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Flax, cabbage trees, yuccas and kikuyu grass make regular appearances in Kiwi backyards. And while for the most part they look lovely and/or are suitable to the harsh coastal climate conditions in NZ, they are quite tough and can be difficult to maintain. Cue the Maruyoshi Flax Cutter, otherwise known as a flax knife or a serrated sickle harvest knife. While it's called "Flax" cutter, the blade is really ideal for cutting and trimming many different fibrous plants. Flaxes, Toe Toe, Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia), ivy and other vines, invasive clumping grasses, cabbage trees, yuccas and it could even be used to harvest lavender. Basically anything tough that simple pruners simply won't cut through the fibrous strands. It's all in the motion! The main thing to note is the flax cutter is not a sawing or hacking tool, it's a pulling tool. The seriously sharp blade features very fine teeth and is made from top-quality, Japanese high carbon steel that's tempered for extra strength.  This Maruyoshi cutter also features a special back bar to make the blade even stronger. Instead of sawing or hacking, the teeth work with the use of a smooth pulling motion. Simply place the blade at the base of the leaf blade or clump of grass and pull around and slightly twist. Super lightweight, the knife weighs a tiny 100 grams so it's easy for anyone to use and won't fatigue your hands and arms as loppers can. And with practice, it's a swift and effortless tool for tackling these jobs.  There's a community of Gubba gardeners that already know and appreciate the value of this marvellous tool. Add one to your garden tool kit and you'll take to your maintenance tasks with great gusto. Click here buy the Maruyoshi Flax Cutter now or... Check out our video below of the Maruyoshi Flax Cutter in action:

What’s a Hori Hori? Great question! It’s a multi-purpose hand tool that can be used as a trowel, a weeder, a knife, a pruner and the list goes on. Without a doubt, it’s one of the handiest additions you could make to your tool kit. Let’s just start by saying that when you first see the Hori Hori there’s an element of “whoa that’s a serious tool” combined with a “wow that’s pretty cool”. There was definitely more of the “wow that’s cool” by the guys in our office when we unpacked our first shipment of these tools. Hori Hori - it’s all in the name Legend has it that the Hori Hori originated in the mountainous regions of Japan and while you could be mistaken that it looks more like a weapon (channelling Crocodile Dundee “That’s not a knife, this is a knife!”), it was actually used for harvesting vegetables.  The name is derived from the Japanese verb "to dig" - Hori. The classic Hori Hori knife features a strong, razor-sharp blade that’s serrated on one side, a strong wooden handle, and a tough stainless steel blade that is often polished to a mirror finish. The blade lengths can vary but in general, are around 17cms or 7 inches. There are many makes and brands available these days, but Japanese-made knives, like the Nisaku in our range, are as close to the original form of the blade as you’ll get.  What is a Hori Hori knife used for? Certainly the main attraction of this hand tool for gardeners is its multi-purpose uses. If you just had a Hori Hori knife in your tool belt and nothing else, you’d be able to achieve most tasks. But it’s not limited to the garden. Essentially it’s a fabulous tool to have on hand for fishing, hunting and camping too - or anywhere that you need a super sharp and reliable blade for cutting and digging. In the garden, the Hori Hori combines the best elements of several tools. The concave blade serves as a slim trowel, ideal for digging holes, transplanting, potting plants and marking out seed rows. The serrated blade edge makes light work of digging into tough or rocky soils. The Nisaku 170mm blade available in our store also features mm and inch markings for measuring planting depths. As a weeder, the sharp, strong blade deftly gets into tricky places to pry out weeds and slices through roots with ease. Look out dock weed, this little beauty will quickly deal with you! As a cutting tool, the Hori Hori is ideal for splicing plants, dividing bulbs or perennials, pruning or sawing smaller branches, and can even serve as a small hand axe or machete if you need to hack at a particularly tough weed. Features: When it comes to quality stainless steel garden tools, Japanese steel is some of the best. In our range, you’ll find the Nisaku 170mm Hori Hori Knife featuring a wooden handle, a handy drill hole for hanging on the pegboard, and a sheath to protect the blade - and you from the blade - when it’s not in use. These are not cheap and cheerful tools, they are top-quality, purpose-designed, and built to last through the toughest of garden jobs, where cheaper and lesser quality tools would easily break. The slightly smaller and lighter Nisaku Hori Hori Weeder Knife 110mm is more portable than the larger blade, and more maneuverable in tighter spaces. Still manufactured from the finest quality stainless steel, the blade is scratch and rust-resistant. Easy to clean and with proper care will stay razor-sharp for years to come. Convinced that you need one, or at least that you want one? Time to shop... - Nisaku Hori Hori Knife 170cm Blade - Nisaku Hori Hori Weeder Knife 110mm

