Knowledge Base
Garlic, saffron, seed potatoes, winter gardening and answers to the questions we hear most often.
25 articles
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- A Beginner's Guide to Botanical Names on Seed PacketsThe Latin on a seed packet is not there to confuse you. How botanical names are built, what the words tell you, and why they matter.Gardening Basics
- A Beginner's Guide to Vegetable Plant FamiliesTomatoes and potatoes are siblings, cabbage and rocket are cousins. Knowing the families makes crop rotation, pest control and seed savin...Crop Cycling
- Annuals, Perennials and Biennials: Plant Life Cycles ExplainedWhether a plant lives for a season, two years or decades changes how you sow it, where you put it and what to expect. The three life cycl...Cultivar Selection
- Growing Autumn-Winter Vegetables in Your GardenCool-season beds can be the most productive of the year. Which vegetables handle frost, when to sow them, and how to keep the patch movin...
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- The benefits of using a seedling heat matSeedling heat mat is a valuable tool for those looking to get a jump on the growing season or improve their success rate.
- Beyond Paella: Five Ways to Use Your SaffronThink Saffron is just for Paella? Think again. From mood-boosting tea to golden honey and even skincare, discover 5 creative ways to use ...Saffron
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- Fasciation: Why a Stem Grows Flat, Crested or Fan-ShapedA flat, fan-topped stem is usually a one-off fault at the growing tip, not a disease. Here is what causes fasciation, when a plant belong...Flowers
- Growing from Seed with Kids: Why It Works and Where to StartBig seeds, fast results and a few safety habits. How to get children growing from seed, which seeds to start with and what to keep out of...Gardening Basics
- Frost hardy or frost tender: how cold is too cold for each cropHardy, half hardy and tender describe how a plant copes with freezing, not with cold in general. Here is what each group tolerates, why a...Climate Zones
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- Why plants stop growing in winter: day length, soil temperature and dormancyA seed that sits unchanged for six weeks in winter is usually not a bad seed. Here is what day length, soil temperature and light intensi...Climate Zones
- How to Prepare Your Garden for Winter GrowingWinter gardening requires a strategy and some essential tools, yet the benefits are unparalleled. Growing several crops like spinach and ...Cool Season
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- Why Your Saffron Did Not FlowerGreen leaves but no purple flowers is the most common saffron complaint. The usual causes, from corm size to planting depth and timing, a...Saffron
- Growing Saffron in PotsLiving in an apartment? You can still grow "Red Gold." In fact, Saffron often grows better in pots than in the ground. Discover the simpl...Saffron
- Scatter Sowing: The Quick Way to Sow Seeds, and When It Works BestBroadcast a handful of seed over a raked bed and let it grow where it falls. Which crops suit it, how to do it well, and the mistakes tha...Knowledge Base
- Staying Safe in the Garden: Sun, Soil, Tools, Chemicals and WildlifeThe short list of things that actually hurt Australian gardeners, and the simple habit that lowers each risk, from potting mix and UV to ...Garden Safety
- How to Store Seed Garlic Before Planting: An Australian GuideSeed garlic often arrives months before planting time. How to keep the bulbs sound through a hot, humid summer so they are ready to plant...Garlic
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- Ten Common Greenhouse Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them in Australia)A greenhouse can overheat, breed pests and rot seedlings faster than an open bed. The ten mistakes that undo the benefit, and the fix for...Greenhouse
- Ten Vegetables Worth a Winter Bed in AustraliaChoosing suitable vegetables to grow in winter is crucial for a successful harvest. Winter vegetables thrive in cooler temperatures and c...
- Twelve Common Vegetable Gardening Mistakes (and the Easy Fixes)Most disappointing vegetable gardens fail for the same dozen reasons, and none of them are hard to fix. The mistakes we see most often, f...Gardening Basics