Dear Ol' Man Nonno, I've always heard that mulching is important in the garden, but it looks like a bit of a hassle. Am I just covering up some weeds? What are the benefits of mulching?
-Alice, Coffin Bay
For an easy, dust-free mulch option, try Major's Mulch
For more advice, check out our range of Gardening Books
DEAR NONNO, I'M HAVING TROUBLE FINDING A WINTER GARDENING ROUTINE. CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE?
-Jeremy (Clifton Hill)
DEAR NONNO, I'VE HEARD THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO PRUNE FRUIT TREES, BUT AM AFRAID TO TRY. HELP!
-Liz (New Mexico)
DEAR NONNO, I GREW UP ON A FARM AND WE ALWAYS PRACTICED CROP ROTATION. IS IT IMPORTANT TO ROTATE CROPS IN MY LITTLE VEGGIE PATCH? IF SO, HOW SHOULD I APPROACH IT?
-Nancy (Swansea)
DEAR NONNO, WHAT EXACTLY DOES IT MEAN WHEN SEEDS ARE CLASSIFIED AS "HEIRLOOM"?
-Alex (Bondi)
Let's start with the pronunciation, which is 'air-loom' not 'hair-loom'. Starting with pronunciation is key because anyone growing plants cannot be taken seriously unless they are growing heirlooms. And anyone that grows heirlooms won't be taken seriously unless they can pronounce it. Given that heirloom is pronounced with a silent 'h', it probably raises the question: "why isn't 'herb' pronounced with a silent 'h' too?". The answer: because we like to be inconsistent, so be it.
