October 4, 2025 • 28 mins
On The Garden Hour with Pete Wolfkamp and Ruud Kleinpaste Full Show Podcast for the 5th October 2025, Ruud prepares for the changes round the garden as spring rolls in, shares the best fertiliser for magnolia trees and delivers a crash-course on Lichen and how to handle it.
Get The Garden Hour with Pete Wolfkamp and Ruud Kleinpaste Full Show Podcast every Sunday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Resident Builder podcast with Peter Wolfcamp
from News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Right over a little bit early, but let's jump into
the garden because things are starting to happen in the garden.
I've noticed new growth. I've certainly noticed the weeds have
have come away with a gusto and it's starting to
happen out there.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Good, good morning, Good morning, Peter. Yes, it is not
going to happen, can you hear me?
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Absolutely, OK, Yes, it is starting to happen. It's unbelievable.
What's what's going on these last couple of days or
actually last weeks. It's in Auckland, as you know, but
also here in Grossier has gone.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Yeah we are Yeah, Hey, so you're back home.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
I'm back home after three weeks on the road basically.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Reichy and working with the teachers. How's that going?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
That was fabulous. We had two groups about thirty teachers
and they've been you know, basically we've been doing all
sorts of stuff. They learned everything about the environment, about
creepy crawlies, about birds, about whatever. And they loved it
and so did I. Fantastic Blake Inspire. It's called for
next year teachers, if you're thinking about it, Blake inspire.
(01:27):
That's it for teachers, Sir, Peter Blake.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Trust great, And you know, hats off to the teachers
that kind of give up their holidays for this professional development. Yes,
they could be sweaning about at home, but I'm not
saying that they are before I get a thousand texts
saying no, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
You just don't you know, No, they don't swine a tom.
I know.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
It could be at home, or you could be out
increasing your ecological literacy, which is awesome.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
That's it. Yeah, that's exactly right. So we went it
tough for Annui, for instance, where we saw of settlebacks
and all these other rare things, just just unbelievable stuff.
But also we did stuff in terms of water quality.
You know, how do you get your water back in order?
How do you how do you measure that? Et cetera,
et cetera, et cetera. No, it's fabulous, awesome, they're great.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Awesome, No, it sounds awesome, all right, And Blake inspires.
So it's what do you do as a teacher?
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Apply?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
And yeah, of course you nothing, okay, all you need
all you need to literally pay for is if you
need to fly to Auckland Sea. Sure, that's all of this.
The rest is all done. Are you staying in a
really cool hotel like a four or five style hotel
which actually they don't know, but that's making no difference
at all because they basically work till ten eleven.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
And at six they're too tired to enjoy it. That's fair, inxastic, fantastic. Right,
let's get a boxstat folks, if you've got a question
for it, you should call right now. Oh eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty texts have started to come in morning.
My daughter has two small magnolia trees approximately one and
a half meters high that are struggling. They have a
(03:06):
few small flowers on them, and also their trunks are
covered in lichen. Could you please advise what she could
give them to boost and does she need to remove
the lichen from Jodi and.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
I wouldn't get rid of the lichen because they often
have like and anyway, that's Magnolias is quite a good
plant that attracts that and it's really not that bad.
But what you need is balanced fertilizer, a good slow
release fertilizer. If you like, and sometimes I think it
would pay to give you asset loving plants fertilizers stuff
(03:40):
did you get for azaleas and camelias and things like
that and roses that, so it gives you a slightly
asset touch on it as well, but a general fertilizer
will do well. That's what it's about, I must say.
Julie asked me the same question about a magnolia. So
(04:00):
we're actually working on the same gig at home at
a moment, and Jill's was Jill's hates that the like
it because it goes I like, it's the like, it's
not the like, and it's not a big deal it all.
Don't worry about the like.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
And yeah, now talking about lichen but not on a
natural surface. What can I use to get rid of?
Like in that's starting to grow on my car where
the windows meet the frame, and I must have I've
noticed it on mine, and you know, round door seals
and that sort of thing. I know it's not necessarily
a nature type question, but in terms of control what
(04:37):
moss control, let's say.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Mm hmm, it is. It is a nature type question actually,
And i'd like to say if I hope dan Venash
is listening because on his property, he's got heaps of
guys like that. I just love. I'll take the mickey
out of no doubt, and I've got fabulous photos of it.
So okay. So what Lichan does, Yes, it's actually not
(05:01):
one thing. It's a it's a combination of two or
three things. It's usually fungy. The fungi are the materials
that you see coming up, but is actually the heart stuff.
It's not hot, but I mean it's the physical stuff. Yes, fungy,
And there is algae. Algae is the green stuff of
the gray green stuff that grows on the fungus. Now
(05:25):
here comes the thing Peter. The fungie can make if
you like, they can become visible as flaps and things
like that. But the green stuff, the algae, is the
material that can do photosynthesis. It actually it actually takes
the sunlight from the sky and it takes a little
(05:47):
bit of the water from from from the wherever it lives.
And it could be on a plant. It could be
on a plant, it could be on a tree, It
could be on as you just hurt on magnolia. But
it could also be on glass, the glass of your car,
for instance. And here comes the thing that the algae,
of course, cannot keep more. That's how they collaborate with
(06:08):
the fungi. So those two work together. Wonders photosynthesis, the
other one does that it keeps the moisture, and together
they work and become a lichen. By the way, lichens
are six hundred million years old. They were on the
planet when life came out of the ocean and onto
(06:30):
the land. Lichen was already there. Isn't that amazing?
