Indeterminate (vining) tomatoes are very vigorous growers, and if they’re neglected they can easily become overgrown, with multiple tangled branches sprawling across the ground. If this happens to your tomato plants, all is not lost. In fact, you can take advantage of the situation to […]
Year: 2018
How to Prune Vining Tomatoes for Small-Space Intensive Growing
Want to grow lots of tomatoes in limited spaces, even containers? Ever wondered how the commercial hydroponic growers pack in as many plants as possible in their growing areas? By understanding the way tomatoes grow, we can select the right plants and utilise their growth […]
Which Garden Mulch is Best for Improving Soil?
Hard woody mulches or soft non-woody straw-like mulches, what’s the difference? They both work equally well as garden mulches to moderate soil temperature, reduce water loss from the soil through evaporation, conserve soil moisture to reduce the need for watering, inhibit weed seed germination and […]
Crown Gall, What Are the Brown Growths on Apple Tree Trunks and Branches?
Crown gall is a bacterial disease caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens (syn. Rhizobium radiobacter), which produces tumour-like swellings on the bark of trees and plants. It can infect a wide range of dicotyledonous (broad-leaved) plants, particularly members of the Rosaceae (rose) family such as roses, raspberries, […]
Organic Control of Curl Grubs in Lawn
If you’ve ever been digging in the garden and discovered plump, pale coloured grubs beneath the soil that curl up into a “C” shape when disturbed, these are Curl Grubs. Curl grubs are the larvae of various species of cockchafers or scarab beetles (family Scarabaeidae). […]
Product Review – Ryset Tree Cover Formed Insect Net
When protecting fruit trees from birds, possums and pest insects, there are two approaches – you can cover the fruit with individual netting bags as seen in our Product Review – Ryset Fruit Protection Bags, or you can cover the whole tree with netting. Netting […]
Citrus Problems – Why Citrus Fruit Splitting Occurs and How To Prevent It
Various cultivars of Navel and Valencia oranges, mandarins and mandarin hybrids are prone to fruit splitting, a pre-harvest physiological rind disorder. Gardeners often wonder if this phenomenon is caused by a nutrient deficiency. Actually, there’s another cause, but plant nutrition can play a part in […]
Apple Tree Diseases and Planting Location
Apple tree branches covered in patches of white, woolly fuzz? What you’re seeing is a woolly aphid infestation. These pests can be controlled by spraying a few applications of horticultural oil spray (preferably a natural oil-based product rather than a petroleum oil based one) 7 […]
How to Propagate Plant Cuttings in Water
Plants which can take can root in water can be propagated very easily from cuttings. All you need to do is leave the cuttings sitting in a glass or a jar of water in a location with indirect light. Pictured above are cherry tomato cuttings […]
Citrus Nutrient Deficiency – Yellow Leaf with Green Veins
One of the most common nutrient deficiencies seen on citrus is the yellowing of the leaf with dark green veins. Citrus are heavy feeders and are prone to nutrient deficiencies in autumn when they’re fruiting heavily and maturing their fruit, and magnesium deficiency is a […]
How to Make Rainbow Roses Because They Aren’t Real, Garden Mythbusting!
Rainbow roses, real or fake? As a person who works in the horticulture industry, I couldn’t help but notify fellow gardeners about this matter. There are quite a number of retailers in China selling Rainbow Rose seeds, and what a scam this is… I’ll get […]
How to Choose the Right Lawn Alternatives
Don’t want a lawn? Lawn alternatives are suitable for low–traffic areas where the plants won’t get trampled on too heavily, or to fill the gaps between pavers. What lawn alternative plants do very well is form a nice thick mat which is quite effective at […]
Product Review – Ryset Fruit Protection Bags
Are birds and possums plundering your fruit trees and vines just before your fruit ripens? Many gardeners try netting the whole tree, but sometimes that proves too difficult. If you can’t get a whole tree or vine under netting, there’s a simpler solution – just […]
Citrus Problems – Citrus Yellow Veins on Green Leaf in Winter
Are your citrus leaves turning green with yellow veins in winter? When gardeners see this colour change in their citrus leaves, they often wonder if this is due to a nutrient deficiency, and if so, what they can do to fix it. Leaf Chlorosis The […]
Book Review – How to Start a Worm Bin: Your Guide to Getting Started with Worm Composting by Henry Owen
How To Start A Worm Bin (You can click the image or link above to view product details or purchase this book from Amazon and support Deep Green Permaculture!) How to Start a Worm Bin: Your Guide to Getting Started with Worm Composting by Henry […]
How to Use Seed Raising Mix Correctly
Want to sow seeds in pots? What do you need? Seed raising mix? Guess again! Working part-time in the garden nursery industry, I meet many gardeners who have had problems sowing seeds in seed raising mix – they find that their seeds sprout but their […]
Guest Post – How Gardening Helps Cancer Patients Cope
When I was first diagnosed with mesothelioma, I knew my live was never going to be the same. In fact, I felt like it was over. I am still fighting this terrible type of cancer, but I have a lot of ways to cope with […]
Guest Post – How to Plan Your New Vegetable Garden Step by Step
Now is the time to start planning your vegetable garden. You might not have a large area yet this is not to say you are unable to grow a substantial amount of healthy vegetables for you and your family. The best of all, having a […]