Muddy Boots

Today we hear Keith’s top tips on growing potatoes! Keith assures us that potatoes are the easiest of all vegetables to grow!Potatoes can be grown at any time but they are frost tender so should be planted after the last frost (in Southern States or frost prone areas)Use certified ‘seed potatoes’ - this will ensure they are free from disease. Most non-organic potatoes found in supermarkets etc are sprayed with glyphosate 360 so should be avoidedThere are a number of different methods for growing potatoes:Grown in your garden - Keith warns, you will have these together as they nearly impossible to get rid ofUse a designated garden bed - you will harvest approx 8-10 potatoes per plantGrow in a potato bag using a good quality potting mix- Several on the market including Bunnings Potato BagWire frame can be used by layering compost and strawPotatoes need consistent water but avoid being too wet to ensure potatoes don’t rotTo ensure a good yield, add plenty of compost and other organic matterKeith recommends planting whole seed potato (not cut) covered with 200mm soil/compost as plants shoots cover with additional soil/compost or straw (indeterminate potatoes only)Indeterminate potatoes include - Brownell, Dutch Cream, Nicola, Up To Date, King Edward, Salad Rose, Pink Fir Apple, Potato SapphireDeterminate potatoes include - Spunta, Kennebec, Purple Congo, Pink Eye, Carlingford, Red Pontiaconce potato plant’s flowers have died off, feel through to the stem where you will find ‘new potatoes’  (indeterminate varieties only). Once the plant has completely died off, leave for approx 2 weeks before harvesting.Store in cool dry place in hessian bag or wire basket away from sunlight.Pests include earwigsGood luck with your home grown taties!Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!BRAND NEW WEBSITE: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/ Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook

This week we meet Jo Henley from Henley's Rustics and hear about her garden journey, how she came to meet Keith and the story of her family business creating rustic garden beds.A self described ‘novice gardener’, Jo and her father Lindsay now create rustic garden beds using reclaimed corrugated iron from local farms. Hand crafted using recycled materials, each garden bed is unique and the range includes a variety of designs including self watering wicking beds. Made in Ungarie, NSW, Henley’s products are delivered across regional NSW and Canberra or can be collected directly from the makers!Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!BRAND NEW WEBSITE: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/ Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook

Succulents - a huge number of varieties, succulents are easy to grow and add colour and interest to any garden. Succulents prefer an open, well drained soil and grow well in pots. Succulents are low maintenance and don’t require a lot of water.Today we hear what Keith’s Top 10 Succulents are:1.Tree Aloe, Aloe Barberae, - grows up to 6-9 metres x 3-6 meters. Long straight trunk with a huge succulent head. Pest and disease free.2. Kalanchoe beharensis, sometimes known as Elephant Ear Kalanchoe or Felt bush. Large felty leaves up to 40cm3.Cussonia paniculata -  growis up to 5 meters with large sculptured and textured leaves. 4.Century Plant, Agave attenuata, has beautiful smooth soft silver foliage in a big rosette. 5. Burbank’s Spineless, Opuntia ficus-indica, . This is a non-invasive form of the prickly pear. 6.Blue Chalk, Senecio serpens, is a beautiful grey groundcover with its cylindrical blue chalks that produces branches of fluffy creamy-white flowers.7.Australian Pig Face, Carpobrotus rossii is an Australian native that grows in sand along coastlines. The leaves are dark green and it produces a pinky-purple flower with a yellow center that becomes an edible fig. 8. Cotyledon orbiculate ‘Sliver Waves’ is a stunning sculptural plant with large powdery silver leaves and is perfect with pastel coloured plants.9.Aeonium arboretum ‘Schwarzkopf’ - a stunning plant of black-maroon leaves. It will produce large heads of yellow which contrast beautifully with the dark leaves.10. Dwarf flowering Aloe - produces masses of single coloured flower stalks. These come in a multitude of colours from yellow, orange, white, red and multi coloured forms. Happy gardening!Where you can find all things Muddy Boots!BRAND NEW WEBSITE: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/ Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook

Q&A time again! Who will be this month’s lucky winner of the fabulous prize donated by The Plant Runner?What to line our planter boxes with? Any HDPE (High-density polyethylene) is safe for Pinapple guava lining planter boxes. The thicker the better!Where to find Lignite Humate? Keith can’t recommend Clyde's Compost and Clyde’s lignite highly enough, now available at selected Bunnings stores (in Vic). Failing that, Keith suggests BioChar (try Charman) - 2 litres per 2 sq.m and Neutrog Gogo JuiceLow hedging/edible hedge suggestions - when terracing, low levels can have higher hedges and gradually decrease size as you go up. From bottom up: Pineapple guava, Tasmanian Pepperberry, Goji Berry, Salt Bush, Chilean Guava, Tea Plant, Midyim BerryKeith shares some tips on Rondeletia leucophyliaAs with any herbicide, always follow the directions when using Slasher. Can you add compost over ground covers? Yes, lightly won’t be a problem! Also consider Charlie Carp Keith explains how to reduce high pH levels Keep sending in your questions via DM to Muddy Boots or where needed in between episodes, reach out to Keith @ke_landscape_consultantWhere you can find all things Muddy Boots!BRAND NEW WEBSITE: https://www.muddyboots.net.au/Instagram: www.instagram.com/muddybootspodcast/ Facebook: Muddy Boots Podcast | Facebook