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Organic Fruit Growing
Best-selling author Annette McFarlane takes on organic fruit growing in a companion book to her enduring classic Organic Vegetable Gardening. In this practical, no-fail guide, Annette makes fruit growing easy with advice on:
■ soil preparation and drainage
■ water wise design
■ nutrition
■ coping with climactic variations (including drought tolerance)
■ propagation
■ purchasing and planting
■ pruning and training
■ pollination
■ how to cook with various fruit (recipes provided)
■ pest and diseases and how to control them organically.
Complete with profiles of 60 shrubs, vines and trees, including unusual fruits such as carambola, grumichama and granadilla, and specific advice on how to best manage their requirements, Organic Fruit Growing will show you, whether a novice or experienced gardener, how to supply family, friends and neighbours with fruit all year round.

This book should be available in all good book stores and selected nurseries late August, early September 2011 or by mail order from Green Harvest www.greenharvest.com.au  or ABC Books http://shop.abc.net.au

In a world where mass-produced food often lacks taste and freshness, more and more people are growing their own vegetables. This new, greatly expanded edition of Annette McFarlane’s gardening classic offers gardeners an authoritative and comprehensive guide to growing an extensive range of organic vegetables. As well as outlining the basics — how to plan your garden and prepare soil, make compost, develop a planting guide, propagate, sow and germinate seeds, Annette offers a mass of new and exciting material. In ‘Garden to Gourmet’, she explains how to grow Australian bush food and the herbs and spices that give unique character to the cuisines of China, Greece, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand and India. There are additional chapters on growing different types of mushrooms, and edible flowers and weeds. For gardeners with not much room to move, there is a whole new chapter on growing a large range of vegetables in containers. And for those interested in heirloom vegetables, advice on collecting and storing seeds. All this plus extensive instructions on how to grow over 115 vegetables in the ‘A for Amaranth Spinach to Z for Zucchini’ section, which includes heaps of new information on Asian greens and cabbages and unusual vegetables, ensures that Organic Vegetable Gardening remains the organic grower’s bible. Books are available through your ABC Bookshop or all good book stores or by mail order from www.greenharvest.com.au. 

Creating a dream garden might look easy on TV, but when you’re standing in your own backyard it can be hard to know where to start. In this handy little book, Phil Dudman takes you through the planning and design process and gives you the practical skills, knowledge and construction ability to make your garden dreams a reality. Breaking down the design process to simple, easy-to-understand steps, Phil will have you on your way to garden design heaven in no time. With Phil’s professional design secrets and practical knowledge, you’ll quickly discover how to build retaining walls, steps and pergolas; lay pavers and pathways; and even install drainage. And when the construction is done, he shows you how to establish a lawn, improve your soil and ensure your new garden flourishes. Fully illustrated with easy-to-follow step-by-step diagrams and inspirational photographs, Down-to-Earth Garden Design is the essential guide for any backyard gardener. Available from ABC Books and all good book stores. ARP: $35.00

In this brand new edition of an Australian bestseller, author, horticulturist and organic gardening expert Annette McFarlane demonstrates how to help your garden flourish, no matter what your climate or conditions. This comprehensive guide analyses the inherent problems of tropical, subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate climate zones and offers practical solutions to the problems that arise in each area. A philosophy of organics and water conservation permeates this practical book, with a new chapter on waterwise gardening that is specifically designed to help gardeners everywhere cope with drought. Revised chapters on green manures and cover crops, fertilisers and bed preparation, mulching and pest and disease control will help you take an organic approach to establishing and maintaining your garden. Successful Gardening in Warm Climates also shows how to create an attractive and productive garden, with a thorough guide to flower, herb, vegetable and fruit growing and chapters dedicated to the culture of azaleas, camellias, gardenias, vireyas, hibiscus, roses, Australian natives and exotic plants. Extensively illustrated, this is an essential reference book for Australian gardeners.  Books are available through your ABC Bookshop or all good book stores or by mail order from www.greenharvest.com.au.

