Episode:#11 11/11/06
Presenter: Dean Boone

Gardening in small spaces is always a challenge but that doesn?t mean you have to miss out on all the great things a garden can provide. Having an herb or veggie garden on a balcony is a great solution for everyone with the smallest of spaces to work with.

Yates has just introduced their new Grow your Own seedling starter kits. They contain everything you need to get a garden started including seed raising mix, Thrive liquid plant food and a silver pot that is just right for the window sill. They also contain either basil or parsley seeds and a recipe is also included for your cooking inspiration.

The seed starter packs are also another idea from Yates and they come with a clear plastic cover and all the goodies just mentioned in four different and tasty selections. There is rocket, tomato and basil, zucchini or mesculun. So there is no excuse not to get into gardening.

They are simple to use, all you have to do is place them on the window sill or in any sunny position and watch your plants grow. When they get big enough, you can transplant them into your garden or favourite balcony pot. Just give them lots of sunshine and you will be rewarded with lots of fresh produce.

Another Gurus fan has written in asking about effective control of caterpillars and how you can stop caterpillars in the veggie garden without harming the environment.

One way to achieve this is to use a product called Success. It is a non-residual caterpillar control that is derived from natural soil bacteria and developed by Yates. It even won an award for its favourable environmental merits.  It is registered for tomato caterpillar, corn earworm, pear & cherry slug and cabbage caterpillars, so it works on both fruit and vegetables.

Success penetrates into the leaf and remains active once dried on the surface. By spraying in the early morning, Success affects the caterpillars quite quickly, and they are gone in about 3 days.

As mentioned, Success is non-residual which means it doesn?t enter the food chain. It will be broken down by sunlight and soil microbes into carbon dioxide and water. That means your favourite tomato is still going to be OK to eat.

Success is a natural insecticide, derived from a soil bacteria and it will also controls insects that may have become resistant to other insecticides. It is definitely worth a try.

Featured Products

Yates Success Naturalyte

• Controls various caterpillars on fruit and vegetables
• Low toxic formulation.
• Contains spinosad, which is derived from naturally occurring beneficial soil bacteria.
• Controls a wide range of caterpillars plus pear and cherry slug.
• Controls insects that may have become resistant to other insecticides.
• Non-residual, broken down by sunlight and soil microbes into carbon dioxide and water.