Muddy Boots

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...

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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...

Citrus trees - a complex and needy tree to grow but worth it when you are well rewarded with abundant fruit. We have regularly discussed their heavy feeding requirements and the long list of pests that can cause problems. Today, instead, we are discussing “root stock”. Grafting is bringing a tree with good root structure together with best the quality and size of fruit. Rootstock is grown then the...

Whether you have a large rural garden or a small city balcony, creating “zones” will help you make the most out of the space and optimise its functionality. Hedging is a great way of creating different zones Plants like Syzygium australe (Straight and Narrow) are perfect for a tall narrow screen Grasses like the giant form of Miscanthus sinesis can be used to divide areas Areas can be divided by u...

Herbs - an essential in every kitchen and a favourite in every garden. This week we talk to Elle from Australian Medicinal Herbs . Hear the story of Elle’s transition from the police force to medicinal herbs.  The certified organic Australian Medicinal Herbs grow, process and sell from their farm - “paddock to packet”.  A fascinating episode where Elle talks about the workings of their business as...

Q&A time again! Who will be this month’s lucky winner of the fabulous prize donated by The Plant Runner ? Granitic sand and Decomposed Gravel - what’s the difference? Granitic sand is crushed rock under 4mm. Keith thinks “Deco Gravel” as the listener refers to, is essentially the same. Carrot seeds where tomatoes have previously been, good or bad? Good! “Carrots love tomatoes” NPK - Potassium...

Perennials 30.4.24 With Elisabeth busy with garden and house renovations this week, we have decided to replay one of our listeners favorite episodes.  Perennials. Elisabeth thinks these are a “must have” in every garden. What is a perennial? A plant that persists for several years producing stems and flowers and dying back (or becoming dormant) in Winter. Herbaceous perennials completely die back...

With Elisabeth busy with garden and house renovations this week, we have decided to replay one of our listeners favorite episodes.  Delicious berries. Maybe you already grow your own or maybe you don’t know where to start. This week’s episode looks at 4 main berry types - raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries Raspberries - 3 types 3 main varieties - Summer fruiting, autumn fruiti...

With Elisabeth busy with garden and house renovations this week, we have decided to replay one of our listeners favorite episodes.  Join us to hear Keith’s tips on growing citrus. Follow Keith’s tips for healthy, disease free, fruit producing citrus in your home garden. Citrus trees love full sun and free draining soil. Not sure where to put it? Put it in a pot. Citrus are grown on different roots...

Who will be the lucky winner of this week’s prize from The Plant Runner ? Another packed episode of excellent questions from our listeners and hear more about what Keith does (when he’s not talking to us about gardening!) Some great tips this week include: Your ECO Neem and Eco Oil mix can be made up and left in the sprayer for use. Adding a couple of drops of detergent can help others like Bordea...

Ever heard of mychorrhizal funghi or have any idea how they benefit your garden? Well this week, we meet Tim Lister from BioStim who explains all! BioStim’s MycoGold can be add back beneficial fungal spores to our soil to replenish what has been lost through fertilising, chemical herbicides etc.  This product is available to the home gardener. A small amount can be added at the seedling stage or w...

Autumn is here and there is plenty to do in the garden! This week, hear Keith and Elisabeth’s suggestions on what to get done in the garden this Autumn. Pruning and deadhead perennials such as hydrangeas, salvias, lavender etc Prune espalier apples and citrus Rejuvenate your soil after summer with a broad fork (Keith recommends F.D Ryan's ) before adding Rooster Booster , Clyde's Compost...

We’ve heard Elisabeth mention “my new garden” a number of times. Now we have the opportunity to follow Elisabeth’s journey to creating her new dream garden. Keith drew up plans for the garden using council plans and including Elisabeth’s plant selections and ideas. Elisabeth started the transformation with the most visible section. Two ModBOX raised beds are accessible to the kitchen for Elisabeth...

Who will be the lucky winner of this week’s prize from The Plant Runner ? Another packed episode of excellent questions from our listeners and hear more about what Keith does (when he’s not talking to us about gardening!) Some great tips this week include: Your ECO Neem and Eco Oil mix can be made up and left in the sprayer for use. Adding a couple of drops of detergent can help others like Bordea...

What alternatives are there to the classic, Australian lawn?  Synthetic? Elisabeth is not a fan, will Keith convince her that they have a place? Before considering an alternative, consider a few elements - amount of sun, foot traffic, water conditions etc Granitic sand - can be a great alternative for areas between plants, border beds or for paths.  Mulch - Keith recommends 10mm pine bark Looking...

Currently own a worm farm or thinking you might like to? This week we meet Richard Thomas from Wormlovers Hear about the history of Wormlovers and their journey over the last 10 years and learn from Richard’s knowledge on the benefits of worm farms for the home gardener. Check out the Wormlovers website to see the range of not only worm farms but planter boxes, wicking beds and other garden access...

Find out who will be this month’s Q&A winner of The Plant Runner ’s prize! We have been inundated with excellent questions, here are some of the topics discussed this month: Passionfruit hoppers can be controlled by weekly spraying of ECO Neem and Eco Oil Frangipane with woolly aphid . Keith suggests controlling with Pyrethrum (add a drop or two of dishwashing liquid) Don’t over prune natives...