….from Woolly aphids – and just like common aphids, woolly aphids are sap sucking, so if they are left untreated they can badly damage the health of the plant.

They tend to strike apples and other orchard trees in late autumn and during winter. So keep an eye out for them!

The woolly (and rather waxy) white fluff that you see is secreted to protect the aphids underneath as they suck away at the goodness within the tree. This tree was badly damaged during the Christmas tree hail storms we had in Melbourne and the aphids have attacked all the “bruised” spots on the branches.

 How to control woolly aphids?

There are chemical controls available on the market that will target aphids and woolly aphids eg. confidor. Many of these controls are systemic – which means they are taken up by the plant, moved around the plants tissue and then when the pest sucks on the plant it dies. Unfortunately systemic controls can be harmful to beneficial insects too – like bees!

Organic control methods can also overcome an attack – but you need to be vigilant with application because you have to try and penetrate the woolly/waxy honeydew secreted by the aphids so you can reach them to kill them!!

I’ve had people tell me that they’d had success by wiping methylated spirits over the woolly spots. I’ll give this a go, but I am also going to try something recommended to me by the guys at eco-organic garden.

Organic Control Spray for Woolly Aphids: Mix 2ml of eco-oil and 2-3ml of eco-neem per litre of water and spray over the tree. Good coverage is essential. Do a follow up spray 7 days later.

I’ll keep you posted on the results!

Of course a healthy tree is also better able to withstand attack from pests, so I’m going to give this apple a dose of Seamungus to help it along.

Anyone else got some nasty critters eating or damaging things in the garden? Email me your questions/photos to ask@beantheredugthat.com.au or post to our FACEBOOK PAGE.

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And while we all know about common winter vegies like cabbage, broccoli and brussel sprouts – but here are some more unusual ones you might like to try!

Kale

Why?

It is jam packed full of antioxidants and vitamins C & A. All the goodies you need to beat off the winter blues!

How? 

Plant in autumn for a winter, spring & summer harvest.

Kale prefers a sunny position (protected from the hot afternoon sun in summer) and does well in vegie beds or containers. Add a bit of lime to the soil pre-planting if you soil is more acidic than a pH of 6-7.

Grow from seeds planted in Feb or March, or seedlings planted March, April or May. A kale plant will continue producing throughout summer.

 Harvesting?

You can pick the young leaves off one by one and add to a salad. Once the leaves mature, they need cooking and make a great substitute for cabbage or spinach. The leaves however will take a bit more cooking to soften than cabbage or spinach.

Make sure you keep up the moisture to kale during the warmer months, as high temperatures and lack of water can make the leaves bitter.

Look out for….

Tuscan Black Kale – gorgeous slate grey frilly leaves.

Green Kale – bright lime green frilly leaves.

Red Kale – deep burgandy frilly leaves.

HINT: Kale is delicious chopped and added to a minestrone soup or cooked with butter & garlic….YUMMMM!

Some other winter vegies to try…..

 Red Pak Choy – grow just as you would the other asian greens. Pick the leaves as you need them and make sure you keep the water up to them to keep the leaves sweet.

Red or Green Mizuna – another member of the brassica family, but it looks more like rocket. Has a lovely peppery bite.

Perpetual Spinach – “perpetual” means that it continues to grow a lot longer than normal spinach and doesn’t bolt to seed. Pick regularly to encourage new tasty growth, old leaves can be a bit tough.

Lettuce – most people don’t think about eating lettuce in winter, but it tends to grow particularly well because the cooler weather means that it doesn’t bolt! There is nothing like a tasty warm salad in the depths of winter, just to remind you of the coming spring & summer

My winter greens, reds and blacks ready to go!

Feeding Winter Vegetables

Mix some organic fertiliser through the soil before planting – something like Rocket Fuel or Seamungus would be ideal.

A fortnightly dose of liquid seaweed and/or fish meal will help keep new leaf production sweet and tasty!

**This season I’ve planted out several felt planters with my winter leafy vegies, so they can be close to the house & kitchen for really easy picking! The planters in these pics are from the Urban Farmer Range by Takasho**

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Here are a few of the great new releases I found…..

I love the motto of Mat & Fabian from The Little Vegie Patch Co –  ”"A little food, a little fun; a little soul, a little sun; a little green, a little grow…The Little Veggie Patch Co.”

That about sums up this small business – The Little Vegie Patch Co – they might have started off small, but Mat & Fabian’s quirky, little business is growing very quickly! Due to popular demand, they’ve recently set up a nursery in St Kilda. They specialise in a range of recycled garden beds including the iconic apple crates and their nursery stocks a range of everyday edibles and some really unusual herbs, fruit trees and spices.

