a...
Urgent jobs in the garden for May
Make compost. Collect autumn leaves to make leaf litter or to add to compost. 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 exclusion netting, weighing down...
What to plant in May in Melbourne
May is an ideal month for planting winter vegies in well prepared beds. Continue to water well through any dry spells and install dripline for brassica family vegies and garlic. Plant seeds in punnets broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Florence fennel, kale, kohlrabi,...
May Garlic Hint
If you haven't already planted your garlic, do so immediately. You will only get small bulbs, if you plant later. Garlic must have time to develop roots and shoots before the shortest day of the year on 21 June. This is a 4 -6 week process. After that, lengthening...
The tanks are in!
Sustainable Macleod Community Garden, courtesy of the Education Department, now has 2 new 15,000-litre tanks in place, and a water delivery has filled them. Last August the mains water line - which runs under the school oval - disintegrated and could not be repaired....
Wetting agents for soil: yes or no?
Have you ever tried to wash greasy dishes in hot water without detergent? Nothing much happens until you add a few drops of detergent to the water - then hey presto, clean, sparkling dishes emerge. What causes this is the surfactants in the detergent, and it is the...
The noisy miner problem
In our backyards and parks, there's a bird causing quite a ruckus: the noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala). These birds are indigenous but have very much made themselves at home in urban environments. Unfortunately, they're not very friendly neighbours and have...
Fast fashion more dangerous than we think!
The kernel that generated this article was my investigation into why stains are so hard to remove from some fabrics. The short answer is that over 85% of cheaper garments are made from petrochemicals - oil and coal - which absorb 'stains' and don't release them easily...
Robert Hoddle – chains and grids in terra nullius
Preamble On a recent heritage walk in Lower Plenty-Yallambie, I was asked how colonial surveyors actually measured the Crown Land Portions, and why Martins Lane was called 50 Links Occupation Road. People looked unconvinced when I talked about surveyors dragging a...
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.