Welcome to April!  
Prime gardening season is upon us as the weather begins to cool down.  We've passed the equinox so days will be getting noticeably shorter as the weeks progress.

We're transitioning to Djeran (Noongyar season).  Djeran season at last sees a break in the really hot weather. A key indicator of the change of season is the cool nights that bring overnight dew.  Breezes come from the south, and it's the time of ants - on the wing to begin new colonies. As the season progresses, the nights will become cooler and damper,  and there's rainy days to come - which means that traditionally mia mias (houses or shelters) were now repaired and updated and made waterproof in readiness for winter. Banksias start to flower, producing nectar for many small mammals and birds. Traditionally, foods at this time of year included stored seeds, along with the root bulbs of the Yanget (Bullrushes), fresh water fish, frogs and turtles.  

In our garden we're still harvesting summer vegies like eggplant, zucchini, pumpkin, capsicum, chilli and tomatoes.  But it's time to be thinking about all the winter crops to get started (if you haven't already) and saving seeds from your best producing summer crops.  I know that the heat has been holding us back from getting stuck into the garden on our days off - but we're itching to get out there as soon as we have a couple of cooler days we can get stuck in!  If you're planning some major garden projects in the coming weeks, please make note of our trading days for the public holidays here:

Good Friday (7th April) - CLOSED
Easter Saturday (8th April) - 8.30 - 4.00pm
Easter Sunday (9th April) - CLOSED
Easter Monday (10th April) - 8.30 - 2.00pm (note early closing)

ANZAC Day Public Holiday (Tuesday, April 25th) - CLOSED

We've had a busy time since the last newsletter - speaking at the hugely successful Kalamunda Garden Festival and being part of Guildford Town Garden Centre's 30th Anniversary celebrations. We've been across to MIFGS (Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show) and had a great time seeing the lovely display gardens and seeing what's new, and learning about emerging trends in the industry.  And we came across this familiar face in the Exhibition Hall, where there were magnificent floral displays of all sorts.
Paul & I were all set to go in 2020 when just a week or two out from the event, COVID hit - and we all remember the interesting months that followed on from that!!  Glad to say that this time the travel plans weren't disrupted and that we could attend.  We also had the opportunity to visit some beautiful gardens, and - of course - get rained on...  Ah, Melbourne weather!

Remember that the Perth Garden and Outdoor Living Festival is back this May 11- 14 (take your Mum for a Mother's Day outing!) - tickets are available online.  Also - just announced the Kalamunda Garden Festival organisers have a very special event - workshops & a dinner with Costa planned for the 13th May.  See their Facebook page for all the details.

Speaking of workshops - we know you've missed the days we held our own GLSC workshops...  We have some very cunning plans in the pipeline - so watch this space!!!  
In the meantime, we hope to see you soon at GLSC to help you get your Autumn garden booming and blooming.

Linda & the team @ Green Life

In this newsletter

• Jobs in the April Garden 
• What to plant NOW
• Green Manure - what is it & why we use it!
• Qld Fruit Fly outbreak - we need your help
• VIP Special Offer
• Photo Competition Winner
• Retailer Update - where to find Green Life goodies closer to home!