If you are ever in St Kilda, VIC check out their nursery!

For a really simple, easy to follow gardening book grab a copy of their book: “The Little Vegie Patch Co – How to Grow Food in Small Spaces” it is really well laid out and easy to follow. Taking you through basics of fruit & vegetable growing in small spaces – the photography is also brilliant.

Great book if you love loads of pictures and clear, easy to follow info! Highly recommend for the first time vegie grower.

Continuing on the small space gardening, but also leading into vertical gardening – I caught up with Brad from Takasho.

Check out their Urban Farmer range of products – designed to help you set up an edible oasis within a small space….OR just create more space growing space (and lets face it who does need that) in any sized garden.

They’ve got loads of trellises, climbing frames and arches – which can help add another dimension to an edible garden. They are of course also brilliant for training creeping vegies like snow peas, zucchini and cucumber along.

And not forgetting organic pest control and soil improvement, I also caught up with Steve & Peter from Eco-Organic Gardening. 

They’ve just added LIQUID forms of gypsum, lime and dolomite to their fully certified organic range of products. And when a 2ltr spray pack is equal to spreading 80kg of gypsum, I know which I’ll be using in my garden (which has horrid clay soils!) this autumn.

All in all a fantastic Melbourne Flower and Garden Show – the crowds were buzzing and some of the achievable show gardens were really inspiring.

If you missed it this year – make sure you get along next year! And get there early in the day to avoid the bulk of the crowds

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 1st Prize – Gemmie from ACT

Gemmie wins the Tumbleweed Worm Cafe, worm farm and a selection of gardening goodies from Eco-organic Gardening and Neutrog Fertilisers.

We look forward to hearing how you go with your worm farm Gemmie, please post some pics on Bean There Dug That facebook page!

The 2 runners up – Amy from VIC and Catherine from VIC will each receive a selection of gardening goodies from Eco-organic Gardening and Neutrog Fertilisers.  Keep us updated on how these gardening products go in your garden!

Thanks to everyone who entered the competition AND to those who voted on their favourites, I loved all the creative and colourful entries! It is fantastic to see all the wonderful harvests from your garden, here’s hoping that your winter harvest is just as good

And a big thanks to Tumbleweed, Eco-0rganic Gardening and Neutrog Fertilisers for their support in providing the prizes.

Happy gardening!

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Citrus trees are very hungry feeders and to get good growth and a quality harvest they need regular feeding.

As we approach autumn, now is a great time to feed them with a generous dose of animal manure – this is rich in nitrogen and will of course, also help improve the soil. Citrus trees that are nitrogen hungry will have overall leaf yellowing and stunted growth.

When & how much to fertilise? At the start of autumn apply between 2 – 6 kg per tree of animal manure, depending on the age or size of your tree. A younger tree should only need 2kg, while a larger old lemon tree (more than 10 years old) will need the full 6kg.

I like to use a good quality, pelletised chicken manure that has been composted and steam treated. I can highly recommend Rooster Booster, Rapid Raiser or Bounce Back.

How to fertilise? MAKE SURE – you apply the fertiliser right around the “drip line” of the plant. This is the region from the trunk right out to the tips of the leaves, so the shadow of the plant. Keep the fertiliser clear of the trunk, to prevent rot.

Citrus trees have very shallow roots that spread out from the trunk – so it is important to spread the fertiliser over the whole root system.

A generous application of home made compost, all topped off with a layer of mulch around the drip zone of citrus trees in autumn is also ideal.

Yellow leaves with bright green veins? This is an iron deficiency. Treat with iron chelate – follow application rates on the packet. 

Yellowing older leaves, while the younger leaves are green? This is a magnesium deficiency, treat with a dose of magnesium via epsom salts – around 200-250g for a young tree, up to 1.5kg for an older tree. Sprinkle around and water in well. If the yellowing of older leaves has been a consistent problem over a few years, apply dolomite lime at a rate of 1 handful per sq metre and water in well.

Fertilising potted citrus trees….. citrus trees in pots are even more prone to trace element deficiencies, because nutrients freely wash out the bottom of the pot! To combat this fertilise with an organic based, complete fertiliser that has added trace elements. Apply according to packet instructions.

Watering needs of citrus….. Citrus trees need a well drained soil BUT they also need a regular supply of water. And not just a light sprinkle, they need a good deep watering regularly during the hot summer months. Water right around the drip zone too – so all roots are supplied with water.

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A soldier fly larvae

Sam emailed in a photo of some brown grubs he said have been populating his compost bin, concerned they might be doing it more harm than good.