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yeah, that is incredible. So again I'm thinking, you know,
what do you do?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
No?
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Just well no, And also just you know, I got
the yute with a canopy and around the side windows
on that you can see that little layer of green
that develops in there. So that's not just one thing,
it's it's several things working together together.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
That's right. Wow, Wet and forget. That was why Rod
Jenden invented wet and forget, for your roof, for your windows,
and for everything else where. Your likens. Now, it's not
that liking is a trouble, but it can be slippery
on a roof and is blinking difficult. You know, you've
(07:13):
got you've got to do something about it. And that
is how rod and all these decades ago started doing
what and forget or made wed and forget happened. And
so that is a brilliant place the thing to spray
over your your your your car, if you like, or
whatever it is, and you can get rid of it.
I wouldn't put it directly over plants, because you need
(07:35):
to dilute it a little bit for plants. But but
when forget wood, for instance, take mosses and lichens out
of your grass as well out of your lawn. But
do it half speed, half half half strength.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Okay, awesome, awesome, that's brilliant, right right.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
One more, one more likening, and one more like it.
This is bloody brilliant. I'm like, I'm liking the liking
to I've got an Inkentterbury. But you get it everywhere else.
There's on the on ashfeltast. It's funny, yes, okay. And
and and that is called sexy pavement lichen.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
That's its official scientific term.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
It's not it's it's the English term for the scientific terms, okay,
but everybody knows it as sexy pavement.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Like it.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
And here comes the thing. The Chinese have worked out
that if you scrape that stuff off the ashveldt and
everywhere where it is outside your house and all that,
and you and you mix it up a little bit,
you get and you get the same material. It contains
the same material that is the active ingredient of viagra.
(08:49):
Are you getting it?
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I was waiting for that. Somehow I figured that this
is the path we were on.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
That's the party. Party. Here comes the thing. If you
use that stuff that's been sitting on this rubbish on
the floor for all that time, and you scrape it off,
you also scrape off a lot of other stuff that
you don't. So please love the joke, love the idea,
love the name and or the but don't, for crying
(09:15):
out loud, swallow it because it must be so much.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Right, there will be a whole lot of unintended consequences,
right he Oh, you can give us a call right now. Oh,
eight hundred eighty ten eighty is the number to call.
A couple of other texts recommendations for fast growing trees
that don't mind getting their feet wet in the winter,
to give some privacy from the new apartments next door
to us. This is a Auckland story, of course.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Yeah, I can imagine because it's yeah, okay, wet feet though, yes,
you can have plants with wet feet. Willows, for instance,
are very good with wet feet and those sort of
things because they are, for instance, in the natal and
some of those species of alex Selex live with their
feet in rather moist conditions and can stand that. So
(10:02):
look at things like that. So think about what if
you want in New Zealand plant for instance, or tree
or shrub, what would work in wetlands. Go and look
it up and see if you can find it. Second thing,
I would say, go to the botannic gardens and see
what they've planted around the edges of all the wet areas.
You'll find there's plenty to choose from.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Excellent, excellent.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Um.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
So we've done the lik and we've done that, We've
done the magnolia trees. Ah, good morning. I bought a
home two years ago with gardens everywhere, and because I'm
not a gardener, everyone told me to give it two
seasons and see if I like it. How do I
redesign and make a beautiful garden for me and my
south Otaga kraky That's a huge question.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
Mmm south Okay, No, No, that's okay, go to go
and have a look at some of the places arounderneath.
And because they have apart from the fact that Benen Peninsula,
you know, the peninsula there is generally a bit warmer
than the inland area, I think you should go and
have a look at some of those a gain areas
(11:12):
where the council has planted lots of stuff because they
know exactly what would work well, right, and that, honestly,
that is the best way to go. And as I
said to Jack yesterday, the cool thing is you can
also do it in the areas where you are living.
Go for a walk and you find things that people
have in their garden. You might not know what it is.
(11:33):
All you need to do is knock on the door
and say hello, we love your plants, can you can
you tell me what is it? Dada, where do you
get it? And all that sort of stuff. And as
a good Dutchman, I know you usually end up with the.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Cutting Yeah, perfect, perfect, excellent. Right, I will take a
short break. If you've got a question for it, you
should call us right now. Oh eight hundred eighty ten
eighty News Talk said.
Speaker 5 (11:58):
Be extra governments here and abroad overcook the COVID response
with border controls, the world ground to a halt. We
artificially concocted the inflationary wildfire so hot that the ambers
burned close to the Central limits to this day. As
for those calls from Douglas and co. For Willis to
(12:19):
you know, her head on a steak, that's what they're
asking for. You've got to ask what exactly is it
they want and what impact would it have had had
she gone full Ruth Richardson in Budgets one and two
getting the books in line sooner? That growth number we
saw yesterday, the one that prompted the press release calling
(12:39):
for her scalp, would have been a hell of a
lot worse than zero point nine negative. So the waiting
game continues, which is cold comfort to many, But the
medicine for such a nasty illness was always going to
be hard to swallow.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
That was a news talk zib Extra.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Ridio news talk sib AT just ticked over eight point
thirty nine. If you've got a question for British call
now eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. Now someone is
being invaded by ants? What can they do?
