Helping you create an edible garden
Welcome to our first newsletter for 2008. It's certainly off to a wet start with some beautiful rain about. Now is the time to start preparing a bed or getting some containers ready for the multitude of crops we can start planting at this time of year.
Put it in your diary now, the biggest gardening event of the year is on again over the 18th, 19th and 20th April. That's right, the ABC Garden Expo will be bigger and better than ever. We will be there, in the same position right next to Pete's veggie patch.
I am excited to be able to add the latest edition of stackable planters to our collection. The Wall Planter is brilliantly designed to make it easy for you to create a living wall or a whole food forest on a otherwise bare fence, wall or post.
Where possible it is best to avoid overhead watering late in the day to keep the foliage of vegetables that are susceptible to leaf diseases, dry overnight. Many fungal spores thrive and multiply in warm moist conditions.
If you would like an email copy of our latest catalogue which includes all the most popular bits to easily create an edible garden, just let me know. If you know of others who would like to be using fresh, home grown herbs and veg in their cooking, please forward this newsletter to them, they may like to subscribe and we'll make them most welcome.
Due to popular demand, I am now having corrugated garden rings constructed. These eliminate the infrastructure usually involved with building a raised garden bed.
Made from Aquaplate steel they will be long lasting and look stylish in your garden. I tend to like to keep the diametre to around 1100mm which is an easy size to fill with good quality soil and can be intensively farmed to produce huge crops of your favourite herbs and veg. I have put kits together to be the ideal solution for getting the children involved with growing some produce that they can contribute to the family meals.
Have a look at the new section on our home page called "Let's see your edible garden". I have started this as a photographic blog to show case some of the great edible gardens that I have pleasure in visiting around the place. Please send in any photos you feel others will get ideas from and I'll send you a free packet of seeds.
If you would like any of the following gardening fact sheets, please let me know and I'll email them to you. This month I have on offer, Lettuce, Going Organic and Growing Strawberries.
*Heat-wave strategy for fruit trees.*
Mulch your trees out to their drip line.
Water your trees thoroughly and deeply.
Weeds must be kept clear as they consume water and nutrients.
Young trees should never be allowed to dry out as it can take up to two years for them to recover.
Keep them free from pests.
If they are being moved, use a anti-transpirant solution to reduce water loss.
I have some fresh stock of the advanced Lots of lemons ready to go out. They sit in a 355mm black patio tub, are covered with diatomite as a mulch and come with a fertiliser tablet that releases all nutrients necessary for 12 months. First in will get ones with fruit on. Only $69.
Pest infested plants look unsightly and really set back the plants development.
Bug Beater comes in a convenient 1 litre ready to use pack and contains a natural pyrethrum so as not to be detrimental to the environment or your health.
Will control most of the caterpillars, aphids and hoppers getting about at the moment.
Now is the time to fertilise citrus trees. Because they are heavy feeders, it is essential to supply their needs now to ensure a good crop later on. Spread about 150 grams of a complete citrus fertiliser for each year of the trees age. For example if the tree is 3 years old, spread about 450 grams of fertiliser with an N10-P4-K6 around the trees drip line. Eco 88 is ideal and very economical, if you only want one bag of fertiliser in the shed make it this one. Brilliant for lawns and veggies as well. Bags in the manageable 16kg size are $27.
*SPECIAL*
Strictly until the last day of February, I will be including a free copy of the 160 page book "The Companion Book of Herbs" with every set of our most popular 4 layer jumbo mini gardens. The book is a complete guide to identifying, growing and using herbs and is valued at $24.95. Order the package now, only $99.
Happy, productive gardening,
Cheers, David