Muddy Boots

Today we hear Keith’s top tips on growing potatoes! Keith assures us that potatoes are the easiest of all vegetables to grow! Potatoes can be grown at any time but they are frost tender so should be planted after the last frost (in Southern States or frost prone areas) Use certified ‘seed potatoes’ - this will ensure they are free from disease. Most non-organic potatoes found in supermarkets etc a...

This week we meet Jo Henley from Henley's Rustics and hear about her garden journey, how she came to meet Keith and the story of her family business creating rustic garden beds. A self described ‘novice gardener’, Jo and her father Lindsay now create rustic garden beds using reclaimed corrugated iron from local farms. Hand crafted using recycled materials, each garden bed is unique and the ra...

Succulents - a huge number of varieties, succulents are easy to grow and add colour and interest to any garden.  Succulents prefer an open, well drained soil and grow well in pots. Succulents are low maintenance and don’t require a lot of water. Today we hear what Keith’s Top 10 Succulents are: 1.Tree Aloe, Aloe Barberae , - grows up to 6-9 metres x 3-6 meters. Long straight trunk with a huge succ...

Q&A time again! Who will be this month’s lucky winner of the fabulous prize donated by The Plant Runner ? What to line our planter boxes with? Any HDPE (High-density polyethylene) is safe for Pinapple guava lining planter boxes. The thicker the better! Where to find Lignite Humate? Keith can’t recommend Clyde's Compost and Clyde’s lignite highly enough, now available at selected Bunnings...

What are the challenges of gardening on a large, rural property? Today we meet Cass Hooke, garden consultant, to tell us more about her experience about building a new garden from scratch. From her family upbringing to her first paid job with gardener Robert Boyle, Cass has immersed herself with landscaping and gardening. With a passion for conservation and the protection of threatened species, we...

A garden without birds, bees and butterflies, just isn’t a garden’, says Elisabeth. Today we talk about the importance of attracting pollinators! Australia is home to over 1500 bees and pollinating insects. Here are some of the ‘bee magnet’ flowering plants. Salvias Buddl eia (also a favourite with butterflies) Echium (check out the wildpretii variety) Poppies Cosmos Alyssum Queen Anne’s Lace Cale...

Tomatoes - Australia’s most grown vegetable (or fruit, actually)! Today we learn Keith’s Top 10 tomatoes. Easy to grow as long as they are given plenty of feed and plenty of sun.  Lots of top tips today to tomato growing before we hear about Keith’s recommended varieties Blue Beauty Juane Flamme Wapsipinicon Peach San Marzano Santorini Tasmanian Chocolate Black Russian Black Truffle Mortgage Lifte...

Q&A time again! Who will be this month’s lucky winner of the fabulous prize donated by The Plant Runner ? Leggy seedlings? Likely your newly germinated seeds are looking for as much light as possible Keith suggests mowing and hedge clipping by the Moon calendar   (ie during low sap flow period) to reduce growth rate Tips for ‘Little Gem’ magnolia - often sparse up to 1.5m. Keith suggests under...

This episode, Elisabeth and Keith provide invaluable insights into all things lavender. From understanding the importance of well-drained soil and ample sunlight to identifying the best locations for successful cultivation, we'll unveil the secrets to nurturing thriving lavender plants. Where you can find all things Muddy Boots! Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/ Instagram: www.instagram...

The benefits of a plant based diet are well known. Today we meet Samantha Gowing from Food, Health, Wealth, renowned chef and nutritionist who is passionate about the health benefits of plants. A fascinating discussion covering the importance of seasonal produce, the myths of ‘super foods’, the medicinal benefits of many plants and striving for the umami flavour for a satisfying plant based diet....

Needing privacy from neighbours, a wind break or visual separation to divide your garden into rooms or hide a shed? Hear Keith’s Top 10 screening plants for the suburban garden. Laurus Nobilis ‘Baby Bay’ - 1.2 wide x 2m tall Olive - Mediterranean Midget - 1.5m - 2.5m tall Syzygium Australe Straight and Narrow - 1.2m wide x 6m tall Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’ - 1.2m wide x 2m tall Choisya Ternata...

Start of Spring is a great time to get going with planning for your Spring/Summer Veggie garden. Check what climate zone you are in. Keith recommends The Seed Collection’s Map Cool Climate Area (most of Vic) - Beans (including Lazy House Wife , Scarlet Runner ),  Keith will be trialling new dwarf varieties of tomatoes - stay tuned for Keith’s observations Consider climbing frames for vegetables li...

