Eotetranychus sexmaculatus or six spotted mite are found on the underside of leaves. They prefer to feed adjacent to and beneath a protective webbing by the midrib and large lateral veins. The damage caused by feeding removes chlorophyll from the leaves and produces purplish irregular patches. This almost invisable pest gets a lot of notice because heavy feeding on avocado leaves can cause severe defoliation

TO enable us to train our amazing versatile hound, we started a 'Argentine ant farm' in an ice cream tub (with ant proof ventilation and a dog toy in the vent).

Our aim here is a useful training tool, starting the dog in the house until he finds the nest easy and then give him a big loving up and game with the toy as a reward.  Then progressing outside- the dog is keen to use its wonderful nose looking for that smell on command to please his master and for the fun of a romp with the toy. A few simple repeats and our dog is now the best tool we have to find isolated bud nests such as those the dog found for us on power poles recently.  We can then deal to the ants before having an expensive problem establish. �

Natural Seeding is a kiwi business that sells fruit , seeds , seedlings and bamboo as well as sharing common sense money saving ecological ideas. We aim to encourage a way of thinking that enables us to support ourselves and at the same time not exploit finite resources.

This young avocado tree has been direct seeded - now its roots can grow without hindrance and do their job without any design but their own. It will eventually complete its own destiny which is to provide over a tonne of fruit annually to attract us to it and further disperse this incredible food plant. Natural seeding is about simplifying the process of growing. By copying nature, it’s easy to grow food and soil as well. It’s also possible to green up the deserts and influence the climate simply and cheaply by using natural seeding methods . Natural growing uses no chemicals including organic substitutes, and no bought in compost or mulch. Even poor land can eventually grow mighty trees in nature, this is because the trees are growing on the mulch of their predecessors and in harmony with an other organisms in the soil

This seed is currently in stock and pre germination treated and tested.  We collect many species, enquiry welcome.

 Kawakawa or Macropiper excelsum 

This plant is a very capable seeder that quickly reproduces itself in big numbers. It is highly suitable for the regeneration of weedy shady areas or after fire. There are >60,000 viable seed per kg and the recommended rate per hectare is 200-1200gms. Price $1300/kg

A little about this plants whakapapa,---- Corn has been a part of human life for around 10,000 yr.
The sweet type has been selected for maybe as long and appears in maize starch varieties spontaneously due to a recessive mutation that regulates conversion of sugar to starch.
Because sugar turns to starch soon after harvest open pollinated sweet selections like this one dont have the commercial shelf life of several weeks like the modern hybrid varieties and the seed is quite rare. However for home gardening they are ideal, still the real corn flavour and super sweet and crunchy if you eat it right away and the seed can be reliably saved indefinitely. A very strong growing plant in weedy soils and very stable in the wind, produces 2-3 cobs a plant, ideal for raw corn, roasted corn, corn on the cob, preserved sweetcorn etc.

Details of how to obtain seed - click on 'read more' 

We advocate mechanical weed control in the first instance, eg. Dig it out.

In cases where the weed species and situation is far beyond the physical effort required, rather than feeling tired and throwing our hands up and letting an infestation get away it is often prudent to get stuck in and resort to the use of modern tools such as certain herbicides.