But good news Sam, these little brown larvae are one of the good guys!

They are the larvae of Hermetia illucens,  or more commonly called black soldier fly. 

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are actually beneficial to your compost heap or bin because:

• they’ll help prevent houseflies from laying their eggs in your compost.
• they actually help in the breakdown of your compost

So don’t panic if you see these little brown grubs in your compost bin – they are giving you a helping hand!

An adult black soldier fly

Got any mystery bugs or insects in your garden? Email photos to us at ask@beantheredugthat.com.au or post a photo on our facebook page!

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Potato plants in flower

How do you know when potatoes are ready to harvest?

Once your potato plants have flowered, you can start to “bandicoot” for new potatoes.

Bandicooting = gentling digging around the potato plants with your hands to harvest potatoes near the surface without disturbing the plant or pulling it out.

The new potatoes you harvest when bandicooting, won’t have a properly formed skin (you can often rub the skin off with your fingers), so they won’t keep for very long. They are best used the same day as harvesting.

I love new baby potatoes, boiled whole and then lightly coated in butter and fresh parsley…..YUMMMMM!

To harvest your “main potato crop”, wait until ALL the plants have died right down. By time the plants have died down the potatoes will have formed proper skins (in fact you can leave them in the ground for up to 2 weeks after the plants have died down to develop their skins further). An intact, mature skin on a potato is vital to its longer term storage. To harvest CAREFULLY, use a fork or a small spade to dig around each plant and tease the potatoes from the ground.

If you accidentally hit a potato with your fork or spade and you break the skin – put this spud in the pile to use straight away, as they won’t store.

Preparing your potatoes for storage: 

Spread your newly harvested potatoes (not new potatoes) out on some newspaper in a spot protected from rain & sun. Leave them for a few hours, until the soil sticking to them has dried.

Gently rub off any excess dirt and place them in either a cardboard box or hessian bag ready for storage.

How to store your potatoes:

Store you potatoes in either a cardboard, wooden box or hessian sack in a cool (but not refridgerated) and dark spot.

It helps to have good air flow around your potatoes while they are in storage, so make sure the room or cupboard you place them in doesn’t get humid or stuffy.

Check your spuds regularly – if any have gone soft or green throw them out.

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pH tells you how acidic something is. The lower the pH the more acidic it is, and the higher the pH the more alkaline.

A neutral pH is 7. This means that it is neither acidic nor alkaline.

pH < 7 is acidic                            e.g. lemons (pH 2)

pH = 7 is neutral                         e.g. pure water (pH 7)

pH > 7 is  alkaline                       e.g. bicarb soda (pH 9)

Your garden soil or potting mix has a pH, and different plants like soils with different pH ranges. Luckily, almost all plants like to be in soil with a pH between 5 and 7.

Why is pH important? 

pH affects the availability of nutrients. Broadly speaking, if a soil has a pH outside 5 – 7, plants start to have trouble absorbing nutrients in the soil. This leads to a weak plant that is more susceptible to disease.

Some diseases thrive when the soil is alkaline or acidic. For example, Clubroot, which affects members of the Cruciferae family (eg. cabbages, turnips & radishes), is prevalent in acidic soil. Making the soil more alkaline by raising the soil pH can help reduce the incidence of the disease.

Some plants, such as, azaleas and camellias thrive in slightly acidic conditions, while most vegetables are best grown at a pH as close to 7 as possible.

How to test your soil pH? 

The simplest way to test your soil pH is to buy a pH test kit from your local nursery. Most kits will use the following method:

1. Take a pinch of soil and place it on the white plate provided
2. Add a small amount of indicator dye to the soil and mix to make a paste
3. Gently tap the provided white powder (barium sulphate) onto the soil paste
4. Wait about 1 minute
5. Compare the colour the white powder has changed to, to the colour chart provided in the kit.

This is the pH indicator card, that comes with your pH testing kit.

How to change the pH of your soil

To raise the pH (make it more alkaline), dig in worm casts from your worm farm. You can also add wood ash or lime – but be careful! It’s easier to raise the pH of a soil than lower it, so continually test the pH as you’re making changes.

To lower the pH (make it more acidic), add compost with animal manure and mix well into the soil. It has been suggested that 2 -3 kgs of raw animal manure per meter squared of soil can lower the pH by 1 pH point (i.e. from a pH of 8 to 7). Egg shells can also lower pH, although you will need a lot of eggshells!

Todays post has been written by soil specialist  Alisa Bryce. Alisa Bryce has extensive knowledge in soil research and consulting.

