Gardening Tips

Ice pack

1 cup of vinegar + 1 cup of salt + 2 litres of water.   Put in a 4 litre wine bladder.

Moon Planting

The general rule is when the moon is in its waxing or growth phase (new >> full), is the best time for planting anything that grows above the ground. From full to the next new moon is the waning phase and this is the time for planting anything that grows beneath the earth.

(The only exceptions are peas and beans, which although growing above the earth are planted on the waning moon.)

Aphids and mildew

Here is a solution for your aphid and mildew problems in the garden.  Mix up the following to make 3 litres of spray:
  • 1 cup of full cream milk (fresh or stale, but not skim milk)
  • 3 table spoons Charlie Carp
  • 1 hot chilli
  • 1 teaspoon detergent
Leave for 2 days to settle.
​Strain well before spraying on a day where the temperature is 25c or lower.

Cheap fertilisers

E.E. Muir is the name of the outlet that offers cheap fertilisers (e.g. 16 kg blood and bone for $30) etc. They also stock perlite in fine or coarse.   Find them at 18 Raymond Street Laverton North.  Use Gate 2 for the shop.
Mentioned by Rob Noonan at the June 2013 meeting.

Sowing tomatoes

Rod Noonan suggests sowing tomato seeds in July, then wait a month and sow again.
June 2013 meeting 

Avoiding legionella disease

Legionella bacteria inhabits wet and damp places such as potting mix.  When buying potting mix always puncture the plastic bags to allow air to circulate. When ready to use, open the bags at arms length and then walk away. Hose from a distance to reduce dust and don't use the mix for half a day. Use a P2 industrial face mask and always wear gloves. Even with gloves, always wash your hands well when the job is done.
May 2013 meeting

White fly

For a white fly infestation there is no immediate off-the-shelf solution unless you use a S7 rating insecticide. However you can try the following method to control the infestation as well it is an alternative to a miticide (red spider).
  1. Fill a clean 6 to 8 litre bucket with 6 litres of tap water.
  2. Add 4 table spoons of corn flour and stir well for a minute,
  3. Cover bucket (if no lid is available) and set aside for 24 hours.
  4. Taking care not to stir the contents, remove as much clear water as required for spraying.
  5. For each litre of liquid add 2 tablespoons of Charlie Carp (or 1 teaspoon eco oil) and 1 tablespoon of pyrethrum concentrate.
  6. Shake well and spray taking care to spray as much as possible under the leaves.
 This preparation will put a spanner in the breeding cycle; you will see a noticeable reduction almost immediately.  As for the rest of the corn flour liquid, carefully extract clear liquid by filtering the cloudy solution through a cloth.  Store in specially marked clean bottles for later use.

Green crop

If you decide to sow a green crop on your vacant plot over winter, a combination of mustard greens and non-ornamental lupins, adding a sprinkle of nitrogenous fertiliser, will give outstanding results.​