Muddy Boots

Some warm weather already and predicted to be a warm Spring and hot Summer. How should we prepare for the months ahead?

Think about putting in an irrigation system - drip line irrigation, micro sprinklers or pop up sprinklers.

Build up your soil with organic matter, compost and Biochar and top with 75mm of mulch such as granitic sand. Wetting agents such as Seasol Super Soil Wetter and Conditioner can help hydrophobic soil. MycoGold fungal spores will increase plants root system by up to 1000%!

Mulch pot plants and position in cooler positions to avoid drying out.

Avoid planting new plants in the heat and protect less established plants from the sun with shade cloth if needed. Wilted leaves? This is caused by transpiration and your plants need more water to the roots.

Fertilise your lawn with Rooster Booster in Spring and keep mower high  through the warmer months!

Whitefly is a warm weather pest. Use Eco-Neem to treat affected plants.

Select plants suited to your conditions  and group them according to their water needs. Keith & Elisabeth’s top drought tolerant plants include salvias, achilleas, Casuarina Glauca (Cousin It), Myoporum Parvifolium (Creeping Boobialla), Grevillea, Stachys Byzantina (Lambs Ear), Santolina, Senecio Silver Dust, various succulents, Westringia, Kangaroo Paw, Lavenders and Ornamental grasses.

Fertilise your lawn with Rooster Booster in Spring and keep mower high  through the warmer months!

Protect yourself too - wear a hat, use sunscreen and stay hydrated while out working in the garden.

Plan early for a healthy garden this Summer!

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/ 
Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook 

Check out this week’s Q&A and learn who will win the prize, donated by The Plant Runner

Great questions as always and some excellent suggestions from Keith and Elisabeth including:

-   Kickstarting Mock orange hedge with Scotts Osmocote Compost and Neutrog Gyganic

-   Looking to plant Camellias in full sun? Go for the Sasanqua variety

-   Spanish Lavender (Lavandula Stoechas) is a good choice for hot dry areas

-   Treat black scale with Eco Oil

-   Cut daphnes back by about one-third after flowering. Feed monthly with Charlie Carp

-   Raise seeds in Scotts Premium Potting Mix using a Moon Calendar to guide your timing

-   Save Kate’s Kurrajong from beetle chew by scraping back the bark and drenching with Eco Neem

-   West facing balcony suggestions include Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum Jasminoides), Mexican Orange Blossom (Choisya Ternata), Baby Bay (Laurus Nobilis)

-   Passionfruit vines need warmth and will go into dormancy in Winter. If under attack, check for earwigs and slaters, listen for Keith’s home remedies to trap these pests or use Eco Shield

-   Keith recommends improving your soil with compost, BioChar by Charman and MycoGold prior to planting

-   Depending on your conditions a tropical oasis feel could be created by Argentine Ombu, Tiger grass, Rice Paper Plant, clivia, Arthropodium, and ornamental grasses

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/ 
Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook 

Episode Notes

Elisabeth and Keith share the benefits of Native plants and share their top 10  (or so) Australian Natives for the Garden.

Recommended Native Ground Covers:
Casuarina glauca – common name, Cousin It.
Chrysocephalum apiculatum - common name Everlasting or Yellow Buttons.
Xerochrysum ‘Sundaze White’ commonly known as the Everlasting Daisy. 

Recommended Native Grasses:
Poa labillardierei - Common Tussock Grass
Pennisetum alopecuroides – not recommended by Keith!

Recommended Native Climber
Hardenbergia violacea – common name Happy Wanderer or Native Sarsparilla. 

Recommended Native Shrub:
Philotheca ‘Flower Girl’ commonly known as waxflower (Geraldtown Wax).
Westringia fruticose (Aussie Box) PBR License by Ozbreed.
Callistemon ‘Hot Pink’ commonly known as Bottlebrush
Stenocarpus sinuatus, common name Firewheel tree.

Recently released Grevillea ‘Peaches and Cream’.
Telopea speciosissima, commonly known as the Waratah
Ceratopetalum gummiferum , commonly known as The NSW Christmas Bush. 

