Site Selection

Soil Preparation

Composting

Green Manure

Worm Farming

Organic Fertilisers

Mulching

Seed Selection

Watering

Pest & Disease Management

‘Garden making, like gardening itself, concerns the relationship of the human being to his natural surroundings.’ Russell Page

Creating a garden can be a wonderfully life-enhancing experience as it teaches us about natural rhythms and allows our creative juices to flow. Simply being outdoors working with the soil is great exercise and fun. It also provides a sanctuary from the pressures and stresses associated with our fast paced twenty-first century life.

You can teach your children where food really comes from and the wonder of nature. They will not grow up thinking that food only comes from the supermarkets.

You can grow your own fresh, organic fruit and vegetables by following some basic guidelines. Organic gardening simply means gardening naturally, using methods that support and cooperate with nature’s way of doing things.

By using natural methods, you will produce healthy, flourishing plants, a vibrant garden ecosystem, a natural habitat for wildlife, and food that is safe, tasty, nutritious and free of chemicals. You will also help reduce the amount of pesticides and fertilisers that are polluting our waterways and create a safe environment for your children and pets to play in.

Visit local, organic gardens or farms for inspiration. Decide what you want from your garden before you start. Consider how much time and effort you are willing to put into your garden and how much space you have.

Try to create a garden in accordance with the local conditions for weather, available sunlight and soil type. For an ornamental garden, it will be much easier to grow plants that are native to your area and the plants will be of greater benefit to you and the local wildlife. When choosing native plants, look for the traditional varieties rather than newer hybridised types.

Site Selection

It is good practice to observe your intended garden site at different times of the day. Take notice of where the sun reaches at each time of the day, where the wind has the greatest impact and where the heaviest frosts normally occur. Choose a sunny but sheltered site that is the least exposed to the impact of wind and frosts. Selecting the right site is essential to your success and will eliminate the stresses associated with poor crop performance due to incorrect site selection.

Soil Preparation

‘Soil is the substance of transformation.’

Carol Williams

The most important factor in any organic garden is the balance and fertility of the soil. In organic gardening, the soil is fed with organic matter such as compost and manure. These encourage worms and the micro-organisms required to keep the soil balanced and fertile.

The top 15cm of healthy soil is the most biologically active, containing a thriving, organically rich community of insects, worms and beneficial micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi. These organisms will feed on the plant debris and organic matter in the soil, breaking them down so that they can be used by plants as nutrients. The decomposing organic matter also helps to retain moisture and provide aeration for the plants’ root system.

Start by first breaking up the soil with a fork. This will help to aerate it and clear it of weeds. Avoid walking on the freshly turned soil to prevent compaction and disturbance to the natural processes that will occur.

Check the soil type by taking some soil in your hand and rub it between your fingers. If it is crumbly and dry, then it is a chalky soil. If it is sticky and rolls into a ball, then it is clay soil. If it is gritty and will not form a ball, then it is a sandy soil. If it is silky and smooth, then it is silt. Your soil type will determine the preparation required to produce the best results.

Use a pH testing kit to check the balance of the soil. Excessive alkalinity or acidity will interfere with the uptake of nutrients by your plants. The ideal pH range for most plants will be between 6.0 and 7.2.

If your reading indicates below 6.0 then it is too acidic. You can apply ground limestone to raise the pH making it more sweet or alkaline. The amount of limestone needed will be determined by your pH reading and soil type.

If your reading indicates above 7.2, your soils are too alkaline. Adding good doses of acidic organic matter such as pine needles and mulch will assist in lowering the pH, reducing your soils alkalinity. Check the pH periodically and re apply treatment if necessary until you have the desired pH range.

Composting

‘However small your garden, you must provide for two of the serious gardener’s necessities, a tool shed and a compost heap.’ Anne Scott-James

The backbone of any good organic garden is the compost heap.

It creates a rich, nutritious, organic matter that will provide your plants with a well-balanced ‘food’ source. It also helps to improve the soil structure by increasing aeration, aiding water retention and helping to break down heavy soils. A compost heap is also a great way to recycle household wastes, thus reducing the environmental impacts associated with our landfill sites.