Jobs in the April Garden

• Feed your fruit trees!  Deciduous trees have a small window before they go dormant where they can store nutrients in readiness for Spring.  A light topdress with compost, aged manures or a complete fertiliser (we love Growsafe!) will be beneficial.  Evergreens like Citrus will also benefit.  Sometimes Citrus go a bit yellow in the cold months (see pic) - which is their reaction to the temperatures; winter is not the time to feed them as they can't get the benefit.  Feed them now, and again in Spring once the weather's a little warmer.
• Plant late Winter/Spring bulbs - the Jonquils, Daffodils, Tulips, Hyacinth, Snowdrop (etc) bulbs will all be available soon. Plant them for some lovely colour and scent in the garden - often when there's little else around in the cooler weather. Improve soil with our General Soil Builder & Concentrate dug through prior to planting. 
• Plant a fruit tree! Bare rooted trees won't be available for a couple more months yet (many good nurseries have an order list - so contact them and get on it!). But it's a good opportunity to plant potted trees or evergreen fruit trees like Citrus - Autumn is a fabulous time to do so.
• Feed your lawn! Once the weather cools down you're maybe a bit too late - but the weather is still warm so give your grass a light feed or top dress now - it's as great opportunity to do it before rains come.  Come and grab a trailer load or have some delivered for the best lawn in the street!
• Sow your spring flowering annuals from seed. Poppies, Sweet Peas, Stocks, Aquilegia, Alyssum, Nasturtium - just for a few - to give bees & beneficial insects some food! Also things like Borage (pic right) - which grows very easily at this time of year and is a great plant if you've got a bit of room. It can grow about 75cms x 75cms at least - but is such a lovely Bee plant to have!  We've got good stock levels of seeds for many of these flowers, so come on in soon!
• Watch for slugs & snails - as soon as we have some rain these little guys get really active in our gardens.  Make your own traps from beer, or select one of the least toxic iron based pellets to use - we have Multiguard and Protect-Us (Certified Organic) pellets in stock.
• Get your Winter vegies in ASAP. Check out healthy seedlings as a faster option to be harvesting sooner. We're getting in extra seedling stock just prior to Easter - so come on in and get your soil & seedlings for your Easter vegie garden projects!  We've also got plenty of Winter vegie seeds in stock - start some seed now for your successive crops to follow.
• You can cut down on watering your indoor plants now, as the seasons are changing. Do check out the moisture in your pots before watering; most indoor plants are killed by overwatering (not under watering) so you're often best to let the soil dry out just a little bit before watering again.  Got things to repot?  Have you tried our Indoor Potting Mix?
• Harvest your Sweet Potatoes - dig around for the tubers. Plants will slow down and potentially die back a little over winter (if you have them in a cooler spot) so make the most of the tubers you have grown. Get some more slips growing to start again in the Spring. See our fact sheet on propagating sweet potatoes here.
• Depending on where you are, it might be almost time to cut back asparagus and prepare beds for winter dormancy with a big load of good compost. Plan on doing this sometime in the next month.
• Cut back Lavender, Geranium (and other summer flowering perennials). Use the off-cuts for cuttings & see if you can grow new plants for free!  We've got a fact sheet on propagating from cuttings here.

What to Plant NOW

With Autumn conditions barely here...  there's loads of opportunity to plant your Autumn/Winter crops.

Do check out our FREE downloadable planting guides for Perth (see link here) - but here's a quick list of vegies & herbs to try now:

Artichoke (Globe), Asian Greens, Beetroot, Beans (Bush & Broad), Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Coriander, English Spinach, Garlic, Kale, Kohl Rabi, Leek, Lettuce, Mint, Onion, Oregano, Parsley, Parsnip, Peas, Potato, Radish, Silverbeet, Snow Peas, Spring Onion, Swede, Turnip.

As I write we are awaiting replenishment stock of Rojo garlic - hopefully before Easter, but have sold out of Purple Stripe - but MAY be getting more if the farmer has any left over after his planting needs are finalised...  if you'd like to go on a waitlist, contact us! 

Also imminent are stocks of our Manjimup grown Certified Organic seed potatoes; we hope to receive them before Easter.  This year we are selling two options - red skinned (Laura) and a white skinned (Delaware*).  We currently have stock of WA seed potatoes - Kipfler and Royal Blue (these are both conventionally grown & not organic). 

* we're also expecting to have a small amount of Dutch Cream (certified organic) and Neptune (conventionally grown).

We've got quick tips for Garlic & Potatoes below - but we have more detailed growing guides available too - click on these links: POTATOES & GARLIC - if you've never grown them before, it's definitely worth having a go!  You don't need heaps of space, and the flavour of home grown is unbeatable!

Remember - there's HEAPS of free information, tips & growing guides right here on our website; please feel free to share in your social media groups! (And tag us in your garden photos!)

Green Manure

"Have you ever considered the difference between dirt and soil?  Dirt is, to all intents and purposes, dead.  It's depleted of nutrients, unable to adequately support plant growth, and is barren.  Dirt is the building block of wastelands.  Soil, on the other hand, teems with life.  It's the building block of thriving communities." - Justin Russell, Organic Gardener.

