Good afternoon TS Posters. The weekend is almost upon is. That means work for some, and rest or leisure for others. And once again, I’d like to pick your brilliant minds regarding a task I have planned for the weekend. I am planning on breaking rocks………..
All excited about my newly purchased bare patch of land. Have spent time at the wonderful local independant garden centre, got my plan for planting completely sussed and have come across an obstacle. The ground beneath ones feet is rock. On testing the soil with a spade I have discovered that there is layer of clay loam soil only 20cm deep anywhere on the site, before you hit solid rock and your spade just bounces right back. Hire pool tell me they don’t have any rock breaking equipment suitable for this situation and the helpful guy at the garden centre suggests using a metal pole with a sharp end to smash the rock…………sounds a bit ambitious. (Maybe get JK involved). I do have a rubber mallet so can give it a go, but posters, do you have any ideas? What are your thoughts on breaking rocks?
Any chance you could go the other way? Build wooden (rock?) rectangles, truck in some top soil, and fill them up? End up with raised beds – nice for many reasons.
Rob is onto it Rosie, dont even contemplate breaking rock, build on top of it.
The clay and fractured rock beneath it will provide plenty of minerals and substrate, your job is to build up the organic matter above. Raised beds etc help keep thi in place. The worms annd soil organisms if fed properly will do the rest. Concentrate on a small area at first choosing the most sheltered from wind and best for sun to start with, good results will follow as day follows night.
Yep, as Hire pool guy said. It’s solid steel, about 6 foot long, two inches hexagonal diameter, has a flat end and a pointy end. But that’s hard, hard work and keep your feet clear. I would just build gardens on top of the soil you have. Or do the whole “no dig garden” thing and work your way up. Since you already have 200mm, you’re already there for veges, as long as it drains ok. Save the pneunatic hammer and dynamite for planting trees.
I would say as someone in the industry that you are wasting your time trying to smash the rock. All you will do is create little bathtubs for your plants to sit in and they will suffer from wet feet ending up with phytophera or similar in short time. I would suggest either building up the soil level a little bit or starting with smaller specimens. It’s amazing what will establish in only 200mm of soil. You should also give everything a good layer of a natural mulch I recommend well aged tree chippings as it’s effective and very cheap. Not more than $20 m3 or sometimes free (or dozen beer a truck load) if you approach a local arborist
Rather than a garden centre I also recommend going to your local trade nursery, the plants will cost a fraction of the garden centre, usually they are in the region of 100% less.
Where in the country are you? I may be able to point you in the direction of a good one.
If it’s solid rock everywhere then I wouldn’t even attempt to break it as you’ll never get through it. As others have said, grow upwards. It’ll limit your garden somewhat but it won’t break you.
I don’t know whether you’d be up to it, but a lot can be achieved with a pick-axe. Better still, invite some friends around and take turns, a couple of people at a time bashing the ground, everyone else eating and making merry.
Gardening parties can be fun, and satisfying for all concerned.
Hi Rosie, having spent most of my working life as a linesman I’ve dug thousands of holes in everything from papa and sand through to pit metal and ironsand pans so I’d recommend using what’s known in the trade as a digging bar.
Take a drainage spade like this to your friendly structural steel boys and have them chop off the handle around 200mm above the spade shoulder and replace the handle by welding at least 2 metres of 40mm thick walled steel pipe to the spade.
You’ll need the new handle length, variable to suit the users physique and do cap the open end, and heavy pipe to give weight to the digging tool and kept sharp it’ll be useful for everything from chopping tree roots to cutting asphalt and splitting concrete pavers.
And I’m home alone this weekend so I’ll be playing up…starting now.
edit: and what Gareth said, avoid garden centres like the plague.
could always try using some gypsum to assist in breaking down the clay – From Palmers info
“Clay soils retain moisture and are difficult to work with. Applying gypsum helps break down the clay particles and improves soil structure. ”
Or try to find plants that like the environment that you have. nature has already worked its magic in having plants that thrive in all conditions, and I am sure that there will be plants that will take to what you are working with. But from my limited experiences work with nature.
I hate to say this but you do know whats under solid rock ? More solid rock. So High/Low Explosive could be the only thing to shift it . Just add more topsoil, and grow it up, not down. Breaking rocks is HARD labour.