The basic principles of composting are simple. You need to provide food, air and water in order for the microbes, worms and insects to turn your waste into compost.

There are generally two methods of composting, depending on whether they rely on bacteria that are aerobic (oxygen users) or anaerobic (non-oxygen users) to break down the raw materials. Aerobic composting generates sweet, nutty-smelling compost rapidly and can reach temperature hot enough to sterilise weed seeds and kill many disease organisms. Anaerobic composting is slower and takes place at cooler temperatures and generates undesirable odours.

You can set up your own composting system, buy a commercial compost bin or use locally produced organic compost. Commercial compost bins look neat and tidy, don’t take up much space, exclude animals and vermin, provide insulation and allow microbes to remain active longer in the cooler season.

To set up your own composting system, place compost heaps in a warm, wind protected area but not an overly hot one, which would dry the heap unnecessarily. The compost pile should be at least 50oC in order to kill off weeds and diseases. In order for a compost heap to heat effectively, it should be at least 1m wide, long and high, the larger, the better. It is a good idea to cover your compost heap to help maintain its temperature.

‘A good compost pile should get hot enough to poach an egg, but not so hot it would cook a lobster.’

Anonymous

Never construct a compost heap around a tree as the bark itself will compost, letting in unwanted disease organisms. Keep the compost heap away from the vegetable patch since the bugs it attracts such as snails and slugs will attack the crop.

A good compost heap allows oxygen to be drawn up and vented through the heap. You can achieve this by building the pile on top of an open bed of thick, branched stick and woody shrub pruning. To provide venting inside the heap, place stakes vertically into the pile after the first layers have been established. Continue to build the pile around the stakes. When it is complete, wriggle the stakes loose and carefully pull them out. This will allow air to be drawn upwards. Turn your heap every few weeks with a garden fork for extra aeration.

You can use wire mesh to construct the walls as it cheap, easy to build with and dismantle. It also allows air flow from the sides of the pile and will not degrade. You can drive four wooden posts or metal star posts into the ground and fix the wire to them.

You can also use straw bales to build the walls. In cool climates, the straw bales help to insulate the heap from heat loss. The walls themselves contribute to the compost and are easily dismantled when the process is completed. The partly composted straw bale walls can be used as the foundation of the next heap.

The food you add to the compost heap should comprise a mixture of high carbon and high nitrogen materials. A suitable mixture might include materials such as autumn leaves, plant remains, annual weeds, lawn clippings, soft pruning, old straw and hay, old flowers, sawdust and wood shavings, animal manure (except cats and dogs), fruit and vegetable scraps, teabags and coffee grounds, shredded cardboard and paper.

It is best to compost leaves in their own container as they need more light and less air to rot down than other compostable materials. It can take up to three years before you get good compost from leaf mould but it is well worth the wait.

A well-made compost heap is moist and holds water like a squeezed sponge. If the items are dry, water well before you put them into the heap. However, if it gets too moist, it will not heat and become anaerobic. Crushed eggshells will help reduce the acid levels of the carbon-rich material and stop it becoming too moist.

The greater the surface area of material exposed to the activities of composting micro-organisms, the more rapidly they will be able to convert a compost heap to usable compost. Shred woody material into chips, chop larger pieces of pruning and clippings with a spade, break up the tough stems of corn stalks and cobs and other tough vegetables with a hammer and crush eggshells before adding to the compost heap.

Never compost materials that may have been sprayed with chemicals, diseased plants, meat and fish scraps (which might attract pests), cat litter and dog faeces (may contain parasites), disposable nappies, glossy magazines (contain toxic glues and formaldehyde), newspaper, coal and coke ash (contain petrochemicals).

Add ‘compost activators’ such as young weeds, grass cuttings, chamomile, poultry and horse manure to help speed up the process.

The composting process is complete when the pile has cooled and the content has the appearance and texture of a dark rich, crumbly earth. A few tough, fibrous ingredients like corn cobs and bits of twigs might remain. They can be added to your next compost pile. Protect the top of the finished compost pile with a water proof cover, otherwise the nutrients will be leached out when exposed to rain.

