Well before the move I was given about 12 drip spikes to trial in the garden. As luck would have it it then rained for a week, and then I had all the technology failures below to deal with. Anyway yesterday I finally deployed the spikes using some of the collected rain water.

The spike basically connects to a spent PET bottle such as a Coke bottle that is pierced at the base. The spike is then inserted into the ground and lets water out direct to the roots at a controlled rate. There are 9 settings to control the drip speed. I now have deployed the spikes around the garden to a range of plants. All are on the slowest drip speed. Early indications look good with many of the bottles nowhere near empty after 24 hours of deployment.

I will let you all know how it goes over the coming weeks.

Well after losing the most recent Blackjack Zuccini seedlings I have been doing some research and believe that they may be suffering from damping off. Damping off is a fungal disease that attacks plants at any stage of life, however it is as a seedling that the worst effects can be seen. As a seedling the fungus attacks the stem of the seedling and eventually the young plant topples over and dies. This is exactly what has been happening with the Blackjack Zucchini attempts.

So with these symptoms in mind I went and looked at where the last batch were planted. In the tub occupied by the new long yellow capsicums a white discolouration has appeared. It looks very much like a mushroom kit does when the mushrooms are ended. Basically it is a layer of fungi. This is typical of damping off.

Looking at the remaining tubs that the Blacjack Zuchinis have been in. Within them is another fungus running rampant, the humble toadstool.

With this in mind I recalled a gardening program I saw with a homemade Damping Off retardant. It is very simple and inexpensive recipe that takes advantage of the ingredients high level of calcium, potash and sulfur. The recipe is:

Ingredients

• Chamomile Tea
• 1/4 cup
• 2 tea bags
• 2 cups water
• Pot or kettle
• Strainer (if using loose leaves)
• Spray bottle

Recipe

• Boil the water.
• Add the chamomile tea.
• Let this prepared tea cool.
• If you have used loose leaves then strain the mixture into a spray bottle or desired containers.

Usage
There are two applications for this mixture. It can be used to:

• By spraying on soil and seedlings to kill off the fungus.
• Soaking the seeds prior to planting for a week.
• Combat outbreaks by spraying any area displaying fuzzy white growth.

Shelf Life
This mixture has a relatively short shelf life of one week. After which time the mixture should be recycled and replaced.

I am now about to prepare the mixture and treat the suspect areas within my garden.

Yesterday it rained a bit in New South Wales. Thankfully, it did not rain as much in Sydney as it did in the Northern Rivers area, check out (Flooding in the Northern Rivers). However, rain is a double edged sword for us gardening types. The pro’s are that we get a day off watering the plants and we get to capture some rainwater. The cons are the critters that surface during rain, most notably the snails and slugs of the world.

Snails are one of the many not so friendly visitors to the garden. If left alone they will destroy an otherwise healthy harvest. So yesterday during the rain I decided to build some defences the easy peesy way. The steps and requirements are below.

The Weapons of Snail Destruction
Like the ingredients in the Weapons of Maggot Destruction the requirements for snail traps are quite humble and common place. All that is needed is a beer and a liquid proof container. In my case I used and used aluminium drip tray and a bottle of Hahn Premium Light (not pictured).

How it Works
The trap works by luring the snails to the beer. The snail then drinks, gets drunk, and drowns. Simple as that.

Process

1. Dig the container into the ground a little. This means the snails are more likely to travel into the trap as they are not climbing materials they may otherwise avoid. Do not get too pendantic about having the trap 100% level, its not a beauty statement after all.



2. Bait the trap by pouring in your chosen beer. Do not waste a premium ale here, a standard cheap variety is just as effective for snails. Simply fill the container two thirds full with your chosen amber liquid.



3. Walk away and check it the next day. Fish out the dead snails and walk away again. When the beer finally evaporates simply sacrifice another bottle of beer and its away again

I love this trap as it is simple, effective and cheaper than using a commercial snail repellent solution. It is also better for the environment.