June brings us the start of winter, with colder, wetter weather, and a few frosty nights. There are still some sunny days to be had, winter vegies to harvest, and some tidying up to do around the garden. It’s the wettest month in Perth and Adelaide with more than half a month of rain, whileContinue reading “June Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Temperate Climate Australia”
Author Archives: Angelo (admin)
Angelo Eliades is a presenter, trainer, writer, permaculture consultant, urban permaculture pioneer and food forest specialist.
Do Fig Trees Need Cross Pollination to Produce Fruit?
Edible figs (Ficus carica) belong to the Moraceae (mulberry) family, and the genus Ficus is one of the largest of the angiosperms (flowering plants) with over 800 species, characterised by their milky latex and their uniquely structure of its fruit, known as figs, which are actually inverted flowers, with hundreds of flowers and seeds contained inside a fleshy, succulent, hollow receptacleContinue reading “Do Fig Trees Need Cross Pollination to Produce Fruit?”
Magnitude 3.8 Earth Tremor Shakes Melbourne on Sunday 28 May 2023!
In Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday 28th May at 11:41pm residents were awakened by an earth tremor of magnitude 3.8, that seemed to last close to a minute. It was quite unmistakable, initially sounding like a truck crash on the road and continuing in intensity with noise like rumbling thunder before fading off. Not only haveContinue reading “Magnitude 3.8 Earth Tremor Shakes Melbourne on Sunday 28 May 2023!”
Can Honey Be Used for Rooting Plant Cuttings?
A popular method of producing new plants from existing ones is by taking cuttings. Depending on the time of year and the plant, tree or vine being propagated, we can take hardwood cuttings from older wood, or softwood cuttings from newer, more pliable growth. Rather than describe the process for propagating cuttings here, detailed propagationContinue reading “Can Honey Be Used for Rooting Plant Cuttings?”
Why Honey Never Spoils
Bees are incredible creatures, and one of the products they create, honey is a truly magical substance – it’s the only food that never spoils if it’s stored in a sealed container. As long as moisture from the air doesn’t get in, honey keeps indefinitely! There are three reasons why it keeps for so long:Continue reading “Why Honey Never Spoils”
Does Permaculture Work? This is What AI Has To Say…
After many decades, there still seems to be some controversy in the horticulture world as to whether permaculture design works, despite many thriving and successful examples of working permaculture demonstration sites worldwide. For my amusement, I decided to ask the AI (artificial intelligence) program ChatGTP the question, to see what it thought. The reply wasContinue reading “Does Permaculture Work? This is What AI Has To Say…”
May Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Arid Climate Australia
May is the last month of autumn, when the weather starts cooling down, but there are still sunny days. There may be frosts in inland areas. This is a time for pruning, taking cuttings for propagation, dividing perennials, and planting new trees, shrubs and vines. The soil is still warm enough for moving and relocatingContinue reading “May Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Arid Climate Australia”
May Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Subtropical Climate Australia
May is the last month of autumn, when the weather starts cooling down, but there are still sunny days. In Sydney the weather is cool and sunny, but it’s also quite a rainy month, while in Brisbane it’s still mild and sunny with temperatures reaching 25°C. This is a time for pruning, taking cuttings forContinue reading “May Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Subtropical Climate Australia”
May Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Cool & Alpine Climate Australia
May is the last month of autumn, when the weather starts cooling down, but there are still sunny days. There are frosts inland and in the high regions. Cold windy days are expected in the southern states, and weather in Hobart is cool and rainy. Snow is a possibility in the ranges around Canberra, theContinue reading “May Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Cool & Alpine Climate Australia”
May Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Tropical Climate Australia
May is the last month of autumn, and the weather is sunny and dry in the tropics. In Darwin, the weather is hot and humid, with temperatures over 30°C, and it’s also the first month of the dry season, with an average rainfall of only two days for the month. This is a time forContinue reading “May Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Tropical Climate Australia”
What Are the Best Ways to Increase Beneficial Mycorrhizal Fungi in the Soil?