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Control? Oh, and control? There's many different things many different species,
many different ways they come in. Sometimes they actually I
think we've talked about this before on the AIO program,
about ants coming from the ceiling and diving down either
into a hanging light fixture whatever, or actually come down
(13:32):
and go down literally dead on the floor as well,
usually from a hole in the ceiling or near a
place where you've got some lighting. Okay, there's a couple
of things. So some of those live in your ceiling,
some of them live down on the ground. They come
in your kitchen, they know where the food is, they
go and make a wonderful place. Wonderful if you like
(13:53):
a road from where the food is spilt behind the
stove to their outside nest, if you like all that
sort of stuff. Are different kind of ants, some like proteins,
some like sweets, so they are also if you like
liking different foods, and that has something to do with
the way you control it as well. Okay, some ants creatures,
(14:18):
some ants like sweet materials. So what you use then
is a sugar e base if you like the protein
ones have a protein base. But basically what I find
very pretty good was the ns in your pants. That
is a bait that another wet and forget bait that
we did with what's the space? And the point here
(14:39):
is that you put these little bits of attractant in
various places where those ends come into your house or
I into your house. And remember, most ants have their
own territory, so don't just use one place one attractant,
but do it every two or three meters. They are
different colonies and they don't go over each other's territory,
(15:02):
so you need different of different places where you put
bait if you like. So all these baits that you
can get in various shops basically need multiple sites we
catch them. That's important.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Wow, yeah, excellent, right now talking about things inside that
we maybe don't want. Gay, good morning, Good.
Speaker 6 (15:26):
Morning, to be good Hi Gay, Yes, Hi, route I am.
For the last two years, I've nearly gone crazy. I
moved into my house two years ago, and both summers
I've been persecuted by flies, and nobody seems to be
able to tell me why I have them so badly.
Nobody else seems to be getting them like I do.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Oh still where First of all, whereabouts do you live?
Which area?
Speaker 6 (15:54):
Northcote Point, England?
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Right? Do you have your windows open?
Speaker 6 (16:02):
I I try not to have them open too much
because I don't want them flying. I've got a fly
screen on my bigger window, but I have a dog
so it has to go outside occasionally. Sure, but they think,
I mean, they're just beyond a joke. I've never had
anything like this before.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
Can you tell? Can you have you well, it's hard
to do that. It might be an idea to take
if you can, and especially if they sit still or
even if they're dead in the window sill. You know,
if they're numerous, it doesn't matter. Can you take a
really good picture of that fly when it's lying down
or sitting up, or boat or if they're all together,
(16:43):
as close as you can and as accurate and as
sharp as you can. And then what I want you
to do is download an app called eye Natural List.
So it's one word yep, okay, And once you get
your use the name in the past, which cost you nothink,
it can identify what the creature is. What you can
do then is you can come back to me or
(17:04):
ring ring us up again. At the least I know
or what species it is, but I'll bet you it's
something like a house house fly or something like that.
Speaker 6 (17:12):
There's the ordinary little house flies. But then it's kind
of bigger green, you know, the ones that look a
bit green, the big ones. They're not like horse flies
or anything like that. They're a bigger kind of But.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
In that case, I think it would be. Therefore, it's
quite important to actually identify this. Yeah, and here's another
little trick. Here's another little trick that goes for blowflies
and house flies and some of the other ones. And
it is that if you have your window open, for instance,
on the leeward side, so not on the windy side
(17:45):
of the house, but on the protected side of the house,
that's where the flies come in.
Speaker 6 (17:51):
The trouble is, I'm pretty protected everywhere, because you know
what it's like in a suburb like Northcote Point that's
houses on every side. I've even put something enighborly to
ask does anybody have a compost cheap or anything? But
nobody's replied to me, so hmm, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
But can I ask a rather delicate question which comes
through from the texture. Is it related to having a dog?
Speaker 6 (18:17):
I don't think so, because my dogs don't crap in
the garden and I take them out, you know, take
them out. So I don't think it is because when
I was I lived in Casta Bay before and I
was up on a hill, and I know that flies
don't really like to go flying up up, you know,
And but I know i'd see one or two, but
(18:37):
nothing like this. I mean, it's it's just embarrassing.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Wow mm hmm. But but in general, in general, when
I'm talking, and this is something that other people might
benefit from. And if you have like from now on
spring and then all and then you know, summer, if
you have your windows open, not on the windy side,
but on the on the sheltered side, that's that's exactly
(19:02):
the place where flies like to hang out. They do
not like the windy side of your house. So if
you ever have your lip windows off or do it
on the windy.
Speaker 6 (19:10):
Side, Okay, I will do that.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Okay, that might be the one that stops them from
coming in in big numbers.
Speaker 6 (19:18):
Okay, Okay, well I'll try. I'll get back to again
in the summer.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Let's really know how you get on. Thank you, gay,
take care. There's a ticks here about bor x or
sugar for the end.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Yeah, that's right. There are some of those wonderful Borx
things that you can use with sugar or with a
protein something like peanut butter. That is for the protein
feeding ends right the box system material that actually kills
the end. So you either attract them with sugary type
thing or or what do you call it, anything that
(19:55):
you know came out of an came out of a
sugary place, yes, or you use the protein material like
peanut butter as the attractant. That's right, Okay, makes sense
that it's the old questioned way.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Fantastic, right, you know, we'll take short break. We'll talk
to Michael after the break. You're the climb pass coming
up nine minutes away from nine o'clock. Michael, Good morning, Yes, Hello,
(20:29):
How I am Michael?
