Category: Practical advice and DIY

Clear, practical advice to support confident decision-making, DIY projects and owner-builders while avoiding common design and construction mistakes.

Hands-on with Hempcrete
Last Friday, I had the opportunity to dive back into the world of hempcrete at a hands-on Hemp Building Practical Workshop near Cressy, Tasmania. Hosted by The Hemp Masonry Company at X-Hemp, it was a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with this incredible material—not just as a designer, but by getting my hands dirty, feeling the mix.

Having designed buildings with hempcrete before, I know its benefits in theory. However, there is something about actually working with it that brings a deeper appreciation. The process, the texture, the way it sets—it all makes you realise just how special this material is. This was not my first time mixing hempcrete; revisiting the hands-on experience was incredibly rewarding. It reinforced why I believe in this material so much.

Me temping hempcrete into the wall on a sunny Tasmanian day.

A Growing Industry, A Local Opportunity

The hempcrete industry is growing rapidly in Australia, and we are lucky to have it here in Tasmania. Hempcrete is an amazing, natural building material with huge potential for sustainable, energy-efficient construction. Over the past decade, The Hemp Masonry Company has worked on over 240 residential projects and even some major commercial builds, like the refurbishment of UTAS’s Forestry Building. Seeing hempcrete gain traction here is exciting—it is a step towards a more sustainable building future.

As Andy Lucas, the Managing Director of X-Hemp, told us during a presentation in front of school kids, this is both a new and old industry. Hemp has been used for centuries in various forms, and now it is making a well-deserved comeback as people seek healthier, more sustainable ways to build.

The Workshop Experience

This workshop was not just about watching—it was about doing. We mixed hempcrete ourselves, learning the right balance of hemp hurd, water, lime, and sand. There is a simple joy in testing the mix, squeezing it into a ball to see if it holds together. The process of layering it into formwork, tamping it down, and understanding the best way to build up a strong, well-insulated wall really brought home the craft of it.

One of the most exciting moments was revealing the finished wall by taking the formwork off. There is always a moment of suspense, wondering how the texture and structure have come together. Seeing the hempcrete take shape, solid yet organic, was truly satisfying.

One of the coolest parts was experimenting with oxide pigments to colour sections of the wall. The result? A stunning, textured piece that reminded me of a Rothko painting. Who knew hempcrete could be art?

Why You Should Try It

If you are a builder, architect, or even just someone interested in sustainable building, I cannot recommend this workshop enough. It is one thing to read about hempcrete, but getting hands-on makes all the difference. Plus, for professionals, it counts towards CPD points.

If you are curious to learn more or want to get involved in a future workshop, I highly encourage you to reach out to The Hemp Masonry Company at hempmasonry.com.au. This is an industry that’s growing, and now is a great time to be part of it.

For me, this experience just reinforced why I love working with hempcrete—it is sustainable, practical, and just a joy to build with. And if you ever get the chance to try it yourself, take it—you will not regret it!

You can also read our blog about working with hempcrete: Hemp: Houses that breathe so you can too
03/03/2025
No rest for the ‘wicking’ with these beds

What does an old tank and a recycled fence have to do with growing your own food? A lot! If you are interested in doing more with less and saving water that is.

We spent the recent Recreation Day long weekend making several wicking beds for one of our favourite ‘clients’, Aunty Trish. Trish is renting her home but wanted to get more our of her garden. So we designed a plan featuring containerised plants that could be transported if and when Trish has to move out of that home.

The heroes of this plan are definitely the wicking beds we made, using two recycled food grade intermediate bulk container (IBC) tanks and several sections of the property’s fence that Trish had salvaged when the landlord replaced it. Trish was keen to grow her own food but wanted a fairly low maintenance set up. The wicking beds have a water reservoir at their base meaning less need to water on a regular basis.

TIP: You still need to water in plants at establishment to ensure that the soil profile is wet right through and to enable water to move up into the soil profile from the water reservoir.

