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Yearly Archives: 2023

This cherry tree is on a full-sized rootstock. I’m using the Spanish bush method of pruning to keep it small and compact. I usually advocate for planting fruit trees on dwarfing rootstock (with the exception of citrus). Until recent years, there were no dwarfing rootstocks available for cherries. Most cherry […]

Spanish Bush Method of Pruning Cherry Trees

This entry was posted in How to Grow on December 4, 2023 by Leaf, Root & Fruit

There are a few garden pests that evoke passionate responses from gardeners. Avoiding or controlling these pests can become an obsession bordering on mania. Possums and citrus gall wasp immediately come to mind. However, I’ve recently discovered another garden pest that some gardeners fixate on. The much-dreaded harlequin bug (Dindymus […]

How to Control Harlequin Bugs (Dindymus versicolor)

This entry was posted in Garden Pests on November 24, 2023 by Leaf, Root & Fruit

Compost thermometer being used to measure soil temperature. Early spring planting — Long term readers will know that I live in Kyneton, a town in Central Victoria. The winters here are cold, with heavy frosts. Our summers are much hotter than in Melbourne and very dry. The growing season for summer vegetables is short in my garden. Local gardeners know better than […]

Early Spring Planting. A Fool’s Garden?

This entry was posted in Experiments Projects on September 28, 2023 by Leaf, Root & Fruit

Ryset Heat Mat Seed Starter Trial and Review — Many of you are familiar with my enthusiasm (some even mock it as an obsession) for cultivating and ripening a Christmas tomato. In Melbourne this is relatively easy, but I’ve also managed it in my first three years of growing food here in Kyneton. Part of my approach to growing […]

Is a Heat Mat the Best Way to Germinate Tomato ...

This entry was posted in Experiments How to Grow on September 26, 2023 by Leaf, Root & Fruit

Duncan Cocking Vegetable Patch What makes a good gardener? — Recently I was chatting with a few friends at a Permies at the Pub meeting in Kyneton. We were discussing recording garden observations and my rather extreme approach to recording everything I see. The conversation went something like this: Kerryn: “Duncan, how do you find the time to record all […]

Five Habits of Good Gardeners

This entry was posted in How to Grow on September 18, 2023 by Leaf, Root & Fruit

thermal image of the garden is useful microclimate Kyneton — The sustainability house kit supplied by Goldfields Libraries is full of useful equipment and information. My local library in conjunction with the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group offers for loan sustainable house kits to help improve the energy efficiency of your house. There are some exciting pieces of equipment in the […]

Using thermal imaging to analyse the garden

This entry was posted in Experiments In Our Garden on August 1, 2023 by Leaf, Root & Fruit

Growing Strawberries Guide Melbourne — Strawberry plants are relatively small compared to other berries, but they certainly punch above their weight in terms of productivity. Strawberries generally have two main productivity patches. One in early summer and one in autumn. Essentially, they produce just before and just after the summer Blueberry glut. One strawberry plant […]

How to Grow Strawberries

This entry was posted in How to Grow on May 30, 2023 by Leaf, Root & Fruit

rental gardening guide Melbourne vegetable patch in a pallet planter — Many gardeners see renting as a barrier to maximising productive gardening in their rental space. However, you can easily generate abundance of home-grown food in a rental property. I spent years hopping from one rental property to the next, prior to our move to our forever home in Kyneton. I […]

Edible Gardening for Renters

This entry was posted in How to Grow on May 16, 2023 by Leaf, Root & Fruit

Belgian Fence Espalier Frame Work — Fruit Tree Espaliers are living works of art. What is an Espalier? “Espalier” refers to special practices for training fruiting trees onto trellises. Espaliers save space and are beautiful works of art. There are many styles and designs of espalier that can be grown against a wall, a building or […]

How to Set-Up and Maintain Espaliers

This entry was posted in How to Grow on March 20, 2023 by Leaf, Root & Fruit