WEBVTT
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Hello, I'm Elizabeth, an obsessive backyard gardener, who might be able to offer you a couple of tips.
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And I'm Keith, a landscape consultant, and I'm also passionate about gardening.
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The one thing we both have in common is muddy boots.
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It's QA time once again, but before we get started, Keith and I have a very important job to do.
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That is to announce the two winners of our giveaway, the fabulous pruners from Lowy, in conjunction with the Backyard Botanist.
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I think we need a drum roll here because the response to this giveaway has been enormous.
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Fabulous.
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Thank you so much to everyone for entering.
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I wish we had more than two of these brilliant pruners to give away today, but not to worry as we have more fabulous giveaways coming up very soon.
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So today's lucky winners of the Lowy 5.107 anvil pruners are at Chelsea underscore Barker, whose name is Chelsea, and Jen at Jen Stocks, whose name is Jennifer.
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Congratulations, Chelsea and Jennifer.
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You lucky girls, you are both.
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We are lucky, my word.
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It's going to change the way you prune.
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Change the world.
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You are both going to love the ease of these pruners so much that you'll be constantly searching for jobs to do in the garden.
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We'll be in contact with you both very shortly to arrange delivery.
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And for everyone else, make sure to visit backyardbotanist.com.au.au and use the muddy boots in capitals discount code for 10% of all of your plant care needs.
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Okay.
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Brilliant.
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Moving on now to this week's QA episode.
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We have a jam-packed session, so we better get started.
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Here comes question number one for Keith.
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This one is from Jo, who has attached some photos to her question.
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She says, Thank you for answering all my questions over the months that I've been listening.
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Every time I tune in, I learn something new.
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I've tried the trip trick with the echinaceaus seed heads you mentioned in a recent podcast.
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I'm looking forward to seeing it work.
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Fingers crossed.
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I've actually tried that too, so I'm hoping that will work.
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Good.
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Work for me.
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Great.
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I would love some plant advice for a tricky spot in my mum's garden.
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Most of the things we have planted have died, except for the Liriope.
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My mum looks into this onto this bed from her room, and it would be so lovely to have something more to enjoy.
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Either a variety of greens or some flowers.
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The area is north facing, but with the wall and the building around it, it's either very hot or very shady.
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We are in Western Australia.
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Over to you.
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Okay, Joe.
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Look, that's a very trying spot in the garden.
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So let me suggest a few for you and Mum to have a look at.
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And this is probably one of the most important things that you've got to make a decision on that.
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So I'd be looking at maybe some of the hibiscus varieties, either the Australian native form or the exotic varieties.
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When I say exotic, you know, maybe the New Guinea, New Guinean forms.
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But then over where you are, you you also have a have a range of plants that will adapt to those to that particular environment really well.
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And that would be looking at things like Euremu bushes, which are stunning plants.
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The Eremophlia and the variety there is Nivea.
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Another variety that you could look at, another another species you could look at is uh Philothica myoporoides, and then Coria bachusiana or Coria bora lenii, which is the chef capped corrier.
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So these are fabulous little plants.
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But I would also encourage you to continue using the Lyriopes because you've already had success with those along along close to the edge of the edge of the garden bit.
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But look for other varieties.
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Now there is a taller variety called Liv L Lyriope Evergreen Giant, which gets to about 60 centimetres by 60 centimetres.
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But there's also white forms and pink forms, which are slightly lower.
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The white form is either elba or there is a variety which is called Munrose White, but there's a beautiful pink form as well.
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And then in front of that you could edge it with a real nice little ground cover with a plant called Pasesthesia Insignus.
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So that's a that that's otherwise known as Japanese spurge.
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But that's a great little thing.
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Oh yeah.
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So I hope this sort of helps.
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It uh sound that sounds great.
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And the idea of having the little like a number of lyriopes together, clumps of them.
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Yep.
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And mix the colours up and all have just, you know, one colour and whatever you like.
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The next question is from Dan.
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He says, I've recently moved into a smaller townhouse in the Frankston area in Victoria and have laboured to use the available space to make a smite, nice small garden I can enjoy with my kids as it's one of my favourite hobbies.
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I've opted for a granitic sand layer around the plants, about three inches thick, as I like the look, and I've heard it's a great weed deterrent.
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I currently spray my garden once a month with neutrog sea sole and go-go juice, and a few times a year I put some slow release granular fertilizer over the sand.
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Does all this goodness get through the sand and down into the soil, or should I be using a fork to create holes?
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And can I put compost on top?
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I'm not super keen to do either, as I love the look of the sand, but it's more important to keep my beloved plants healthy.
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Yeah.
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Okay, Dan, um if you're using a granular fertilizer, you're using um and it's a slow release form, then it it's it is a crystalline form and it is non-organic.
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So it's releasing the the the the the elements that plants require, that's the NP and the K, but in a chemical form.
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Um and that's just not not uh not not something that that I I would ever recommend or I would ever tell tell anyone.
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Using the go-go juice is not a practice that I would recommend because the go-go juice is is actually um providing life form for the microbes and so forth in the soil.
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And that's okay when when you're you're adding compost from the top, that you would use the go-go juice on top of that to populate that, but you're not doing that in that situation.
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So that's I I wouldn't I wouldn't um suggest that you keep on on using that way.
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I would suggest that you either if you if you're down here in in Frankston, you would have access to a product that I am absolutely loving at the moment as a liquid feed, and that is a product called EEC, so capital E, capital E, and then a dash and S E A.
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And that is a um a fish fertilizer where the the fish that are used have been used to create that emulsion uh from the deep sea, so they contain no heavy metals or any other crap that you're adding to your soil, so you're not adding nasties, you're adding just really good stuff, and that stuff applied over three inches of granitic sand will work its way down to the roots and and be an absolute perfect thing.
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The other thing you can use, um and particularly if you've got native plants, um, would be um Neutrog's bushtucker, which is available from the big green warehouse, or gigantic, which is also another great fam.
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Forget the sea sole.
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I think I said neutrog sea sole.
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I didn't mean that.
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I meant sea sole and neutrog's logo juice.
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Yeah, it's not so so sea sole is not a food, it's a tonic.
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That's right.
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So it's like you might as well go out there and throw each plant a vitamin C pill or a vitamin B pill.
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It's not gonna do an awful lot for you for your plants.
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Um, all the goodness such as compost, rock dust, and myco gold, should have all been added prior to your putting down the granitic sand.
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And I know this is um, you know, probably something you don't want to hear, but that's about the best way to do it.
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And you could still do that if you were at all concerned by using FD Ryan's prepping fork and putting that down into the granitic sand and into the soil, working it back a little bit, applying a little bit of those products that I've already spoken about into those holes, and then just smooth those holes over.
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And that's it, job done.
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Okay, that sounds good.
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Allie has this next question.
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I've bought an old Victorian farmhouse on half an acre in Millthorpe in New South Wales.