Thanks All! A flurry of good suggestions. We will be doing some raised beds for herbs and vege, and containers for some small grade trees and shrubs and flowers. We are however on (as well as a tight budget) a and windy exposed site and need to plant trees on the border for privacy and shelter from the summer sun. A large pohutakawa was gifted some time ago, and there are some other screening trees and hedging I’m keen on getting in, so to a degree the rock breaking is unavoidable – bring on that dynamite!
When did life get so suburban……..Its all good though. More trees, more lungs for us. Not to mention food and encouraging the biodiversity.
Rosie, you could also plant plants suited to 20cm soil over rock. Pohutukawas grow on vitrually nothing, although it probably takes ages. Also maybe succulents, cactus, grasses
Start with a pb5 or 18 grade for your shelter species, Pittosporum ‘stephens island’ would be a good choice with your site conditions. Coprosma repens would also do well.
Also a good pick, it does need a bit more trimmimg to atain the same density of ‘stephens island’ but does grow taller. P. `stephens island’ reaches @3m max. A good nursery will sell a quantity of 50 pb5’s for at most 6.50 each. Some will do deals on mixed species. If you used somewhere like Kauri park and bought a 1L grade they will arrive at you’re door for around $5 each
Well worth a crack, thinking about it your local forest and bird could be worth a crack, my local branch sells left over plants for @ $3 each and it adds some funds so they can continue their good work
I will look forward to instalments on Rosies garden, there was a wealth of wisdom in the replies which as a gardener is really good as there are always new tricks to learn, and we Standardistas are certainly green fingered.
My weekend is cleaning the green algae off the concrete, water blast methinks. Bugger. Plus the Crusaders game.
Some bedTime reading;
Kahlil Gibran-“The Prophet”(master Politics, master fortune:master prophecy master Fortune)
unbelievable i watched Coro out of Habit for sooooooooooo long time, but learning time.
POPULAR CULTURE way in….
“Tom Jones”by Henry Fielding is really funny, though a little convoluted
most memorable Sci-Fi thriller for me, cant remember title; memory
However, it is about a woman from the north of england/Scotland who “picks up hitchikers”for an interesting Meaning, needless to say, short trips.
Oh yes “An Instance of the FingerPost” Iain Pears is worth persevering with.
“Only Tough Guys Dance” Norman Mailer
Musee; something for all PEOPLE
ABBA-Arrival
The Clash-Sandinista
Tubeway Army-Replicas
The Damned-Machine-gun Ettiquette
The Doors-The Doors
Jethro Tull-something for everybody…”lets give a great big hand for Jethro Tull!”
BLACK SABBATH (had to shout inside) V4
Emmy-Lou Harris-Wrecking Ball
Cat Stevens-Tea for The Tillerman
Massive Attack-Mezzanine
Ben Harper-“diamonds on the inside”
Smashing Pumpkins-“Bullet and Butterfly” (despite all your rage……)
Deep Purple-“Ted The Mechanic”-vavoom—–
Zeppelin-“Tangerine”
Florence and The Machine-Ceremonial-“no Light-no Light”
Iron Maiden-The Trooper
and quietly
Pachebel’s Canon
with a Concrete Blonde to finish
some moveez
Hidalgo-Viggo Mortensen
Gangs of New York-DANIEL Day-Lewis
and
There Will Be Blood-yep, thats Daniel Day-Lewis again; it’s all about OIL.
Thank you again for so many ideas – wasn’t expecting that! Taken on board all your different approaches, including Joe90’s advice re welding the drainage spade. My bro’s work in drainage so I’ll have alook at their tools of trade. Given the site there has to be compromise, to the wild winds, the sun and the rock. Its a long term project too. And yes, have some pittosporums in my line of sight for shelter and they can handle difficult soil.
Hey fnjckg I note particular albums:Sandinista, replicas, mezzanine plus others.
Not sure about Hildago, a bit heartbreaking if you’re a friend to the horses.
Do enjoy, and hope your weekend is easy and relaxing
Over and out.
The Open and have finally seen Steven Alker (time for bed) on TV birding the 18th. Nice to see a kiwi doing great guns- currently 12th . Now we in Kiwiland will have some connection with a major for the weekend.
Also on a sporting note the we have made the World Series of Baseball, with Max Key in the team any guess “Son Of …… ” Talent is genetic !!! http://www.baseballnewzealand.com/index.php/component/content/article/41/229
‘eres some free thoughts for the universe to the left.
abandon Fructose: brain will be better
brain will build better world
(though it may forget to order firewood on the Way)
choose to love People as self
love: choice
love: Choice
love: CHOICE
(yeah baby!)