In this article: Bokashi - What do you need?, Bokashi - Getting Started, Bokashi - How long does it take?, Bokashi Systems available at GubbaBokashi composting - while still relatively new to the composting scene in New Zealand homes, has been around for centuries in Japan. The fundamental difference - and a huge benefit for home composting - is that the method uses beneficial microbes to ferment decomposing food scraps, rather than allowing them to decay and rot like a compost heap does. In short, that means a wider range of kitchen scraps can go into the compost - including meat, fish and dairy, there's no nasty rotting smells and pests are kept at bay. It can even be done indoors, and it's much faster than traditional composting! If you want to read more about the benefits of Bokashi Composting check out our blog article: Bokashi - from kitchen to compost in a matter of weeks! But let's dive into the topic of creating the perfect Bokashi compost - what to add, what to leave out, and most importantly what to do with all the Bokashi goodness you get from the composting process! Bokashi Bins - what do you need to get started? You can easily DIY a Bokashi system of your own using a couple of buckets, but we quite like the compact, portable (and good looking) Bokashi kits in our range that are ready to purchase and ideal for indoor use. Check these out here. In essence, a Bokashi system uses two buckets - one bucket on top of another. The top bucket has holes in the bottom to allow for compost juices to drain off, and it must also have a lid. Bokashi is an anaerobic composting method, it does not require air to decompose the food waste, therefore no requirement for aerators or "turning the heap". But a good, tight-fitting lid is essential to keep the airflow (and fruit flies) out. Another handy item is a compactor or masher - several of our Bokashi kits come with a compactor, otherwise a spoon, small plate or potato masher does the job just as well. This is used to press down the food scraps after each addition and get the air out between the layers.EM - the key ingredient to Bokashi The crucial step to creating quality bokashi is the addition of "EM" - Effective Microorganisms. These diverse, cultures of beneficial and naturally-occurring microorganisms include bacteria, yeasts and fungi, and it's the combination of these that make it so effective. In agriculture, EM has wide use for improving soils, boosting crops, pest and odour control and even restoring water quality. When included in Bokashi in the form of a sprinkle or spray, EM accelerates the decomposing process and also adds valuable microbes to the soil when the compost is dug in, adding vital nutrients and improving soil condition.So what difference does that make? This is the clever bit! You can put a wider range of waste into your compost - including meat, fish, dairy, bread, some fats, citrus, onions and garlic! This helps eliminate some of the challenges faced with composting at home. Not all compost systems are a perfect all-round solution and worm farms certainly can't cope with the additions of citrus and onions, and adding meat or cheese to your compost pile would create a great stink and attract mice and rats. By no means is Bokashi a silver bullet, but it does do a much better job of recycling proteins, is much quicker and takes up a lot less space.Getting started with your BokashiAll you need to get going is a bokashi bin (we recommend 2 bins for continuous composting) and some EM, which comes in the form of a bran or a liquid spray. To get started, simply add your first layer of food scraps to the bin and and give it 2-3 sprays (if using liquid spray) or sprinkle a few tablespoons of bran on top. Make sure the lid is secured tightly! Compact the waste down & add more bran / liquid bokashi each time you add a new layer of scraps. What to add: Meat, fish, chicken - both raw and cooked Vegetables and fruits including citrus, onions, garlic Eggs, eggshells, small bones Bread Cheese Food with white mould Some fats - ie salad dressing on salad Coffee grounds, tea leaves and tea bags Wilted flowers What to leave out: Liquids - oils, milk, fruit juices and no deep-fryer fats Large meat bones Foods with green or black mould No regular compost “browns” like leaves, sticks, cardboard, paper Definitely no plastic packaging! Top tip: Cutting food scraps up into smaller pieces will help them break down more quickly. It also means you’ll be able to better compact down the scraps in your Bokashi Bin, removing more air pockets in between the layers of scraps. You can leave your Bokashi bin in an out-of-the-way corner of your kitchen, pantry, laundry or garage, as long as it’s in a warm spot out of direct sunlight. The handiest way to collect scraps is a bowl or benchtop kitchen caddy and empty them into your Bokashi bin at the end of each day. After the addition of each layer of food grab your compactor or masher - this is the best bit - and squish down all the food. There's such satisfaction in that! You want to aim to remove as much air from the scraps as possible. Next, add a couple of tablespoons of Zing sprinkle, or a couple of sprays of Bokashi liquid and pop the lid back on tightly.How long does Bokashi take? A 15-18 litre Bokashi Bin will take a regular family of four 1-2 