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Pretty good?
Speaker 7 (20:31):
Pretty good?
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Am I am? I.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
I don't think you're the only one having trouble with that.
We might see whether we can get a bit of line.
Do we actually have two mites in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Yeah, we've got a couple of species. We've got native
ones and we've got the invasive ones or in exotic
ones as well, and they all have little different ways
of moving around. But I just want to know what
the termites are doing at his place because that's quite interesting.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Because you know, just in terms of building, I know,
for example, in Australia, there's really strict controls around like
timber piles and so on to stop infestation. There's quite
a move to you know, steel framing because obviously termites
are not going to chew through that. But we're not anywhere.
We have controls around in sex and so on in
(21:34):
terms of treatment and infestation, but nothing that's likely to
nibble away at your entire house.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Yes there is, ah, yes there is. We have calor
turmish brunei, which is the drywood termite here, the native one,
and I don't think it does a lot of damage,
but it loves still make holes in dry wood, especially
stored drywood. It comes out of dry timber trees and
(22:02):
branches that have died already, that sort of stuff. But
there are also some Australian species that are doing quite
a bit of doing a lot of trouble. And once again,
if you do have and we've talked about this before,
safe works are the ones that have this absolutely brilliant
material that is long lasting and that does not just
(22:22):
borer but termites as well. Because they the termites work
just like bora if you like it.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
So we've we've got Michael Beck with us. So Michael,
what are you seeing when you see the termites? What
what are you actually seeing? What's the end result?
Speaker 7 (22:39):
Our sun boord us some forward a couple of years
ago was um tree and we didn't not was full
of bloody turm much is why it was dead. I'll
put it down a back and then yeah, they have
a tech apricot tree and the plum tree and even
(22:59):
a firewood stump. I wonder what we can do.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Do you see that these termites have wings at times
of the year.
Speaker 7 (23:08):
I hadn't noticed that, but apparently yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Okay, you looked at it obviously, okay, because that's the
time when they start moving around, you know what I mean.
And they and as I said, they go to dead wood.
All right. The best thing to do in this case
is just burn the wood and basically anybody that lives
insight will go as well. But you're gotta be you
know what I mean. Or if you if you want
(23:31):
an insecticide that that has to control the termites, go
to a place called safe works. One word safe works
with an X at the end. Safe works. Okay, And
they have fabulous, fabulous material that you can spray on
wherever you think the termites are doing.
Speaker 7 (23:51):
Their duty, and we'll let the trunk sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Absolutely lovely, Michael, No, they better not the good one boy,
see you later.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Yeah, that's awesome. Someone on the West Coast same issues
with flies as the lady up north. Never had them
like this, big blue ones and house flies as well,
even though through the winter every cell in the house
have sprayed inside outside, every damn side. At a loss
for figuring this out.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
Wow, Yeah, and you have to remember we have we
have clusterflies, especially in the South Island. Clusterflies are yeah,
about the size of of of house flies, a bit bigger,
I suppose, but they got wonderful golden hairs on their back.
And these guys are at the moment going or are
normally going into houses, into houses where it's nice and dry, quiet,
(24:49):
et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. And when you try
to remove them, you may basically squashed them a bit.
And that is that stinks and it leaves in nasty
and you can have the guy, your your painting guy
up to tell them how to get rid of it,
because it's awful, awful?
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Yeah, wow, really quick one from you, Tony. How are
you sir?
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Good morning? How are you? We've got a row of
to the sporums that are it's best, simply part meters long,
and they block out the neighbor about three meters by,
and quite a number of them are turning woody, and
the trunks are turning back and you can see starting
to see through them now and with a sort of
(25:34):
loss growing on them.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Yeah, are they still alive though? Are they? Tony? Can
you hear me?
Speaker 4 (25:47):
Hello?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Tony?
Speaker 4 (25:50):
Sorry?
Speaker 3 (25:51):
Are you are you still there? Can you? Can you
hear me?
Speaker 4 (25:54):
Yes? I can? Sorry?
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Okay, good good, that's all right, Yeah, I can hear
you know, listen, so you say can you can you?
You say it's black? Is there something?
Speaker 4 (26:06):
Yeah? Yeah, I think I've gone black on you know,
four or five of them and you can speak through
them now, and they're losing their leaves and.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
There seems to be there seems to be something wrong
with them. If they're turning black. They might be apherts
and mealy bugs and all these sort of things that
suck the juices out of the plant and basically drop
the honeyjew onto the foliage and onto the plant below,
onto the branches below, and that that becomes black sooty mold.
(26:38):
In the end, that in itself means that you need
to control the little insects that are actually making a
mess of your plant on the leaves. Okay, So there
could be all sorts of things that would put them
back into health. So that is an important way to go,
all right, Yes, okay, some insect sight will do it.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Yeah. And I found that Pato's after you know, twenty
five thirty years, they're pretty much into life kind of yes, okay,
so that might be a factor as well.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
That could be another one. Yeah, especially if they're three
meters tall and they've already been going for decades.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Yeah, you're probably right, Yeah, because I've got a couple
of those on another place, and yeah, they're just starting
to look a bit old and scraggly and one day
they'll be firewood.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know if I would.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Yeah, yeah, hey mate, thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
I have a great week.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
Take care you too, buddy. Thank you, and we'll be
back with you again next Sunday here at News Talks.