Most of us who are trying to build a healthy garden are familiar with lifeless dirt.  Our dry, sandy soils in WA are unable to support many of the exotic plants that we wish to grow in our gardens - including vegetables and herbs.  So how do we restore dirt and create soil?  This healing process is greatly enhanced by compost - adding decomposing organic matter and animal manures, and incorporating minerals which help with water and nutrient retention.  And there's another way - GREEN MANURE.

The word manure is defined as "material that fertilises land" - and while we usually think of it as animal or human excrement that has for centuries been utilised as fertiliser, ''green manure" is living plants that are grown specifically to fertilise and create productive soil.

Green manure has many benefits, including:

• increasing organic matter, which decays to feed soil microoganisms and encourage earthworm activity
• stabilises soil to help prevent erosion
• brings deep minerals to the surface to recycle nutrients
• opens up compacted/tight soils to increase water and air penetration
• outcompete weeds when used as a cover crop
• treat and prevent some soil pests and disease

Green manure crops can be a single species, but more commonly are a mixture of species.  At GLSC our mix contains a wide variety of seeds - so that no matter what time of year, or what the conditions are like at your place, one or two (minimum) species will germinate and grow well.  We do load the recipe seasonally (and supplier availability can change from year to year); but generally there's always a mixture of things like oats, wheat, millet, sunflowers, lupin, alfalfa, buckwheat, mung bean, broad bean, soy bean, mustard, peas, sorghum, canola - and more!  All these plants have a purpose - some create large volumes of organic matter (like the oats/wheat etc.) others are nitrogen fixing (lupins, beans, peas), some are deep rooted (lupin, sunflowers) and others in the brassica family act as a biofumigant in the soil* (canola, mustard).  (Because of the variety of sources of seed, it is not Certified Organic.)

* To gain the benefit of biofumigation, you'll need to dig the leaves into the soil, and you must keep the soil damp for 4-5 weeks in order to stimulate the bacteria that causes the leaves and roots to decompose and release the gases into the soil which can assist with root knot nematode control. 

Growing a green manure crop is easy - you don't need to do much.  Remove spent crops, and rake over the soil.  Broadcast the green manure seed thickly, rake over lightly to cover the seed, and water!  Keep the area watered regularly and within a couple of weeks, you'll have a patch of miscellaneous green stuff emerging!  (Ideally, plant before rain is due and your crop will be off to a flying start.)

Depending on how quickly you want to use the area that the green manure is growing in, leave the crop to grow for as long as you can before chopping it down.  You can either leave it to dry out and break down on top of the soil and plant into the area, just clearing a space for seedlings, or dig the crop through into the soil. There are advantages and disadvantages with both.  While brassicas are best dug through if you're looking at the benefits of biofumigation, nitrogen fixing plants (peas/beans/lupins) are more beneficial if the roots are left undisturbed to naturally decompose and maximise additional nitrogen in the soil. 

Should you mow the crop, some plants will reshoot again and again - so you may need to dig them out.  Chopping into the area lightly to incorporate the material may be a better idea - but it is also more work.  Either way, the concept of green manure is NOT to allow the plants to set seed;  you don't want to create your own weed problem with a whole array of new weeds in your backyard.  

In an ideal situation if you have space, leaving a garden area with green manure growing in it for the full season is a great way to rest the soil between crops and maximise the yield of the plant matter to add to the soil.  However, if you don't have the luxury of space, a short growing season and a bit of green manure is better than none.  Green manure is also a great thing to try in a new garden - where you may be planning on expanding garden beds in coming seasons, and you're looking longer term at soil improvement.  (For example, you could grow a crop now, cut down prior to flowering in spring, dig through, then apply a thick layer of wood chip mulch to protect the soil over summer, and by next autumn you can plant out with smaller amounts of compost and soil improver to get a new garden established.)