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There are many trees, but one particular, one in particular is a stand out do it again, Brett, sorry.
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Allie has this next question.
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I've bought an old Victorian farmhouse on half an acre in Millthorpe in New South Wales.
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There are many trees, but one in particular is a standard crabapple tree.
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It is old with the trunk approximately 30 centimetres wide and the canopy about two metres.
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Can I transplant this tree?
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I have to move it to take way make way for an extension.
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But it is a stunning tree when green.
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What do you suggest?
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Well, um, you have got absolutely no option but to give it a go.
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That's that's it.
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So I would be cutting the the canopy back by at least a half, and then I would be doing your utmost to get as big a root ball as you can possibly get around that, and you might have to get a few friends around.
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And the way that I would do it is is is I would go out, I I would cut back your your canopy first, so reduce it by a half, and then get some really sharp spades and go in all the way around where that canopy you've just around that edge of that canopy you've just cut back, go down as much as you can, and then I would suggest with your mates you put a rope at the top of the tree and just below where where the you know where it weaks down and pull it across to one side and see if you can get some hessian and poke it underneath it and push it all the way under half under underneath that tree, and then pull it back the other way and pull that hessian back up, and then with all your mates, lift it and drag it across to your new hole where you where it's all ready to go, so it's all beautifully composted and everything else, stick it in the hole, and then do not feed it except with the compost that's in that hole, then apply your seesaw on a regular basis and hope that you've you've you've set yourself up for success.
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But you've got no other no other choice but to to give that a a bit of a crack, a crack, and just make sure that you've got as many friends to give you a hand as possible.
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Because a 30-centimeter tree is a very old tree.
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And that's where sea salt comes in.
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That's where you use seesaw.
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Because it's good for transplanting, it's great for transplanting because it's it will help to stimulate that new root growth that you're getting up.
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Yeah, great.
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We have a question from Joe now.
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I live in rural Waikato in New Zealand, where we moved about four years ago.
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I've established some gardens in what was once a paddock, but is now our backyard, so weeds are a huge problem.
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My gardens are just mounds of dirt as we can't afford to box them.
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This works well except for two things.
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In summer, when it's dry, the rains fall off rather than soak in, and weeds grow up the sides and require a lot of maintenance.
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I've been growing herbs like oregano, thyme and sage along some edges, and that helps with these problems, but I'd like to add some flowers too.
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I tried poppies, but they fell over into the pies, and I tried violas, which I regret massively as they self-seed like a carpet everywhere.
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What would you recommend I plant on the edges of my garden that will help suppress weeds, retain moisture, attract bees, and look nice too?
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Well, you've got a bit of a job ahead of you there, Jodine, and and I would be suggesting you look at weed suppressing ground covers that you can actually trim off the pathways as as they start to encroach upon the pathways.
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And my suggestions are as follows.
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So Anthemus is a ripper weed suppressing ground-hugging plant, uh, and look at a variety called Susanna Mitchell.
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Then there's another anthemus called E.
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C.
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Buxton, which is another ripper, and then maybe look at some some rosemary, some prostratus, which will which will really work well in that sort of a situation.
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Um, another another great one is an Australian native called Myoporum Parvifolium, and that's got beautiful little white sprays of flowers on it.
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And another ripper that I love in anyone's garden because it adds just so much life and texture to a to any any garden is Casuarina Glauca Cousinit.
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It is an absolute ripper.
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Now, most of these are available from the Plant Company, Babylon Store, and River Road Nursery, all in New Zealand.
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So have a little look at those.
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Um your other option for weed suppression may be to order yourself um a length or whatever length you want of um an organic weed matting called weed gunnel.
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Now that can be shipped across to you without a worry in the world.
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Or look at maybe um wool grow matting.
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Now you've got you've got some people over in New Zealand that are actually growing or actually growing, you're actually manufacturing um a woolgrow product over there.
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So buy it off them rather than have it sending them sending that product over to Australia where it's competing with our woolgrow product over here from Sherry.
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Yes, that's right.
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So there you go.
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Hope that helps.
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Sounds good.
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Alicia's question is next.
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She says, I have a lot of oxalis, which is growing amongst native plants in my garden beds.
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What is the safest way to get rid of it?
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Um there are a few options available, and the first couple in couple involves smothering the rotten stink and stuff, either using cardboard, woolgrown matting, or weed gunnel.
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And the covering needs to needs to be over the soil for as long as it takes to rot the bulbs away.
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Um, another method that you can use, and I have you have used this method with fabulous success in the past, and that is using an organic herbicide called firehawk, which can be purchased online.
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And this is an organic contact spray that will kill off the leaves in a matter of of hours.
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However, what you need to do is remember what that oxalis is coming from, and that is a bulb that has got stored energy that will keep on growing new new leaves up through the surface until you deplete the energy that that bulb contains.
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And if you purchase fire hawk in an RTU pack, which what's RTU pack ready to use.
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Ready to use pack, you must shake the living daylights out of it in order to spray.
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Because we had one person come back to us and said, I bought that product and it didn't work.
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And we went back and said, Gotta make sure you shake it first, because as I said, I can kill oxalis leaves in an hour using firehawk.
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Go back and they're all brown and and and rotted away.
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So just remember that that if you're gonna use firehawk rather than those other methods, then shake the living daylights out of it to you make sure you've got it all sent through it.
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And you mentioned wool grow a few times.
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I just wanted to say that's Woolgrow, Woolgrow Australia.
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In Australia, where you can get that from.
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Otherwise, get it in New Zealand for whatever it's called over there.
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Okay, now we have a question from Geraldine.
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I've noticed that Keith trims his Brussels sprouts back to show the sprouts.
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At what stage do you do this and does this put the goodness into the sprouts?
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Um thanks, Geraldine.
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Yes, it does.
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I like to remove all the lower leaves right up, right up and you know, except for the top 300 mil, um, when the actual brussels sprouts are about the size of a of a marble, a small marble.
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Um and what that then does is it is a it allows the roots of of the plant to feed the actual brussels sprouts rather than the leaves and and the head, and that's where you you get really, really better tasting Brussels sprouts from that plant.
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Um and I would um suggest that you use the Clyde compost all the time around the base of those to ensure that everything's up and going.
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Fabulous, fabulous.
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Now it's Natalie's turn.
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I'm wanting to plant some more fruit trees and to save on space, have been thinking of planting multi-grafted trees.
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I'm not confident enough to graft them myself, but I was wondering if Keith could suggest where I could purchase them from from and what I should be looking for in a good graft and tree.
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Are they available bare-rooted or do I need to buy potted trees and is winter the correct time to be planting them?
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I'm in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
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What tips and advice can Keith give me for my first venture into multi-grafted trees?
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Natalie, I can give you some advice and some observations and some recommendations.
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So, how about that?