Leonie's vision of developing edible gardens within school communities has encouraged healthy eating habits amongst thousands of children, parents and teachers. With "Eat Your Garden", Leonie has compiled years of school and home experience into a practical guide which truly demonstrates for the rest of us the edibility of our gardens. 

Mangroves to Mountains
A revised edition of Mangroves to Mountains – A Field Guide to the Native Plants of South-east Queensland has just been released. Keen gardeners and bush walkers will find the book an invaluable guide to local plant identification. On almost each of the 544 pages of the book you will find colourful photographs of the trees, shrubs, vines, mistletoes and herbs, including images not previously seen of rare and endangered species. Over 2200 plant species have been painstaking documented. Approximately two-thirds of the region’s native plants are depicted in the publication. The book is divided into seven habitat or vegetation types with a colourful strip along the edge of the page allowing you to quickly locate plants common to coastal dunes and headlands, tidal wetlands, eucalypt forests and rainforests. These sections then divide plants into flower and fruit colour groupings, allowing even the novice to identify that elusive species. Mangrove to Mountains is written by Glenn Leiper, Jan Glazebrook, Denise Cox and Kerry Rathie. Copies are available in good bookstores or can be purchased for $50 plus postage and handling direct from the authors. For more information contact Glen Leiper at leiper@netspace.net.au

The Garden Guardians
One of the most exciting publications to hit the gardening shelves of late is The Garden Guardians. The book is a collaborative effort between renowned insect photographer, Jane Davenport, and Organic Crop Protectants, makers of a range of eco-organic gardening products. The book is designed to help gardeners identify and attract good bugs to their gardens. This is a departure from most gardening books that only point out pest insects. Unfortunately, this leaves many people with the impression that all insects are damaging. Once gardeners learn to identify the beneficial predatory and parasitic insects that balance pest outbreaks, they can feel much more comfortable in letting nature take its course.

Extremely informative and pictorially delightful, this book is set to become a must have reference for all gardeners. The 130 page title, contains over 300 exquisite colour images and includes information on garden sprays that are safe for beneficial. Look for it at good bookstores or order on-line at www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au/. Recommended retail price is $29.95

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Say Goodbye to Weeds (SundayMail 22/07/2012)
Is this the answer to a gardener’s prayer - a product that reduces weed seed germination? 

WeedLess is a new, natural spray that promises to just that. Produced by Earthlife (manufacturers of a range of fertiliser and soil improvement products), this ready to use enzymatic and organic acid ferment is designed to degrade most surface deposited weed seeds, thus reducing the number of seeds that will germinate. Over time, this is designed to create a garden and lawn that is weed-free.  

Many of the weeds that germinate in gardens and lawns or in gravel driveways and paved areas emerge from the accumulated bank of seeds stored in the soil. A wise person once said, ‘One year’s seeding equals seven years weeding’. Annual pests like blue billy goat weed (Ageratum houstonianum), cobbler’s pegs (Bidens pilosa) and common chickweed (Stellaria media) are ideal targets. Degrading this accumulated bank of seeds will take time and you must also preventing new weed seeds entering the soil buy controlling weeds in all parts of the garden.   

WeedLess can be applied anywhere where weed seeds are deposited. Apply every 4-6 weeks until your accumulated soil bank of seeds has been exhausted. The product has found a market commercially in crop production where labour intensive hand weeding is not cost effective and use of chemicals for weed control is not acceptable. 

Regrettably, this product is not designed for use against perennial weeds like nutgrass (Cyperus rotundus) and white root (Lobelia purpurescens). That really would be the answer to a gardener’s pray! For more information contact http://www.earthlife.com.au

BIO-TRACE (Plant of Health) is a liquid trace element mixture containing potassium, silicon, boron and a range of other elements. It can be used to improve disease resistance as well as increase flowering on ornamental plants and fruit set on trees and vines. A great option for gardeners who have poor growth as a result of soil pH issues or for gardeners wanting to improve flowering and fruit set on passionfruit, mangoes, avocadoes pawpaws and just about anything else growing in your garden.

