2323 days ago

My NEW strawberry-growing operation. =D

Sharon from Te Atatu South

A 163-litre plastic storage container bought from the Warehouse for $35, THEN I drilled holes in the base with a compass point for drainage so they don't get waterlogged, THEN half-filled it with three 30L bags of strawberry potting mix, then I took the strawberries out of their pots and put them in, fed (with liquid feed AND solid, longer-lasting fertiliser granules!!!) and watered them well, using the existing straw from the pots as mulch, and the tall sides of the container will afford them some protection from the wind (strawberries do not like the wind, it seems!), while if it gets too bad I have the clip-on lid leaning against the galvanised steel raised vege garden bed beside it, and BOTH the container and lid are transparent so the strawberry plants can get as much light as they want (strawberries NEED plenty of sun to grow fruit!), and they are in a sunny spot (although not on an overcast day like today!). =D HOPEFULLY I should have more luck with growing the strawberries!!!!!!!! =P The HEALTHY plants are the ones I just bought, the unfortunate brown ones are the ones that got damaged by the wind, and the little wee short ones with a green leaf or two (one or two have flowers, and one has a berry forming!) are Claire Tran's plants. =D I am doing the best I can to learn from her and others how to grow them (mine keep dying!), so any input as to what I'm doing wrong/what to do would be appreciated. =D Thanks. =D

Image
More messages from your neighbours
11 days ago

Even Australians get it - so why not Kiwis???

Markus from Green Bay

“Ten years ago, if a heatwave as intense as last week’s record-breaker had hit the east coast, Australia’s power supply may well have buckled. But this time, the system largely operated as we needed, despite some outages.

On Australia’s main grid last quarter, renewables and energy storage contributed more than 50% of supplied electricity for the first time, while wholesale power prices were more than 40% lower than a year earlier.

[…] shifting demand from gas and coal for power and petrol for cars is likely to deliver significantly lower energy bills for households.

Last quarter, wind generation was up almost 30%, grid solar 15% and grid-scale batteries almost tripled their output. Gas generation fell 27% to its lowest level for a quarter century, while coal fell 4.6% to its lowest quarterly level ever.

Gas has long been the most expensive way to produce power. Gas peaking plants tend to fire up only when supply struggles to meet demand and power prices soar. Less demand for gas has flowed through to lower wholesale prices.”

Full article: www.theguardian.com...


If even Australians see the benefit of solar - then why is NZ actively boycotting solar uptake? The increased line rental for electricity was done to make solar less competitive and prevent cost per kWh to rise even more than it did - and electricity costs are expected to rise even more. Especially as National favours gas - which is the most expensive form of generating electricity. Which in turn will accelerate Climate Change, as if New Zealand didn’t have enough problems with droughts, floods, slips, etc. already.

4 days ago

Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙

One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.

So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?

Image
Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
  • 58.9% Yes, supporting people is important!
    58.9% Complete
  • 26.4% No, individuals should take responsibility
    26.4% Complete
  • 14.7% ... It is complicated
    14.7% Complete
871 votes
5 days ago

A Neighbourly Riddle! Don’t Overthink It… Or Do?😜

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!

If you multiply this number by any other number, the answer will always be the same. What number is this?

Image