He'd be have a great week. Enjoy the longer days,
Let's hope we can get outside and get some things done.
Take care, have an awesome week.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
For more from the Resident Builder with Peter Wolfcamp, listen
live to news talks there'd be on Sunday mornings from
s or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Resident Builder podcast with Peter Wolfcamp
from News Talk SEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Right over a little bit early, but let's jump into
the garden because things are starting to happen in the garden.
I've noticed new growth. I've certainly noticed the weeds have
have come away with a gusto and it's starting to
happen out there.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Good, good morning, Good morning, Peter. Yes, it is not
going to happen, can you hear me?
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Absolutely, OK, Yes, it is starting to happen. It's unbelievable.
What's what's going on these last couple of days or
actually last weeks. It's in Auckland, as you know, but
also here in Grossier has gone.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Yeah we are Yeah, Hey, so you're back home.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
I'm back home after three weeks on the road basically.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Reichy and working with the teachers. How's that going?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
That was fabulous. We had two groups about thirty teachers
and they've been you know, basically we've been doing all
sorts of stuff. They learned everything about the environment, about
creepy crawlies, about birds, about whatever. And they loved it
and so did I. Fantastic Blake Inspire. It's called for
next year teachers, if you're thinking about it, Blake inspire.
(01:27):
That's it for teachers, Sir, Peter Blake.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Trust great, And you know, hats off to the teachers
that kind of give up their holidays for this professional development. Yes,
they could be sweaning about at home, but I'm not
saying that they are before I get a thousand texts
saying no, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
You just don't you know, No, they don't swine a tom.
I know.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
It could be at home, or you could be out
increasing your ecological literacy, which is awesome.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
That's it. Yeah, that's exactly right. So we went it
tough for Annui, for instance, where we saw of settlebacks
and all these other rare things, just just unbelievable stuff.
But also we did stuff in terms of water quality.
You know, how do you get your water back in order?
How do you how do you measure that? Et cetera,
et cetera, et cetera. No, it's fabulous, awesome, they're great.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Awesome, No, it sounds awesome, all right, And Blake inspires.
So it's what do you do as a teacher?
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Apply?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
And yeah, of course you nothing, okay, all you need
all you need to literally pay for is if you
need to fly to Auckland Sea. Sure, that's all of this.
The rest is all done. Are you staying in a
really cool hotel like a four or five style hotel
which actually they don't know, but that's making no difference
at all because they basically work till ten eleven.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
And at six they're too tired to enjoy it. That's fair, inxastic, fantastic. Right,
let's get a boxstat folks, if you've got a question
for it, you should call right now. Oh eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty texts have started to come in morning.
My daughter has two small magnolia trees approximately one and
a half meters high that are struggling. They have a
(03:06):
few small flowers on them, and also their trunks are
covered in lichen. Could you please advise what she could
give them to boost and does she need to remove
the lichen from Jodi and.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
I wouldn't get rid of the lichen because they often
have like and anyway, that's Magnolias is quite a good
plant that attracts that and it's really not that bad.
But what you need is balanced fertilizer, a good slow
release fertilizer. If you like, and sometimes I think it
would pay to give you asset loving plants fertilizers stuff
(03:40):
did you get for azaleas and camelias and things like
that and roses that, so it gives you a slightly
asset touch on it as well, but a general fertilizer
will do well. That's what it's about, I must say.
Julie asked me the same question about a magnolia. So
(04:00):
we're actually working on the same gig at home at
a moment, and Jill's was Jill's hates that the like
it because it goes I like, it's the like, it's
not the like, and it's not a big deal it all.
Don't worry about the like.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
And yeah, now talking about lichen but not on a
natural surface. What can I use to get rid of?
Like in that's starting to grow on my car where
the windows meet the frame, and I must have I've
noticed it on mine, and you know, round door seals
and that sort of thing. I know it's not necessarily
a nature type question, but in terms of control what
(04:37):
moss control, let's say.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Mm hmm, it is. It is a nature type question actually,
And i'd like to say if I hope dan Venash
is listening because on his property, he's got heaps of
guys like that. I just love. I'll take the mickey
out of no doubt, and I've got fabulous photos of it.
So okay. So what Lichan does, Yes, it's actually not
(05:01):
one thing. It's a it's a combination of two or
three things. It's usually fungy. The fungi are the materials
that you see coming up, but is actually the heart stuff.
It's not hot, but I mean it's the physical stuff. Yes, fungy,
And there is algae. Algae is the green stuff of
the gray green stuff that grows on the fungus. Now
(05:25):
here comes the thing Peter. The fungie can make if
you like, they can become visible as flaps and things
like that. But the green stuff, the algae, is the
material that can do photosynthesis. It actually it actually takes
the sunlight from the sky and it takes a little
(05:47):
bit of the water from from from the wherever it lives.
And it could be on a plant. It could be
on a plant, it could be on a tree, It
could be on as you just hurt on magnolia. But
it could also be on glass, the glass of your car,
for instance. And here comes the thing that the algae,
of course, cannot keep more. That's how they collaborate with
(06:08):
the fungi. So those two work together. Wonders photosynthesis, the
other one does that it keeps the moisture, and together
they work and become a lichen. By the way, lichens
are six hundred million years old. They were on the
planet when life came out of the ocean and onto
(06:30):
the land. Lichen was already there. Isn't that amazing?
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yeah, that is incredible. So again I'm thinking, you know,
what do you do?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
No?