Mycorrhizal fungi are beneficial fungi that live in close symbiotic association with the roots of most plants and trees. In this association, the plant provides the mycorrhizal fungi with sugars produced by photosynthesis. In return, the mycorrhizal fungi extend their network of long, threadlike filaments out into the soil to effectively extend the reach andContinue reading “What Are the Best Ways to Increase Beneficial Mycorrhizal Fungi in the Soil?”
What are Mycorrhizal Fungi and How Do They Benefit Plants and Trees?
What are Mycorrhizal Fungi? Mycorrhizal fungi are a type of fungi that have evolved to live in close association with the roots of most plants and trees, in a symbiotic relationship where both benefit from each other. This connection is described as mutualistic association. The term mutualism refers to an ecological relationship between individuals ofContinue reading “What are Mycorrhizal Fungi and How Do They Benefit Plants and Trees?”
May Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Temperate Climate Australia
May is the last month of autumn, when the weather starts cooling down, but there are still sunny days. More rainy weather is expected in Perth and Adelaide, where it may rain for half the month. Cold windy days are expected in the southern states, with some strong winds in Melbourne. This is a timeContinue reading “May Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Temperate Climate Australia”
April Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Arid Climate Australia
April brings us well into autumn, and the days are now getting shorter. During this month, temperatures drop, winds ease off and weather may be mild, sunny and warm or damp and rainy, making it ideal planting. While the soil is still warm, it’s a good time to plant trees, shrubs, and herbs, as theirContinue reading “April Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Arid Climate Australia”
April Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Tropical Climate Australia
April brings us well into autumn, and the days are now getting shorter.During this month, temperatures drop, winds ease off and weather may be mild, sunny and warm or damp and rainy, making it ideal planting. While the soil is still warm, it’s a good time to plant trees, shrubs, and herbs, as their rootsContinue reading “April Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Tropical Climate Australia”
April Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Subtropical Climate Australia
April brings us well into autumn, and the days are now getting shorter.During this month, temperatures drop, winds ease off and weather may be mild, sunny and warm or damp and rainy, making it ideal planting. While the soil is still warm, it’s a good time to plant trees, shrubs, and herbs, as their rootsContinue reading “April Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Subtropical Climate Australia”
April Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Cool & Alpine Climate Australia
April brings us well into autumn, and the days are now getting shorter. During this month, temperatures drop, winds ease off and weather may be mild, sunny and warm or damp and rainy, making it ideal planting. While the soil is still warm, it’s a good time to plant trees, shrubs, and herbs, as theirContinue reading “April Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Cool & Alpine Climate Australia”
April Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Temperate Climate Australia
April brings us well into autumn, and the days are now getting shorter. During this month, temperatures drop, winds ease off and weather may be mild, sunny and warm or damp and rainy, making it ideal planting. While the soil is still warm, it’s a good time to plant trees, shrubs, and herbs, as theirContinue reading “April Vegetable and Herb Gardening Calendar for Temperate Climate Australia”
How to Control Two-Spotted Spider Mites Without Harmful Pesticides
Two-spotted spider mites or red spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) are tiny sap-sucking pests belonging to the Tetranychidae family that are barely visible to the naked eye, being only 0.3-0.5mm long, that live on the underside of leaves. Their body color varies, it can be pale green, greenish-amber or yellowish-green, and they have two characteristic darkContinue reading “How to Control Two-Spotted Spider Mites Without Harmful Pesticides”
How to Control Whitefly Without Harmful Pesticides
Whiteflies are small white flying insects around 1mm long that prefer to hide on the undersides of young plant leaves, and when disturbed fly up in the air around the plant in a cloud of white flying insects, often in large numbers. They belong to the order Hemiptera (true bugs), family Aleyrodidae (Whiteflies), and areContinue reading “How to Control Whitefly Without Harmful Pesticides”