Organic Backyards Out East

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Comment by Radhika Beswick on February 3, 2012 at 13:00

Thanks for the link Jo, really interesting.  I first heard about Ollas (clay pot irrigation) in my Permaculture Design Course years ago, and I have used them successfully in my own garden.  I could not find anyone in Australia producing them (a real opportunity for someone to start and make plenty of $$), so I made do with unglazed terracotta pots that were taller than wide, placed a bung in the bottom hole and fitted a plate on top as a lid - they work really well under the eves, where it is always dry, as well as for the leafy greens in the veggie patch!

Comment by Jo McLeay on January 27, 2012 at 20:52

This looks really interesting - what do you think

? http://permaculture.org.au/2010/09/16/ollas-unglazed-clay-pots-for-...

Comment by Maireid Sullivan on January 27, 2012 at 15:44

Re. Passion Vine Hoppers:

These little burrowing devils need VERY careful management!.

We first got them last year, and were oblivious until late in the season.

This year we identified the 'nymphs' (babies) early, but too much pyrethrum burns the other vegitation and kills the good bugs too.

They seem to breed in the jasmine and honeysuckle vines next to the garden. We'll have to do a serious cut-back this autumn.

Here is an excerpt from this website, which has good ID photos:

http://www.lifeunseen.com/index2_list_184.php

Passion Vine Hopper, Scolypopa australis. Hemiptera.

Lifecycle
The Passion Vine Hopper populations grows at the rate of one generation a year. They overwinter as an egg, with this stage lasting about six months. The eggs are inserted in plant stems, with relatively soft, dead or dying stems seem to be preferred. The nymph stage lasts about three months. They are greenish with a fluffy tail - visible around October. The adult stage lasts about 3-5 months - look for light brown small moths 8-10 mm around December.

What do the hoppers prefer? What happens if one disturbs them?

• temperate parts of North Island and Nelson area in the South Island.

• Host plants are flax, bracken, Fuchsia, Lantaria, Coprosma, berry fruits, beans, privet, kiwifruit, tutu, citrus, hydrangea, tecomaria, jasmine.

• If disturbed they lift and a cloud of them will be seen.

What do they do? What is the damage? 

They suck sap from succulent shoots and the result is distortion of fruit and leaves. Plants will get stunted, wilted and dieback overall. Because of the copious production of honeydew the likelihood of sooty mould is very high

.

They also play a role in the production of poisonous honey. They feed on tutu’s sap ~ a sap released from the plant and then collected by honeybees which is highly poisonous to humans.

What can you do about the pest?

• Heavy winter pruning of egg laying sites.

• Crop rotation to break the pest’s life cycle.

Spray them with Neem. It acts as a deterrent and anti feeder. Biodegrades within two weeks when exposed to sunlight. Repeated application.

Spray with Pyrethrum. Repeated application necessary since it does not kill the eggs. Poisonous to all insects. Pyrethrum is poisonous to all insects so do it in the evening when bees and beneficial insects are not active. Less burning of plants as well. It breaks down in 48 hours.

• Time of sowing, when pest is less.

• Row covers for seedlings

• Hand pick them

• Companion plants such as geranium and petunia, marjorams, coriander, chamomile and yarrow.

Comment by Jo McLeay on January 27, 2012 at 15:39

Thanks Jan for that info on comfrey and yarrow. I knew about the comfrey but not about the yarrow. The plants you gave me are growing awesomely. Love hot composting. Usually I have lots of grass clippings (I collect from all the neighbours), shredded paper and horse poo that is free from a farm near here

Comment by Maireid Sullivan on January 27, 2012 at 15:31

Mid-week meetings are best for me, but I'm committed on first Thursday :)

Comment by Brigid Walsh on January 27, 2012 at 10:49

Thanks, Jan.  That is so interesting. I am a one person household and don't generate a lot of food scraps - so I do mix things up with manure, sugar cane mulch, coffee grounds etc. But even so I can only manage two binfuls in twelve months!

Comment by Jan Down on January 27, 2012 at 10:01

PS That's ratio not ration! Typing too fast. LOL

Comment by Jan Down on January 27, 2012 at 10:00

Hi Brigid - hot compost is when you make a big pile all at once, with the right ration of carbon to nitrogen. I've just Googled it cos I'd forgotten what the ration is, and this site suggests 25-30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen - see http://www.composting101.com/c-n-ratio.html

Also adding comfrey and yarrow (the yarrow in tiny amounts) helps to set it off. The compost then gets very hot and breaks down very quickly - in a matter of weeks. Very different from the mainly-food-scraps black plastic bin! Kim Glascow (one of our members) is a regular maker of hot compost - the right person to ask. I'm definitely not an expert. I've seen Kim make a compost pile with straw and chook manure and prunings etc - very impressive!

Comment by Brigid Walsh on January 25, 2012 at 9:06

Jan, thanks for the response.  I don't know anything about hot compost.  What is it, how is it done and how does it differ from the usual manner of composting?

Comment by Jan Down on January 25, 2012 at 6:15

Hi Brigid, a worm farm could be good maybe, because it's a quick way of getting fertiliser to add to the soil and the pots. Most people seem to say you need to dilute it quite a lot. I find my compost takes a long time to make (but I'm not doing the hot compost thing yet). Worm farms are possibly easier in a rented place too.

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