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Just well no, And also just you know, I got
the yute with a canopy and around the side windows
on that you can see that little layer of green
that develops in there. So that's not just one thing,
it's it's several things working together together.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
That's right. Wow, Wet and forget. That was why Rod
Jenden invented wet and forget, for your roof, for your windows,
and for everything else where. Your likens. Now, it's not
that liking is a trouble, but it can be slippery
on a roof and is blinking difficult. You know, you've
(07:13):
got you've got to do something about it. And that
is how rod and all these decades ago started doing
what and forget or made wed and forget happened. And
so that is a brilliant place the thing to spray
over your your your your car, if you like, or
whatever it is, and you can get rid of it.
I wouldn't put it directly over plants, because you need
(07:35):
to dilute it a little bit for plants. But but
when forget wood, for instance, take mosses and lichens out
of your grass as well out of your lawn. But
do it half speed, half half half strength.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Okay, awesome, awesome, that's brilliant, right right.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
One more, one more likening, and one more like it.
This is bloody brilliant. I'm like, I'm liking the liking
to I've got an Inkentterbury. But you get it everywhere else.
There's on the on ashfeltast. It's funny, yes, okay. And
and and that is called sexy pavement lichen.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
That's its official scientific term.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
It's not it's it's the English term for the scientific terms, okay,
but everybody knows it as sexy pavement.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Like it.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
And here comes the thing. The Chinese have worked out
that if you scrape that stuff off the ashveldt and
everywhere where it is outside your house and all that,
and you and you mix it up a little bit,
you get and you get the same material. It contains
the same material that is the active ingredient of viagra.
(08:49):
Are you getting it?
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I was waiting for that. Somehow I figured that this
is the path we were on.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
That's the party. Party. Here comes the thing. If you
use that stuff that's been sitting on this rubbish on
the floor for all that time, and you scrape it off,
you also scrape off a lot of other stuff that
you don't. So please love the joke, love the idea,
love the name and or the but don't, for crying
(09:15):
out loud, swallow it because it must be so much.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Right, there will be a whole lot of unintended consequences,
right he Oh, you can give us a call right now. Oh,
eight hundred eighty ten eighty is the number to call.
A couple of other texts recommendations for fast growing trees
that don't mind getting their feet wet in the winter,
to give some privacy from the new apartments next door
to us. This is a Auckland story, of course.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Yeah, I can imagine because it's yeah, okay, wet feet though, yes,
you can have plants with wet feet. Willows, for instance,
are very good with wet feet and those sort of
things because they are, for instance, in the natal and
some of those species of alex Selex live with their
feet in rather moist conditions and can stand that. So
(10:02):
look at things like that. So think about what if
you want in New Zealand plant for instance, or tree
or shrub, what would work in wetlands. Go and look
it up and see if you can find it. Second thing,
I would say, go to the botannic gardens and see
what they've planted around the edges of all the wet areas.
You'll find there's plenty to choose from.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Excellent, excellent.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Um.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
So we've done the lik and we've done that, We've
done the magnolia trees. Ah, good morning. I bought a
home two years ago with gardens everywhere, and because I'm
not a gardener, everyone told me to give it two
seasons and see if I like it. How do I
redesign and make a beautiful garden for me and my
south Otaga kraky That's a huge question.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
Mmm south Okay, No, No, that's okay, go to go
and have a look at some of the places arounderneath.
And because they have apart from the fact that Benen Peninsula,
you know, the peninsula there is generally a bit warmer
than the inland area, I think you should go and
have a look at some of those a gain areas
(11:12):
where the council has planted lots of stuff because they
know exactly what would work well, right, and that, honestly,
that is the best way to go. And as I
said to Jack yesterday, the cool thing is you can
also do it in the areas where you are living.
Go for a walk and you find things that people
have in their garden. You might not know what it is.
(11:33):
All you need to do is knock on the door
and say hello, we love your plants, can you can
you tell me what is it? Dada, where do you
get it? And all that sort of stuff. And as
a good Dutchman, I know you usually end up with the.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Cutting Yeah, perfect, perfect, excellent. Right, I will take a
short break. If you've got a question for it, you
should call us right now. Oh eight hundred eighty ten
eighty News Talk said.
Speaker 5 (11:58):
Be extra governments here and abroad overcook the COVID response
with border controls, the world ground to a halt. We
artificially concocted the inflationary wildfire so hot that the ambers
burned close to the Central limits to this day. As
for those calls from Douglas and co. For Willis to
(12:19):
you know, her head on a steak, that's what they're
asking for. You've got to ask what exactly is it
they want and what impact would it have had had
she gone full Ruth Richardson in Budgets one and two
getting the books in line sooner? That growth number we
saw yesterday, the one that prompted the press release calling
(12:39):
for her scalp, would have been a hell of a
lot worse than zero point nine negative. So the waiting
game continues, which is cold comfort to many, But the
medicine for such a nasty illness was always going to
be hard to swallow.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
That was a news talk zib Extra.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Ridio news talk sib AT just ticked over eight point
thirty nine. If you've got a question for British call
now eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. Now someone is
being invaded by ants? What can they do?