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So, when when I first moved to the where we're living now, um we had a couple of multi-grafted fruit trees that the previous people had had in the ground for a long period of time.
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And the thing about that is that that multi-grafted um fruit trees are actually grafted onto a rootstock, and then the actual grafts are put onto that particular rootstock.
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And if you if you've got, and and and I was lucky enough to see this for myself, but one of those grafts will tend to be more dominant than the other.
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So with with our tree, we had we had one that had a a trunk like that, and the other had a trunk like that, so quite small.
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And you've just got to maintain that those particular trees in that in that basis.
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So cut them back according to the their growth abilities in order to get the best out of them.
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So it's a great way of doing it if you if if that's what you want to do.
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My instance here is um uh for one for instance, one of these trees had um two graphs on it, it had Coe's golden drop and green gauge.
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Now the Co's Golden Drop became the dominant plot part of that, um, and it was the green gauge that we actually preferred the flavour of.
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So that's why you've got to really look after what you're doing.
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So in that instance, that the Co's Golden Um drop took over the green gauge.
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Um, you know, so I no longer have uh multi-grafted trees in my garden anymore.
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All these trees are available bare-rooted now that you can easily go out from reputable nurseries or contact Shepherd's Nurseries and get them from Phil or from Mitch down there, and if you mention my name, they will look after you.
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And what I would suggest you do is what I do with all my my fruit trees now, is where you need to have a cross-pollinator, you dig a big hole, you put lots of compost in it, and then you plant the two trees in the one hole.
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So that you've got your cross-pollinators sitting side by side, and you treat those two trees as one plant.
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So you prune it accordingly all the way around.
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And if you do that, you will you will find that those two trees will not outdominant dominate one over the other, they will grow a uniform trunk and a uniform canopy that will give you the best possible fruit that you'll ever have.
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Um, I can remember seeing years ago at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show a guy who was selling these fruit salad trees, and they had multi, multi varieties on the one plant.
00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:35.920
And I used to just walk past and shake my head, all these people going there buying these multi-grafted plants because they wouldn't have a clue how to look after and maintain each one of those multi-grafts because one will become more dominant than the other, and then you've just wasted your money.
00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:41.440
So if you're going to get get trees that need cross pollinators, plant the two in the one hole.
00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:42.160
Easy.
00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:43.119
Sounds easy.
00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:53.599
So just with Shepherd's, Shepherd's Nurseries, they're in they're in, I think it's 920 or 870 or something like that, Stumpy Gully Road in Churong.
00:19:54.000 --> 00:20:09.359
But if you give Phil Shepherd a ring, um you can call him to see what's available by calling his number, which is 0417-36475, and tell him Keith and Elizabeth.
00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:10.079
Muddy boots.
00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:11.759
Elizabeth.
00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:12.079
Let's see.
00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:14.480
Um so he will mail out, he will send them out.
00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:18.880
He can post them or they can go down and and he will have them read it ready for them to pick up.
00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:19.440
All right.
00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:21.200
Charlotte has the next question.
00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:26.160
My son has just moved into a house in Ballarat, Victoria, which has a mix of hydrangeas in the garden.
00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:29.680
Some of the plants are very short and bushy and still full of flower heads.
00:20:29.839 --> 00:20:35.599
This is a little bit a little while ago, so probably not so much now, but showing no sign of juicy buds along the stems yet.
00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:40.720
There are also some of the more common mophead hydrangeas which are budding nicely along the stems.
00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:46.720
Should my son be doing something to the plants to make sure they're well looked after over winter and ready for flowering the next season?
00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:49.839
He's a very proud he is very proud of his first flower garden.
00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:50.480
Yep.
00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:56.400
And Charlotte sent through some pictures of those, so that was good to get a to get a bit of a look at those.
00:20:56.640 --> 00:21:05.039
So hydrangeas require plenty of moisture to have healthy large leaves and to produce big flower heads.
00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:07.119
But they also need lots and lots of food.
00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:11.039
And compost is a great thing that you can just be throwing, throwing in around over the top.
00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:18.000
You don't need to dig that in, just throw it around it and just make sure that you you're washing it off any of the stems that that are down tight below.
00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:21.599
So they need a really good feed in late winter.
00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:30.640
Um, and the the reason that that there are no real large buds on on those particular parts gets back to the food and the moisture situation that's happened in the past.
00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:39.279
So prune about a third of the current canes to the nearest buds that you've got there, and remove any of the dead canes to ground level.
00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:59.039
Um, and I've had a little look at the the the leaves that that you sent the pictures through on, they have these little little um red spots on the actual leaves, which is indicative that they've either got red-spotted spider mite or two-spotted mite, which are basically the same little insect that you you get on there.
00:21:59.119 --> 00:22:10.720
So uh If you apply some rock dust and maybe get in underneath, if if you see that start to happen again with a little bit of econeme and an eco-oil, give it a bit of a spray.
00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:27.680
And I'd also probably suggest that you give the plants at this stage of after you've cleaned them all up and done all the pruning, go over and apply a little bit of lime sulphur over them as well, which will just kill any of these sorts of things that might be just sitting there waiting to bloom into life.
00:22:28.880 --> 00:22:37.519
Great organic foods, and I would suggest that you use a neutron product there called kahuna, which would be fabulous for that.
00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:42.880
And this product will make the flowers a deep blue colour.
00:22:43.119 --> 00:22:51.279
So if if that's he's happy, happy with that, but he's after pink or white, then you'll need to add some additives to the actual soil, which you can buy there.
00:22:51.359 --> 00:22:58.640
You can either get blueing agents or pinking agents or whiting agents or whatever else, which will just um change the colour of those heads.
00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:02.079
But you know, to mix them up through a garden bit looks absolutely spectacular.
00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:05.440
And you must be missing the hell out of that after your beautiful garden up the road.
00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:09.519
I do miss them, and I have got some in a pot ready to go in because they need to go into the ground.
00:23:09.599 --> 00:23:12.240
Even though I've got a Mediterranean garden, I think we can just add them to it.
00:23:12.400 --> 00:23:12.799
That's all right.
00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:14.400
We'll make them fit.
00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:14.880
It'll be fine.
00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:16.480
We'll make them fit because I do love them.
00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:18.319
The next question is from Fiona.
00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:23.839
My vegetable garden is in a position where the drip line of many of our trees are now reaching the edge of the garden bed.
00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:32.559
As the trees love the vegetable soil, I would like to replace the vegetable garden with raised beds to stop the tree roots from stealing the goodness from the vegetables and herbs.
00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:34.079
What would you recommend?
00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:42.319
Um roots from trees will always seek out the best and easiest source of food and water because that's what they're there for.
00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:46.240
Um and what better source for food and water can there be from a veggie bed?
00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:48.960
Because you're putting it all there for them.
00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:54.799
Um I can remember um a fellow worker, co-worker at the Diggers Club.
