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Canberra Today 27°/30° | Tuesday, March 19, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Make the most of mulching

IT is seriously time to mulch all garden beds. While we have been lulled into complacency with regular rain we are facing the forecast of a long, hot summer.

Firstly, if it has not rained in the days before spreading, give the ground a good soaking.

Anyone who have checked my website will know that I specifically recommend Canberra Organic Mulch, from Canberra Sand and Gravel, for all the reasons on my Cedfacts Garden Information Sheet “Mulch your Garden to Conserve Moisture”.

This is still the most economical mulch for large areas, however for smaller gardens and veggie gardens, lucerne hay is perfect. It has the highest nitrogen content of all similar mulches, such as tea tree, pea or sugar cane.

We have an excellent local source from Andrew Bingley, of Amungula Lucerne at Sutton. He can supply, to all Canberra areas, lucerne bales that are weed free. A bale covers about four square metres.

Alternatively, it can be supplied shredded for ease of spreading. Call Andrew on 0417 223 296 or on email at andrewbingley1@bigpond.com

Go to cedricbryant.com and click on Cedfacts sheet “What is so special about Lucerne hay?”


THE appearance of fruit on Eriobotrya japonica or Loquat tree is an early herald of summer.

In our coast garden, the fruit is ready to eat as evidenced by the picture.

Our feathered friends love the fresh fruit of loquats.

Loquats originated in Southern China. While some people are put off by its huge stones and small amount of fruit, it was first described by the plant hunter Meyer in 1911 as having a “very fine fruit”.

It is often grown purely as an ornamental in Chinese gardens and is shown on Chinese porcelain. Loquats have been grown in Italian gardens for 100 years and popularised here by Italian migrants.

In early Australian country gardens, the loquat’s large leathery leaves and drought tolerance made good windbreaks on the westerly side of farmhouses. When we owned our nursery in Yass, our home, built in 1919, had a loquat planting on its westerly side. Like many other fruit trees rarely grown in today’s gardens. It is excellent for jams and jellies or simply eaten fresh with ice-cream.


IN our garden, I have combined Vaccinium or blueberries with strawberries in the same bird-proof, wire cage. At present, they are awash with flowers for a bumper crop of both.

Blueberries are always expensive, yet are so easy to grow. I love them fresh on my breakfast cereal, although their uses are endless as with double cream or added to green salads. Plus they freeze very well preserving all the goodness in the berry.

They originate in North America and one of their greatest claims is they are full of antioxidants, so important in our diet.

Blueberries like a well-drained acid soil with plenty of rotted leaf matter and full sun. Do not use chicken manure or mushroom compost (I don’t recommend either of these applied straight into garden beds, but added to the compost heap). Mulch with organic matter, as mentioned at the beginning of the column.

THE Bundanoon Garden Ramble is on again, at the weekend of October 27-28, with 10 beautiful open gardens. Purchase tickets at the Bundanoon Soldiers’ Memorial Hall or more details at bundanoongardenramble.org.au


This week

  • Mildew is rife with warm days and damp weather, especially on rose leaves as they emerge. The old-fashioned totally organic remedy is one part full cream milk (no “lite” stuff) mixed with eight parts water. Spray on top and under the leaves.

  • Try planting blueberries and azaleas together, they both like similar soil conditions.

  • While your trees are in flower and coming into leaf, cut out any dead, diseased or damaged branches.

  • Keep applying Multiguard Snail and Slug Killer around strawberries, especially after rain, so much safer for all animals including blue tongues.

  • Careful when cutting hedges as they may contain nesting birds at this time.

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Cedric Bryant

Cedric Bryant

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