Biosecurity Alert - Queensland Fruit Fly

Unfortunately, another incidence of Queensland Fruit Fly (different from the Mediterranean Fruit Fly we already know and 'love') has occurred in Perth. We need to all be aware and alert - please see the following information taken from the DPIRD website.  Please click this link to visit their website for more information and a map that shows the affected areas, a full list of host plants, and more.
Photo credit: James Niland (DPIRD Website)

DPIRD is working to stop the spread of the significant invasive pest, Queensland fruit fly (Qfly), after a confirmed detection in Bayswater.

A Quarantine Area has now been declared and covers a 15km radius around the suburbs of Bayswater and Belmont.

Qfly is one of the most serious pests of fruit and vegetables in Australia, attacking over 300 species of fruit and vegetables and impacting a range of horticulture industries and access to valuable markets.

Quarantine Area

The Quarantine Area (QA) covers a 15kms radius from the Qfly detection points and includes Perth, Belmont, Gosnells, Kalamunda, Vincent, Joondalup, Swan, Wanneroo, Melville, Canning, Bayswater, South Perth, Subiaco, Stirling, Nedlands, Bassendean, Belmont, Claremont, Victoria Park, Cambridge and Mundaring.

The QA is divided into two main zones: the Corrective Action Zone and the Export Assurance Zone.  

Corrective Action Zone

The Corrective Action Zone is the 1.5 km area surrounding each detection point.

Residents located within this zone are required to comply with the following QA requirements:

• Qfly host fruit cannot be removed from or moved within any part of the Corrective Action Zone , unless treated or processed (cooked, frozen or solarised).
• All ripe or ripening host fruit on plants or trees must be picked, and all fallen host fruit must be removed every three days.
• Fruit can be eaten, or must be treated, bagged and then binned in residential waste bins.
• Residents must provide DPIRD personnel access to their premises to inspect and bait host plants twice a week until further notice.

Baiting within the Corrective Action Zone

Premises and street trees within the Corrective Action Zone will be baited regularly with an organic insecticide bait called Naturalure®.

Trapping within the Corrective Action Zone

DPIRD will place various types of traps in the area to undertake surveillance and management activities. These traps will be clearly marked and may contain small amounts pheromones (to attract the Qfly) and insecticide. If you see a trap, don't touch them! They have a very important job to do!

Monitoring and surveillance within the Corrective Action Zone

DPIRD will have personnel moving through the area, undertaking inspections of Qfly host fruit trees and plants, both in public areas and in private backyards.

Under the Biosecurity and Agricultural Management Act 2007, DPIRD may request access to private backyards. Owners or occupiers must provide DPIRD personnel access to conduct trapping, inspections and baiting.

DPIRD staff will not ask to access you house or sheds and will have identification that you can ask to see.

Why is it important to keep Western Australia free from Qfly?

Qfly is a major agricultural pest that is highly invasive, infesting more than 300 species of cultivated fruits and vegetables.

Maintaining Qfly Area Freedom provides WA growers access to export markets, such as avocados to Japan and strawberries to Thailand, and allows for continued enjoyment of home-grown fruit and vegetables.

Other impacts include the increased use of pesticides and a reduction or loss in our ability to grow and enjoy fruits and vegetables in our backyard. (Photo credit - DPIRD Website)

Has WA successfully eradicated Qfly before?

Western Australia has been highly successful at eradicating previous Qfly incursions with the cooperation of local communities and industry, and by efforts of the experienced incident response staff at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). Qfly has been has eradicated from the Perth metropolitan area on eight occasions since 1989.

What steps can I take to help prevent Qfly from infesting my backyard fruit and vegetables?

By following these steps, you can reduce the risk of Qfly infestations in your backyard.

• Keep an eye on your fruit trees, vegetable garden and ornamental host plants. Regularly inspect host plants for signs of Qfly damage including small holes, or the presence of larvae/maggots
• Report suspect Qfly via the MyPestGuide® Reporter app or by contacting the Pest and Disease Information Service on 9368 3080 or email padis@dpird.wa.gov.au.
• Garden hygiene – pick up and dispose of fallen fruit. Fallen fruit is a prime breeding ground for fruit flies, so it is important to pick up and dispose of any fallen fruit as soon as possible.
• Use netting – covering your fruit trees with fine netting can help prevent fruit flies from accessing the fruit. Ensure netting is kept off the ground to prevent Qfly from completing their life cycle in the ground.