Green Manure

Green manure plants are planted to prevent soil erosion and leaching of nutrients. They also improve the quality of the soil, increase organic matter and beneficial micro-organisms, retain moisture, discourage weeds and enhance plant growth.

They have strong, deep root systems that help to break up compacted soil, draw nutrients up to the surface for future plantings and improve water and air penetration to the soil. They also provide habitat and food for beneficial, pest-controlling insects.

They are usually nitrogen-fixing plants, which form a symbiotic relationship with rhizobia, bacteria that live within nodules on the roots of the plants. The bacteria take nitrogen from the air and convert it to the form nutrients plants normally obtain from the soil.

These types of plants include alfalfa, mustard, beans, peas, buckwheat, fenugreek, lucerne, clover, and yarrow. The idea is to grow them on vacant soil during winter or in between different crops of vegetables during summer. They quickly produce a mass of weed smothering foliage. They should be slashed while still green and then dug back into the ground to enhance the soil’s organic content.

You should leave a gap of at least one month between digging the green manure in and sowing seed as the decaying green manure may inhibit seed germination.

Worm Farming

‘Earthworms are the intestines of the soil.’

Aristotle

Worms are natural recyclers as they convert organic material from the soil into rich castings full of nutrients. As they tunnel, they help to break up the soil, allowing water and oxygen to more easily penetrate. Like your compost heap your worm farm is very useful for disposing of your kitchen scraps. Only species adapted to living in decomposing organic matter are suited for worm farming. These types can be purchased from most good garden centres at a very reasonable price.

When starting a worm farm it is important to consider its position. Worms are active only between a temperature range of 12°C to 25°C. Choose a site that is cool in summer and away from direct sunlight. Your worm farm can be moved to a warmer area and insulated in winter.

You can make your own farm from a suitably sized container or bin or buy a commercial kit. If you are making your own, you should ensure it is vented with air holes around the sides and about 5cm below the rim. Ensure it has a good row of drainage holes at the base so that the fluids produced by the worms can escape and be collected to make liquid fertilizer. The best time to start your worm farm is late spring or summer when the worms are most active.

Organic Fertilisers

Organic fertilisers come in both solid and liquid form. They are produced from natural organic matter such as rotted-down leaves and plants, including seaweed or animal manures.

The finest organic fertilizer is liquid seaweed fertilizer. Seaweed is a source naturally high in trace elements, stimulating root growth and improving nutrient intake. Being a liquid it can be sprayed onto your plants as a foliage feed or watered into your garden beds where it will be rapidly absorbed by plants’ root system.

You can easily make liquid fertilisers in your own backyard. Here are a few that will prove useful. These should be diluted at a rate of 10:1 prior to application.

Liquid Seaweed: Fill a hessian or mesh sack with seaweed and immerse it in a large container of water, cover it and leave this for one to two weeks. Decant as necessary

Nitrogen rich weed fertiliser: Almost fill a large container with weeds collected from your garden. Cover the weeds with water, place the lid on top and leave it until the weeds have broken down.

Manure soup: Fill a hessian or mesh sack with manure. Place the bag in a large container of water, place a lid on top and allow it to sit for one to two weeks.

Always remember to dilute your fertilisers prior to use. Apply them when the soil is moist and water thoroughly after application. Never apply fertiliser to dry soil as this can burn the plant roots.

Mulching

‘Mulch is used for a number of reasons, the most popular being weed control.’ Debra Lidstone Mulch is a layer of material spread around plants on the surface of the soil to conserve moisture by reducing evaporation from the surface and increasing water penetration. It regulates soil temperature by keeping the plant roots cooler in summer and warmer in winter. It reduces soil splash on plants and excludes light to help prevent weeds from germinating. During winter months it helps to prevent nutrients being leached from the soil.

It is particularly important to mulch in spring, when seedlings are developing, and in the autumn, to keep the ground warm enough to sustain growth during winter. Ensure that your soil is well watered and whatever nutrients need to be added have been applied before mulching.