00:23:54.880 --> 00:24:09.759
Um, she had her vegetable beds not far from this huge gum tree, and every time she stuck a fork in them or a or a spade into the ground, she found all these masses of little fibrous root systems that were just there, just sucking it all.
00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:11.279
Sucking all the goodness out.
00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:17.599
So raised beds are an absolutely fantastic solution to eliminate root intrusion.
00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:28.480
So a couple of ways to do this, you can use a wicking bed system or and and and in that sort of situation for any sort of raised beds, have a look at Modbox.
00:24:28.640 --> 00:24:29.839
Go and have a look at Modbox.
00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:40.720
You might find that to purchase one of his his raised beds will be more practical than you trying to build one out of timbers that might be susceptible for all sorts of chemicals and crap.
00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:45.359
But you can have a look at his site because he's got wicking solutions there as well as the others.
00:24:45.519 --> 00:25:14.880
But the thing about um the the the the raised beds that the Modbox now have is that every one of their raised beds that you put together has two materials apart from the timber that creates the the frame around it, and that is a geofabric, which goes in the bottom and up the sides of the actual of the actual beds, and then around that is a food grade plastic liner.
00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:36.720
And and when when I built yours out here, the the the geofabric went across the bottom, then up the sides, and it was all tucked in, so any roots can't get up into that bed, and then to protect all the the wood and and everything else, then that liner was put round the edge and it was all stapled in and Bob's your auntie or your uncle nowadays, whatever you like.
00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:38.640
But that's the best way to do so.
00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:54.559
Um if you have a look at the mod box and you might get some ideas if if it um helps, but otherwise, if you're gonna build your own, then Bunnings will have a food grade plastic, but don't go to the to the um nursery end of of Bunnings and ask that question.
00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:56.960
Go to the builder section and ask that question.
00:25:57.119 --> 00:26:07.680
You need a you need a high density polyethyl plastic that is not gonna leach out toxins and crap, but they also have geofabric there you can buy by the meter, and that will sort you out.
00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:08.880
So I hope that helps.
00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:09.920
Fantastic.
00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:14.160
Tina is next, and she provided some pictures for this information.
00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:20.079
I live in Christchurch, New Zealand, and we have a vanilla tree in our garden that is probably about 40 years old.
00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:26.240
We we recently noticed quite a few large dead branches in the tree that have holes in them and wonder if they could be tree borers.
00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:29.279
Can you advise how we can get rid of these and save the tree?
00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:30.000
Okay.
00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:34.559
Now, Tina's called that a vanilla tree.
00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:35.359
That's right.
00:26:36.079 --> 00:26:52.000
Um and that is actually a plant that I love, and I love to use it in gardens as a bit of a background plant because it's got these beautiful little small shiny glossy leaves, but it has these beautiful little small sprays of yellow flowers.
00:26:52.240 --> 00:27:00.400
And its botanical name is Azara microphylla, micro meaning small and phyla meaning leaf, small leaf.
00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:02.559
So it's just a beautiful plant.
00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:16.240
So I would suggest that you well, um first of all, looking at the size of those bora holes, you have a lonicorn beetle living in there, which is a big beetle that was boring all the way through it.
00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:21.440
So you need to cut all those branches back to the main trunk as close as possible.
00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:42.720
And if you see that, see that when you've done that, that those bora holes are still continuing on, then the only thing I can suggest you do is get yourself a a length of a plyable, fairly pliable sort of wire, and poke it down as far as you can, down through those holes, and hopefully impale those stinking rotten bugs that are down there.
00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:45.119
So use a stiff wire down in that.
00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:55.119
I don't suggest necessarily applying chemicals because it's not a good solution because it'll be translocated through the plant and it'll cause more damage.
00:27:55.359 --> 00:28:08.480
Um so if you do those, do that thing and and by using the wire sieving and prod the little thing, push it down as far as you can and impale the little mongrel so he becomes blood blood and bone for the plant eventually.
00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:27.200
Um, and then um I would suggest that you use the method then of turning on the lower buds by finding a node on the branch and using a sharp saw cutting just above the top of that bud, and hopefully that will turn that bud on.
00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:29.359
You'll get some lower branches all the way down.
00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:31.359
But that's the best thing that I can suggest for you.
00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:31.839
Tina?
00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:33.039
That's good advice.
00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:35.680
Well, we've come to the end of another QA podcast.
00:28:35.839 --> 00:28:38.799
Thanks again to everyone for sending in their quest your questions.
00:28:39.039 --> 00:28:44.960
We have one last thing to do before we go, and that is to announce this month's winner of the fabulous prize from The Plant Runner.
00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:48.559
This month's winner is Jo, who is trying to brighten up her mum's garden.
00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:49.599
Congratulations, Jo.
00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:51.359
We will be in touch with you very soon.
00:28:51.599 --> 00:28:56.480
Go to theplantrunner.com for all your organic indoor plant care needs.
00:28:57.440 --> 00:28:58.000
Bye.
00:28:58.319 --> 00:29:00.319
Thank you for listening to Muddy Boots.
00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:07.279
For more information on today's podcast, please go to muddyboots.net.au and happy gardening.
00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:06.799
Hello, I'm Elizabeth, an obsessive backyard gardener, who might be able to offer you a couple of tips.
00:00:06.959 --> 00:00:11.839
And I'm Keith, a landscape consultant, and I'm also passionate about gardening.
00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:16.320
The one thing we both have in common is muddy boots.
00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:24.079
It's QA time once again, but before we get started, Keith and I have a very important job to do.
00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:31.920
That is to announce the two winners of our giveaway, the fabulous pruners from Lowy, in conjunction with the Backyard Botanist.
00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:36.240
I think we need a drum roll here because the response to this giveaway has been enormous.
00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:37.119
Fabulous.
00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:38.880
Thank you so much to everyone for entering.
00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:46.799
I wish we had more than two of these brilliant pruners to give away today, but not to worry as we have more fabulous giveaways coming up very soon.
00:00:47.039 --> 00:01:02.079
So today's lucky winners of the Lowy 5.107 anvil pruners are at Chelsea underscore Barker, whose name is Chelsea, and Jen at Jen Stocks, whose name is Jennifer.
00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:04.480
Congratulations, Chelsea and Jennifer.
00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:05.760
You lucky girls, you are both.
00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:07.519
We are lucky, my word.
00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:09.200
It's going to change the way you prune.
00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:10.319
Change the world.
00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:16.239
You are both going to love the ease of these pruners so much that you'll be constantly searching for jobs to do in the garden.
00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:20.159
We'll be in contact with you both very shortly to arrange delivery.
00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:34.000
And for everyone else, make sure to visit backyardbotanist.com.au.au and use the muddy boots in capitals discount code for 10% of all of your plant care needs.
00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:35.120
Okay.
00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:36.159
Brilliant.
00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:38.799
Moving on now to this week's QA episode.
00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:41.359
We have a jam-packed session, so we better get started.