“..cos when its good its oh so good, but when its gone…its gone”.-Ben Harper
(when you have every thing, u have everything to loose) “Diamonds on the Inside”
MIndfulness becomes a habit, replaces Habit.
master Rhetoric: master silence.(primates see, primates do, but not all ways)
Interestingly, cats may continue to predate upon, and kill prey, generally via an incisor in the back of the neck, up to and beyond 100 times, beyond satiation: master satiation:slave to appetite
e-clecticism. and a word for today is Lever
Defensive?
defensive
defending learning?
(machine “Da bit.h”-sit down and do some “slappin'”)
the personal “world” looks in: the Social World looks out…..
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Te PÄti MÄori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mĆ TÄmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with MÄori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
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The National Governmentâs proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
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Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen â good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood â a deeply ...
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New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. Â âOver 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. âIt is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. âOur coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. âRecently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachersâ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.  âThe Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. âScience, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During todayâs meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. âThe Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in TaupĆ as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the TaupĆ International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. âAnticipation for the ITM TaupĆ Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. âThe coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. âThis project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sectorâs productivity,â Mr Jones says. âThe project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Governmentâs plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. âBenefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Governmentâs commitment to doubling New Zealandâs renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealandâs latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. âOur Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. âNew Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Governmentâs intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. âThe introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Todayâs announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Governmentâs plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. âInflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sectorâs role in the export-led recovery of the economy. âI am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to menâs ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The governmentâs Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9â17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University Thereâs been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russiaâs war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peaceâs new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a womanâs hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Booksâ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingwayâs Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time â ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The âWicked Gameâ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didnât stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from âWicked Gameâ, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called đ, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao MÄori and remove many specialist MÄori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
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Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, weâve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedinâs India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoaâs drunkest future ...
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The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. Itâs been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you donât believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Iâm going to do it, right now. Iâm going to say ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Itâs not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Muskâs vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandelaâs grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesnât normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australiaâs inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and itâs now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
PĆneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealandâs complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the RĂĄkĂłczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).SĂĄndor HegedƱs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesnât really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didnât really want to, because of a war they didnât ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the publicâs democratic right to have âa fair sayâ and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard â in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
Iâm on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Heraâs help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener youâre likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
âNever again - No AUKUSâ was the message of the wreath laid at this morningâs national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now sheâs very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice â both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high schoolâs head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
Good afternoon TS Posters. The weekend is almost upon is. That means work for some, and rest or leisure for others. And once again, I’d like to pick your brilliant minds regarding a task I have planned for the weekend. I am planning on breaking rocks………..
All excited about my newly purchased bare patch of land. Have spent time at the wonderful local independant garden centre, got my plan for planting completely sussed and have come across an obstacle. The ground beneath ones feet is rock. On testing the soil with a spade I have discovered that there is layer of clay loam soil only 20cm deep anywhere on the site, before you hit solid rock and your spade just bounces right back. Hire pool tell me they don’t have any rock breaking equipment suitable for this situation and the helpful guy at the garden centre suggests using a metal pole with a sharp end to smash the rock…………sounds a bit ambitious. (Maybe get JK involved). I do have a rubber mallet so can give it a go, but posters, do you have any ideas? What are your thoughts on breaking rocks?
What are your thoughts on breaking rocks?
Sounds hard!
Any chance you could go the other way? Build wooden (rock?) rectangles, truck in some top soil, and fill them up? End up with raised beds – nice for many reasons.
Rob is onto it Rosie, dont even contemplate breaking rock, build on top of it.
The clay and fractured rock beneath it will provide plenty of minerals and substrate, your job is to build up the organic matter above. Raised beds etc help keep thi in place. The worms annd soil organisms if fed properly will do the rest. Concentrate on a small area at first choosing the most sheltered from wind and best for sun to start with, good results will follow as day follows night.
+1 on raised beds, they also save your back and knees!
Yep, as Hire pool guy said. It’s solid steel, about 6 foot long, two inches hexagonal diameter, has a flat end and a pointy end. But that’s hard, hard work and keep your feet clear. I would just build gardens on top of the soil you have. Or do the whole “no dig garden” thing and work your way up. Since you already have 200mm, you’re already there for veges, as long as it drains ok. Save the pneunatic hammer and dynamite for planting trees.