Mulch should be spread to provide a blanket layer over your soil that is about 10cm thick. It should not be dislodged by wind and rain. It should be applied lightly to allow air and water to penetrate the soil beneath. Do not place mulch too close to the trunks of trees and shrubs as it can cause collar rot.

Organic mulches provide organic matter to the soil as they break down, improve soil structure and encourage beneficial micro-organism activity. They include hay, grass clippings, leaf mulch, pine bark, red gum chips, alfalfa, straw, newspaper, compost, rice husks and sugar cane. Alfalfa, sugar cane and compost have high nitrogen content and improve soil fertility but they rot down quickly and need to be replaced every few months.

If you use grass clippings, it is best to dry them out in the sun first before applying them otherwise they can become too slimy and may inhibit aeration.

To make leaf mulch, pile the leaves into a bin liner and pierce holes in the side, leave to rot for up to one year before use and apply to the soil in autumn and early spring.

Saw dust and wood chips are often used as mulch but they rob the soil of nitrogen when they start to decompose. They often contain levels of tannin high enough to inhibit plant growth.

Inorganic mulches such as black polythene, carpet or woven plastic add nothing to the soil structure and tend to raise the soil temperature and make it difficult to incorporate soil additives.

Seed Selection

‘A good gardener always plants 3 seeds - one for the bugs, one for the weather and one for himself.’

Leo Aikman

It is essential to choose seeds from healthy and productive plants that have the variety’s typical and desirable characteristics. Buy certified organic seeds to ensure that they have not been genetically modified or treated with chemicals. Parent plants must be grown organically according to the strict organic standards for at least one genera tion before their seeds can be sold as organic. Conventional seeds are often given a chemical coating to combat fungus or disease and prolong shelf life.

You can buy a seed sowing chart from garden centres which will help you with sowing times and methods in different climate conditions. Always read the growing instructions that come with the seed packets. Check out your local garden clubs or gardening columns for information and growing tips.

Once your garden is established, you can harvest seeds from your own plants and plant them again. Seeds should be separated out from any dead plant material, dried and stored in labelled packets in a cool, airy place before sowing the following year.

Watering

Make sure you have easy access to water as vegetables need plenty of water to grow. Set up a water-collecting system such as rain water tank connected to a system of pipes that collects run-off rainwater from roofs and gutters.

Instead of using sprinkler or hose pipe, use an efficient irrigation system such as a trickle or drip type that will deliver small amounts of water directly to the soil. Alternatively use a porous soaker hose that allows seepage along its full length.

Water plants early in the morning or in the evening when water will not simply evaporate in hot conditions.

Water loss through wind and evaporation can be prevented with the use of mulching. Reduce the drying effects of wind by installing windbreaks, hedges and fences. Composting will also help the soil to retain water.

Pest & Disease Management

Healthier plants are more resistant to pest and disease attack. Therefore, choose the healthiest plants that are suited to the local climate and soil conditions. When planting, avoid overcrowding since pests and diseases are more common in cramped conditions.

Keep the soil in top condition by using compost, mulches and organic fertilisers. Organic materials from compost provide food and habitat for beneficial micro-organisms and increase biodiversity within the soil. Mulches will create habitat for insect predators such as spiders and ground beetles while helping prevent nutrients from leaching out of the soil.

Good garden housekeeping will eliminate many diseases and pests. Be vigilant and monitor your garden closely for early signs of diseases and infestations. Aim for prevention rather than cure. Dealing with problems as they arise will minimise the impact pests and diseases will have.

Covers and traps can be used to exclude pests. Covers made of finely woven, transparent cloths protect vegetables and fruit trees from insect pests while still allowing water and maximum light and air through. Crushed egg shells around garden plants will discourage slugs and snails.

Make a trap for snails by placing cabbage leaves on the ground overnight. They will be attracted to the juicy leaves and you can collect and destroy them in the morning. Use sticky boards and flypapers to catch whitefly in a greenhouse.

Handpicking off eggs and insects such as sawfly, caterpillars, slugs and snails is an effective way of controlling them. Place non-drying glues made from natural wax, vegetable oil and gum resins on a paper collar around the base of the plant to prevent insects from migrating up the trunk.

