Gardener

Thanks mate! Do you mean to get a heat mat for OUTSIDE plants? Like, run a powercord out thru the garden?

Rev, we fully worship your words of plant advice. My khats are in thr ground. Melbourne. Should I dig them up and put em in pots and brings them in for winter? Or can I leave them where they are and enclose them with a plastic tepee? And I have subtropical young fruit trees, eg. a wampi tree, an ice cream bean and a jaboticaba and more. If i wrap their trunks with straw and hessian won't they get mould in there? and maybe bugs?

Bugger, a double post.

Blang, we want em to LEAVE, not STAY.

Thanks Rev, I've been wondering how to prepare for winter.

Phuque, really? Brighton Victoria? What garden centre?

Torsten, on your shopsite you have a plant Selenicereus titled as 'Selenicereus sp (grandiflorus?) - Yellow DragonFruit'. Would this actually be Selenicereus megalanthus? Megalanthus is the Yellow Dragon fruit. S. grandiflorus is the 'queen of the night' flowering selenicereus, known for its flowers, but its fruit is not famous like dragon fruit, is it? Or have i got it completely wrong?

Yeah but the law's there to protect the plants of WA. Which are totally amazing and personally I'd not want to do anyhting to put them at risk. People getting stuff through is why we now have European wasps...

Greendreams - chili and molasses? And what u said about Derris dust - http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=2572 apparently now it gives u Parkinsons. What fun.

Found this Off The Shelf Low Cost Pest Control The range of low toxic pest control preparations available to gardeners is expanding. Here are some of the main products/ingredients available. CONDIES CRYSTALS - (Potassium permanganate) A few drops in a bucket will turn the water pink. Controls powdery mildew and is used by some gardeners to kill ants in potted plants. Toxic to worms! COPPER SPRAYS - Copper oxychloride, cupric hydroxide and Bordeaux mixture are used to control a range of fungus diseases including mildews, anthracnose and leaf spots. DERRIS DUST - Derris is made from the ground root of the rotenone plant (Derris elliptica). It is used to control chewing insects. While it is allowable under organic growing regimes it is toxic to worms. Some gardeners use it for lawn grub control. DIATOMACEOUS EARTH - Composed of the ground tiny salt-water organisms called diatoms, diatomaceous earth has microscopically sharp edges that desiccate insects on contact or kill them when ingested. Please note that this is insecticide grade diatomaceous earth, not the material use in swimming pool filters. DIPEL or BT - This is a naturally occurring bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis) that affects some types of caterpillars. It has been cultured and is available in a powdered form from nurseries. It is sprayed on to plants. NEEM - Neem oil is extracted from the neem tree (Azadiracta indica). It kills insects by contact, ingestion and also acts as an anti-feedant. It is currently only registered for controlling of fleas. PHEROMONE TRAPS - A pheromone is a non-toxic species-specific scent produced by the female insect to attract the male. Pheromones are often used as the attractive in baits and traps. PYRETHRUM - Natural pyrethrum is extracted from the flowers of Chrysanthemum cinerariafolium. It will kill predators if used indiscriminately, so be sure to spray late in the day when bees have returned to their hives. It is used for a wide range of insect pests, particularly beetles. Synthetic pyrethroids or products in which natural pyrethrum is mixed with piperonyl butoxide are not allowable under organic gardening regimes. SEAWEED SPRAYS - Foliar sprays made from seaweed have been found to be very effective in reducing fungus diseases that affect leaves and flowers. SOAP SPRAYS - Soap sprays break down the waxy layer of the insect exoskeleton causing the insect to dehydrate. Be sure to use pure soap and not detergent. SULPHUR - Dusting sulphur and wettable sulphur preparations are effective against mites and powdery mildew. Products acceptable under organic growing regimes are constantly under review, so always check with your local organic growing group or certifying agency before using any pest control product.

On ABC TV tonight they had a show called Painting Australia, set at a cattle station in the Simpson Desert that was called somethign like Ethnabuku. An aboriginal elder was interviewed but I came in at the tail end of the interview. he was talking about a Simpson Desert plant that enables people to travel for days in the harshest conditions, gives them stamina, its also apparently an aphrodisiac. I didn't catch the name of it. They showed the plant growing but i only caught a glimpse. Anyone else see this?