A Certified Professional Soil Scientist (CPSS), Alisa’s work has been published by ReNEW Magazine, the Journal of Water Science and Technology and CSIRO. Alisa’s strategies focus on creating the best organic soil for your garden.

For more information on how to manage your soil organically, visit www.organicsoilguide.com This recently released ebook details the best way to care for your garden organically, starting with the foundation – the soil. 

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Prizes kindly supplied by:

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 It is summer and it is garlic harvest time!

8 or so months ago you planted your garlic and chances are it is probably nearing harvest time. So here are a few tricks……and if you didn’t plant garlic THIS year. Then why not try it next year?

In all areas of Australia (except the tropics) you plant garlic in late autumn or early winter. And for some tips on growing garlic see my previous post here on GROWING GARLIC

 How do you know when to harvest?  

The tips of the leaves will begin to turn brown and the base of the stems will soften. Don’t wait until ALL the leaves have turned completely brown before you harvest.

If you aren’t sure if your garlic is ready, just harvest one bulb and see if it has developed cloves and an outer skin enveloping them all. If it isn’t ready to harvest don’t panic, just wait a bit longer. BUT don’t throw out the bulb you’ve just harvested. You can eat what is called “green garlic” – it has a more subtle taste than properly cured garlic.

How to harvest garlic?
 Use a small spade, trowel or fork to gentle ease each bulb out of the ground. Be careful you dig wide enough from the stem – so you don’t hit the precious bulb!

Do NOT just pull on the leaves/stem – they’ll probably break off!

 How to cure (dry) garlic?

For your fresh garlic to keep well in storage you need to cure it (dry it basically). You can either tie it up in bunches by the leaves and hang it from the rafters in your garage OR if you have the space you can lay it out flat on some mesh set up off the ground on sawhorses or similar.

To dry on mesh – make sure the mess has good ventilation (from underneath) and position it in a dry spot. I like to put mine under the verandah, so that it doesn’t get direct sunlight or rained on!

Your garlic take between 2-4 weeks to fully cure depending on your climate. Then it is ready for storage.

How to store garlic?

When the garlic bulbs are dry the skins will be very papery and the cloves will feel tight and firm. You can then either cut the stems off for storage or braid them (more on braiding them later in the post).

If you are going to cut the stems off for storage you can pop the bulbs into those orange string bags, an old stocking or a cardboard box lined with paper. Store them in a dry and well ventilated spot.

Well cured and stored garlic will last for 4-6 months depending on the variety of garlic and the climate you live in. If you live in a very humid climate and can’t find somewhere dry to store you garlic, you are best putting them in the fridge. Unfortunately they won’t keep as long – but still long enough to enjoy!

How to braid/plait garlic?

Step 1: Select 3 large bulbs and either tie them together with a piece of string or loop them over so they sit like those in the photo (Step 1).

Now you have 3 pieces to braid with. One on the left, one in the centre and one on the right.

 Step 2: 

Take another garlic bulb and add it to the middle of the 3 you already have. With the stem of this new bulb lying down over the “middle” stem of garlic already in the braid.

 Step 3: 

Take the left hand piece and bring it over the middle 2 pieces. So it becomes the new piece in the middle! Then snuggle another bulb on the left hand side, so this new bulbs stem lays over the piece of stem you’ve just brought over from the left.

Now have 2 strands on the left, 2 in the middle and 1 on the right.

Step 4:

Take the right hand piece and bring it over the middle 2 pieces – it now becomes the new middle bunch. Then snuggle another bulb on the right hand side and bring the stem of this new bulb so it sits alongside the stem you’ve just plaited over from the right.

Now have 2 strands on the left, 2 in the middle and 2 on the right.

Step 5:

Repeat steps 2, 3 & 4 until you have a braid of desire length. Then keep plaiting the ends/stems together to tidy it off.

Tie the ends off with a bit of string, leaving a loop so you can hang your lovely new braid up in the kitchen!

Mini braid

Don’t be afraid to try braiding if you only have a few bulbs of garlic – 6 or 7 bulbs look great braided together.

If doesn’t look right the first time you try braiding, don’t panic – pull it apart gently and try again.

Tip – KEEP THE BRAID tight as you go by using pressure on your thumbs and snuggling the bulbs together by pulling on the leave gently if you need to.

If your garlic has VERY thick stems it can be tricky to braid using this 3 addition technique.

If your garlic’s stems are too thick DO NOT add the centre bulb (Step 2) on each row/reptition you braid.

The finished product still looks great!

A plait of garlic WITHOUT step 2 from above in each repetition

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