A thorough clean up at the end of summer or early autumn is essential. Digging the garden beds over will expose over wintering larvae of various pests and assist with the preparation for the next planting. Make sure no fruits or vegetables are left on the ground. All garden waste should be composted and returned to your beds for maximum benefit.

Crop rotation and companion planting are key elements in the management of pests and diseases in an organic garden. The basic principle is to never plant the same crop family in the same bed two years in a row. Each crop family has its own group of pests and diseases associated with it, so by rotating your crop families you will prevent the associated pests and diseases from becoming infestations within your garden beds.

Generally the more beds you have the better this system will work as it will increase the time span between the same crops being planted in the same bed. You do not need masses of space for this system to work. Ideally aim for at least four beds giving you a four year rotation cycle.

If space is an issue, reduce the size of each bed so that you can have as many beds as possible giving you a longer cycle of rotation. You will be surprised at just how much can be produced from a well managed 1.5 metre square bed.

Companion planting involves selecting neighbouring plants that are known to work well together. You will be able to find companion planting charts showing antagonistic and beneficial companions from most garden centres.

Some companion plants give off strong aromas that can confuse the olfactory senses of pests, whilst others have defence mechanisms such as thorns and stinging hairs or produce compounds that are poisonous to insect pests. Some plants provide shelter for others, aerate the soil, assist in draining excess water and attract beneficial insects. Some plants lure pests away from the main plantings to protect them from attack.

‘Let us permit nature to have her way. She understands her business better than we do.’

Michel de Montaigne

The aim of natural pest control is to manage your garden as an integrated ecosystem. Cultivate a healthy ecosystem in your garden to encourage natural predators that will consume a large portion of your pests.

Pests such as aphids, caterpillars, grasshoppers, flies, slugs, snails and grubs form part of the biodiversity of a garden. They provide food for natural predators such as birds, lady bugs, ground beetles, spiders, bees, wasps, lizards, frogs, centipedes and butterflies.

Create a bird-friendly garden by providing safe, private nesting sites that exclude predators such as cats and dogs. Providing a reliable source of water for birds such as a birdbath encourages them to nest within or in close proximity to your garden.

In order to increase the number of natural predators, grow plants and flowers that provide food and nectar. As part of the landscaping design, include rocks, logs, mulches and hedges that act as shelter for the beneficial insects and lizards.

Use natural or organically certified pesticides as a last resort and be careful not to disrupt the ecosystem of your garden by over application. Avoid spraying chemical pesticides such as glyphosate completely. Choose sprays that are plant derived and biodegradable such as pyrethrum which is made from a certain type of chrysanthemum; or neem, made from the kernel of the neem tree, a native of India.

The vast amount of information available out there on organic gardening might seem overwhelming but the good news is you don’t have to know everything before you can take the first step toward setting up your very own organic garden. You will be amazed at what can be achieved by simply following a few basic principles.

Interview

Dr Lok: How did McLeod’s Agriculture come about?

Bevan: We first started McLeod’s Agriculture in the 1980s as a diversification to our dairy business in South-East Queensland. Back then I was selling silage equipment and supplements for large animals. Over time, my body started to stress and I became really worried about the chemicals being used on the farm and the implications on myself and my animals. It was then that we started looking into organic options for the farm. In 1996 we started selling organic fertiliser. We now oversee and develop a special blend of ingredients to make our signature product, McLeod’s Soil Conditioner.

Dr Lok: What is your business?

Bevan: We are an Australian owned and operated business supplying fully accredited organic products to householders and farmers across the country.

Dr Lok: What is your business philosophy?

Bevan: Our philosophy is simple. We believe in assisting people and the environment by improving the structure and health of our soils without the use of chemicals. I am a member of the community as well as a business person. I stand by what I tell people, a healthy soil leads to a healthier lifestyle – the vegetables you grow are better, the grass your kids play on is better, your flowers will attract more beneficial insects and your crops will yield more highly. Everyone has their own bit of agriculture in their life, from large-scale properties to a potted vegie garden on their balcony or in the back yard.

