Answering Your Garden Questions

[@KimberleyJP]

Regarding compost the quickest way to get going with bigger quantities is to ask on local FB pages for materials to make a pile quick. Grass clippings, hedge trimmings, mulch, old leaves etc. In Autumn I watch for big leaf falls wherever I drive regularly and keep bags, gloves etc in my boot. I can then scoop them up when I can to stash for composting!

[@rossjames8839]

One thing I really appreciate about the Wired format is the timeline annotations - I'd really appreciate the timestamps for what questions were asked

[@CulinaryGarden1]

Sure, I'll add them in!

[@kerrytaylor939]

A lot of UK and USA gardeners seem to call potting mix compost! Aus compost only needs to be used as a light dressing.

[@RichM-ij8vr]

The last questioner said she's not getting true leaves from seeds grown in seed raising mix. In the states what we call seed starter mix has no fertility. It's necessary to fertilize or transplant into potting soil for them to develop much past the first true leaves.

[@anserbauer309]

I agree, clay soil can be brilliant with a bit of work and combined with low, raised beds. I moved my veggie patch over last Autumn and Winter to the South side of the house, where it now gets protection from the wind in all directions and from the hottest afternoon sun (after about 3pm) and it is thriving. It's about 40m2 in size and fenced with chicken wire because of the chooks, ducks and geese on the property. I think the compost from garden centres needs to be the right type. Mushroom compost, with or without 'loam' is too powdery, so I've used 'planting compost' layered with straw and aged manure in shallow raised beds over well-forked and gypsumed compacted clay. The planting compost works really well to support new seedlings, especially with a little liquid seaweed soil conditioner over the top, then when the plants gett bigger and their roots hit the amended clay, they explode! We had a spectacular Spring harvest of peas, leafy greens, spuds and brassicas and I'm already harvesting tomatoes and summer herbs, with gold nugget pumpkins, carrots and beans nearly ready for Christmas. Clay soil doesn't have to be a problem. Gypsum is your friend.

[@peternixon3820]

Here in Sydney the Queensland fruit fly is a destroyer of our tomatoes with the exception of the thicker-skinned tiny varieties. How do we combat these pests without the use of harsh chemicals.

[@janebracken4424]

Except the 28 spot ladybird that is a leaf eater and loves potato and cucurbits and lays egg which hatch out as leaf eating nymphs🐞🐞🐞that look like yellow spiky things

[@medievilwitch]

Ladybug on zucchini’s , pumpkin etc could be false ladybug that has more spots or pumpkin beetles -aulacophora Hilaris, lots are struggling with this pest, they squid easy but fast, pyrethrum seems to help but I be careful not to effect real ladybugs

[@anserbauer309]

We've got squillions of harlequin bugs (Dindymus versicolor) attacking the garden this year; the small juveniles also look a lot like ladybirds and are sucking the juices out of every tender bit of new growth they can find.

[@acuteangina705]

Love the channel man, you have really good explanations for those new to gardening. It makes me laugh that you never say the 'M' word too 😆

[@davinasquirrel7672]

For those raising seeds/plants indoors (which I don't really do, too much expense/hassle) is the quality/strength of the light. All those cheap little LED things on goosenecks are rubbish. Go to a hydroponic shop and get from there. Yes expensive, but the cheap things don't work. You may also need to get a light meter to monitor, especially during seedling stage. You will see if your seedlings are not getting enough light, they will get "leggy" (really long stem, which eventually falls over and dies).

[@exvictorian3605]

Thank you

[@nataliawilson1554]

This is such a great video thank you! The watering question was helpful, I am wondering if you would know why when I water my plants it feels like the water is only wetting the first 2cm and under is completely dry. I recently switched to a watering can and I have found not much improvement. This is in a raised garden bed that I started in February. It’s full of ‘premium potting mix’ and then I have topped it up with a bit of compost some home made and some from the store over the past few months.

[@CulinaryGarden1]

If soil gets too dry it gets hydrophobic. Water it like normal, wait a half hour for that to soak in then water again and the soil will be more accepting of the water. Then continue to keep it well watered. You've probably been under watering your garden :)

[@nataliawilson1554]

@ Oh amazing thank you so much! I will give this a go! I definitely think I was under watering it 😢

[@paulcraddock3818]

What are your thoughts on the "self watering" raised garden beds you can buy from places like Bunnings etc. I have two of these beds and I also have a worm farm, which I can harvest approx. 10 litres of worm liquid and appro 2 kg of work "dirt" from it every month. What is you opinion about the use of this "fertilizer" in adding to the sump water of the self watering garden bed ? Also how would you disperse the "worm dirt" around your garden beds?

[@janeballinger2117]

🥦

[@moiraslater8526]

What do you think of alfalfa meal?

[@Phil_Cleaver]

Sunny south wall in the southern hemisphere? 1:05

[@H06H06]

Depends on how you look at it. My back wall faces the north so it faces the sun. But from another point when I turn and look at my back wall I am looking to the South.... Hmmmm 😂

[@jenniferclifford4669]

The wall on the south side of your garden is the funniest in the southern hemisphere ie it faces north

[@KimberleyJP]

Growing seedlings in seed mix. When they get big enough to handle, prick them out! See Charles Dowding for how to do this ❤

[@theleafthief]

This completely stumped me. Let's just suggest that in Australia, you should be planting on the side that faces the morning sun and the north side - for plants needing gentle morning sun, such as tomatoes. I would not put tomatoes or lettuce on a west facing side because they will shrumple up in the afternoon and die unless you have a ridiculously high watering regime. The southern side may see sun during summer, but is generally only full sun in the height of summer, when it can burn your plants at midday and after.

[@gothic_oma]

I think he meant to say the south wall in your garden, meaning it's facing north.

[@evancunningham8472]

I notice you dont have many, if any, physical barriers covering your plants. Are you just incredibly lucky to not have to deal with possums or have you found a way to deter them? What is your secret?

[@mrswobbles]

Is it true that if u put vegiemite in your soil, your plants will grow stronger every week?

[@blairdenholm4167]

It puts a cheek in every rose!

[@NyssParkes]

🫑

[@Peleski]

This format really doesn't work for gardening advice. He should be physically showing stuff, not just talking. Although white cabbage moths are about, I've found it's the brown looper moths that have the destructive caterpillars, so the decoys don't work.

[@markwales2973]

🥀🪴🌾