And the bigass sledgehammer option. Either way, watch your back! Very easy to go a bit too far and feel it for the next week đ
Â
I would say as someone in the industry that you are wasting your time trying to smash the rock. All you will do is create little bathtubs for your plants to sit in and they will suffer from wet feet ending up with phytophera or similar in short time. I would suggest either building up the soil level a little bit or starting with smaller specimens. It’s amazing what will establish in only 200mm of soil. You should also give everything a good layer of a natural mulch I recommend well aged tree chippings as it’s effective and very cheap. Not more than $20 m3 or sometimes free (or dozen beer a truck load) if you approach a local arborist
Rather than a garden centre I also recommend going to your local trade nursery, the plants will cost a fraction of the garden centre, usually they are in the region of 100% less.
Where in the country are you? I may be able to point you in the direction of a good one.
Good Luck…
If it’s solid rock everywhere then I wouldn’t even attempt to break it as you’ll never get through it. As others have said, grow upwards. It’ll limit your garden somewhat but it won’t break you.
I don’t know whether you’d be up to it, but a lot can be achieved with a pick-axe. Better still, invite some friends around and take turns, a couple of people at a time bashing the ground, everyone else eating and making merry.
Gardening parties can be fun, and satisfying for all concerned.
Hi Rosie, having spent most of my working life as a linesman I’ve dug thousands of holes in everything from papa and sand through to pit metal and ironsand pans so I’d recommend using what’s known in the trade as a digging bar.
Take a drainage spade like this to your friendly structural steel boys and have them chop off the handle around 200mm above the spade shoulder and replace the handle by welding at least 2 metres of 40mm thick walled steel pipe to the spade.
You’ll need the new handle length, variable to suit the users physique and do cap the open end, and heavy pipe to give weight to the digging tool and kept sharp it’ll be useful for everything from chopping tree roots to cutting asphalt and splitting concrete pavers.
And I’m home alone this weekend so I’ll be playing up…starting now.
edit: and what Gareth said, avoid garden centres like the plague.
build up; does not take Time
could always try using some gypsum to assist in breaking down the clay – From Palmers info
“Clay soils retain moisture and are difficult to work with. Applying gypsum helps break down the clay particles and improves soil structure. ”
Or try to find plants that like the environment that you have. nature has already worked its magic in having plants that thrive in all conditions, and I am sure that there will be plants that will take to what you are working with. But from my limited experiences work with nature.
I hate to say this but you do know whats under solid rock ? More solid rock. So High/Low Explosive could be the only thing to shift it . Just add more topsoil, and grow it up, not down. Breaking rocks is HARD labour.
Thanks All! A flurry of good suggestions. We will be doing some raised beds for herbs and vege, and containers for some small grade trees and shrubs and flowers. We are however on (as well as a tight budget) a and windy exposed site and need to plant trees on the border for privacy and shelter from the summer sun. A large pohutakawa was gifted some time ago, and there are some other screening trees and hedging I’m keen on getting in, so to a degree the rock breaking is unavoidable – bring on that dynamite!
When did life get so suburban……..Its all good though. More trees, more lungs for us. Not to mention food and encouraging the biodiversity.
Enjoy your weekends all:-)
Rosie, you could also plant plants suited to 20cm soil over rock. Pohutukawas grow on vitrually nothing, although it probably takes ages. Also maybe succulents, cactus, grasses
Start with a pb5 or 18 grade for your shelter species, Pittosporum ‘stephens island’ would be a good choice with your site conditions. Coprosma repens would also do well.
I’d recommend Karo (Pittosporum crassifolium) aka the NZ turpentine tree..
Also a good pick, it does need a bit more trimmimg to atain the same density of ‘stephens island’ but does grow taller. P. `stephens island’ reaches @3m max. A good nursery will sell a quantity of 50 pb5’s for at most 6.50 each. Some will do deals on mixed species. If you used somewhere like Kauri park and bought a 1L grade they will arrive at you’re door for around $5 each
Not sure about their prices but if they’re anything like our regional council they’d be yards cheaper than the garden shops.
http://www.gw.govt.nz/Akura-Conservation-Centre/
Well worth a crack, thinking about it your local forest and bird could be worth a crack, my local branch sells left over plants for @ $3 each and it adds some funds so they can continue their good work
Or, if you are in the Tauranga area, Kereru Gardens sells all there plants for $3.50 each, good range including roses! http://www.kererugardens.com/default.html
I will look forward to instalments on Rosies garden, there was a wealth of wisdom in the replies which as a gardener is really good as there are always new tricks to learn, and we Standardistas are certainly green fingered.