Many of our repeat customers have become friends over the years and have also adopted the same philosophy. Our products speak for themselves.

Dr Lok: What does your business do for people?

Bevan: McLeod’s Agriculture provides services to assess and improve the overall health and condition of your soils. The first thing we will do is take a good close look at your soil, feel it and smell it and really examine it closely. We then carry out a complete scientific analysis in order to determine the correct solution for the problem. Each consultation is tailored to the individual, no matter their need.

Some of the more interesting jobs we’ve completed include improving an award-winning golf course, assisting a pineapple grower with a major turnaround in yield and getting an avocado farmer back into full production – all through balancing their soils correctly.

I always have people bringing me samples of their fruit and vegetables at markets and even on the streets people stop me and ask advice.

It is a good feeling to know that our business is having a positive effect in many people’s lives.

Dr Lok: What products and services do you provide?

Bevan: We have our flagship product, McLeod’s Agriculture Soil Conditioner, which is made up of a special blend of organic matter, nutrients and microbes. This is an essential tool in reconditioning soils for organic production. We have just added Burn Off to our stock range. Burn Off is a natural alternative to glyphosate which is really getting people talking. I do not believe glyphosate products are safe or should be used in organic practices. We also supply nutrients like calcium, phosphate, magnesium, zeolite and pretty much any nutrient your soil may need.

Dr Lok: What is your philosophy when it comes to product development?

Bevan: It’s important to stick to science and passion. You have to believe in your product and make sure you stand by what you are selling. I will always trial a product someone wants me to sell before adding it to my range.

Dr Lok: What makes the business special?

Bevan: When we named the business, we went with my surname, McLeod. People told me ‘no-one can take that away from you’ and I believe that. Having my name on all the branding also means that people know they are talking to the owner of the business, they can ask all the questions and it’s easy for them to follow-up, give feedback and of course re-order!

Being a small business, you can have that hands-on approach and really keep an eye on quality control. This is our highest priority.

Our soil conditioner produces such great results because we do not allow it or any other product to be bagged until all our tests prove it is balanced and ready to enhance our customers’ soils.

We use a recipe of aged organic matter, zeolite, microbes and a special blend of nutrients that have a small carbon footprint, sourcing everything from the local southern Queensland area.

Dr Lok: What do you hope to inspire in others?

Bevan: The organic journey is fun and can be shared by the whole family. My biggest goal is to get as many people as possible growing at least some of their own produce. You don’t need to have a massive backyard, you could have a balcony; the most important ingredient is good soil and the desire to start something.

Dr Lok: What gives you the greatest pleasure?

Bevan: There’s nothing better, I think, than digging your hands into a plot of really healthy soil, seeing all the life within it and then harvesting a crop from that same soil. That could be silverbeet in a pot or 1000-hectares of sorghum.

One of my greatest pleasures in business is being there for the ‘light bulb’ moment, when people realise the importance and benefits of switching to sustainable organic practices. It’s especially satisfying when it happens with people who, despite generations of operating their farming business the same way as their forefathers, have the courage to do something different and then reap the benefits.

Dr Lok: What have been some of the highlights so far for your business?

Bevan: We have a great amount of pride in our business. We have met some great people and have the pleasure of a large client base of repeat customers.

Probably one of the moments that I was really proud of was a fellow who had bought soil conditioner from me about five years ago and he returned this year to buy another lot of bulk soil conditioner to spread across his paddocks to increase his yield. The victories are plenty; I often sell a small bag of soil conditioner to a customer who then returns in a few weeks to buy a larger bag because they have seen the huge difference it has made on their vegies or flowers.

One of the great things about a balanced soil is that pests aren’t so prevalent and the beneficial insects, the ones that assist in the growth and the health of plants are encouraged. Pollination occurs more easily and effectively and the whole, natural process runs smoothly.

We have also discovered a technique to eliminate pathogens in our soil conditioner. We had to take samples of our soil to the blood bank for them to test for pathogens, then using a contracted scientist, we worked out how to get the soil, pathogen-free – that’s a major achievement I think.