GOGO Juice
Many people will have heard of pro-biotic drinks and pills designed to promote inner health by increasing the quota of beneficial organisms in our digestive systems. Now there is a pro-biotic liquid for your soil and plants. Neutrog Fertilisers have released a new product called GOGO Juice. This liquid is based on aerobically fermented kelp, seaweed, humic acid and manure that, according to the manufacturers, it is ‘teeming with billions of beneficial bacteria’. Gardeners who buy in soil to build raised garden beds know that these mixes are devoid of biological life. They need added homemade compost, decomposed animal manure, worms, fungi and bacteria before they can begin to resemble anything like real soil. GOGO Juice might be what your garden needs to help this process along. Neutrog is largely unknown in warmer parts of Australia, but it is a well-established, organically-focused brand in southern states. GOGO Juice comes in a 1 litre, retro style, recyclable tin with an inbuilt pouring sprout. more info....

EcoGrub
Lawn grubs have created havoc in many gardens. Weak, drought stressed lawns with shallow or compacted soil have been particularly badly affected. While there are a multitude of chemical applications available that will control lawn grub, Multicrop has come to the rescue of lawn lovers with an environmentally friendly, product called Eco-Grub. Lawn grub is not a single lawn pest, but the name given to several chewing insects including sod webworms, armyworms and beetle larvae like white curl grubs. When these insects build up in number, they can also infest garden beds, attack the roots of palms and cycads and colonise vegetable and herb gardens. The EcoGrub formula has been used successfully on golf courses and professional sporting fields for several years. It has been available interstate in home garden packs (sold as Professor Mac’s 3 in 1 for Lawns) for some time. Tea tree and eucalyptus oil act as the control agents, while nutrients derived from fish and chicken manure help to regreen your lawn. It also contains a wetting agent that draws the product into the soil where the pests are active. EcoGrub is not a scheduled poison and is available in a 1litre concentrate or a 2 litre hose-on pack.

eco-neem
A naturally-derived botanical insecticide that contains a highly stable and effective extract from the neem tree. eco-neem controls caterpillars, lace bugs, aphids, whiteflies, beetles, mealybugs, scale, mites, fungus gnats, grasshoppers, leafminers and thrips. more info....

Seasol Super Soil Wetter
Most gardeners are now familiar with the action of soil wetting agents. This new product from Seasol contains a soil wetter, humic acid and Seasol liquid seaweed. It is designed to increases the wettability and water holding capacity of hard to wet soil allowing deeper penetration of water into the root zone. Humid acid promotes good soil structure and stimulates activity of beneficial soil organisms, improving soil structure and nutrient uptake. Liquid seaweed builds disease resistance and is an all round plant tonic. When it comes from Seasol, you know it is good.
Expect to pay approximately $20 for 2.5L. Available at nurseries and garden centres that stock Seasol products. www.seasol.com.au

Sticky Solution
Horticultural barrier glues are widely used within the organic industry to prevent insects climbing up the trunk and into the branches of fruiting trees and vines. I have successfully used these products on productive and ornamental species for more than a decade, yet few gardeners seem to know of their existence. 

Insects make their way to the tops of plants to feed, reproduce, create nests and lay eggs. Ants  carry scale, aphids and mealy bugs, establishing colonies in gardenias, lillypillies, roses and citrus in order to feed on the honeydew these insects secrete. 

Trimming the branches in contact with the soil and applying a ring of the sticky barrier glue to the base of the trunk, significantly reduces the incidence of these pest problems. Ravenous procession caterpillars that defoliate trees overnight, cannot cross the barrier. You can also use horticultural barrier glues to prevent ants and cockroaches entering worm farms and compost bins.

