Rutherglen bugs (Nysius vinitor) and Harlequin bugs (Dindymus versicolor), also called stink bugs, are similar pests, in that both are sap suckers, and will occasionally suck the sap from fruit, causing pitting and gummy ooze. The good news is [...]

Drip irrigation systems are easy to set up and take the drudgery out of ensuring your trees get enough water. These systems are also affordable and easy to automate. Drip systems are also the most efficient way to water as there is no runoff—a [...]

It makes sense to re-use water as many times as possible, particularly if you’re trying to grow fruit in a dry climate. Water that has been used in the house (‘grey water’) is perfectly good to water your fruit trees with if you can just figur [...]

Shot-hole occurs on all types of summer fruit, but is less severe on plums. It’s a fungal disease (Wilsonomyces carpophilus) and affects leaves, fruit and buds. The disease decreases the efficiency of the tree by decreasing its photosynthetic [...]

We’re often proudly told by new fruit tree owners that their one or two-year old tree has fruit on it. While we appreciate how exciting it is to get a return from a new fruit tree, you could be sacrificing the future shape and structure of you [...]

Silver leaf is a fungal disease, Chondrostereum purpureum. It can attack all types of summer fruit, as well as apples, pears and quinces, and even willows, eucalypts and roses. Read the article in Summer - Week 8.

We’re letting you in to a huge family secret with this week’s recipe. No, not that we have smelly feet, just that we have the best peach chutney recipe in the world. It’s adapted from a recipe in the wonderful book  Preserving Made Easy by Nan [...]

It’s important to have a diversity of soil organisms to create a healthy and functioning soil ecosystem. All the different types of animals play an important role in cycling nutrients (like carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus) and returni [...]

In addition to the all-important micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and protozoa), and our master soil-building friends the worms, soil also contains many types of larger bugs, called arthropods. There are thousands of different spec [...]

We regularly introduce you to one of your underground friends. This week we show you how they all fit together into an amazing, complex and intriguing world beneath your feet – the soil food web. Read the article in Summer - Week 3.

When growing fruit trees it’s vital to have good populations of fungi in the soil. Without adequate fungi trees will struggle to gain the nutrients required for good health. There’s plenty we can do to encourage good fungal growth—by looking a [...]

The very basis of growing great organic food is to have healthy soil, so in this article we introduce a few simple tests you can do at home—for little or no cost—to assess the state of health of your soil. This will help you get to know your s [...]