Dr Lok: What are your biggest challenges?

Bevan: There is so much going on. Organic principals are really catching on. I remember being asked to leave a farmer’s property years ago when I suggested he investigate going organic!

I think getting the message out there has been a huge challenge, but people are catching on and it’s a really exciting time now. That also means there are lots of businesses and individuals claiming to be organic who don’t have the passion or the accreditation.

There are a lot of misconceptions out there as well. We don’t use any glyphosate. We do not believe in it; there are far more natural alternatives. We also tell people they have to be careful with their mulch because there are some that claim to be ‘natural’ that have been made from trees that are toxic. We use a lot of black microbes to treat our mulches to make sure they are safe. Be careful of fungus mulches as they can be high in pathogens. We make sure any mulch we use or sell has been heat treated to eliminate this risk.

Dr Lok: Who would you say are the people who have most inspired you?

Bevan: Some of the most inspiring people to me have been customers who are so thrilled with their plant growth and the way their soil feels after using the soil conditioner. I have also been inspired by the great organic farmer Don McFarlane as well as Biological Farmers Association’s Doug Haas and Holly Vyner. These people have helped me realise when you get the soil right, the beneficial micro-organisms stay and play and help us grow healthier higher quality produce without the need for chemicals.

Dr Lok: How can people find out about you and your business?

Bevan: The best thing to do is give me a call and we can discuss your needs and tailor something specifically to your requirements.

Website: www.mcleodsorganicfertiliser.com

Free call: 1800 062 616

Mobile: 0419 669 115

Interview

Dr Lok: Hi Jeff, Tell us a bit about your background?

Jeff: Frances and I both come from different backgrounds and also opposite sides of the world. We met at an international permaculture conference in 1989. It didn’t take long to realise that we both shared a common passion for a sustainable lifestyle. We both had the same desire to help others learn the skills of organic food growing at home.

Frances is a trained horticulturalist with teaching credentials in horticulture, permaculture and plant biology. She is a 5th generation Australian and is one of Australia’s foremost figures in the growing of edible plants.

I was born in America and spent my childhood and university years in suburban California. Shopping at food co-ops, commuting by bicycle and tending a community garden bed in San Francisco made me realise that our daily actions and choices do make a difference.

For 20 years Frances and I lived, planted and tended trees and edibles at Crystal Waters Permaculture Village. We have managed to combine our skills, ethics and deep environmental commitment into a life together including a green business.

Dr Lok: What was it that inspired Frances and yourself to create Green Harvest in the first place?

Jeff: We had always been very keen organic vegetable gardeners and permaculture practitioners. In the 1990s we lived in a remote permaculture village with little in the way of employment opportunities. We started running training and education programs for adults during this period.

We realised in running these courses and other workshops that there was a big problem for people who understood and desired to choose a more sustainable, organic lifestyle. It was difficult for them to find the resources to do so.

Frances recognised that in our desire to have a working life that did not contradict our inner ethical selves we would have to start a business. We wanted this business to encourage and inspire more people to live healthier and greener lives.

We set about seeking out and selecting, based on environmental and organic criteria, a range of gardening products that would be beneficial to all those seeking a more sustainable future. We started posting these all over Australia.

Dr Lok: Can you tell us a bit more about your business?

Jeff: We are a small family business, currently located in a small rural town supplying products to enable all Australian home, market, school and community gardeners to grow and harvest their own organically produced vegetables and sprouts.

It is our goal to make home food growing easier, safer and more productive.

We are a Biological Farmers Association accredited, certified organic company and have an extensive range of products in five main categories including seeds, edible plants, pest control, gardening and propagation tools, books and information.

We also print and distribute the Australian Organic Gardening Resource Guide. This is a very unique guide distributed at no cost to all who are interested. It is packed full of gardening tips, organic gardening products and information to help people in all climate zones. It is suitable for both urban and rural dwellers.

Our website has been hailed as the best organic gardening website in the world. People spend hours reading our information on raising seed, food preserving, pest identification and purchasing Australian written gardening books and unusual tools and propagation aids.

Dr Lok: What were your major obstacles to start with?

