In autumn fruit trees start to shut down before becoming dormant in winter, but before then, the tree needs to store reserves of carbohydrates and nutrients in the flower buds to use next spring. The tree needs a lot of energy to produce flowe [...]
Many plants that we think of as weeds are actually “dynamic accumulators”, or plants that extract and gather nutrients—specifically inorganic minerals—from the soil or air, and make them available to other plants, animals, and even to us! Read [...]
Drainage is an important issue for fruit trees, and periods of heavy rain provide the perfect opportunity to see how good your drainage is. Although some trees tolerate it better than others, they will never thrive on a site where the water do [...]
Young fruit trees start life with a very small root system, so it makes sense to plant them in a welcoming environment, with a friable soil structure, good drainage and readily available nutrient while their roots get established. Choosing the [...]
Green manures are crops grown to improve the soil condition and nutrition. They can help crowd out the weeds you don’t want, and some even get rid of soil diseases. Instead of being harvested, the crop is dug into the soil while still lush and [...]
Keyline is an important farming technique being used to restore the landscape on many Australian farms, but believe it or not, it also has application in your garden! Most gardens are too small to contemplate ploughing, but understanding the i [...]
Drainage is an important issue for fruit trees, and periods of heavy rain provide the perfect opportunity to see how good your drainage is. Although some trees tolerate it better than others, they will never thrive on a site where the water do [...]
Recycling fallen fruit, prunings, and other garden ‘waste’ back into the soil is part of a healthy nutrient cycle in an organic garden, but needs to be done in such a way as to reduce the chance of spreading disease. This week we show you how [...]
Monitoring your fruit trees regularly is one of your best tools in the fight against pests and diseases, as it helps you respond quickly before a problem has got out of control. Weekly visits throughout spring, summer and autumn help you get t [...]
Recycling fallen fruit, prunings, and other garden ‘waste’ back into the soil is part of a healthy nutrient cycle in an organic garden, but needs to be done in such a way as to reduce the chance of spreading disease. This week we show you how [...]
Also called Variegated thistle, Cabbage thistle, Gundagai thistle, Lady’s thistle, Marian thistle, Saint Mary’s thistle. Milk thistle is in the family Asteracea, and is native from Southern Europe through to Asia, but is now found throughout t [...]
Monitoring your fruit trees regularly is one of your best tools in the fight against pests and diseases, as it helps you respond quickly before a problem has got out of control. Weekly visits throughout spring, summer and autumn help you get t [...]