November 2013 (2).

I have been reducing my apples to one per fruiting spur.  This will improve the quality of the apples left at harvest time.

Its a beautiful late spring day here in Melbourne Australia, but it has been very cold and wet for this time of the year.  It will soon be summer, and I have been spraying neem oil to keep the whitefly in check.  They are late this year and there are only a few around, but they can be devastating if they get a hold.

My tomatoes are doing well especially the two I have in my mini lean-to greenhouse.  I use this electric toothbrush to "Buzz" pollinate them.  It works well in a greenhouse where there is no wind to shake the pollen lose, and no buzz pollinating insects.  I use this technique outside on my other tomatoes to make sure I get a good fruit set there as well.

My blackberries are about to blossom and are looking very healthy.  The European honey bees we get in our garden have been very active this year, and will enjoy the blackberry blossom when it emerges.

I have noticed a decline in the number of worms in my Ecobed worm farms lately, but the food I give them has been disappearing as fast as usual.  However, I have noticed increased worm activity in the growing area of the beds.  

The only changes likely to be responsible are a switch to no-dig gardening, top dessing with matured "hot" compost,  covering the compost with plenty of straw mulch and leaving it all to mature for a few weeks more before planting.

My plants are certainly benefiting from these changes.