Q&A time again! Who will be this month’s lucky winner of the fabulous prize donated by The Plant Runner ? Organic Weed Killers - follow the directions precisely! Keith recommends Slasher , Bioweed or Slayer Banksia’s not flowering? Banksia’s prefer a sandy soil and may take several years to flower Prune lavender after they’ve finished flowering. Lightly trim back to 4-6 leaves of new growth La...

Citrus is one of the most talked about topics on Muddy Boots. Don’t already have a citrus or thinking of adding a new on to your garden? Today we learn Keith’s Top 10 varieties as well as some tips on caring for your citrus. Citrus like lots of heat, full sun and lots of moisture. In areas prone to frost, look to grow near a ‘heat sink’ (such as a brick wall or a body of water like a pond). Leave...

Following on from last week’s Moon Calendar episode, today we hear more about propagating from seed. Keith suggests finding out your ‘cool zone’ and ‘heat zone’ to assist with understanding when to plant your seeds. Seeds can be purchased online via Diggers Club , Seeds of Plenty , Seed Freaks , The Seed Collection ,  Before beginning, check the moon calendar to guide when to sow the seeds for bes...

As regular listeners would know, Keith raves about an easy to use Moon calendar .  Today we meet Sheree Scott whose parents developed this handy, easy to use Moon calendar wheel. This traditional agrarian practice of observing the effect of the gravitational force of the moon has many sceptics in the modern world. This handy, easy to use 1 page moon calendar is a simple way to try this for yoursel...

Q&A time again! Who will be this month’s lucky winner of the fabulous prize donated by The Plant Runner ? Camellias can be moved during Winter months by pruning back by around ⅓, carefully digging out and feeding with a specialised, acidic potting mix Fig trees can be pruned in Winter to back to your preferred size by cutting back to the nearest node. Feed with Neutrog Gyganics         Ash fro...

Ornamental grasses are an excellent way to add height, movement, colour and contrast to your year round landscape. This week we hear about some of Keith’s favourite varieties and how to incorporate them into your garden. Most grasses are easy to grow and require minimal attention provided they have reasonable soil. Preferring full sun but some will tolerate part shade. Once established they are dr...

Mid July and half way through Winter. Plenty of jobs to prepare for the Spring season ahead! Get your soil into great shape - add compost (Keith recommends Clyde's Compost ), Munash Rock Dust , MycoGold (added at time of planting) and mulch. Add products like Blood & Bone manure and Rooster Booster now as these take some months to take effect Good time to plant and/or fertilise brassicas....

We know from Keith’s Instagram that he visited the Agrarian Kitchen at Willow Court in Tasmania. Today we hear from Rodney Dunn, the brainchild behind the Agrarian Kitchen - a restaurant, cooking school and garden set in New Norfolk, Tasmania. The kitchen garden is at the centre of everything that happens at the Agrarian Kitchen with fresh produce being grown and harvested to support the cooking s...

Q&A time again! Who will be this month’s lucky winner of the fabulous prize donated by The Plant Runner ? Unwanted grass coming up in garden beds try either organic Slasher or the less toxic version of Roundup now available called Roundup Natural Nectarine with gumosis seems unusual to Keith! Possibly grafted onto an unsuitable rootstock? Pots with wheels! A great idea to enable moving them ar...

Landscaping a garden can be overwhelming. Where to start? What to consider? This week, Keith gives us some practical advice. Steps to follow: Start with a ‘wish list’ - consider how you would ideally want to use the space. Do you want a BBQ, a pool, outdoor seating, a pond, vegetable garden etc. Look at the paved areas - do you want decking, paving, granitic sand etc.  Start a Pinterest Board can...

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots! Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/  Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook  

Struggling to have enough pockets for your secateurs, phone, seed packets etc while you're working in the garden? Well this week we meet Sahra Dixon, who has the solution! Le Sac is a gardening belt designed to be both practical and stylish. Cotton/canvas, machine washable, built for comfort with plenty of pockets for your gardening essentials (even a pocket for your Airpods!). Affordable at...

Q&A time again! Who will be this month’s lucky winner of the fabulous prize donated by The Plant Runner ? Lemon tree with droopy branches from so much fruit? 4 stakes and lightly tying the branches to support them, could help here. Alternatively, remove some of the fruit Cut flower bed in a raised bed - Keith recommends a wild flower mix. Look at The Seed Collection   Direct or pre-propagate i...