All Articles

Using swales to control water runoff
Using swales to control water runoff

Every year we all get free water as rainfall, and it makes sense to plan to keep as much of this incredibly valuable resource as possible on the land where it falls. There are two main ways of doing this, by  increasing the capacity of the soi [...]

Using your Fruit Tree Diary – activity
Using your Fruit Tree Diary – activity

Keeping good records is an important part of growing great fruit. This week we’ll go in-depth into the Fruit Tree Diary, and learn how and why recording important info about your trees can be helpful. Find the activity in Autumn - Week 9.

Watering without a drip system
Watering without a drip system

The ideal watering system is one that is low maintenance, delivers water slowly, and once set up, requires very little input from you—hopefully just turning a tap on and off! Unfortunately, most of us have to deal  with much different systems [...]

Weed management with animals
Weed management with animals

Are you wasting energy and fossil fuels mowing the grass, or wasting your time pulling out weeds? Using animals that are designed for the job can save time, money, and energy; keep your carbon footprint  down; and provide many other benefits. [...]

What are our weeds telling us?
What are our weeds telling us?

Lots of weeds act as indicator plants, which means they’re telling us something about the soil they’re growing in – we just have to learn how to look, and listen to their message. We’ve got to learn how to talk  weed! Read the article in Autum [...]

What are your weeds telling you?
What are your weeds telling you?

Lots of weeds act as indicator plants, which means they're telling you something about the soil they're growing in. Read the article in Autumn - Week 12.

What is allelopathy?
What is allelopathy?

Allelopathy is defined as “the effect of one plant on another through the release of a chemical compound into the environment” – it’s basically chemical warfare between plants! Plants will often produce  herbicides, which suppress the growth o [...]

What is healthy soil?
What is healthy soil?

Fruit trees get their nutrition from the soil. Healthy soil needs to be a happy home for ‘good’ critters—worms are the biggest and most obvious, but there’s thousands of living things in every teaspoon of soil. Healthy soil needs ground cover, [...]

What to look for in spring
What to look for in spring

Observing your garden closely in spring and summer is not only heaps of fun, and constantly intriguing, but also a great planning tool. This month we give you a list of things to be looking out for. Read the article in Spring - Week 11.

When should I pick my apples?
When should I pick my apples?

It can be difficult knowing the right time to pick apples—and you can’t just rely on the colour of the skin! Here’s a few simple tests you can do at home to determine ripeness before you pick. Read the article in Autumn - Week 1.

When should I pick my pears?
When should I pick my pears?

Unlike other deciduous fruit, most pear varieties (except some of the early season ones) won’t ripen properly on the tree, but need cold storage for a period of 2–6 weeks, followed by a period of ripening out of the fridge. Pears ripen from th [...]

When should I pick my quinces?
When should I pick my quinces?

Quinces are hardly ever eaten raw, which makes the decision about when to pick them easier. Read the article in Autumn - Week 10.

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