weeks to fill depending on the volume of scraps generated. During the process, your compost solids are quietly fermenting in the top of the bucket, and a nutrient-rich compost juice is draining into the bottom bucket. The amount and colour of the liquid depends on the scraps that have been added - fruit and vegies produced more liquid than other scraps. This liquid gold is an outstanding fertiliser but incredibly potent. It must be well diluted with water at a ratio of 1:100 that's only 2-3 tablespoons per 5 litres of water, and can then be liberally applied to the soil around plants. Avoid applying directly to the foliage or roots. Most interestingly, the liquid can also be poured undiluted down the toilet, shower drain, sink, outdoor drains and septic systems as all the goodies it contains help prevent algae build-up and odours. Wow! It's super important to drain your liquid off every few days to avoid it turning rancid and nasty, and don't worry if you see white mould growing on top, that's a really good sign that everything's working as it should. Our Maze Bokashi systems have a handy tap for draining this off. Handy hint: In warmer weather, or if you've added meat, cheese or bones, add a couple more scoops of sprinkle or sprays to ensure effective fermentation and avoid nasty smells.So the Bokashi Bin is full - what next? Once the bin is full, the lid is secured tightly and left for 10-14 days to ferment. Your food waste should have a sweet pickled smell - sometimes even a pleasant malty aroma - but definitely not nasty. Now you're left with your solid compost product and it's time to get digging. Find a clear space in your garden, away from tree and plant roots and dig a trench at least 20-25cms deep and twice as wide. Pour in your solids and cover back up with the soil. Unlike traditional composting your Bokashi waste still retains it shape and volume, so don't be surprised if it looks just like it did when you added it to the bucket. If the surrounding soil is a little dry, add some water to aid the composting process. When combined with the soil in your garden, the Bokashi solids (which are quite acidic to begin with) will neutralise, and the bacteria in the soil and waste will start to break down the scraps. This is where the magic happens! Depending on climate conditions and temperature it will take about 7-10 days for the solids to neutralise and approximately 3-4 weeks to turn into a lush compost your can plant directly into.Don't have space to dig a trench - don't despair! Sometimes finding a space in your garden to bury the Bokashi can be the trouble, but you can get clever with your waste. It makes an excellent addition to your regular compost bin, simply as a "green layer" and top with a bit of soil or a layer of "browns". You can also set up a larger planter box or tub with soil, and simply bury it in this. As long as it has a good covering of soil it will break down the same.What do you do with your kitchen scraps when your bucket is full? We strongly recommend the use of two or more Bokashi bins. When one fills and is minding its business in the corner, you can start on the next one. If you're really into composting and have space at home, Bokashi is super useful as an additional composting method to worm farming and traditional compost bins. One you make the initial investment of the right number of bins for your family, the only ongoing purchase commitment is for Bokashi sprinkle or spray. The 1kg CompostZing bags should last 2-3 months and the Maze Liquid Bokashi 500ml sprays will last 1-2 months, when used following instructions and dependent on how much scraps you are generating. Here's what one of our Gubba team members recommends: "I've got a Zingbokashi composting system at home using 2 units. I actually use this in addition to having a worm farm and chickens, as our household with young kids generates plenty of food scraps, and this system is complementary allowing me to compost a wider variety of waste. We have a little benchtop caddy that we put scraps in through the day, then transfer it to the bin each night. The ZingBokashi buckets are kept in the garage, there is no smell and it's super easy to use. The smell of the CompostZing is actually quite pleasant. There's also a bit of therapeutic stress relief in squishing down the scraps with a potato masher!" - EmmaVoila! That's Bokashi! And so there you have it! Everything you need to know to get the perfect Bokashi underway...now to decide which composting system you want to buy!View our range of Bokashi bins and accessories

In this article: Bokashi - What is it?, The Bokashi Process, Bokashi Advantages, Bokashi Systems available at Gubba Not so long ago most homes had compost heaps in their own backyards. These days when garden space and free time are decreasing, yet our desire to recycle and do good increases, we need to find ways to efficiently, easily and responsibly dispose of our household waste. Compost bins, worm farms, chickens - they're all great ways of composting and consuming kitchen scraps...but Bokashi, now that's raising the bar altogether. Why you ask? Because in a matter of weeks a good Bokashi system will transform your household scraps into lovely compost, saving you time and effort. Plus you can also add more things to it - like meat and fish! Read on to discover Bokashi for yourself... