I finally discovered that my ph meter is kaput.  I'm hoping this will assist big time with a lot of "fail to produce" problems.  The other thing that this little adventure has taught me is that it's probably better to build a few small beds rather than one big one.  This allows you to adjust your soil in each bed individually.  If you want a long bed, just butt a few up against each other.  

Let me explain.  I work hard to pour organics into my beds. I think that means they are rich…

It's official - I suffer from an addiction.  I need to cut myself off from Daley's fruit nursery site.  I have just added to my growing fruit list

a) 10 x sugar baby and 10 x redlands joy strawberries

b) a red Muscadine grape (Noble) to match my green muscadine (adonis)

c) Keriberry to add to my raspberry collection (Heritage, bicentennial & atherton)

d) Walnut - Placentia.  Apparently low chill to fruit in subtropics.  This is on the "notify me" list.  This…

Read the blog HERE.

Wow - this is year three of April updates:  April 2015.

1. I've accepted the flow of the seasons much better now.  Kale went in today along with tropical garlic varieties and a heap of gooseberries that came up in the compost. Gooseberries are wonderful in winter.  Snow peas put in the little dogs' yard where there is more sun.  As expected, the Ceylon Spinach has started to boom (just in time for winter). 

2. Having some Tom troubles.  Probably have a virus in…

How_to_make_a_Fruit_Fly_Trap_Yates.pdf
Has anyone had any luck making your own fruit fly trap - similar to this one?

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/what-is-hydrolyzed-fish-fertilizer

Nutri-Sea Liquid Fish™

A natural, high analysis fish fertiliser containing amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, macronutrients and the vast array of micronutrients found in anything that grows in the ocean.

Involves approximately 42% fish solids, principally derived from high-protein NZ deep water fish species. This fish fertiliser has superior natural…

Food growers have long added nutrients to their gardens by soaking manure or compost in containers of water and pouring the resultant brew on their plants. But according to soil microbiology expert Dr Elaine Ingham, this traditional method of making “compost tea” can produce mixed results, particularly in terms of the vital microbial life the liquid contains. Dr Ingham, chief scientist at the US organic research institution, the Rodale Institute, first studied anaerobic “tea-like…

Well guys, I promised to keep you updated.  I am just about finished all my gardening "to do" chores and boy, is it a great feeling.  Lucky too, because for the remainder of the holidays, I am looking after my niece and 2 nephews (ranging from 1 - 6 years) and going from the state of my garden when Zack was younger, nothing is getting done while I have them. 

There are photo's of my curved garden and my labels up already, but just in case you missed them - here they…

Change of seasons is the only time I do any really hard yakka in the garden replenishing the beds and getting them ready for the next seasons planting.

I need that perfect morning - overcast without rain, not too hot. I never know exactly which morning that will be until it comes. And it did this morning.

First I take down the summer netting and cut back all the finished crop. Chop it up into pieces.

That's the fun part.…

Hi everyone.  This post is going to be added to as I go as I don't have many photo's yet as it's all "to do".  I am finally on holidays for the next two weeks and have been champing at the bit to get some projects underway in the garden.

Job 1: Finish the new curved garden bed and plant Souey Tung lychee, blueberries and chilean guava's. 

So far - this is what I've got:…