There are around 25,000 known species of bees known around the world, with the European honey bee being the most well-known by fruit growers. They are hugely variable, and range in size from tiny stingless bees less than 2 mm long, to large le [...]

Birds--we love 'em and hate 'em! They can be so amazing, but at the same time can do so much damage to our fruit. In this article we explore the main ways of deterring birds, including giving a rundown of the different kinds of netting systems [...]

One of the most hated invasive weeds in Australia, blackberry (Rubus fruiticosis agg) is ironically also one of the most delicious and healthy! In the United Kingdom (where it’s more fondly known as Bramble) it’s a common roadside plant, where [...]

Also called starflower, bush bee, bee bread, burrage and bugloss, Borage is sometimes thought of as a weed because of its ability to self-seed very successfully, which means it has a propensity to pop up by itself in the garden. In fact it’s a [...]

Five recipes to help you put this weed to work in your kitchen, as well as your garden. Get the recipes in Winter - Week 7

This article takes a peek into the wisdom of yesteryear from a well-intentioned but rather condescending little book called “Help for the poor: practical help and practical hints for everyone”, the profits from the sale of which were “devoted [...]

Brown rot is one of the most destructive fungal diseases of stone fruit trees, but can be kept under control with good hygiene practices. In late summer it’s very important to make sure there is no fruit left in your peach or nectarine trees a [...]

Brown rot is one of the most common diseases of stone fruit, particularly in climates that have a high rainfall, or in wet seasons. Knowing the conditions that favour disease outbreaks, what it looks like and your main treatment options will h [...]

Budding is an easy way to graft a new variety on to an existing fruit tree, fix pollination problems (and boost production) by adding a polliniser, or save a tree that has died back to the graft. As long as the bark is still lifting on the hos [...]

Drying your own fruit is a low-cost and effective storage option – you just need to find the system that will work for you! If done properly, fruit drying can be a very energy efficient way to preserve your summer harvest to provide much-neede [...]

Winter is a great time of year to be applying a properly made, organic compost to your trees. Making your own compost—turning waste products from your own garden into a fantastic source of plant and soil food—is one of the most satisfying acti [...]

Getting to know the names, habits and uses for the various plants in your garden (some of which you might think of as ‘weeds’) will not only increase your botanical knowledge, but massively increase your food choices, help you to diagnose issu [...]