Daleaway - I was also told it was the 24th but in the list of garden clubs in the back of the NZ Gardener it was down as the last Monday of the month, so I rang and confirmed it. Sure, I can make it to Harrisons - I just need to keep driving to find it!I'll tell you all about the talk when I see you so just make a day & time, OK!
suzq62,
Jun 23, 10:38pm
I've planted some trees and. put tyres around them stuffed with straw in the hope my dogs and mower won't run them over!Are there any plants that I should be planting inside the tyres as well!The trees only look like a stick, so will be a while before they are strong enough (Aust Blackwood)
stevee6,
Jun 23, 10:41pm
You can plant anything in tyres - and if your soil is bad it's a great way of giving them good soil.
suzq62,
Jun 23, 10:53pm
thanks stevee6. still new at this game, so got any hints as to what to plant, as I've put the trees in the front of my place which is rather bare.trees are looking blah so hopefully I haven't planted too much fertilizer under them (planted 3 weeks ago).would appreciate any ideas on what flowers/herbs would be ok with these.TIA
stevee6,
Jun 23, 11:46pm
OK, I looked up blackwoods. As they're not long lived you might contemplate a shrub border beneath them that will eventually take over such as pittosporums, or put in some longterm trees to take over. If the tyres aren't cut on one side you may get a few problems if the trunks get too large, so down the track it might be worth chainsawing each tyre so you can remove it in a few years.If you lift the canopy by taking off side stems you can pretty much grow anything beneath them as they're evergreen, and the only problem might be they sucker so you need to keep at them so they don't smother your understory plants. How about stoechas lavender or rosemarys! Clipped twice a year they ought to look really nice beneath the trees.Or a rather nice evergreen alternative would be mock orange(Choisya)with shiny green leaves and white flowers over summer.
jardinet,
Jun 24, 4:49am
Hi all Long time no see! Actually long time not much gardening either. with my wrist out of action I've had to hang up the spade for a bit. How's the weather though! I've had 10 frosts already this winter and lost most of my spuds. Darn! Just letting you know that Homegrown 5 will be the ultimate guide to growing tomatoes. hope to have it out by Labour Weekend, then berries is HG6. And the Get Growing community now numbers 17,000. bring on spring! I'm done with winter already. Lynda
juliewn,
Jun 24, 11:29am
Hi Lynda. welcome back. :-) I saw in the Get Growing email that you were injured. luckily a quieter time of year in the garden - time to put your feet up and enjoy some of the elderflower wine, etc. you wrote about in GG emails that you made last summer. I'm delighted with the new fruit HG - thanks so much for having them available. My 19 year old Daughter is being inspired by the magazines - and is getting into gardening too - she spent part of the afternoon browsing through the HG book telling me what was there. I'm over frosts too - we seem to have had more frosts already in the past few weeks than we usually have. I emailed the Gardener magazine a few days ago with a suggestion for a future HG edition - a "How-to" for all the millions of questions that puzzle gardener's - plus all the things we didn't know to ask! I'll add it here too. Cheers. Julie
juliewn,
Jun 24, 11:30am
Ok. here goes: what do others think! been thinking of my gardening journey and things it would have been, and/or still would be, a big help to know. which leads me to emailing with a suggestion.
Though Homegrown Editions include information about composting, pruning, etc. it would be good to have a Homegrown magazine that covers all the basic time-honoured and new gardening methods, practices, etc.
I'm thinking of it as a one-stop guide to what to do to garden successfully , with topics that could include:
juliewn,
Jun 24, 11:31am
How to know where to begin.
How to set up a garden planner in a diary or spreadsheet How to know what to keep in mind when planning a garden -prevailing winds, frost tendencies, sun and shade areas, etc. How to notice neighbouring gardens as a guide to what can be grown in yours
How to know what to grow vegetables in - soil/compost/potting mix , etc. How to know where to buy compost/top soil etc. How to know the height to make a raised garden bed, so it's less likely to dry out
juliewn,
Jun 24, 11:31am
How to know whether drainage is needed and how to set it up How to know how deep the soil needs to be! How to set up a raised bed on the balcony of an apartment building, or courtyards of small homes, etc How to set up a no-dig garden area and how does it work How to set up a polythene or glass covered frame to shelter seedlings in How to use household items to place over seedlings to protect them and to assist their growth How to grow vegetables like climbing beans, cucumbers, pumpkins etc up netting set against a fence or wall.