My weekend is cleaning the green algae off the concrete, water blast methinks. Bugger. Plus the Crusaders game.
30 seconds “Just spray and Walk away!”
Some bedTime reading;
Kahlil Gibran-“The Prophet”(master Politics, master fortune:master prophecy master Fortune)
unbelievable i watched Coro out of Habit for sooooooooooo long time, but learning time.
POPULAR CULTURE way in….
“Tom Jones”by Henry Fielding is really funny, though a little convoluted
most memorable Sci-Fi thriller for me, cant remember title; memory
However, it is about a woman from the north of england/Scotland who “picks up hitchikers”for an interesting Meaning, needless to say, short trips.
Oh yes “An Instance of the FingerPost” Iain Pears is worth persevering with.
“Only Tough Guys Dance” Norman Mailer
Musee; something for all PEOPLE
ABBA-Arrival
The Clash-Sandinista
Tubeway Army-Replicas
The Damned-Machine-gun Ettiquette
The Doors-The Doors
Jethro Tull-something for everybody…”lets give a great big hand for Jethro Tull!”
BLACK SABBATH (had to shout inside) V4
Emmy-Lou Harris-Wrecking Ball
Cat Stevens-Tea for The Tillerman
Massive Attack-Mezzanine
Ben Harper-“diamonds on the inside”
Smashing Pumpkins-“Bullet and Butterfly” (despite all your rage……)
Deep Purple-“Ted The Mechanic”-vavoom—–
Zeppelin-“Tangerine”
Florence and The Machine-Ceremonial-“no Light-no Light”
Iron Maiden-The Trooper
and quietly
Pachebel’s Canon
with a Concrete Blonde to finish
some moveez
Hidalgo-Viggo Mortensen
Gangs of New York-DANIEL Day-Lewis
and
There Will Be Blood-yep, thats Daniel Day-Lewis again; it’s all about OIL.
better go on way…
Thank you again for so many ideas – wasn’t expecting that! Taken on board all your different approaches, including Joe90’s advice re welding the drainage spade. My bro’s work in drainage so I’ll have alook at their tools of trade. Given the site there has to be compromise, to the wild winds, the sun and the rock. Its a long term project too. And yes, have some pittosporums in my line of sight for shelter and they can handle difficult soil.
Hey fnjckg I note particular albums:Sandinista, replicas, mezzanine plus others.
Not sure about Hildago, a bit heartbreaking if you’re a friend to the horses.
Do enjoy, and hope your weekend is easy and relaxing
Over and out.
The Open and have finally seen Steven Alker (time for bed) on TV birding the 18th. Nice to see a kiwi doing great guns- currently 12th . Now we in Kiwiland will have some connection with a major for the weekend.
Also on a sporting note the we have made the World Series of Baseball, with Max Key in the team any guess “Son Of …… ” Talent is genetic !!!
http://www.baseballnewzealand.com/index.php/component/content/article/41/229
If it is him and he’s relying on genetics he should stay well clear of cricket!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-9v1fpET00
‘eres some free thoughts for the universe to the left.
abandon Fructose: brain will be better
brain will build better world
(though it may forget to order firewood on the Way)
choose to love People as self
love: choice
love: Choice
love: CHOICE
(yeah baby!)
“..cos when its good its oh so good, but when its gone…its gone”.-Ben Harper
(when you have every thing, u have everything to loose) “Diamonds on the Inside”
MIndfulness becomes a habit, replaces Habit.
master Rhetoric: master silence.(primates see, primates do, but not all ways)
Interestingly, cats may continue to predate upon, and kill prey, generally via an incisor in the back of the neck, up to and beyond 100 times, beyond satiation: master satiation:slave to appetite
e-clecticism. and a word for today is Lever
Defensive?
defensive
defending learning?
(machine “Da bit.h”-sit down and do some “slappin'”)
the personal “world” looks in: the Social World looks out…..
Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier is 75 years old, and it’s still worth reading:
http://www.readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/peerless-in-wigan.html