00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:43.680
Here comes question number one for Keith.
00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:47.120
This one is from Jo, who has attached some photos to her question.
00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:51.200
She says, Thank you for answering all my questions over the months that I've been listening.
00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:53.760
Every time I tune in, I learn something new.
00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:58.480
I've tried the trip trick with the echinaceaus seed heads you mentioned in a recent podcast.
00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:00.079
I'm looking forward to seeing it work.
00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:00.959
Fingers crossed.
00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:03.200
I've actually tried that too, so I'm hoping that will work.
00:02:03.439 --> 00:02:03.680
Good.
00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:04.480
Work for me.
00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:05.120
Great.
00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:08.400
I would love some plant advice for a tricky spot in my mum's garden.
00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:11.759
Most of the things we have planted have died, except for the Liriope.
00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:16.639
My mum looks into this onto this bed from her room, and it would be so lovely to have something more to enjoy.
00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:19.599
Either a variety of greens or some flowers.
00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:25.840
The area is north facing, but with the wall and the building around it, it's either very hot or very shady.
00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:27.759
We are in Western Australia.
00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:29.120
Over to you.
00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:30.240
Okay, Joe.
00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:33.280
Look, that's a very trying spot in the garden.
00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:36.560
So let me suggest a few for you and Mum to have a look at.
00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:40.000
And this is probably one of the most important things that you've got to make a decision on that.
00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:46.960
So I'd be looking at maybe some of the hibiscus varieties, either the Australian native form or the exotic varieties.
00:02:47.120 --> 00:02:50.560
When I say exotic, you know, maybe the New Guinea, New Guinean forms.
00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:58.000
But then over where you are, you you also have a have a range of plants that will adapt to those to that particular environment really well.
00:02:58.159 --> 00:03:02.479
And that would be looking at things like Euremu bushes, which are stunning plants.
00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:07.759
The Eremophlia and the variety there is Nivea.
00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:22.240
Another variety that you could look at, another another species you could look at is uh Philothica myoporoides, and then Coria bachusiana or Coria bora lenii, which is the chef capped corrier.
00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:24.400
So these are fabulous little plants.
00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:34.719
But I would also encourage you to continue using the Lyriopes because you've already had success with those along along close to the edge of the edge of the garden bit.
00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:36.879
But look for other varieties.
00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:45.360
Now there is a taller variety called Liv L Lyriope Evergreen Giant, which gets to about 60 centimetres by 60 centimetres.
00:03:45.520 --> 00:03:50.000
But there's also white forms and pink forms, which are slightly lower.
00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:57.919
The white form is either elba or there is a variety which is called Munrose White, but there's a beautiful pink form as well.
00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:04.960
And then in front of that you could edge it with a real nice little ground cover with a plant called Pasesthesia Insignus.
00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:08.879
So that's a that that's otherwise known as Japanese spurge.
00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:10.240
But that's a great little thing.
00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:10.719
Oh yeah.
00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:12.400
So I hope this sort of helps.
00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:14.159
It uh sound that sounds great.
00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:18.720
And the idea of having the little like a number of lyriopes together, clumps of them.
00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:19.279
Yep.
00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:23.920
And mix the colours up and all have just, you know, one colour and whatever you like.
00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:25.920
The next question is from Dan.
00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:37.279
He says, I've recently moved into a smaller townhouse in the Frankston area in Victoria and have laboured to use the available space to make a smite, nice small garden I can enjoy with my kids as it's one of my favourite hobbies.
00:04:37.519 --> 00:04:45.199
I've opted for a granitic sand layer around the plants, about three inches thick, as I like the look, and I've heard it's a great weed deterrent.
00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:54.000
I currently spray my garden once a month with neutrog sea sole and go-go juice, and a few times a year I put some slow release granular fertilizer over the sand.
00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:59.759
Does all this goodness get through the sand and down into the soil, or should I be using a fork to create holes?
00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:01.920
And can I put compost on top?
00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:07.360
I'm not super keen to do either, as I love the look of the sand, but it's more important to keep my beloved plants healthy.
00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:08.000
Yeah.
00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:18.800
Okay, Dan, um if you're using a granular fertilizer, you're using um and it's a slow release form, then it it's it is a crystalline form and it is non-organic.
00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:27.600
So it's releasing the the the the the elements that plants require, that's the NP and the K, but in a chemical form.
00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:35.120
Um and that's just not not uh not not something that that I I would ever recommend or I would ever tell tell anyone.
00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:46.879
Using the go-go juice is not a practice that I would recommend because the go-go juice is is actually um providing life form for the microbes and so forth in the soil.
00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:56.560
And that's okay when when you're you're adding compost from the top, that you would use the go-go juice on top of that to populate that, but you're not doing that in that situation.
00:05:56.800 --> 00:06:01.439
So that's I I wouldn't I wouldn't um suggest that you keep on on using that way.
00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:21.680
I would suggest that you either if you if you're down here in in Frankston, you would have access to a product that I am absolutely loving at the moment as a liquid feed, and that is a product called EEC, so capital E, capital E, and then a dash and S E A.
00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:49.120
And that is a um a fish fertilizer where the the fish that are used have been used to create that emulsion uh from the deep sea, so they contain no heavy metals or any other crap that you're adding to your soil, so you're not adding nasties, you're adding just really good stuff, and that stuff applied over three inches of granitic sand will work its way down to the roots and and be an absolute perfect thing.
00:06:49.360 --> 00:07:03.519
The other thing you can use, um and particularly if you've got native plants, um, would be um Neutrog's bushtucker, which is available from the big green warehouse, or gigantic, which is also another great fam.
00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:05.120
Forget the sea sole.
00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:06.879
I think I said neutrog sea sole.
00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:07.360
I didn't mean that.
00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:09.360
I meant sea sole and neutrog's logo juice.
00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:13.120
Yeah, it's not so so sea sole is not a food, it's a tonic.
00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:13.680
That's right.
00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:20.399
So it's like you might as well go out there and throw each plant a vitamin C pill or a vitamin B pill.
00:07:20.560 --> 00:07:23.680
It's not gonna do an awful lot for you for your plants.
00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:31.680
Um, all the goodness such as compost, rock dust, and myco gold, should have all been added prior to your putting down the granitic sand.
00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:37.199
And I know this is um, you know, probably something you don't want to hear, but that's about the best way to do it.
00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:55.120
And you could still do that if you were at all concerned by using FD Ryan's prepping fork and putting that down into the granitic sand and into the soil, working it back a little bit, applying a little bit of those products that I've already spoken about into those holes, and then just smooth those holes over.
00:07:55.279 --> 00:07:56.639
And that's it, job done.
00:07:56.959 --> 00:07:58.319
Okay, that sounds good.
00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:00.240
Allie has this next question.
00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:05.199
I've bought an old Victorian farmhouse on half an acre in Millthorpe in New South Wales.