As well as the IBC tanks and recycled fence palings, we used a premium veggie mix from a local supplier as our soil profile and blue metal screenings in the water reservoir. Ideally we would like to have used scoria in the water reservoir. This volcanic material is porous and has an excellent water holding capacity and air filled porosity. However, it is not readily available in Tasmania, and if it is, is very expensive.

Before we filled the wicking beds with these materials, we conducted a test to make sure that there were no leaks in the tanks.

Then we shovelled the screenings into the wheelbarrow, tipped them into the tank, returned to the screening pile and shovelled another barrow load. I think you get the picture! There was a fair bit of shovelling involved, but what a great outcome.

Below you can also see that we placed the slotted agi (agricultural) pipe) at the base of the tank before we poured the screenings over it. This pipe was attached to a drainage pipe positioned vertically to enable Trish to top up the water reservoir as required. We then covered the screenings with a geotextile fabric that will stop the soil migrating into the water reservoir.

Then comes the ‘soil’. In this case, we used a premium veggie mix which should get Trish’s vegetables off to a good start. Given this is an organic material, and the plants will take up nutrients from it, this soil profile will need to be topped up over time. That is natural. Well rotted compost should do the trick when the times comes.

After a bit more shovelling, we were ready to wrap the tank with sections of the old paling fence that were able to be reused. Instead of hiding the tank totally behind timber, we integrated the old palings into its structure. I like the fact that you can still see the original tank structure. It is a bit like the Centre Georges Pompidou, the structure is not hidden but forms part of the aesthetic.

To top it off, we then added a layer of pea straw mulch.

Before and after … ready for planting! Stay tuned for more pics of summer vegie goodness

And yes, we know that tomatoes are technically a fruit

A bientôt!

#veggies #vegetables #veggiegarden #vegetablegarden #vegetablegardening #growyourown #growyourownfood #growwhatyoueat #garden #gardening #ediblegarden #kitchengarden #gardendesign #gardendesigner #sustainableliving #wickingbeds #raisedbeds

18/11/2021
What’s in the box?
Do not worry, this is Gabrielle’s (not Pandora’s) box. If you are interested in growing your own vegies, then you may want to take a peek inside.

By now, most of you have probably cottoned on that this is indeed a box for storing seed. Until recently, I have been storing our seeds in an old food safe in a cool, dry place in the house. This arrangement has worked quite well until now, with the seeds seemingly remaining viable. However, it was getting a little messy in this safe and hard to find the seeds I wanted, when I wanted them. I wanted to come up with a better way to organise my seeds that did not rely on tying a rubber band around groups of seed ordered by seasonal sowing recommendations.

So, Ludovic and I came up with a little design for a seed storage box. Ludovic sketched various designs until I was happy. He is very patient!

Dimensions of our seed storage box

During this conceptual phase, we also had to decide on which materials we would use. Eventually, we settled on plywood.

We used plywood to construct this seed box

Then we got to the task. You can see me below starting to marking out the different sections of the seed storage box that we needed to cut. I did a little bit of the grunt work, but then got distracted on other tasks, so it was left to Ludovic to finish the box off.

Me getting busy marking out the dimensions of the seed box

Et voila! This is the beautiful little creation that Ludovic completed. Ludovic added the hinges to enable the lids to be lifted off without removing them fully. He also included two little straps, one on each lid, to help open them more easily. The observant among you may notice that the lids open upwards, rather than outwards. There is a reason for that, as you will shortly find out.

Voila! The completed seed storage box

Here is a peek into our seed storage box. I have temporarily created dividers with recycled paper. However, I will create something more permanent over time. You can seed a list of each seed type inside the seed box and its likely sowing time. The list continues on the other lid. You may be able to see that I have put those seeds that can be pretty much sown at any time of the year here in my part of Tasmania at the top of the list. For the sowing method, ‘d’= Direct (in the ground) and ‘p’ = Punnet (or whatever container may suit that purpose). I may simplify this list even more over time, but for now I am giving it a go.