Jeff: In the early 1990s, organic gardening was considered a fringe fad with very little media coverage and a low public profile. In many ways we were the pioneers in our field, offering organic gardening products by mail order, Australia wide.

Our biggest obstacle was establishing Green Harvest in a rural area; being 30 minutes drive from the post office, and one and a half hours from a capital city, with broadband internet, freight, postal and courier services virtually non-existent. Our rural location still poses major challenges today, 20 years on.

Dr Lok: What are some of your major achievements so far?

Jeff: I would probably have to say Green Harvest being the first certified organic seed supplier in Australia. We were also the first supplier to offer mail order perennial edibles and our catalogues were the first in Australia that were presented as an informative educational guide.

Dr Lok: Tell us about your seed products and edible plants

Jeff: Our seed is sourced from certified organic seed producers. We supply a wide variety of vegetable, herb, soil improver, sprouting and flower seeds. All are stored without chemicals and packed fresh in our seed warehouse. In order to maintain a high quality and our 100% satisfaction guarantee they are only sold directly to the gardener through our mail order system.

In the early spring and autumn we have a range of edible water plants including water chestnuts as well as starchy tubers like potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava and yam, with garlic, yacon, strawberries and horseradish offered when in season.

Dr Lok: Tell us about the products you produce under the Green Harvest brand

Jeff: We produce, package and manufacture products in most of our five categories. Many of our products are trademarked. As we only sell directly to the end user, they are not found anywhere except on the Green Harvest website or in our catalogue.

We are especially proud of our pest management products, which include a range of exclusion sleeves, bags and nets. Leading the way is our ‘Pest Guard Bags’. These are custom manufactured to enable home gardeners to produce beautiful crops of tomatoes without spraying them with chemicals. They are constructed of light gauzy material that allows for full flavour and colour while keeping out fruit fly. This is an organic solution that works by excluding the pest, not poisoning it.

We also source and pack hundreds of varieties of certified organic seed and we are constantly told that our germination rates and seed packet information is the best in Australia.

Our trademarked and best-selling’ Good Bug Mix’ is a blend of 12 different annual and perennial flowering plants. This mix attracts thousands of pest control ‘operatives’ to your garden. These good bugs are voracious and persistent in their work, eating the insects that are a problem to your garden. This is a perfect example of how pests can be controlled in your backyard without the use of dangerous chemicals.

Dr Lok: What should I use to control pests in my garden?

Jeff: We have adopted the notion that growing organically is not simply the replacement of one bottle of toxic spray for one which is derived from plant oils. There are many techniques we can use to control pests in our garden and around our homes. The first step is correct identification, most of the insects around our gardens are beneficial and when encouraged they will keep the pests in balance.

For many insects we have pioneered exclusion products, many of which are designed and sold only by us.

We provide information in our catalogue and on our website to help gardeners first identify and then select the most suitable techniques and least toxic strategy to manage their pest problems.

Dr Lok: How green is your business?

Jeff: Despite having 13 people within our business premises from 9am until 5pm, Monday to Friday, Green Harvest generates less waste than the average Australian home. Over the 20 years we have been in operation, all our paper, cardboard, envelopes, pallets and other organic matter have been returned to the garden, with our food scraps being consumed by our chooks. We have also for the last 20 years been collecting boxes and filler materials like shredded paper and plant starch bubbles from local businesses. These have all been returned to the earth through our composting system doubling the life of already manufactured packaging.

Dr Lok: You must be very proud of your brand; what is it that has made it as respected as it is today?

Jeff: I think we have got the correct mix of excellent gardening products; 13 dedicated and passionate staff whom are all gardeners; unsurpassed willingness to listen and respond to customer feedback; an embrace of the internet in terms of providing information and offering organic products for sale; a fantastic commitment and reputation for processing internet orders and shipping them on the same day.

Dr Lok: How can people find out more about you and your business?

Jeff: People can either call us on 1800 68 10 14 to request a free copy of the Australian Organic Gardening Resource Guide or visit our web site at www.greenharvest.com.au to view a full range of our organic gardening products.