00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:12.240
There are many trees, but one particular, one in particular is a stand out do it again, Brett, sorry.
00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:14.079
Allie has this next question.
00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:19.279
I've bought an old Victorian farmhouse on half an acre in Millthorpe in New South Wales.
00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:23.279
There are many trees, but one in particular is a standard crabapple tree.
00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:28.399
It is old with the trunk approximately 30 centimetres wide and the canopy about two metres.
00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:30.399
Can I transplant this tree?
00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:33.840
I have to move it to take way make way for an extension.
00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:35.919
But it is a stunning tree when green.
00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:37.360
What do you suggest?
00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:43.279
Well, um, you have got absolutely no option but to give it a go.
00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:44.480
That's that's it.
00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:58.480
So I would be cutting the the canopy back by at least a half, and then I would be doing your utmost to get as big a root ball as you can possibly get around that, and you might have to get a few friends around.
00:08:58.639 --> 00:10:04.559
And the way that I would do it is is is I would go out, I I would cut back your your canopy first, so reduce it by a half, and then get some really sharp spades and go in all the way around where that canopy you've just around that edge of that canopy you've just cut back, go down as much as you can, and then I would suggest with your mates you put a rope at the top of the tree and just below where where the you know where it weaks down and pull it across to one side and see if you can get some hessian and poke it underneath it and push it all the way under half under underneath that tree, and then pull it back the other way and pull that hessian back up, and then with all your mates, lift it and drag it across to your new hole where you where it's all ready to go, so it's all beautifully composted and everything else, stick it in the hole, and then do not feed it except with the compost that's in that hole, then apply your seesaw on a regular basis and hope that you've you've you've set yourself up for success.
00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:13.279
But you've got no other no other choice but to to give that a a bit of a crack, a crack, and just make sure that you've got as many friends to give you a hand as possible.
00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:17.039
Because a 30-centimeter tree is a very old tree.
00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:18.879
And that's where sea salt comes in.
00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:20.399
That's where you use seesaw.
00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:27.200
Because it's good for transplanting, it's great for transplanting because it's it will help to stimulate that new root growth that you're getting up.
00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:28.159
Yeah, great.
00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:30.240
We have a question from Joe now.
00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:35.279
I live in rural Waikato in New Zealand, where we moved about four years ago.
00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:41.279
I've established some gardens in what was once a paddock, but is now our backyard, so weeds are a huge problem.
00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:45.039
My gardens are just mounds of dirt as we can't afford to box them.
00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:47.279
This works well except for two things.
00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:53.679
In summer, when it's dry, the rains fall off rather than soak in, and weeds grow up the sides and require a lot of maintenance.
00:10:53.840 --> 00:11:00.720
I've been growing herbs like oregano, thyme and sage along some edges, and that helps with these problems, but I'd like to add some flowers too.
00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:08.240
I tried poppies, but they fell over into the pies, and I tried violas, which I regret massively as they self-seed like a carpet everywhere.
00:11:08.480 --> 00:11:15.360
What would you recommend I plant on the edges of my garden that will help suppress weeds, retain moisture, attract bees, and look nice too?
00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:30.000
Well, you've got a bit of a job ahead of you there, Jodine, and and I would be suggesting you look at weed suppressing ground covers that you can actually trim off the pathways as as they start to encroach upon the pathways.
00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:32.480
And my suggestions are as follows.
00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:42.399
So Anthemus is a ripper weed suppressing ground-hugging plant, uh, and look at a variety called Susanna Mitchell.
00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:44.879
Then there's another anthemus called E.
00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:45.200
C.
00:11:45.360 --> 00:11:56.159
Buxton, which is another ripper, and then maybe look at some some rosemary, some prostratus, which will which will really work well in that sort of a situation.
00:11:56.399 --> 00:12:06.879
Um, another another great one is an Australian native called Myoporum Parvifolium, and that's got beautiful little white sprays of flowers on it.
00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:18.559
And another ripper that I love in anyone's garden because it adds just so much life and texture to a to any any garden is Casuarina Glauca Cousinit.
00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:20.159
It is an absolute ripper.
00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:30.320
Now, most of these are available from the Plant Company, Babylon Store, and River Road Nursery, all in New Zealand.
00:12:30.559 --> 00:12:31.840
So have a little look at those.
00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:44.799
Um your other option for weed suppression may be to order yourself um a length or whatever length you want of um an organic weed matting called weed gunnel.
00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:48.559
Now that can be shipped across to you without a worry in the world.
00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:51.919
Or look at maybe um wool grow matting.
00:12:52.000 --> 00:13:00.639
Now you've got you've got some people over in New Zealand that are actually growing or actually growing, you're actually manufacturing um a woolgrow product over there.
00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:08.960
So buy it off them rather than have it sending them sending that product over to Australia where it's competing with our woolgrow product over here from Sherry.
00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:09.759
Yes, that's right.
00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:10.480
So there you go.
00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:11.440
Hope that helps.
00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:12.320
Sounds good.
00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:13.840
Alicia's question is next.
00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:17.919
She says, I have a lot of oxalis, which is growing amongst native plants in my garden beds.
00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:20.080
What is the safest way to get rid of it?
00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:31.440
Um there are a few options available, and the first couple in couple involves smothering the rotten stink and stuff, either using cardboard, woolgrown matting, or weed gunnel.
00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:37.440
And the covering needs to needs to be over the soil for as long as it takes to rot the bulbs away.
00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:51.200
Um, another method that you can use, and I have you have used this method with fabulous success in the past, and that is using an organic herbicide called firehawk, which can be purchased online.
00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:58.320
And this is an organic contact spray that will kill off the leaves in a matter of of hours.
00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:14.000
However, what you need to do is remember what that oxalis is coming from, and that is a bulb that has got stored energy that will keep on growing new new leaves up through the surface until you deplete the energy that that bulb contains.
00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:20.720
And if you purchase fire hawk in an RTU pack, which what's RTU pack ready to use.
00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:27.600
Ready to use pack, you must shake the living daylights out of it in order to spray.
00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:32.240
Because we had one person come back to us and said, I bought that product and it didn't work.
00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:42.159
And we went back and said, Gotta make sure you shake it first, because as I said, I can kill oxalis leaves in an hour using firehawk.
00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:46.159
Go back and they're all brown and and and rotted away.
00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:55.039
So just remember that that if you're gonna use firehawk rather than those other methods, then shake the living daylights out of it to you make sure you've got it all sent through it.
00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:56.960
And you mentioned wool grow a few times.
00:14:57.039 --> 00:14:59.600
I just wanted to say that's Woolgrow, Woolgrow Australia.
00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:01.440
In Australia, where you can get that from.
00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:04.080
Otherwise, get it in New Zealand for whatever it's called over there.
00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:08.159
Okay, now we have a question from Geraldine.
