It is very common for plants like tomatoes, chillies or even eggplants not to fruit. Equally, plants like sweet peas and annuals may not flower. Why?? Well, if the plants get less than 7 hours of sunlight each day, lack of light could be the answer. But the most...
This is shaping up to be a loooong, hot summer ahead, so you should get onto your lawn right away. The weather is so warm in most areas that lawns sprung into growth a month early. Fertilise all lawns now with a slow release lawn food – preferably with a wetting...
What edible crops do you sow now? Well, it’s time to sow beans. There are both dwarf varieties which are shrubby and grow around 1/2m tall and climbing beans that grow to about 2m tall. The dwarf beans are ideal for raised vegie gardens, but the climbing beans may be...
Last time we looked at using rocks in the gardens and noted that bush rock is best left in the bush. But how do you “age” freshly broken up or dug up rock? Well, it’s really easy. Mix some chook poo, dirt and old yoghurt into a slurry like unbeaten cream and paint it...
If you want strong, dramatic effects in your garden, you can’t beat rocks. Rocks can be used around ponds or to define areas. If you want to create an imaginative meandering path, bend it around a feature rock. This makes the bending pathway seem real, rather than...
How are your vegies growing? Now is a critical time to take stock. Watch out for leaf vegies like lettuce, endive, silverbeet, spinach and all of the Asian cabbages and greens in case they become too tall and spindly. Or even if they seem too pale a green colour. In...
Spring came very early this year and citrus loved it. We take oranges, lemons and other citrus for granted. Even if they NEVER fruited, there are strong reasons to grow citrus. • They produce stunning perfumed white flowers that are so wonderful that orange blossom...
Tomatoes are the most popular home-grown vegetable in Australia (even though they are technically a fruit). They produce more fruit than any other vegetable or fruit tree for the space that they occupy in the garden. There are two major types of tomatoes: tall-growing...
One of the most amazing and fun experiences for families with young children is the growing of sweet corn. These 2m tall giant plants (well they are giants to kids) are such fun to watch as they grow and to play “hide and seek” in late on. ‘Honeysweet’ is a wonderful...
Don’s Top Tips Don’s great gardening tips have always been a feature of Burke’s Backyard over the last 17 years. Here are some of his favourites. Hassle free hose Coiling a garden hose makes it kink. Rather than coiling your hose, just run it up and back along...