I often wondered about that chemical myself. It's even in the so called natural 'beat-a-Bug' insecticide ive been using. The Internet says 'Contains piperonyl butoxide, a synergist, which is not an allowable input according to the National Organic Standards.' Looks like the only thing to do is make our own insecticide. Kevin Walsh's organic general purpose garden insecticide 1 teaspoon of eucalyptus oil 1 teaspoon of liquid detergent 500ml of water Mix the ingredients together in a small sprayer. Always shake thoroughly before each use. Use to control many garden pests including aphids, pear and cherry slug, caterpillars, whitefly, mealybugs, etc. It is important that the spray actually contacts the insect it is trying to control, so make sure to spray under the leaves as well. Kevin Walsh ABC Radio, Western and Central Victoria, October 2002 I just remembered about Neem oil - Neem Oil organic insecticide, miticide and fungal disease preventative Neem is an insecticide derived from the neem tree native to the Middle East where it has been used as an insecticide for centuries. It is bidegradeable and of very low toxicity even used in toothpaste and pharmaceuticals. Neem contains more than 25 active compounds that combat insects. Neem also works as a systemic which is absorbed into the plant to be ingested by feeding insects. Many beneficial insects are unharmed by Neem because they do not feed from the plant. Neem Oil is also considered an effective preventative of mildew, anthracnose, rust, leaf spot, botrytis, scab and alternaria. More information is available at the Neem Foundation Web Site. As a insecticide, Neem Oil has three modes of action Anti-feedent: Neem suppresses the insect's desire to feed and, therefore, no damage is caused. Repellent: Insects simply stay away from areas sprayed with Neem and, therefore, no damage is caused. Insect Growth regulator: Neem disrupts the insect's delicate hormonal balance so it dies before it molts to the next life stage. Neem can be used on house plants, ornamentals, vegetables, trees and lawns. Apply as a foliar spray or as a soil drench for systemic control. Please check the list below for insects that Neem Oil is expected to control. Neem is believed to control the following insects. Bollworms Borers Box Elder bugs Budworms Caterpillars Chinch bugs Corn Earworms Codling moths Colorado potato beetles Cucumber beetles Cutworms Crainflies Diamond back moths Elm leaf beetle Eroupean corn borer Fall armyworms Fruitflies Fungus gnats Grape leaf skeletonizers Grasshoppers Gypsy moths Hornworms Hyperrodes weevils Lace bugs Leafhoppers Leafminers Leafrollers Loopers Mole crickets Mealybugs Melonworms Mexican bean beetles Psyllids Pickleworms Pinworms Pine sawflies Sod webworms sawfly larvae Spruce bud worms Squash bugs Tent caterpillars Thrips Tomato fruitworms Twig girdlers Vine borers Webworms Weevils Whiteflies White grubs Wooly aphids

Thanks Botanika. Sounds interesting. I never heard of Canavalia or Zornia before - I'm going to check em out.

A man died and went to heaven. As he stood in front of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates, he saw a huge wall of clocks behind him. He asked, "What are all those clocks?" St. Peter answered, "Those are Lie-Clocks. Everyone on Earth has a Lie-Clock. Every time you lie, the hands on your clock will move." "Oh," said the man, "whose clock is that?" "That's Mother Teresa's. The hands have never moved, indicating that she never told a lie." "Incredible," said the man. "And whose clock is that one?" St. Peter responded, "That's Abraham Lincoln's clock. The hands have moved twice, telling us that Abe told only two lies in his entire Life." "Where's George Bush's clock?" asked the man. "George's clock is in Jesus' office. He's using it as a ceiling fan." [edit] sorry, this is drivel and should have been posted in chill space. Too late now!

If u zap your soil in the microwave before planting the seeds u should be right. And wash pots, lids etc in water mixed with a little hydrogen peroxide. Keep everything sterile right from the start. keep lids on so no spores can get in. See Rev's posts! Do a 'fungicide' search on this forum, u'll find a lot.