Trappit Barrier Glue and Tanglefoot Pest Barrier are two brands of horticultural glue. Made from natural materials they are long lasting and come in small squeeze tubes or larger calking gun applicators. Products are applied once or twice each year and significantly reduce the need to spray with other products. Ask at your local nursery or go to www.greenharvest.com.au for more information and mail order supplies.

Pestguard Bags
Keen to protect your summer tomatoes, eggplants, capsicums and other susceptible fruit crops from attack by fruit fly. Pestguard bags are lightweight 30cm x 30cm bags made from Pestguard fabric. They are white in colour creating just 20% shade and have the added bonus of allowing air and moisture to penetrate through the fabric.

Simply slip a Pestguard bag over the developing fruit (including entire trusses of tomatoes) as soon as the fruit forms to exclude fruit fly, green vegetable bugs and all other pests that attack your precious crop. With careful use, Pestguard bags can be recycled for reuse for up to three years. Available from  www.greenharvest.com.au

Eco-cweed
Eco-cweed is a registered organic, powdered seaweed concentrate.  It is harvested sustainably from the pristine oceans of Nova Scotia and is one the world's leading seaweed products.  University trials have proven that eco-cweed increases plant growth, flowering and fruiting.  It also enhances root development, improves disease resistance and reduces plant stress.  Best of all eco-cweed is 100% soluble so 100% of the benefits can be used immediately by your plants.

The pack is tiny and weighs just 100gm because you don't pay for water or other bulking agents. Remarkably, this small container makes up to 200 litres of liquid seaweed solution. Eco-cweed is produced by Organic Crop Protectants more info....

Eco-Naturalure -Now in a smaller economical pack
This product is Australia's first organically registered spray for fruit fly Control spray. It contains Spinosad at .24gm per litre (produced by soil borne bacteria), humectants (to allow it to remain soft and effective for up to 7 days) plus sugars and yeast as insect attractants. Spray the entire tree at a low dosage or spray the lower foliage only or nearby structure (eg fence) with a more concentrated solution.

Eco-Naturalure attracts and kills both male and female Queensland and Mediterranean fruit flies and is produced by Organic Crop Protectants. more info....

Eco-Oil
This is a plant based oil (primarily canola oil), rather than a petroleum oil (white oil), so is less likely to burn plants and is more friendly to beneficial insects. It is used as an additive to make other products such as Eco-Rose stick to the foliage. It can be used on its own to repel citrus leaf miner and suffocate mites, aphids, mealy bugs whitefly and scale and anything else you can spray directly with the product (eg small grasshoppers and caterpillars).

Eco-Oil is organically certified and the pack comes with an in-built measuring device. Eco-Oil is produced by Organic Crop Protectants.  more info....

Organic Barley Straw
With ponds and water features becoming increasingly popular landscaping features, a simple method of controlling algae outbreaks is essential. Using Stephen Brothers Organic Barley Straw makes controlling algae a simple exercise. As barley straw decays in oxygenated water, it releases natural chemicals that inhibit the growth of new algae. The straw remains an effective algae preventative for up to six months whilst the material completely decays. Stephen Brothers Organic Barley Straw is contained in a net bag that floats just below the surface of the water.  Available all major nursery and hardware outlets. Prices start at less than $10 for a 100g pack.

Weed Gunnel
Keen to install organically certified weed mat beneath gravel pathways. Conventional weed mat limits water penetration into the soil and increase water runoff. It also deteriorates over time, shredding into annoying threads of non-biodegradable material that must eventually be removed. By contrast, organic weed mat allows water to soak into surrounding garden beds and lawns. Over a five to seven year period it breaks down to an inert dust. Weed seeds will germinate in the dust and dirt that seems to inevitably accumulate between any weed mat and the decorative stones or bark used to cover it, but at least they are easier to remove. For more info visit [www.weedgunnel.com.au]

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