juliewn,
Jun 24, 11:32am
How to set up a variety of ways to make compost bins/frames How to make compost How to know what to add to compost to make the result better How to know which household refuse can be used when making compost How to know where compost materials can be sourced locally to enhance a good compost result How to make comfrey/seaweed tea, etc. How to know when the tea is ready, and how much to dilute it to provide the best quality fertiliser
juliewn,
Jun 24, 11:32am
How to assist different types of seeds to germinate - in water, in a fridge or freezer, etc. How to know which seeds can be mixed with sand to achieve better growing spacing How to sow seeds and care for their new growth - in a garden How to sow seeds and care for their new growth - in a pot or tray How to know the depth to plant seeds, and which need to be covered with soil once sown How to grow new seedlings on to gain a bigger size before being planted in a garden How to know how deep to plant seedlings, and are there other tips to help How to set up a vege garden area that's practical for a property and the crops to be grown
juliewn,
Jun 24, 11:33am
How to know the best way's to grow vegetables to suit climate, soil types and exposure to winds, etc. How to grow Microgreens How to care for Microgreens so the plants don't dry out and they keep growing for further harvesting How to grow Microgreens on a kitchen window sill or counter How to grow herbs on a kitchen window sill or counter How to know what is needed and how to grow bean sprouts How to companion plant herbs with vegetables to reduce damaging insects and enhance beneficial insects
juliewn,
Jun 24, 11:33am
How to grow fruit trees to suit different climate, soil types, exposure to winds, etc. How to know what diseases to look for and what to do How to know what insects to look for and what to do How to know what fertiliser's to use, and when to use them How to know what organic sprays can be made and used How to prune to grow fruit trees in specific shapes How to set up a tree to grow as an espalier How to continue pruning that espaliered tree each year How to continue pruning different fruit trees so the wood that is needed for next season isn't removed How to graft How to harvest different varieties of fruits - citrus, etc.
juliewn,
Jun 24, 11:33am
How to set up a frame to grow berries How to plant the berries, How to know which fertilisers are needed How to know if sprays are needed How to tie the vines to wired frames How to harvest the berries How to remove finished fruiting canes and tie up new canes How to know what to look for if there's insect damage or diseases How to know what to do for insect damage and diseases
juliewn,
Jun 24, 11:34am
How to make organic fertilisers and how to use them How to make organic sprays and how to use them How to know which organic sprays work with vegetables and fruit trees best How to use organic methods to keep pests away - tea leaves, coffee grounds, shells, pumice, etc.
How to save seeds and dry them How to store saved seeds How to know how long seeds stay viable once stored
juliewn,
Jun 24, 11:34am
How to trouble-shoot in a garden, - to notice things that indicate something isn't doing well How to know which insects can harm which plants - and what to do How to know which diseases can harm plants - and what to do
juliewn,
Jun 24, 11:35am
How to create a new lawn area How to level and compact a new lawn area How to know if it needs fertilising, and what to use How to know what lawn seeds will grow in a particular area How to know which lawn seeds will suit a particular purpose How to sow a new lawn How to know when the lawn needs to be mown with the blades set on high How to maintain a lawn once established How to safely and organically remove thistles, Onehunga weed, etc.
juliewn,
Jun 24, 11:35am
How to create gardens by fence's or wall's, to be able to grow vegetables and fruits there How to set up frames and wires to grow berries, grapes, etc. How to know which way to have a garden facing to achieve the best growing conditions
juliewn,
Jun 24, 11:35am
How to clean garden tools How to keep garden tools sharp, including secateurs How to care for a lawn mower, a weed trimmer, a shredder, a chainsaw, a hedge trimmer, etc. How to store these machines while not in use
juliewn,
Jun 24, 11:36am
How to attract birds to gardens How to attract bees and other beneficial insects to gardens How to set up a bird feeder How to know what to feed birds to attract them into a garden
I guess the Edition could be called
"Homegrown 5 - How-to." (though now after reading your post above, it would need to be Homegrown 7.
stevee6,
Jun 24, 5:36pm
Lynda - nice to see you back. Juliewn - luckily some of those topics have been dealt with either in the previous Homegrowns or in our carefully saved NZGardeners. I agree that a 'fundamentals of gardening' Homegrown might be a good idea though. Well, we've bitten the bullet and are turning our backyard into a half & half vege potager and flower garden. After taking out an ugly and borer-ridden shed we had so much more space that rather than following what we've been doing for the past four & a half years since we bought the place, we've done an almost total rehash - shifted paths, turned the washing line, build a new shed and are using the old corrugated iron to build four rectangular raised beds plus a fenceside bed for the berries. It's going to look BEEUTEEFUL(forever the optimistic and blistered-handed gardener y'know). I just wish that I had enough land behind it for an orchard.one of those long grassed heritage ones that I could graze a sheep or two in and a cattlebeast for the freezer as well, plus some chickens.
jules.,
Jun 25, 3:01am
here here, BRING ON SPRING! oh, i cant wait for the tomato book, as i planted so many plants last season and only managed to harvest 1/2 a dozen tomatos. i really didnt know what i was doing first time round, so hopefully this will give me plenty of tips and how toos! the berry one sounds great too. KEEP THEM COMING!
stevee6,
Jun 25, 3:41am
Jules - the magic formulae is liquid tomato fertiliser. Bury a plastic soft drink bottle upside down with the bottom cut out next to the roots and fill it daily with water. Each week add liquid fertiliser to the water and your tomatoes will be spectacular!
jules.,
Jun 25, 5:11am
woow, thanks stevee, they did grow fine, but i didnt know much about pinching out the leaves to stop them from branching everywhere (like they did). but hopefully i will have more success this time round. more fruit and less plant :)
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