Gardening / Luscious berry time is back

THERE’S nothing compares with fresh, lush raspberries straight from the bush… and, as with all berries, they are so easy to grow.

There’s only one minor problem, they tend to sucker, but the simple fix is to cut the bottom off a plastic pot (at least 40 centimetres wide) and bury the pot completely into the ground with the wide neck at the bottom of the hole. Then plant the raspberry – or any other berry plant that tends to sucker – in the buried pot, which directs the roots to grow deep into the soil.

In landscaping we use large, commercial, plastic, root-barrier boxes when larger shrubs or trees are planted in paved areas.

WARMER days encourage gardeners to start on the vegetable patch. But veggies can be grown by everyone almost anywhere – from a unit with just a balcony with a reasonable amount of sun to a small townhouse courtyard garden.

From herbs to carrots and potatoes, veggies grow well in pots. Be sure to use premium-grade potting mix. In the cheap $3 to $5-a-bag stuff your plants will be lucky to survive a few weeks. If you have access to some reasonable garden soil mix a quarter of this with the premium potting mix.

For those with a garden with limited space I recommend the corrugated raised metal beds. They are so easy to install and, if you move house, they are light and easy to take with you as opposed to veggie beds made from railway sleepers.

The raised beds are also great for reducing back problems.

Simply put in place and fill with veggie mix from a landscape supply yard. I filled a third of mine with old brick rubble for added drainage as most veggies, including parsnips and carrots, only need about 40cm soil depth.

THERE are raised beds and there are raised beds, and despite my best advice, one of my clients cheap ones from a DIY store and as soon as they were filled with soil they started to bulge out of shape.

I use corrugated veggie beds made by Tankworks in SA (local agent Territory Tanks in Pialligo, territorytanks.com.au).

Jottings…

• Plant josberries, gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries.
• Refer to “Pest-Repellent Plants” by Penny Woodward (Hyland House Publishing) for organic solutions for house and garden pests. Available at most bookshops.
• For weed-free manure for your veggie garden use cow manure, as the cows chew the cud and destroy all weed seeds.
• Feed Clematis montana rubens as the new shoots appear at this time.

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