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Control? Oh, and control? There's many different things many different species,
many different ways they come in. Sometimes they actually I
think we've talked about this before on the AIO program,
about ants coming from the ceiling and diving down either
into a hanging light fixture whatever, or actually come down
(13:32):
and go down literally dead on the floor as well,
usually from a hole in the ceiling or near a
place where you've got some lighting. Okay, there's a couple
of things. So some of those live in your ceiling,
some of them live down on the ground. They come
in your kitchen, they know where the food is, they
go and make a wonderful place. Wonderful if you like
(13:53):
a road from where the food is spilt behind the
stove to their outside nest, if you like all that
sort of stuff. Are different kind of ants, some like proteins,
some like sweets, so they are also if you like
liking different foods, and that has something to do with
the way you control it as well. Okay, some ants creatures,
(14:18):
some ants like sweet materials. So what you use then
is a sugar e base if you like the protein
ones have a protein base. But basically what I find
very pretty good was the ns in your pants. That
is a bait that another wet and forget bait that
we did with what's the space? And the point here
(14:39):
is that you put these little bits of attractant in
various places where those ends come into your house or
I into your house. And remember, most ants have their
own territory, so don't just use one place one attractant,
but do it every two or three meters. They are
different colonies and they don't go over each other's territory,
(15:02):
so you need different of different places where you put
bait if you like. So all these baits that you
can get in various shops basically need multiple sites we
catch them. That's important.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Wow, yeah, excellent, right now talking about things inside that
we maybe don't want. Gay, good morning, Good.
Speaker 6 (15:26):
Morning, to be good Hi Gay, Yes, Hi, route I am.
For the last two years, I've nearly gone crazy. I
moved into my house two years ago, and both summers
I've been persecuted by flies, and nobody seems to be
able to tell me why I have them so badly.
Nobody else seems to be getting them like I do.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Oh still where First of all, whereabouts do you live?
Which area?
Speaker 6 (15:54):
Northcote Point, England?
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Right? Do you have your windows open?
Speaker 6 (16:02):
I I try not to have them open too much
because I don't want them flying. I've got a fly
screen on my bigger window, but I have a dog
so it has to go outside occasionally. Sure, but they think,
I mean, they're just beyond a joke. I've never had
anything like this before.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
Can you tell? Can you have you well, it's hard
to do that. It might be an idea to take
if you can, and especially if they sit still or
even if they're dead in the window sill. You know,
if they're numerous, it doesn't matter. Can you take a
really good picture of that fly when it's lying down
or sitting up, or boat or if they're all together,
(16:43):
as close as you can and as accurate and as
sharp as you can. And then what I want you
to do is download an app called eye Natural List.
So it's one word yep, okay, And once you get
your use the name in the past, which cost you nothink,
it can identify what the creature is. What you can
do then is you can come back to me or
(17:04):
ring ring us up again. At the least I know
or what species it is, but I'll bet you it's
something like a house house fly or something like that.
Speaker 6 (17:12):
There's the ordinary little house flies. But then it's kind
of bigger green, you know, the ones that look a
bit green, the big ones. They're not like horse flies
or anything like that. They're a bigger kind of But.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
In that case, I think it would be. Therefore, it's
quite important to actually identify this. Yeah, and here's another
little trick. Here's another little trick that goes for blowflies
and house flies and some of the other ones. And
it is that if you have your window open, for instance,
on the leeward side, so not on the windy side
(17:45):
of the house, but on the protected side of the house,
that's where the flies come in.
Speaker 6 (17:51):
The trouble is, I'm pretty protected everywhere, because you know
what it's like in a suburb like Northcote Point that's
houses on every side. I've even put something enighborly to
ask does anybody have a compost cheap or anything? But
nobody's replied to me, so hmm, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
But can I ask a rather delicate question which comes
through from the texture. Is it related to having a dog?
Speaker 6 (18:17):
I don't think so, because my dogs don't crap in
the garden and I take them out, you know, take
them out. So I don't think it is because when
I was I lived in Casta Bay before and I
was up on a hill, and I know that flies
don't really like to go flying up up, you know,
And but I know i'd see one or two, but
(18:37):
nothing like this. I mean, it's it's just embarrassing.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Wow mm hmm. But but in general, in general, when
I'm talking, and this is something that other people might
benefit from. And if you have like from now on
spring and then all and then you know, summer, if
you have your windows open, not on the windy side,
but on the on the sheltered side, that's that's exactly
(19:02):
the place where flies like to hang out. They do
not like the windy side of your house. So if
you ever have your lip windows off or do it
on the windy.
Speaker 6 (19:10):
Side, Okay, I will do that.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Okay, that might be the one that stops them from
coming in in big numbers.
Speaker 6 (19:18):
Okay, Okay, well I'll try. I'll get back to again
in the summer.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Let's really know how you get on. Thank you, gay,
take care. There's a ticks here about bor x or
sugar for the end.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Yeah, that's right. There are some of those wonderful Borx
things that you can use with sugar or with a
protein something like peanut butter. That is for the protein
feeding ends right the box system material that actually kills
the end. So you either attract them with sugary type
thing or or what do you call it, anything that
(19:55):
you know came out of an came out of a
sugary place, yes, or you use the protein material like
peanut butter as the attractant. That's right, Okay, makes sense
that it's the old questioned way.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Fantastic, right, you know, we'll take short break. We'll talk
to Michael after the break. You're the climb pass coming
up nine minutes away from nine o'clock. Michael, Good morning, Yes, Hello,
(20:29):
How I am Michael?
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Pretty good?
Speaker 7 (20:31):
Pretty good?
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Am I am? I.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
I don't think you're the only one having trouble with that.
We might see whether we can get a bit of line.