I have grouped seeds into the following categories. However, we are all different and think about edible plants differently depending on how we use them. So, feel free to come up with your own method of sorting your seeds:
- Asian greens
- Beans
- Beetroot
- Brassicas
- Carrots
- Chillies
- Cucumbers
- Flowers
- Herbs
- Leafy greens
- Onions
- Pumpkins
- Radishes
- Salad
- Swedes
- Tomatoes
- Zucchinis
Some of you may prefer to use common names. Me, well I have my own style!

Another thing I did was to write a little code for each category. Can you see the ‘FO’ written on the Asian Greens marker? Well that reminds me that we mostly eat the leaves of Asian Greens, so they can be considered as a foliage (FO) crop for the purposes of crop rotation as follows:
1. Legumes (LE)
2. Foliage (FO)
3. Fruit (FRU)
4. Root (RO)
5. Green manure/Fallow – No code for that one. Although I do have some green manure seeds somewhere. Must find them!
LE – FO – FRU – RO … my new mnemonic for remembering crop rotation.

I struggle with remembering information at the best of times. So I am always trying to find useful mnemonics to help me. If you have any gardening mnemonics that you think may help me, feel free to share them with us on our Facebook page.

My next task is to make a database into which I will transfer my plant list from the Excel spreadsheet it is currently kept in. That will make it more easy for me to record information on the plants that we are currently growing, would like to grow, would like to use in our landscape design or just like want to know about them. Currently, I have over 1,000 plants listed in this spreadsheet, so it is getting a little unwieldy.

As for finding the time to do this, there are other tasks that require our attention. Like starting off those seeds, planting them out and tending to them. Hold on though, I am getting a little ahead of myself. There are three garden beds currently in a half-state of preparation that need a little love before this can happen, as you can see in the picture below.

We are busy preparing 3 new beds in the enclosure to plant out our seeds

So on that note, I will leave the writing for now and head outside to make hay while the sun shines … or something like that!

A bientôt!

#seed #seeds #seedbox #plants #garden #gardening #growyourown #growyourownfood #vegetablegarden #veggiegarden #gardendesign #landscapedesign #tasmania
10/09/2021
Enhancing the greenhouse effect

We recently built a mini greenhouse to fit on our balcony so that we could get a head start on our summer seedlings.

Every construction or woodwork project can be thought of as an architectural project, no matter how big or small. I like to use SketchUp to plan my project. SketchUp is a 3D modeling computer program for drawing applications including architectural, interior design, landscape architecture, civil and mechanical engineering, film and video game design. I can draw the project to scale and estimate the materials required.

Below you can see how I have used SketchUp to develop a design for a mini greenhouse to fit on our north-facing balcony.

Concept for our new mini-greenhouse modelled in SketchUp

After purchasing the materials, I used this sketch to start building the mini greenhouse.

I used 35×70 sections of untreated, non-structural pine certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for the frame. After cutting the pieces to size, I stained the timber to fit the aged style of the existing house, and then sealed it with a coat of varnish.

I then started to assemble the frame using batten screws to have a solid frame, and added the polycarbonate sheet to the front.

I did not plan the door until the end of the project. I decided to use a good old palette we had in the yard.

I then covered the rest of the frame and the doors with builder’s plastic and fastened it with staples to the frame. The tip here is to use low force on the staple and to put two staples on top of each other to form a cross to avoid the plastic ripping apart.

In case it gets too hot inside the mini greenhouse (and it will!), I made it possible to slide both panels on top of the greenhouse to allow hot air to escape. Note though that the middle part is fixed. I used the same railing system sold with the polycarbonate panels and fixed them with small screws. You can see below that the thermometer inside indicates that the internal temperature of the greenhouse was 23 degrees (Celsius) on the day this photo was taken, whilst outside the temperature was only 8 degrees. Even on a cold day, the power of the sun can be harnessed.

That’s it, here the final result. We have put in our first batch of seedlings and cannot wait until we can transfer our tomato and other summer vegie seedlings from our heat pad set up indoors to this mini greenhouse. But more on that later. In the meantime, we cannot wait for the end of winter so we can get these seedlings into the ground.

I hope this may inspire you to create your own mini greenhouse. If you have any questions or photos of your own greenhouse projects, feel free to share them with us on Facebook.

