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Howdy Green Lifers ![]() What a strange Easter and Anzac we all experienced in isolation this year! With most of us home and spending time in the garden I wonder how much our gardens have grown? On a creative note World Naked Gardening Day was on Saturday the 2nd of May and my only comment is wow didn’t we get innovative in isolation this year.?
With the first week of May we experienced some strong winds and rain (how did your garden survive?) But we're grateful the weather cleared up in time for Mother's Day.
Covid-19 Policy & amended Trading Hours
WE ARE STILL TRADING
With the relaxing of restrictions due to WA's current Covid-19 low rates, as of last weekend we have returned to having our gates open and welcoming drop-in customers. We do ask you practice social distancing while in store, and make use of hand sanitiser available.
This policy will be reviewed in line with Government advice - thank you for your understanding. We have been working hard to keep everyone safe - customers and our team alike, and it has been stressful at times.
Current trading hours have changed to be 8.30 - 4.00pm Monday to Saturday - CLOSED Sundays.We want to shout out to all our existing and new members for being so patient, loyal and adaptive in these strange and busy times and we are excited to see how much your gardens will grow over the next few months!
Happy and Safe Gardening,
from Jess & The Green Life Team
![]() (Pictured right - something that needs no explanation now but 12 months ago would have been a different story. Stay safe, Green Lifers! Jobs to Do in the May Garden
What to plant now
It might be a little late to sow winter seeds now for your initial crops (fine for succession planting) but you can always get ahead using seedlings. We have plenty in stock and our suppliers have more to come. Remember you can always grow some vegies
and herbs in pots too (Pictured above - Jess's broccoli doing well in a pot.). Artichokes, Asian greens, Beetroot, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Coriander, Dill, Garlic, Kale, Leek, Lettuce, Onion, Parsnip, Peas, Potatoes, Radish, Silver beet, Snow peas, Spinach, Spring Onion, Strawberries, Turnip. Unfortunately, at GLSC this year with Covid-19 and all the craziness we only received a very limited
amount of Certified Organic Garlic which flew out door before we could even pack it!
So, my sincere apologies to those who were on the waiting list and didn’t get any.
The Dirt on Soils - Rejuvenating Sandy Soil & Replenishing Old Garden Beds
For new gardeners, it can be difficult to see the value in 'dirt'. Soils pretty much look the same - bits of sand and organic matter. It can be difficult to judge from looking at it what's good or what's not so good - and it's hard to understand why they vary so much in price. We tend to assume that if soils (and mulches, especially) are dark - they must be good. And while the 'black bits' can indicate a high organic matter content, again - there's lots of variation in organic matter & compost quality depending on the source. From testing we've done, we know that looks can be deceiving! So if you're setting up a new garden (or rejuvenating an old one) - where do you start?
Or should you improve the soil you already have? Generally - this tends to be a less expensive option. Plants need what we do for survival - water, air and food! Surprisingly, all three of these things are taken up by roots from the soil (as well as plants making 'food' from photosynthesis). In our very loose, sandy soils, there's plenty of air, but we need to work to ensure there's enough food (nutrients) and water available. So by adding 'soil improvers' - you should be adding food for your plants (usually with organic matter like manures and/or compost), and ideally - clay. This is a vital element in sandy soil to build structure. Longer term, this means more efficient water and fertiliser use, and less stressed & healthier plants. (This link on turning Sand into Soil will most definitely give you some options which will be helpful! Our Concentrates/Soil Improvers are made with a broad range of minerals and trace elements that in WA are naturally deficient in the soil. Specially formulated for Perth’s sandy conditions and & made to be mixed in at a ratio of around 50/50. Rejuvenate your garden whether it’s that old vegie bed down the back, a garden bed you forgot down the side or the front native garden you haven't had time to love. Check our page on Concentrates for more information!). Manure - Don't get yourself in the Poo.