VIP Special offer

Are you feeling SEEDY?  It's time to get your winter crops going. We're extending the SPECIAL VIP OFFER on Seed Raising Mix another month, because we know this hotter weather has meant many of you have delayed your sowing.  We've got HEAPS of seeds in stock - so hurry on in and choose your autumn/winter varieties to get started. 

So it's time to get growing!  To kick start your autumn/winter crop propagation - we're offering HALF PRICE Seed Raising Mix this month to our VIP's. Spend $60 and pick up a bag of our Certified Organic Seed Raising Mix for $7.00.

Limit of 2 per customer, while stocks last. Valid until close of business, Saturday 29th April 2023.

In Store shoppers (or if placing an order over the phone) - please ask our team for the VIP pricing.  Online VIP's must be logged into the members-only section to view the special pricing and add the product to an online order.

Photo Competition Winner

This month, we've chosen Dee Parks as our winner.  Dee is a regular customer.  She grows a lot of her crops in Greensmart self watering pots (pictured left), as she's limited for space and has some mobility issues.  She loves her garden and has recently stocked up on garlic to plant.  

Thanks Dee!  You've won a $50 store credit to spend with us.

Next month it could be YOU!  Please send us in a photo (or photos) with a note or captions to tell us what you're doing in your garden, and maybe YOU'LL be our winner - drawn at random.  Either email us or send via Facebook messenger like Dee did.  Use "photo competition" as the subject line.  And that's all you need to do!  Simples!

Retailer Update

Please support your local independent retailer who supports us! The specialist retailers listed here will be happy to give you gardening advice and help you with our products - please call to check what lines they carry as they can't stock all of our products (but may be willing to get stock in for a custom order - if you ask nicely!). Some of these fabulous retailers also offer a home delivery service (marked with *)  - so why not go local?  (Please contact the store directly for details.)

This month's photos are taken at The Swan Valley Station - it's a fantastic place to take the family; with a nursery, gift shop, cafe, sculpture walk around the dam, playground, picnic area and LOTS of animals for the kids to see & pet.  Definitely a great place to go for a weekend drive!

Daisy Field Organics - Fremantle 
Garden Elegance - Subiaco 9381 2197
Guildford Town Garden Centre* - Guildford 9279 8645
Harbour Plants*- South Fremantle 0439 967 034
Hydroponics Guru (Living Soil only) - Wangara 0430527575
Kambarang Garden Centre* (formerly Waldecks Bentley) - Bentley 9458 5944
Lighthouse Fruit Tree Nursery - Parkwood 0411 166 034
Miaflora - Inglewood 9343 6334
Newstead Outdoors* - Greenwood 9334 6334
Nibali Stockfeed* - Hamilton Hill 9433 2211
Richo's 4 Hydro - Joondalup 9301 4462
Stackwood - Fremantle 9335 9835 (Potting Mix only)
Stanbee Stockfeeds* - Barragup 9581 2390
Swan Valley Station - Swan Valley 0427 371 001
Tass1 Trees - Middle Swan 0419 988 344
The Nourished Pantry - Golden Bay (Rockingham area) 0422 338 422
Urban Revolution* - Victoria Park 6102 1068
Utopia Nursery - Bullsbrook 0455 659 622
Waldecks Kingsley* - 9309 5088
Waldecks Melville* - 6317 0939
Waldecks Stirling* - 9254 6730
Zanthorrea Nursery - Maida Vale 9454 6260

Ardess Nursery (Albany) 9842 9952
Australind Landscaping Supplies 9796 1720
Blossoms Nursery (Denmark) 9848 2014
Boyup Brook Co-op (Boyup Brook) 9765 1001
Great Northern Rural Services (Geraldton) 9964 1274
Hillview Garden Centre (Bridgetown) 9761 1672
Margaret River - Nutrient Ag Solutions 9758 7677
Soils Ain't Soils (Busselton) 97515 322

THANK YOU for being part of our Green Life family!  We hope to see you in store soon.  Check out our newsletter next month & stay up to date with our Facebook and Instagram pages for announcements, stock arrivals and general good gardening vibes!