#greenhouse #plants #garden #gardening #gardeners #gardenlife #gardeninglife #growyourown #growyourownfood #homegrown #vegetablegarden #woodwork #woodworking #tasmania #northerntasmania

20/08/2021
The upper crust
How does the heat pad we use to germinate seed also help us to make the most beautiful homemade bread?

This is a story all about bread, yet it starts with a device associated with gardeners, not bread-makers. Yes, the humble heat pad. This is an essential item in our home for germinating seed, especially when we try to get a head start on summer crops like tomatoes. And without it, I just would not be able to make bread. Any bread maker who lives in a cold house needs a heat pad! Actually, you will need two other things: a cast iron pot with a lid and time. Bread-making is not a quick process. So gardeners, if you are looking to get more value out of your heat pad, bread-making may just be it!

I will not go through every step involved in making bread from scratch. This is just a quick walkthrough. I have listed some links at the end if you want to know more. For the sourdough starter, you can make it yourself or, my preferred option, ask your local baker for a little bit. After that you are all good to go.

To keep the sourdough starter alive, you cannot make it more simple. Mix a equal portion of sourdough, water and flour. Easy! And guess what, you do not have to feed it every day. When you are done, give it a last feed when it is active and stuck it in the fridge. You will always be able to resuscitate the starter even after a few months. The starter may be a bit slow, so feed it a few times and do some cooking again, again, and again.

Here you can see the sourdough going from small to big in 2 feeds just 24 hours apart.

When the sourdough is active, this is the time to start to mix the ingredients for making bread. You need to follow what we call ‘Baker’s percentage’. For my bread, I use these percentages:
- 100% flour
- 75% to 80% water
- 20% sourdough
- 2% salt
I use 1 kilogram of floor (600 grams white and 400 grams wholemeal). Therefore, I add 750-800 grams of water, 200 grams of sourdough starter and 2 grams of salt. Sorted! Mix all the ingredients roughly and let it rest for an hour on the heat pad.

Remember … the heat pad is the secret weapon to success here!

After that period of rest, you then knead the dough. The dough will be sticky and messy. However, do not give up! After ten minutes of kneading, the dough should be all right (mate!). Another tip, use a scraper in one hand and think of it as a non-sticky hand.

After the kneading, fold the dough into itself every half an hour for 3 to 4 hours, then let it sit for another 3 to 4 hours. During this time, place the dough back on the heat pad when you are not working it. This is when the magic happens. Watch the dough start to double in size.

It is now time to shape the dough. Cut it in two pieces and fold the dough into itself. Do not go too hard; you want to keep the fluffiness and airiness of the dough. Make it a nice ball and put it in a shaping basket which you have lightly dusted with flour first. You can buy a specially made shaping basket or just use any bowl. If using a bowl, and not a shaping basket, place a dry towel inside it first to prevent the dough sticking to it during this time. Do not be shy with the flour because you do not want to ruin your work with the dough sticking to the basket. And if you like, add some sesame seeds for the perfect loaf. Roll the dough in a plate with these seeds.

After this, the dough will undergo a second fermentation. I like to put it in the fridge for a night or two. Or wait another 3 to 4 hours.

And the last part: the baking. Take the dough out of the fridge a hour before you want to bake it. In the meantime, place the cast iron pot in your oven which you have turned on full blast, as high as you can. After that, score the dough with a sharp implement. Any razor blade will do. Do not use a knife if you want a clean cut. Have fun with it, it is a baker’s signature. When people were baking in the oven of the village, this is how they recognised their bread, i.e. by their markings.

Put the bread in the cast iron pot for 20 minutes with the lid on and then another 20 minutes without the lid. And voila! Your bread is baked! And it has the most beautiful crust that you could imagine, thanks its time in the heated cast iron pot.

This bread can be kept in a cool, shady cupboard for up to one week. That is, if nobody eats it first!

Enjoy!