Garden Soil Vs. Potting Mix
Plants grown in the ground are able to scavenge for water and nutrients over a deeper and wider area than things kept artificially in a contained environment. It's important to make sure that the water/air/food is abundantly available or your plants will have no Plan B for survival. Good potting mixes contain nutrition to sustain plants for several months (the biggest difference between 'premium' and 'standard' potting mixes is the nutrition provided). They should be made of a range of particle sizes to allow air & water penetration, but also sufficient water holding. Often they'll contain less compost (which tends to clump down and not allow much airflow) and more cocopeat and/or pine bark - used for its structure to open up mixes. Sometimes they'll contain perlite or vermiculite for the same reason. These are all premium ingredients,and on a large scale would be very costly to use for planting out a garden bed. So while you can use potting mix in a garden bed - it's not the most efficient thing to do. (Sure - add old mixes to the garden, as long as you're happy they're not contaminated with weeds or diseased material.) But we definitely do not recommend using your garden soil in pots. You'll most likely be very disappointed with the results - unless you go to the trouble of blending your own mix, which means buying in multiple ingredients and is probably a false economy. The WA factor
The importance of Mulch Mulch is vital to our gardens in Summer. It's not as necessary in Winter; but as organic mulches break down to add to the soil - it's still useful. In winter, it can help prevent weeds, too. Building soil health is very important and is a must to gain the most efficiency out of your garden. Hopefully this information is helpful & gives you some ideas of where to start. If you have any queries about your soil, or would like some advice/recommendations about your particular garden's needs - feel free to get in touch with us.
Seeds were in very short supply March/April - but things have calmed down and stocks are back up to good levels now for all your favourite heritage vegies & herbs. It's time to get your succession crops planted to keep you going through Winter and into Spring - so come and stock up. To claim your bag - if shopping in store or over the phone please ask our team when making your purchase/booking your delivery. Online customers (including click & collect) - please note in the 'delivery notes' section of your order that you'd like to claim your FREE bag. Valid until COB Saturday, 6th June. Winner - Photo competitionCONGRATULATIONS to Erin Clare who sent me this photo of her cucumber harvest a couple of weeks ago. It looks like she was going to be eating cucumber sandwiches for a while... and/or enjoying a Gin with a cucumber twist.
"Hi guys, I bought 5 bags of your vegie mix soil improver and some soil microbes a couple of weeks ago. I dug it through the beds that have had their summer crops finished, one of these is also where the cucumbers are still growing. The cucumber harvest has suddenly tripled and are all big juicy fellows - see the attached picture!!! Erin wins a $50 credit to spend with us @ GLSC. It's that easy! Send us in a photo of your garden with a note about what you're growing, and if selected,you can be a winner, too! You've got to be in it to win it - so send in your pics via Facebook or email them directly to us. One winner is picked at random to publish in each newsletter. Retail StockistsAll stockists carry different items (so give them a call and check!). If there's an item of ours they don't usually carry, in most cases they'd be very happy to add it to their next order for you. Nibali Stockfeed (Hamilton Hill) recently received some bulkabags of some soils to on-sell; so have a chat to Joel or Micheal if you're down that way and looking for bulk soil. You may not need to travel so far to stock up. Beaufort Garden World - Inglewood 9271 0585 Garden Elegance - Subiaco 9381 2197 Guildford Town Garden Centre - Guildford 9279 8645 Nibali Stockfeed - Hamilton Hill 9433 2211 Stanbee Stockfeeds - Barragup 9581 2390 Thrive Sustainability - Lower Chittering 0408 157 301 Waldecks Bentley - Bentley 9458 5944 Waldecks Melville - Melville 9330 6970 Waldecks Kingsley - 9309 5088 Waldecks Stirling - 9254 6730 Zanthorrea Nursery - Maida Vale 9454 6260 Australind Landscaping Supplies 9796 1720 Busselton - U scape Garden Centre 9751 3995 Leschenault & Bunbury Markets - Fancy Plants Nursery 0428 844 597 Margaret River - Nutrient Ag Solutions (formerly Landmark) 9758 7677 THANK YOU for being part of the Green Life family - stay safe, stay healthy & keep gardening! |
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