12 October 2020 | Gardening tips, Nightshades
Growing spectacular eggplants and capsicums Top hints for growing eggplants and capsicum Use Dipel (an organic bacterium available from nurseries) to prevent caterpillar poo trails in the fruit. Always keep soil moist. Stake plants to support brittle stems and keep...
12 October 2020 | Fruit trees, Gardening tips
Coddle your apples, pears and quince trees against codling moth What time of year do I need to protect my trees from codling moth? It’s now a good time to protect your apples, quinces and pears from the ravages of codling moth. While any time is a good time to...
1 October 2020 | Gardening tips, Planting guides
How to plant seeds in punnets Use seed raising mix if possible. Seed raising mix does not contain nutrients, is finer than other soils, and is designed specifically for seed raising. If you cannot access seed raising mix, use potting mix. Do not use garden soil as it...
30 September 2020 | Gardening tips, Planting guides
Preparing a spring/summer or autumn/winter vegie garden This article is in three parts: preparation and care (soil preparation, watering, and site selection for individual vegetables) spring/summer garden autumn/winter garden Part 1 – Preparation and care ...
14 September 2020 | Brassicas, Gardening tips, Planting guides
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...
14 September 2020 | Gardening tips, Root Vegetables
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...