Here are two very useful links that have helped me a lot in my bread-making journey.

https://www.ilovecooking.ie/features/sourdough-bread-masterclass-with-patrick-ryan

#levain #breadmaking #bread #sourdough #breadbaking #baking #sourdoughbread #breadlover #homemade #homemadebread #food #artisanbread #realbread #bakery #foodphotography #sourdoughbaking #wildyeast #breads #sourdoughstarter #homebaker #baker #homebaking #gardener #gardening #garden #gardenlife #nature #gardens #growyourown #growyourownfood #vegetablegarden #gardeners #homegrown #propagation #germination
25/07/2021
Late bloomers

If you have been wondering what has happened to your tomato crop this year, you are not alone! I have heard many anecdotes that the tomato harvest has been poor both here in Tasmania and on the mainland. Our story is no different. However, we have had a little glimmer of hope this week

Tomato, tomato? Wherefore art thou?

You can see a lot of leafy growth here. Perhaps I have overdone the nitrogenous fertiliser. I pruned these plants quite hard last weekend to open them up. But where are the tomatoes? There are flowers, but I would hardly describe these plants as floriferous. I really should have applied some potash to help out here. You have to get done on your hands and knees to see any fruit.

There they are! Those ripe tomatoes will not hide from me any longer

We grow cool climate tomato varieties as most of you probably do here in Tasmania. The first plant this season to produce ripe fruit is a variety called ‘Stupice’. My neighbours gave me a plant a couple of years ago, telling me that it is a reliable cropper for them. One of the best gardening tips I can give to you is that if you want to know what you can grow in your garden, find out what is growing well in your neighbours’ gardens. Of course, there will always be some differences between gardens, e.g. building overshadowing a patch. However, this is a pretty good rule of thumb. So, I am not surprised that this potato-leafed tomato was the first to ripen this year.

Stupice: You little beauty! And the Thai Basil flower in the background is pretty good too

That said, as of Sunday, 21 February April, our tomato harvest stood at 2 tomatoes weighing a total of 52 grams.

I am optimistic we will harvest more tomatoes. Not sure how many though!

The season’s weather has been all over the shop, excuse the vernacular. There has been a lot of rainfall recently but in huge downpours rather than gentle showers. In the last fortnight, we have had two rainfall events, one equalling 84 mls in less than 12 hours, and the other 54 mls in a similar time period. Daily temperatures have been uneven also.

According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, daytime temperatures over 32 degrees C and/or night-time temperatures below 12 degrees C will diminish pollination in tomatoes. High humidity creates sticky pollen which does not transfer well. We have had wonderful warm weather this weekend. However, it does not look like these conditions will last long, looking at the Bureau of Meteorology’s MetEye local forecast app. MetEye provides detailed 7-day wind, wave, rain, and weather forecast maps for boating and farming for all locations across Australia. This is a wonderful tool. If you don’t already use it, get onto it.

Anyway, summer in Liffey appears to have been a sporadic event this year.

Where is summer?

I am not going to wipe off the 2020 harvest yet! Last year, we picked tomatoes up until mid-April. And there are tomatoes on our plants. However, those bottles we have washed and ready for sauces will have to wait a lot longer by the looks of it.

How is your tomato crop going this season? Share your stories with us on Facebook.

If you want to know why your tomato plants performed differently this year, come along to the Tasmanian Garlic and Tomato Festival in Selbourne on Sunday 21 March 2021. Annette and Nevil Reed from Tasmanian Natural Garlic and Tomatoes will be conducting tours of their farm, talking about how this season went along the way. Nevil will also be one of our guest speakers at the Q&A Panel, along with Tino Carnevale from ABC TV’s Gardening Australia and Rees Campbell, author of Eat Wild Tasmanian.

I hope to see you there.

A bientôt!

#gardening #tomatoes #tasmania #tasmaniangarlicandtomatofestival #localproduce

24/02/2021
‘Currant’ flavour of the month

Sometimes the best plants are those that you do not have to grow yourself!

Living on a bush block in northern Tasmanian, we are lucky to be surrounded by native plants, including some edible species. Take the Prickly Currant Bush (Coprosma quadrifida) for example. This plant is one of several edible coprosma species in Tasmania. Luckily for us, it is growing abundantly where we live and is currently fruiting. So, I decided to set out on a little harvesting expedition yesterday.

Whilst out harvesting, I only wanted to find the female Prickly Currant Bushes. This species is dioecious. Put simply, that means that these bushes either have only female flowers or only male flowers, i.e. different sexes. Given I wanted to find fruit, I needed to find female plants. And I want to know where they are for next year too. The block we live on is 70 acres so you can get lost if you don’t know where you are going. So, I decided to take along a GPS to record the locations of the female plants, i.e. those I picked the currants from.

Here I am recording this female plant as a Waypoint on a GPS so I can find it next time

I was fairly prepared for this task, or so I thought. I had a sunhat on, a big pot strapped around my waist for fruit to fall into (not attractive, but very practical), and gloves to protect me as I picked the fruit. It’s not called the Prickly Currant Bush for nothing!

Readers: There was one thing that I forgot to consider. Can you think what that was? (Answer below this image).

Harvesting the currants. Gloves are a must! And long sleeves too as I have now learnt. It is not called Prickly Currant Bush by some for no reason!

Yes, a long-sleeved shirt!

I ended up with a few scratches on my arms. Nothing major. However, I also saw lots of little spiders and other insects. Next time, I will wear long sleeves. It also pays to pay attention to where you are walking. Snakes are out and about at the moment, so if you want to go out harvesting these currants, make sure you are safe. If you have gators, wear them.

Cleaning the currants – first stage

Back at the house, I then had to clean the currants. The first layer of inedible debris came off quite easily by allowing it to float to the top of a container in which the currants were soaked in water. Obviously this matter was lighter than the currants. Yep, a free science lesson as I am that way inclined today! In the end I resorted to sorting other flotsam and jetsam by hand as it did not want to separate out easily in the water. For example, immature/unripe fruit. That took a little time, but the final result was worth it.

All 759 grams of currants!

All that work and only 759 grams harvested! We will just have to savour the flavour 🙂

This small harvest may not seem like a big deal. However, I am stoked that we were able to find so many currants so close to home. I only ventured 200 metres from the house. There are many more plants around, so I think I will go out next weekend too. However, I will remember to leave some fruit on each plant for the wildlife to enjoy.

Native currants ready to eat!

Now what to do with these currants? Rees Campbell, local author aka The Feisty Tasmanian, has a recipe for Bush Berry Pie on page 131 of Eat Wild Tasmanian. I might adapt that recipe to make it plant-based, i.e. sans eggs or cream. I am not sure how that will work! Otherwise, we will just eat them fresh by the handful. Ludovic made a sauce using these currants last year. However, that takes a bit more work removing the seeds from these small fruit (5-10mm diameter). We need a more heavy duty strainer to be able to tackle this task.

Did you know that there are over 150 edible native plants growing on this island? !f you want to know which species are edible and how to use them, then I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Rees’ book. Also, come along to the Tasmanian Garlic and Tomato Festival in Selbourne on Sunday 21 March 2021. Rees will be conducting two workshops and a cooking demonstration where she will describe some of the more useful plants, how to grow, harvest and cook with them.

Rees Campbell seen here with her book ‘Eat Wild Tasmanian’ (Image: www.feistytasmanian.com)

I got involved in the Tasmanian Garlic and Tomato Festival as I just love garlic and tomato and cannot imagine life without them. Anyway, more on that in my next blog. I am going to take some time out for ‘afternoon tea’ and enjoy some of these beautiful currants.

A bientôt!

#gardening #bushtucker #nativeplants #tasmania #localproduce #feistytasmanian #tasmaniangarlicandtomatofestival #discovertasmania

21/02/2021
Making of a Jewel

Recently I have been working on my 3D skills. I would like to show you the process that I take to develop each of my 3D models, using the example of one of the most amazing plants I have seen. This plant is Macodes petola, also known as the Jewel Orchid. Nature is amazing! I am always surprised by the form and shape you can find in it.

First of all you need to find some reference images. I recommend the free program PureRef. Just drag and drop any images from the web or your computer and organise your own pin board.