Recommended Native Trees:
Macadamia integrifolia – common name, the Queensland Nut.
Corymbia Ficifolia – commonly known as Flowering Gum.
Eucalyptus caesia, known as Silver Princess. 

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/ 
Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook 

Special guest Chris England from Merrywood joins Elisabeth and Keith to talk about Espalier plants.

Will Elisabeth finally learn how to pronounce the word ESPALIER? uh·spae·lee·uh

Chris demystifies the ancient technique of the espaliering trees and uncovers the benefits for the home gardener.

Did you know citrus, fruit and ornamental plants are all suited to espaliering?

Hear the benefits of this technique and some tips for the home gardener who might like to try espaliering themselves.  What needs to be considered and how long might it take? Candelabra, palmette, horizontal cordon and fan-shaped - learn why different shapes suit different plants!

Learn more about pest management including treating gall wasps, citrus leafminer, codling moth

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/ 
Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook 

Only 2 days of Winter left. What are Keith & Elisabeth’s recommendations for early Spring gardening?

Clean up tools with Lanox & oil handles

Add compost. If you don’t have your own, try Clyde's Compost

Weed, feed and mulch

Prune your perennials & ornamental grasses

Use a soil thermometer to check for optimum planting time 

Divide and replant perennials

Treat fruit trees as required eg. Leaf curl on peaches/nectarines with Kocide and Shot leaf on apricots with a lime sulphur product

Trim back citrus trees without cutting off flowers

Use the moon calendar to time the cutting back of your hedges

Don’t remove spent leaves of bulbs. These are important for next year’s flowers

Check the soil temperatures for optimum planting times

Look to buy and planting bare-rooted trees. Prepare your soil with  Rooster Booster, Charlie Carp, Power Feed. Avoid granular fertilisers! Neutrog Gyganics is a good choice for citrus.

Fertilise Kikuyu, Couch or Buffalo lawn with Rooster Booster, aerate with broad fork (we recommend F.D Ryan's), leave for 2 weeks, then mow on lowest setting

Treat for pests such as Citrus Leaf Miner, Citrus Scale, earwigs, white flies, aphids, Red Spider Mite with ECO Neem and treat Black Spot on roses with Lime Sulphur 

Plant strawberry runners.

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/ 
Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook 

Q&A August 22, 2023

Check out this week’s Q&A and learn who will win the prize, donated by The Plant Runner at https://theplantrunner.com/

In this week’s Q&A we learn that:

• The Jacaranda is actually an evergreen tree
• There's no need to add worms to a wicking bed
• Plant Feijoa “Duffy” with another pollinating variety such as Apollo, Mammoth or Nazematze
• Kocide or lime sulphur are an easier choice than old fashioned Bordeaux spray for fruit trees
• Possums and rats can feast on daffodils – who knew?
• Seaside Daisy – try, test and learn for suitability in areas with kangaroos and rabbits
• Planning to scale is the key to a well designed garden
• Pampas Grass – definitely NOT a favourite for Keith! Choose a hybridised grass instead!

Keith recommends:

Whoflungdung mulch - https://neutrog.com.au/2019/08/20/whoflungdung/

Daley’s Fruit Tree Nursery - https://www.daleysfruit.com.au/

Shepherd’s Nursery Balnarring

Miscanthus sinensis hybridised forms such as “Flamingo” or “Kleine Fontaine”

Check out https://www.thehighline.org/gardens/ designed by Piet Oudolf

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/ 
Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook 

Join us as Keith unloads his gardening pet peeves, venting about dodgy products, design flaws, and the little things that drive him crazy in the world of gardening.

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/
Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook

In this episode, we explore the exciting 2023 trends in garden design, discussing their emergence and practicality for incorporating them into our own gardens.

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/ 
Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook 

In this episode, join the Muddy Boots team as Keith as he shares his 2023 gardening highlights, reflections, and designs, offering inspiration and insights from his green-filled year so far

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/ 
Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook 

Our monthly Question and Answer segment. Answering our listeners questions and awarding a prize from The Plant Runner for the person who we thought asked the best one. 

Many thanks to our segment sponsor 'The Plant Runner', we love these products and are thrilled to have them on board! Check them out: www.theplantrunner.com 

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

Website: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/ 
Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook