Muddy Boots

September marks the garden’s transition into Spring across much of Australia. Elizabeth and Keith discuss how to prepare gardens for the growing season, including planting, soil preparation, pruning, feeding, lawn care, dividing plants, and attracting beneficial insects. The episode focuses on practical jobs gardeners can tackle now to encourage healthy growth and prepare for productive Summer crops and colourful spring displays.

Plants mentioned in episode:

•  Evergreen trees and shrubs, including camellias

•  Peas

•  Beans

•  Berry canes

•  Potatoes

•  Dahlias

•  Horseradish

•  Artichokes

•  Lily bulbs

•  Ginger

•  Galangal

•  Turmeric

•  Violas

•  Marigolds

•  Alyssum

•  Nasturtiums

•  Borage

•  Comfrey

•  Summer-flowering bulbs

•  Ornamental alliums

•  Crocosmia

•  Monarda

•  Bottlebrush

•  Grevilleas

•  Hakeas

•  Banksias

•  Camellias

•  Apple trees

•  Pear trees

Product and Tool Recommendations

MycoGold

Clyde's Compost

Neutrog Gogo Juice
Neutrog “Who Flung Dung”

Munash Rock Dust

Green Harvest

F.D Ryan's Broadfork

Neutrog Sudden Impact for Lawns
Rooster Booster

EE Sea Liquid Fertliser

Charlie Carp 

Power Feed

Moon calendar

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

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

Cheryl’s chat with the Muddy Boots crew is really a story about shock, survival, and slowly finding your feet again. She talks through the chaos of the Ruffy bushfires — the scrambled updates, the awful wait to hear what had happened, and the surreal moment of returning to a completely blackened landscape with only her little house still standing. It’s emotional, but she tells it with such honesty that you can almost feel what those days were like.

From there, the episode becomes a gentle, hopeful look at how gardening helps people heal. Cheryl explains how she started clearing ash, watering anything that looked vaguely alive, and reconnecting with neighbours who were all trying to rebuild in their own way. When Keith organised donations of compost and soil products, it wasn’t just practical help — it gave the whole community a lift. By the end, you really get the sense that growing even a few veggies or seeing a tree reshoot can be the first step back toward feeling normal again.

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

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

Another Q&A packed with practical gardening advice, from curl grubs and sick olive trees to thrips, blueberries, wicking beds, Boston Ivy and growing your own passionfruit.

🌿 Plants Mentioned

Vegetables & fruit

• Tomato — Solanum lycopersicum
• Cauliflower — Brassica oleracea var. botrytis
• Blueberry — Vaccinium spp.
• Lime — Citrus × aurantiifolia
• Lemon — Citrus × limon
• Black Passionfruit — Passiflora edulis

Ornamentals & natives

• Olive — Olea europaea
• Lavender — Lavandula spp.
• Rosemary — Salvia rosmarinus
• Ornamental Pear — Pyrus calleryana
• Snow Maiden Grevillea — Grevillea 'Snow Maiden'
• Crepe Myrtle — Lagerstroemia spp.
• Banksia — Banksia spp.
• Boston Ivy — Parthenocissus tricuspidata
• Climbing Fig — Ficus pumila

Plants mentioned as companion/mulch options

• Pea Straw — Pisum sativum
• Lucerne/Alfalfa — Medicago sativa
• Pine — Pinus spp.

🐛 This Episode's Questions

Curl grubs: How to tell beneficial yellow/orange-headed grubs from root-eating black-headed cockchafers.

Olive trees: Supporting mature olive trees showing possible signs of Verticillium wilt, including irrigation, soil health and root support.

Cauliflowers: Identifying whether slugs, snails or earwigs are responsible for damaged leaves.

Rice hull mulch: Why Keith doesn't recommend it as a mulch and alternatives including pea straw and lucerne.

Thrips: Why Success isn't effective against thrips and how Eco-Oil and Eco-Neem can be used.

Blueberries: How often to repot, pruning advice and maintaining acidic soil.

Limes: Why ripe limes can turn yellow — and what happens to their flavour when left on the tree.

Grevilleas & Crepe Myrtle: Can they grow together? Plus designing a garden to provide succession of flowering and attract birds.

Wicking beds: Advice for hot climates, reducing watering requirements and automated irrigation.

Boston Ivy: Why it can take a year to establish and whether it can damage a metal fence.

Passionfruit: Growing black passionfruit from seed, protecting plants from frost and why grafted passionfruit can become invasive.

🧰 Products & Resources Mentioned

• Original LOWY No.1 Anvil Pruner – www.backyardbotanist.com.au
• Neutrog Populate – https://neutrog.com.au
• Neutrog Go-Go Juice – https://neutrog.com.au
• Munash Mineral Rock Dust – https://www.munashorganics.com.au
• MycoGold – https://www.biostim.com.au
• Eco-Oil – https://www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au
• Eco-Neem – https://www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au
• Clyde Compost – https://clydecompost.com.au
• Digger's Club – https://www.diggers.com.au
• The Plant Runner – https://theplantrunner.com

🏆 Plant Runner Giveaway: Congratulations to Gerry, this month's winner, for her question about her 18-year-old olive trees.

Happy 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 

Got a sloping block, awkward corner, or challenging piece of land that feels impossible to landscape? In this episode, Keith explains why difficult terrain can become one of a garden’s greatest assets. From creating garden rooms and pathways to making the most of views and natural features, this episode is packed with ideas to help gardeners see opportunities where they once saw obstacles.

Plants recommended in this episode

• Callistemon spp. — Bottlebrush
• Acacia spp. — Wattle
• Eucalyptus spp. — Eucalypt

Products & Tools recommended in this episode

• Geofabric
• Jute erosion-control matting
• Weed Gunnel
• F.D Ryan's Broadfork

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

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

August is all about getting ready for the spring rush. In this practical seasonal episode, Keith talks through the key jobs to tackle before the garden takes off, from sowing warm-season seeds and planting flowering annuals to improving soil, feeding organically, protecting fruit trees from disease, and staying alert for late frosts. It’s a useful preparation episode for gardeners wanting to build stronger soil, get ahead of pests and diseases, and make the most of the final weeks of winter.

Seeds to sow indoors or in greenhouse

• Tomato
• Chilli
• Capsicum
• Eggplant
• Black Passionfruit
• Cosmos
• Snapdragon
• Marigold

Seeds to sow directly into your garden

• Snow Pea
• Sweet Pea
• Cornflower
• Poppy
• Carrot
• Potato
• Radish
• Turnip

Seedlings to start in August

• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Silverbeet

Products & Tools recommended in this episode

• Clyde's Compost
• Neutrog “Who Flung Dung”
• MycoGold
• Neutrog Gogo Juice
• Neutrog Popul8
• Munash Rock Dust
• Neutrog Rooster Booster 
• EE Sea Liquid Fertliser
• Lime Sulphur
• Copper Fungicide
• Seasol
• Moon calendar

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

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

Looking for quality gardening tools that actually last, or wondering what products experienced gardeners swear by? In this episode, Elizabeth and Keith chat with Jamie Stewart, founder of Backyard Botanist, about turning a passion for plants into a successful business. From heirloom-quality tools to small-space gardening and the growing demand for well-made products, this episode is packed with inspiration for gardeners who appreciate quality, practicality, and a love of the craft.

Products & Tools recommended in this episode

• Lowe Secateurs
• Hori Hori Knife
• Trugs
• Haws Watering Cans

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

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

This month’s Q&A brought to you by The Plant Runner
Moving plants, battling persistent weeds, setting up productive veggie beds, or wondering if you're doing things the right way? In this practical Q&A episode, Keith tackles a wide range of real-world gardening challenges submitted by listeners from around Australia. Packed with straightforward advice, seasonal tips, and problem-solving solutions, this episode is ideal for gardeners looking to avoid common mistakes and get better results from their gardens.

Plants recommended in this episode

• Raphanus sativus — Radish (particularly French Breakfast radish)
• Pisum sativum — Sweet pea
• Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon — Snow pea
• Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon — Sugar snap pea

Products & Tools recommended in this episode

• Clyde's Compost
• Manutec pH Test Kit
• F.D Ryan's Broadfork
• Dicamba Herbicide
• HDPE or LDPE Food-Grade Plastic Liner (for raised garden beds)
• Neutrog Gogo Juice
• Wormly Worm Farms

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

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

Feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or just needing a reset? In this inspiring episode, special guest Conchi Batson shares how gardening became a lifeline during a difficult chapter in her life. 

Discover how slowing down, getting your hands in the soil, and reconnecting with nature can transform both your mindset and your garden. 

If you’ve ever needed a reason to step outside and reset, this episode will leave you feeling motivated and hopeful.

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

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

Struggling with smelly bins, slow breakdown, or compost that just doesn’t work? This episode takes the guesswork out of composting and shows you how to get it right. Keith shares simple, practical insights to help you turn kitchen scraps and garden waste into rich, living soil. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to improve your results, this episode will help you compost with confidence and boost the health of your garden.

Products & Tools recommended in this episode

• Clyde's Compost
• Rooster Booster
• F.D Ryan's Broadfork

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

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

July’s Garden – this episode of Muddy Boots highlights essential winter gardening tasks to prepare for spring. Keith emphasises pruning deciduous plants, planting bare-rooted trees and roses, and improving soil with compost and additives. He recommends planting ornamentals, bulbs, and winter vegetables like brassicas and root crops. Pest control, mulching, and lawn care are also key, along with frost protection. Overall, staying active in winter ensures healthier plants and stronger growth in the coming season.

PLANTS (Recommended by Keith)

• Lagerstroemia indica — Crape myrtle
• Magnolia spp. — Magnolia
• Acer palmatum — Japanese maple
• Acer platanoides — European maple
• Acer saccharum — Canadian maple (sugar maple)
• Paeonia spp. — Peony (both bush and herbaceous types)
• Nerine spp. — Nerine
• Ranunculus asiaticus — Ranunculus
• Brassica oleracea (various groups) — Brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale)
• Spinacia oleracea — Spinach
• Lactuca sativa — Lettuce
• Coriandrum sativum — Coriander
• Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis — Wombok (Chinese cabbage)
• Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis — Pak choy
• Quercus spp. — Oak
• Fraxinus spp. — Ash
• Liquidambar styraciflua — Liquidambar
• Rosa spp. — Roses
• Primula × polyantha — Polyanthus
• Viola spp. — Violet
• Primula spp. — Primula
• Brassica rapa subsp. rapa — Turnip
• Allium cepa — Onion
• Beta vulgaris — Beetroot
• Raphanus sativus — Radish
• Pisum sativum — Peas (including snow peas)

PRODUCTS / TOOLS with hyperlinks

• MycoGold (BioStim)
  
  
  
• Clyde Compost
  
  
  
• Eco Neem
  
  
  
• Eco Oil
  
  
  
• Monash Rock Dust
  
  
  
• Neutrog “Who Flung Dung”
  
  
  
• Neutrog Sudden Impact for Lawns
  
  
  
• FD Ryan Broadfork
  
  
  

Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!

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