http://aussieorganicgardening.com My gardening blog Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:15:12 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en February is not a good month for gardening in many parts of Australia. In some areas it is very hot and dry – in other areas, it is far too wet. If you are fortunate enough to have pleasant weather in your area, the following planting guide is an abbreviated ... http://aussieorganicgardening.com/?p=726  In hot, dry weather the 26 or 28-spotted ladybirds can do a lot of damage to the vegetable patch. Plants can only absorb nutrients from the soil as water-soluble ions. As soil dries out, vegetable plants are unable to absorb the nutrients they need to produce the compounds that deter ... http://aussieorganicgardening.com/?p=718 With much of southern Australia experiencing extreme weather conditions, providing some shade for the vege patch and sensitive parts of the garden can help save water while reducing plant stress. See: Sun and heat protection Mary recently posted a comment on that post giving details of a fully enclosed ... http://aussieorganicgardening.com/?p=714 Despite the media making much of celebrating a 'blue moon' on New Year's Eve, the Full Moon did not occur in Australia until 5:14 am AEST today (6:14 am ADST) – January 1st, so Australia and New Zealand didn't have a Full Moon on New Year's Eve and, consequently, no ... http://aussieorganicgardening.com/?p=706 The rain in late December has been a blessing for many gardeners in Eastern Australia but bushfires in Western Australian gardeners have been devastating. January can be a difficult month for gardening in some warm and temperate parts of Australia. Prolonged periods of heavy rain can cause seeds to rot ... http://aussieorganicgardening.com/?p=708 I wish all "Aussie Organic Gardening" readers and their families a very happy, healthy and safe Christmas and holiday season. In order to spend some time with family, I will be taking a short break from answering garden questions over Christmas, but I will be back in time to let ... http://aussieorganicgardening.com/?p=699 Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for someone who enjoys gardening? The new edition of my book, 'Easy Organic Gardening and Moon Planting' would be an excellent choice. This book is not just about growing food – all your garden will benefit from organic cultivation. It has 500 pages packed with ... http://aussieorganicgardening.com/?p=682 We all know that an adequate supply of phosphorus is essential for healthy root growth but, during hot, dry months, we can further assist some of our vegetables to produce extra roots. Pumpkins produce a huge amount of foliage – too much for the original root system to supply adequate water ... http://aussieorganicgardening.com/?p=675 It can be too hot for lettuce in warmer areas of Australia during summer, although some of the loose-leaf varieties are more heat tolerant. Some light shade and a cool spot will allow lettuces to be grown in containers. Keeping lettuce seeds in an airtight container in the fridge can ... http://aussieorganicgardening.com/?p=673 The squash or Cucurbit family that includes chokoes, cucumbers, grammas, gourds, pumpkins, rockmelons, squash, watermelons, and zucchinis, produce both male and female flowers on the same plant, and rely on insects, such as bees, to pollinate the female flowers and produce fruit. (Although we eat many of this family as ... http://aussieorganicgardening.com/?p=654