Blog
Our blog features a variety of gardening and growing tips on topics such as soil biology, wicking bed construction, composting, grafting, pruning, water-saving and irrigation. Plus we regularly post recipes to help you make the most of the ‘seasonal glut’ and tips on how to live in a more sustainable way.
World Environment Day: “Let’s get active, not anxious”
June 5 was World Environment Day. This year's theme is REIMAGINE. RECREATE. RESTORE. It also marked the start of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. ‘This is our moment. We cannot turn back time. But we can grow trees, green our cities, rewild our gardens, change...
Crowns – rhubarb, strawberry, asparagus and horseradish
Some fruit and vegetables are grown from crowns and these require careful planting. A crown is defined as a part of a plant where stem and roots meet. Examples are rhubarb, strawberries, asparagus and horseradish. For rhubarb and strawberries, it is important that the...
The role of urban agriculture in a Banyule food strategy
In a previous newsletter (March 13, 2021), I have written about the importance of a food strategy for Banyule. A Banyule food strategy would address issues such as the climate emergency, a secure supply of nutritious food for all residents, regardless of income and...
Queensland Fruit Fly strategy #2 – 5 simple steps
Sustainable Macleod's 5 simple steps Hang pheronome lures (Ecolures) in trees from May onward to monitor male Queensland Fruit Fly and to kill those males overwintering in evergreen trees, especially lemon trees. Hang protein baits in trees in September to kill both...
Good news about single use plastics
The blight of plastic pollution is a frequent reminder of our throw-away convenience culture. But in Victoria at least, the end is near for the pesky large and small single-use plastic items. From February 2023, the state government is banning from sale or supply...
June garlic hint
There is not much to do for garlic in June - it is now too late to plant it. Presuming you have weeded, mulched and watered your patch, you have done all you need to. Now it is time to wait until the shortest day after which garlic heads will develop. Garlic is...
Queensland Fruit Fly strategy #1 – start right now!
Sustainable Macleod is developing a simple and effective Queensland Fruit Fly Strategy for Banyule. We will be rolling it out in a series of blogs and seminars and collecting data to help keep track of results. Using the strategy at the Macleod Organic Community...
What to plant in June in Melbourne
Late in June begin planting seeds in punnets for early spring planting in late August/September. Succession plant some winter seedlings so that they will be available when your first crop finishes and carry you through to the time when spring vegetables are ready. It...
Urgent jobs in the garden for June
Make compost. Collect autumn leaves to make leaf litter or to add to compost. Mow the leaves before using. Add sparingly to compost as too much in a layer causes matting. Mix leaves well with other ingredients to prevent this. Net brassicas and Asian greens with...
May Garlic Hint
If you haven't already planted your garlic, do so immediately. You will only get small bulbs, if you plant later. Garlic must have time to develop roots and shoots before the shortest day of the year on 21 June. This is a 4 -6 week process. After that, lengthening...
Spending Green for Covid Recovery
With governments worldwide spending significant money to assist their economies recover from economic downturn due to the onset of the pandemic, now is an excellent time for major investment in environmentally sound projects. According to Oxford's UN-backed research,...
Quick composting of autumn leaves
Nature is currently providing us with an abundance of raw nutrients for next season’s garden in the form of leaves and grass clippings, both excellent ingredients for composting. Deep rooted trees pull trace minerals from deep in the soil and deposit them in their...
Hints for pressing and curing olives
Suzy Sharpe, who designed and manages the Sustainable Macleod website, phoned me the other day with a question about olives that I could not answer. I then phoned David Strutt who has a wonderful olive grove at Arthurs Creek, and from whom Sustainable Macleod buys...
Jagajaga Community Volunteer Awards
Congratulations to Terry Cass, Patty Boxhall and Carol Wall who have received recognition in the Jagajaga Community Volunteer Awards for their hard work and extensive contribution to Sustainable Macleod. The awards were presented by Kate Thwaites, MP for Jagajaga, at...
Join Sustainable Macleod
Become a member and get access to the community garden, the tool library and our seed library. We welcome all members of the community and have regular events and workshops to enjoy.