After that you can start modelling in 3D. I use Blender, a fully open-source 3D software as it is as powerful as most of the commercial programs.

You now need a pot for your indoor plant. And a special plant needs a special pot. I found this old pot with human feet made by the Egyptians in the Predynastic Period (ca. 3900–3650 B.C)

I then modelled the pot using the same process that I used for the plant itself, i.e. in Blender.

When you have completed your 3D modelling, you can start the really fun part: texturing. Let’s bring life to the clay. For this you need to unwrap your 3D shape on a flat surface because the textures are in 2D. Then you can ‘paint’ the shape with the texture you want.

And finally we come to the rendering part. This is when you take a picture of your finished model and incorporate it into an environment that you like with appropriate lighting. For this render, I chose to put the plant on a stand in a museum.

And the good thing with 3D plants is they don’t need too much care, they are living in the cloud.

https://cc553bc7-bdf6-4be5-91fe-23e4cbc251ef.usrfiles.com/html/2b2e4b_d767b483cae16e027c4ea8ac7906fbf4.html

#blender #3Dmodeling #3Dplant #macodespetola #jewelorchid #indoorplant

28/05/2020
Poly tunnels on a budget

Last week, on a beautiful Saturday morning, I drove 20 minutes north-west of Launceston to attend a workshop on Poly Tunnels. It took place at Tasmanian Natural Garlic & Tomatoes, Nevil Reed’s farm in Selbourne. Nevil grows hundreds of varieties of tomato in his poly tunnels.

Nevil has been researching, designing and building poly tunnels for the last nine years. His tunnels are all low cost, durable designs, aimed at mitigating against a variety of weather extremes.

The main reasons why you would like to build a poly tunnel is that you can extend your growing season, have better fruit earlier and longer, and also be able to grow more varieties of plants. On the other hand, because of the closed environment you will create, a little problem in your garden can become a big problem inside the poly tunnel. So you will have to monitor what happens a lot more and react a lot quicker.

There are a lot of different possibilities when it comes to choosing the kind of construction that you want. Like anything, cost is the big issue and also the durability of your construction. Do you want post and concrete in your garden? In any case you will have to brace your structure.

First thing to consider is the plastic. It needs to be UV stabilized and light enough to work with. For the thickness, choose 180UM instead of the 150UM. You do not want clear plastic. The more the light is diffuse, the better (70% to 80% is fine).

You also have to choose between poly or steel for the arches. The advantage of the poly is this is easy to bend and work with. If you choose to go for a tunnel with post, the steel will be the way to go. In a more lighter version using the poly, Nevil recommends using steel at both ends and tightening all the hoops at the ridge for better stability.

The temperature inside a poly tunnel can be very high. Being able to control the air flow when needed is crucial. The side of the tunnel needs to be open almost every morning. The higher your tunnel, the easier it is to control the temperature inside the poly tunnel.

If you feel uncomfortable inside the poly tunnel, most likely your plants will too!

There is a lot more to say on this topic. If you have any questions or are interested in attending a similar workshop, please contact Nevil directly.

20/05/2019
All hail ‘l’ail’!

Good news from our little ‘prison farm’. The garlic has sprouted!

“Let me out!”. “Not until December, although with good behaviour, we may consider your release in November.” (Sounds like someone has started talking to the plants!)

We were a little delayed in actually planting our Allium sativum bulbs. They only went into the ground on 1 June 2018. With the cooler temperatures here in Liffey, we probably could have planted them in later April, early May. More time to store that precious sunlight energy before harvesting the cloves in November or December.

Fingers crossed we will have enough garlic to harvest to get us through one year of consumption. We put fifty bulbs in. So if each bulb grew into a clove containing ten bulbs, then we could potentially produce 500 bulbs of garlic!

The garlic is sprouting next to its close cousin, the leek (Allium ampeloprasum). Both the leek and the silverbeet (Beta vulgaris ‘Fordhook)’ have survived throughout summer and are still with us in these cool temperatures.