Do we actually have two mites in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Yeah, we've got a couple of species. We've got native
ones and we've got the invasive ones or in exotic
ones as well, and they all have little different ways
of moving around. But I just want to know what
the termites are doing at his place because that's quite interesting.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Because you know, just in terms of building, I know,
for example, in Australia, there's really strict controls around like
timber piles and so on to stop infestation. There's quite
a move to you know, steel framing because obviously termites
are not going to chew through that. But we're not anywhere.
We have controls around in sex and so on in
(21:34):
terms of treatment and infestation, but nothing that's likely to
nibble away at your entire house.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Yes there is, ah, yes there is. We have calor
turmish brunei, which is the drywood termite here, the native one,
and I don't think it does a lot of damage,
but it loves still make holes in dry wood, especially
stored drywood. It comes out of dry timber trees and
(22:02):
branches that have died already, that sort of stuff. But
there are also some Australian species that are doing quite
a bit of doing a lot of trouble. And once again,
if you do have and we've talked about this before,
safe works are the ones that have this absolutely brilliant
material that is long lasting and that does not just
(22:22):
borer but termites as well. Because they the termites work
just like bora if you like it.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
So we've we've got Michael Beck with us. So Michael,
what are you seeing when you see the termites? What
what are you actually seeing? What's the end result?
Speaker 7 (22:39):
Our sun boord us some forward a couple of years
ago was um tree and we didn't not was full
of bloody turm much is why it was dead. I'll
put it down a back and then yeah, they have
a tech apricot tree and the plum tree and even
(22:59):
a firewood stump. I wonder what we can do.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Do you see that these termites have wings at times
of the year.
Speaker 7 (23:08):
I hadn't noticed that, but apparently yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
Okay, you looked at it obviously, okay, because that's the
time when they start moving around, you know what I mean.
And they and as I said, they go to dead wood.
All right. The best thing to do in this case
is just burn the wood and basically anybody that lives
insight will go as well. But you're gotta be you
know what I mean. Or if you if you want
(23:31):
an insecticide that that has to control the termites, go
to a place called safe works. One word safe works
with an X at the end. Safe works. Okay, And
they have fabulous, fabulous material that you can spray on
wherever you think the termites are doing.
Speaker 7 (23:51):
Their duty, and we'll let the trunk sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Absolutely lovely, Michael, No, they better not the good one boy,
see you later.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Yeah, that's awesome. Someone on the West Coast same issues
with flies as the lady up north. Never had them
like this, big blue ones and house flies as well,
even though through the winter every cell in the house
have sprayed inside outside, every damn side. At a loss
for figuring this out.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
Wow, Yeah, and you have to remember we have we
have clusterflies, especially in the South Island. Clusterflies are yeah,
about the size of of of house flies, a bit bigger,
I suppose, but they got wonderful golden hairs on their back.
And these guys are at the moment going or are
normally going into houses, into houses where it's nice and dry, quiet,
(24:49):
et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. And when you try
to remove them, you may basically squashed them a bit.
And that is that stinks and it leaves in nasty
and you can have the guy, your your painting guy
up to tell them how to get rid of it,
because it's awful, awful?
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Yeah, wow, really quick one from you, Tony. How are
you sir?
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Good morning? How are you? We've got a row of
to the sporums that are it's best, simply part meters long,
and they block out the neighbor about three meters by,
and quite a number of them are turning woody, and
the trunks are turning back and you can see starting
to see through them now and with a sort of
(25:34):
loss growing on them.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Yeah, are they still alive though? Are they? Tony? Can
you hear me?
Speaker 4 (25:47):
Hello?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Tony?
Speaker 4 (25:50):
Sorry?
Speaker 3 (25:51):
Are you are you still there? Can you? Can you
hear me?
Speaker 4 (25:54):
Yes? I can? Sorry?
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Okay, good good, that's all right, Yeah, I can hear
you know, listen, so you say can you can you?
You say it's black? Is there something?
Speaker 4 (26:06):
Yeah? Yeah, I think I've gone black on you know,
four or five of them and you can speak through
them now, and they're losing their leaves and.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
There seems to be there seems to be something wrong
with them. If they're turning black. They might be apherts
and mealy bugs and all these sort of things that
suck the juices out of the plant and basically drop
the honeyjew onto the foliage and onto the plant below,
onto the branches below, and that that becomes black sooty mold.
(26:38):
In the end, that in itself means that you need
to control the little insects that are actually making a
mess of your plant on the leaves. Okay, So there
could be all sorts of things that would put them
back into health. So that is an important way to go,
all right, Yes, okay, some insect sight will do it.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Yeah. And I found that Pato's after you know, twenty
five thirty years, they're pretty much into life kind of yes, okay,
so that might be a factor as well.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
That could be another one. Yeah, especially if they're three
meters tall and they've already been going for decades.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Yeah, you're probably right, Yeah, because I've got a couple
of those on another place, and yeah, they're just starting
to look a bit old and scraggly and one day
they'll be firewood.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know if I would.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Yeah, yeah, hey mate, thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
I have a great week.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
Take care you too, buddy. Thank you, and we'll be
back with you again next Sunday here at News Talks.
He'd be have a great week. Enjoy the longer days,
Let's hope we can get outside and get some things done.
Take care, have an awesome week.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
For more from the Resident Builder with Peter Wolfcamp, listen
live to news talks there'd be on Sunday mornings from
s or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.