ok I'm up for that Lisa choko scones delish- good to see good to see you back btw- always quiet when your not around - I become the number 1 suspect for Jasins  Gmod dobbing finger pointing when you are not here- might be nice to get a break or at least share the honour

The weather becoming nicer now and my yard has just has a big clean up- looking good- I want to put in fruit trees this year- dont know where to start though- it will be trial and error as I havent done trees before

Agnes wrote on Mar 3^rd, 2018 at 7:38pm:


Hey you lol.

Missed you girls SO MUCH!!!!!!

I'll get a few shots tomorrow ok?

Now re your garden.....GO to your nearest BUNNINGS store.

That's your starting point.

Ask a horticulturist there for help.

Explain to them your plight.

That means you will need to explain :

1. What you're trying to achieve....what type of plants you are hoping to put into your garden.

2. Make sure they know you are at beginner stage (that way they will take the time to explain things better to you).

3. Make sure you tell them which way your front gardens and back gardens face. Why? Generally speaking here in NSW.....south facing gardens are not easy to work with. North facing sunny gardens are the key to growing heaps of things.

4. Make sure you tell them which parts of your garden are wind prone/shade prone.  NB these areas of your garden will require hardy plants. If severe.....then sometimes large pots are the only way to put anything green in these areas unfortunately.

5. Do what you can to impress the horticulturist who is helping you by letting them know that you wish to take on gardening as a serious hobby. Refer to them by their 1st name and make sure they know yours. Why? After a while.....you will find they will give you secret tips on how to grow and manage your garden by way of free small cuttings which you can strike at home plus they'll give you discounts on plants you like but which you think look a little wilted lol.

I started off this ^^^^^ way.

They know me at my local BUNNINGS store. I'm the gardener who loves the plants that need rehabilitation. I get them for next to nothing.....bring them back to life here at home then take a few shots so I can show these horticulturists how I've rescued the poor plants in question.

Just be careful with these horticulturalist buggers ..... if you show too much interest and skill.....they'll get you to do a Cert IV in Horticulture.

I've just started the course.

So far....it's all about sustainability and bloody legislation!!!!!

Lisa Jones wrote on Mar 3^rd, 2018 at 9:29pm:

  Some great tips here Lisa- I have the worst soil ever here being desert/seaside etc- so will have to have ph balance testing done as well- so even before I think about which tree to buy I will do some basic ground work- my dad loved seasol and manure/liquid manure- I havent dedicated myself to gardening not really- but I am going to give it a go- get serious about it- I love citrus and stone fruits and vine fruits so have a few ideas to be going on with- I think out here i these summers mulch will be a life saver- thanks for the tips- I might have to get a ground digger to muscle through the hard top layer of soil- if i ever get a half decent garden going will up load some pics-  as soon as the weather gets a bit cooler I will plant my first tree- mean time digging the hole will be funnnnn 

one of my first plantings will be an avocado tree- but we need more than one for cross fertilisation I believe

You should be able to get away with one tree, according to what I quickly looked up.

But do your research.

ok I'm up for that Lisa choko scones delish- good to see Grin good to see you back btw- always quiet when your not around - I become the number 1 suspect for Jasins  Gmod dobbing finger pointing when you are not here- might be nice to get a break or at least share the honour Grin

The weather becoming nicer now and my yard has just has a big clean up- looking good- I want to put in fruit trees this year- dont know where to start though- it will be trial and error as I havent done trees before


See thats where you went wrong

Agnes wrote on Mar 4^th, 2018 at 5:07pm:
Not as long as you have bees around . Avocados can fruit after around 6 years but you will need to damage the stem a little by giving it a slash in early spring at around the 5 year mark to make the tree think it is under threat and start producing. Else you may have to wait 10 years for fruit.

miketrees wrote on May 4^th, 2018 at 6:15pm:

 
OK that's great to know- good tips in here- how can I possibly go wrong umm I have some research to do

Hope you get the reply you were hoping for- I am going to try that avocado some good advice there- Rhinos comment about cutting the tree once a year very interesting and this would imply that trees/pants have feelings/fears- that is a fascinating topic and then what would the vegans do lol- so much to learn- I cant wait but getting the right avocado is key- heading off to whyalla tomorrow- emergency vet dash- cat swallowed something foreign so that has to be removed- dumb expensive bloody cat- she is still eating but has lost her meow lol- she is such a talkative cat the peace and quiet is kinda nice tbh-

Do a bit of research.

You want a dwarf tree and self fertile ones are available and you should be picking your first avocados 3 years after planting the tree.

I cannot stress highly enough—spread compost, manure and mulch in a circle into the centre of which you plant your tree. Keep the thickness of mulch up.

BigP wrote on May 7^th, 2018 at 4:43pm:


Thanks Vege57- will keep that in mind

Jovial Monk wrote on May 10^th, 2018 at 9:00pm:


20 bales seems an awful lot, is that for an entire orchard

Jovial Monk wrote on May 11^th, 2018 at 5:58pm:


Sounds like you have a plan and a good one- and it's coming along nicely by the sounds of it- will fruit mature more slowly because of the cooler conditions?