Now you are probably wondering why the ‘high security’? What did these poor little buggers do to deserve such harsh treatment. Well it is for their own protection of course (isn’t that what they always say in the movies?). We have quite a few native and introduced animals seeking a free lunch here. Usually we just see wallabies, echidnas and wombats, although there are possums and rats about. Not to mention the deer. Oh dear!

Last Monday we spotted seven juvenile deer prancing on the lawn at the bottom of the hill below the house. With their hard hooves, I want them well away from our lightly-tilled soil. And with their voracious appetites, I am not game to see whether or not they like garlic. I do!

Bambi and co … not so cute in the vegie plot!

I clearly prefer garlic to Bambi. That won’t change anytime soon I am afraid. So the garlic will have to stay caged up until its release later this year. I can’t wait. I love the stuff. I just hope we will have enough to get us through the next year. Although between myself and the Frenchman, we do use more than just a little bit in our cooking.

Anyway, there is still a little time until harvest. So I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Fingers crossed we have a bountiful supply. If not, there is always the local farmers’ market.

Jusqu’à la prochaine fois!

PS. L’ail is French for ‘the garlic’. In the proper sense of translation, not as in ‘Yoplait is French for yogurt’.

09/07/2018
Growing great garlic!

I headed out yesterday desperately seeking garlic. No, Tasmania had not suddenly been invaded by vampires. I had received notice that Jenny Edlington was selling what she calls “seed garlic” at the Liffey Valley Market.

Now technically the garlic cloves we plant to produce new garlic bulbs are not seeds. However, I won’t quibble with Jenny on that one. For $15.50 I picked up four top-notch garlic bulbs from Jenny. If this may seem a little expensive to you, just remember that each clove can potentially produce a whole new bulb with between 10-15 cloves … if treated right!

Yummy, locally-grown garlic! But not for eating now 🙁 (© Ludovic Vilbert)

So how do you look after garlic? Jenny shared her tips with us, with a little elaboration from me:

1. Prepare the growing bed first.

Garlic does really well in well-drained soils rich in organic matter .Jenny and many other garlic growers recommend incorporating a layer of mushroom compost five to ten centimetres deep into the top few inches of soil. No, this is not compost made from mushrooms, as I must admit I first thought! It is a sterile mix usually prepared for growing mushrooms in. Mushroom compost is generally made from a mixture of straw, peat moss, gypsum, lime, cottonseed meal, cottonseed hulls, corncobs, cocoa bean shells, chicken litter and/or horse stable bedding.

2. Choose garlic bulbs with large cloves.

More stored energy to help produce those new bulbs!

3. Plant when the season changes to much cooler nights, usually April to May.

In Melbourne you will probably have to wait until May, but here in Tassie some of us can look forward to cooler temperatures just a little earlier! So hence why I am getting my garlic bed ready now for planting in a few weeks.

4. Separate bulbs immediately prior to planting and plant basal end down ten centimetres deep, twenty centimetres apart in raised beds.

The basal end is the flattened end of the bulb where the roots will develop from. Now I have grown garlic a little closer together than twenty centimetres, more like ten centimetres apart and had success. However, if you really want a plant to thrive, you do need to give it room to grow.

NB. See the basal plate at the bottom of the garlic clove. This is the bit you “stick” into the soil (© University of Alaska Fairbanks)

5. Mulch with straw.

Prevent weeds growing that may compete with the growing garlic for resources.

I am so glad to have met Jenny at the Liffey Valley Market. She has so much experience and knowledge of how to grow fruit and vegetables here in this cool climate. And Jenny is not the only local grower selling excellent fresh produce at this market. These markets are very precious as they provide not only the opportunity to purchase great produce, but also the chance a chance for locals and visitors to get together, have a yarn and share their growing tips. Priceless! But more on the market another time!

For now, I have a bed to prepare!

Next Liffey Valley Market: 9am–1pm, Saturday 14 April 2018, 1443 Liffey Rd, Liffey TAS 7301.

(Look for the old schoolhouse on top of the hill as you turn right from Bracknell Rd)

Harvesting garlic? More on that later too. Don’t expect to do that until November/December. Like a great wine, it needs time to develop 😉

11/03/2018