00:15:08.720 --> 00:15:12.080
I've noticed that Keith trims his Brussels sprouts back to show the sprouts.
00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:15.679
At what stage do you do this and does this put the goodness into the sprouts?
00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:17.919
Um thanks, Geraldine.
00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:18.960
Yes, it does.
00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:30.399
I like to remove all the lower leaves right up, right up and you know, except for the top 300 mil, um, when the actual brussels sprouts are about the size of a of a marble, a small marble.
00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:45.440
Um and what that then does is it is a it allows the roots of of the plant to feed the actual brussels sprouts rather than the leaves and and the head, and that's where you you get really, really better tasting Brussels sprouts from that plant.
00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:54.799
Um and I would um suggest that you use the Clyde compost all the time around the base of those to ensure that everything's up and going.
00:15:55.440 --> 00:15:56.559
Fabulous, fabulous.
00:15:56.799 --> 00:15:58.159
Now it's Natalie's turn.
00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:03.600
I'm wanting to plant some more fruit trees and to save on space, have been thinking of planting multi-grafted trees.
00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:12.399
I'm not confident enough to graft them myself, but I was wondering if Keith could suggest where I could purchase them from from and what I should be looking for in a good graft and tree.
00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:17.919
Are they available bare-rooted or do I need to buy potted trees and is winter the correct time to be planting them?
00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:20.240
I'm in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:25.360
What tips and advice can Keith give me for my first venture into multi-grafted trees?
00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:31.519
Natalie, I can give you some advice and some observations and some recommendations.
00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:32.639
So, how about that?
00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:45.600
So, when when I first moved to the where we're living now, um we had a couple of multi-grafted fruit trees that the previous people had had in the ground for a long period of time.
00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:58.320
And the thing about that is that that multi-grafted um fruit trees are actually grafted onto a rootstock, and then the actual grafts are put onto that particular rootstock.
00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:07.599
And if you if you've got, and and and I was lucky enough to see this for myself, but one of those grafts will tend to be more dominant than the other.
00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:16.160
So with with our tree, we had we had one that had a a trunk like that, and the other had a trunk like that, so quite small.
00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:21.839
And you've just got to maintain that those particular trees in that in that basis.
00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:28.480
So cut them back according to the their growth abilities in order to get the best out of them.
00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:33.119
So it's a great way of doing it if you if if that's what you want to do.
00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:44.000
My instance here is um uh for one for instance, one of these trees had um two graphs on it, it had Coe's golden drop and green gauge.
00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:53.200
Now the Co's Golden Drop became the dominant plot part of that, um, and it was the green gauge that we actually preferred the flavour of.
00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:56.400
So that's why you've got to really look after what you're doing.
00:17:56.559 --> 00:18:02.079
So in that instance, that the Co's Golden Um drop took over the green gauge.
00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:07.599
Um, you know, so I no longer have uh multi-grafted trees in my garden anymore.
00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:24.640
All these trees are available bare-rooted now that you can easily go out from reputable nurseries or contact Shepherd's Nurseries and get them from Phil or from Mitch down there, and if you mention my name, they will look after you.
00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:39.039
And what I would suggest you do is what I do with all my my fruit trees now, is where you need to have a cross-pollinator, you dig a big hole, you put lots of compost in it, and then you plant the two trees in the one hole.
00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:46.160
So that you've got your cross-pollinators sitting side by side, and you treat those two trees as one plant.
00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:49.119
So you prune it accordingly all the way around.
00:18:49.279 --> 00:19:03.279
And if you do that, you will you will find that those two trees will not outdominant dominate one over the other, they will grow a uniform trunk and a uniform canopy that will give you the best possible fruit that you'll ever have.
00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:17.839
Um, I can remember seeing years ago at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show a guy who was selling these fruit salad trees, and they had multi, multi varieties on the one plant.
00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:35.920
And I used to just walk past and shake my head, all these people going there buying these multi-grafted plants because they wouldn't have a clue how to look after and maintain each one of those multi-grafts because one will become more dominant than the other, and then you've just wasted your money.
00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:41.440
So if you're going to get get trees that need cross pollinators, plant the two in the one hole.
00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:42.160
Easy.
00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:43.119
Sounds easy.
00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:53.599
So just with Shepherd's, Shepherd's Nurseries, they're in they're in, I think it's 920 or 870 or something like that, Stumpy Gully Road in Churong.
00:19:54.000 --> 00:20:09.359
But if you give Phil Shepherd a ring, um you can call him to see what's available by calling his number, which is 0417-36475, and tell him Keith and Elizabeth.
00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:10.079
Muddy boots.
00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:11.759
Elizabeth.
00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:12.079
Let's see.
00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:14.480
Um so he will mail out, he will send them out.
00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:18.880
He can post them or they can go down and and he will have them read it ready for them to pick up.
00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:19.440
All right.
00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:21.200
Charlotte has the next question.
00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:26.160
My son has just moved into a house in Ballarat, Victoria, which has a mix of hydrangeas in the garden.
00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:29.680
Some of the plants are very short and bushy and still full of flower heads.
00:20:29.839 --> 00:20:35.599
This is a little bit a little while ago, so probably not so much now, but showing no sign of juicy buds along the stems yet.
00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:40.720
There are also some of the more common mophead hydrangeas which are budding nicely along the stems.
00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:46.720
Should my son be doing something to the plants to make sure they're well looked after over winter and ready for flowering the next season?
00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:49.839
He's a very proud he is very proud of his first flower garden.
00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:50.480
Yep.
00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:56.400
And Charlotte sent through some pictures of those, so that was good to get a to get a bit of a look at those.
00:20:56.640 --> 00:21:05.039
So hydrangeas require plenty of moisture to have healthy large leaves and to produce big flower heads.
00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:07.119
But they also need lots and lots of food.
00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:11.039
And compost is a great thing that you can just be throwing, throwing in around over the top.
00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:18.000
You don't need to dig that in, just throw it around it and just make sure that you you're washing it off any of the stems that that are down tight below.
00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:21.599
So they need a really good feed in late winter.
00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:30.640
Um, and the the reason that that there are no real large buds on on those particular parts gets back to the food and the moisture situation that's happened in the past.
00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:39.279
So prune about a third of the current canes to the nearest buds that you've got there, and remove any of the dead canes to ground level.
00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:59.039
Um, and I've had a little look at the the the leaves that that you sent the pictures through on, they have these little little um red spots on the actual leaves, which is indicative that they've either got red-spotted spider mite or two-spotted mite, which are basically the same little insect that you you get on there.
00:21:59.119 --> 00:22:10.720
So uh If you apply some rock dust and maybe get in underneath, if if you see that start to happen again with a little bit of econeme and an eco-oil, give it a bit of a spray.
00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:27.680
And I'd also probably suggest that you give the plants at this stage of after you've cleaned them all up and done all the pruning, go over and apply a little bit of lime sulphur over them as well, which will just kill any of these sorts of things that might be just sitting there waiting to bloom into life.
