The necessity of proper hygiene in columnar cacti propagation
I know the title of this post sounds like a medieval book but I feel it is something we need to have a chat about!…
Making Home Biochar
What a destructive and terrible summer of bushfires in Australia, to say the least. Over 11 million Hectares (yes, thats a shitload) completely burnt (not…
Growing Kava (Piper methysticum)
After growing Kava for the best part of 20 years (and out of its natural climatic range), I've settled on a few things that are…
Cold Stratification of Acacia Seeds
One of the most promising new seed treatments we've been trialling for Acacia species, such as Acacia phlebophylla and Acacia obtusifolia, is a cold stratification…
A new Australian Fingerlime hybrid
Seven years ago (2011) I started breeding Citrus with the idea to come up with a novel fruit that could be either grown commercially or…
Reflections on the Psychotria hybrids
Some interesting reflections on the new Psychotria hybrids sent to us by an intercontinental anonymous being we know only as oprito. Nexus (Psychotria carthagenensis…
Determining flowering requirements for Trichocereus cacti
UPDATE 23/12/17: After a long and almost record breaking dry patch of 3-4 months, from mid winter until early spring, 3 Trichocereus cacti have initiated…
Takeaway Tek – Psychotria leaves – Easy Propagation Method.
Takeaway containers are amazing, not only do they keep our food fresh and free of insects and nasties, they provide a great terrarium-like environment for…
New Psychotria hybrids
Last summer I had the chance to cross pollinate some different Psychotria viridis varieties with our Nexus hybrid. Several of them took and the fruit…
Native Ipomoea hybrids
Native Ipomoea species such as I. costata, I. abrupta and I. polpha have a long history of traditional use by Aboriginal peoples of central and…
Further Adventures with Takeaway Tek
It can't be denied that the Takeaway Tek is an easy way to get cacti seeds started! Not only is it a reliable method, given the…
Chilli breeding for subtropical Australia
I love jalapeño chillies, they are probably my favourite all rounder in the kitchen. I used to pickle them, make smoked jalapeños (chipotle) and use…