00:22:28.880 --> 00:22:37.519
Great organic foods, and I would suggest that you use a neutron product there called kahuna, which would be fabulous for that.
00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:42.880
And this product will make the flowers a deep blue colour.
00:22:43.119 --> 00:22:51.279
So if if that's he's happy, happy with that, but he's after pink or white, then you'll need to add some additives to the actual soil, which you can buy there.
00:22:51.359 --> 00:22:58.640
You can either get blueing agents or pinking agents or whiting agents or whatever else, which will just um change the colour of those heads.
00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:02.079
But you know, to mix them up through a garden bit looks absolutely spectacular.
00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:05.440
And you must be missing the hell out of that after your beautiful garden up the road.
00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:09.519
I do miss them, and I have got some in a pot ready to go in because they need to go into the ground.
00:23:09.599 --> 00:23:12.240
Even though I've got a Mediterranean garden, I think we can just add them to it.
00:23:12.400 --> 00:23:12.799
That's all right.
00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:14.400
We'll make them fit.
00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:14.880
It'll be fine.
00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:16.480
We'll make them fit because I do love them.
00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:18.319
The next question is from Fiona.
00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:23.839
My vegetable garden is in a position where the drip line of many of our trees are now reaching the edge of the garden bed.
00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:32.559
As the trees love the vegetable soil, I would like to replace the vegetable garden with raised beds to stop the tree roots from stealing the goodness from the vegetables and herbs.
00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:34.079
What would you recommend?
00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:42.319
Um roots from trees will always seek out the best and easiest source of food and water because that's what they're there for.
00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:46.240
Um and what better source for food and water can there be from a veggie bed?
00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:48.960
Because you're putting it all there for them.
00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:54.799
Um I can remember um a fellow worker, co-worker at the Diggers Club.
00:23:54.880 --> 00:24:09.759
Um, she had her vegetable beds not far from this huge gum tree, and every time she stuck a fork in them or a or a spade into the ground, she found all these masses of little fibrous root systems that were just there, just sucking it all.
00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:11.279
Sucking all the goodness out.
00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:17.599
So raised beds are an absolutely fantastic solution to eliminate root intrusion.
00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:28.480
So a couple of ways to do this, you can use a wicking bed system or and and and in that sort of situation for any sort of raised beds, have a look at Modbox.
00:24:28.640 --> 00:24:29.839
Go and have a look at Modbox.
00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:40.720
You might find that to purchase one of his his raised beds will be more practical than you trying to build one out of timbers that might be susceptible for all sorts of chemicals and crap.
00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:45.359
But you can have a look at his site because he's got wicking solutions there as well as the others.
00:24:45.519 --> 00:25:14.880
But the thing about um the the the the raised beds that the Modbox now have is that every one of their raised beds that you put together has two materials apart from the timber that creates the the frame around it, and that is a geofabric, which goes in the bottom and up the sides of the actual of the actual beds, and then around that is a food grade plastic liner.
00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:36.720
And and when when I built yours out here, the the the geofabric went across the bottom, then up the sides, and it was all tucked in, so any roots can't get up into that bed, and then to protect all the the wood and and everything else, then that liner was put round the edge and it was all stapled in and Bob's your auntie or your uncle nowadays, whatever you like.
00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:38.640
But that's the best way to do so.
00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:54.559
Um if you have a look at the mod box and you might get some ideas if if it um helps, but otherwise, if you're gonna build your own, then Bunnings will have a food grade plastic, but don't go to the to the um nursery end of of Bunnings and ask that question.
00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:56.960
Go to the builder section and ask that question.
00:25:57.119 --> 00:26:07.680
You need a you need a high density polyethyl plastic that is not gonna leach out toxins and crap, but they also have geofabric there you can buy by the meter, and that will sort you out.
00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:08.880
So I hope that helps.
00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:09.920
Fantastic.
00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:14.160
Tina is next, and she provided some pictures for this information.
00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:20.079
I live in Christchurch, New Zealand, and we have a vanilla tree in our garden that is probably about 40 years old.
00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:26.240
We we recently noticed quite a few large dead branches in the tree that have holes in them and wonder if they could be tree borers.
00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:29.279
Can you advise how we can get rid of these and save the tree?
00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:30.000
Okay.
00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:34.559
Now, Tina's called that a vanilla tree.
00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:35.359
That's right.
00:26:36.079 --> 00:26:52.000
Um and that is actually a plant that I love, and I love to use it in gardens as a bit of a background plant because it's got these beautiful little small shiny glossy leaves, but it has these beautiful little small sprays of yellow flowers.
00:26:52.240 --> 00:27:00.400
And its botanical name is Azara microphylla, micro meaning small and phyla meaning leaf, small leaf.
00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:02.559
So it's just a beautiful plant.
00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:16.240
So I would suggest that you well, um first of all, looking at the size of those bora holes, you have a lonicorn beetle living in there, which is a big beetle that was boring all the way through it.
00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:21.440
So you need to cut all those branches back to the main trunk as close as possible.
00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:42.720
And if you see that, see that when you've done that, that those bora holes are still continuing on, then the only thing I can suggest you do is get yourself a a length of a plyable, fairly pliable sort of wire, and poke it down as far as you can, down through those holes, and hopefully impale those stinking rotten bugs that are down there.
00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:45.119
So use a stiff wire down in that.
00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:55.119
I don't suggest necessarily applying chemicals because it's not a good solution because it'll be translocated through the plant and it'll cause more damage.
00:27:55.359 --> 00:28:08.480
Um so if you do those, do that thing and and by using the wire sieving and prod the little thing, push it down as far as you can and impale the little mongrel so he becomes blood blood and bone for the plant eventually.
00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:27.200
Um, and then um I would suggest that you use the method then of turning on the lower buds by finding a node on the branch and using a sharp saw cutting just above the top of that bud, and hopefully that will turn that bud on.
00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:29.359
You'll get some lower branches all the way down.
00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:31.359
But that's the best thing that I can suggest for you.
00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:31.839
Tina?
00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:33.039
That's good advice.
00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:35.680
Well, we've come to the end of another QA podcast.
00:28:35.839 --> 00:28:38.799
Thanks again to everyone for sending in their quest your questions.
00:28:39.039 --> 00:28:44.960
We have one last thing to do before we go, and that is to announce this month's winner of the fabulous prize from The Plant Runner.
00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:48.559
This month's winner is Jo, who is trying to brighten up her mum's garden.
00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:49.599
Congratulations, Jo.
00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:51.359
We will be in touch with you very soon.
00:28:51.599 --> 00:28:56.480
Go to theplantrunner.com for all your organic indoor plant care needs.
00:28:57.440 --> 00:28:58.000
Bye.
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Thank you for listening to Muddy Boots.
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For more information on today's podcast, please go to muddyboots.net.au and happy gardening.
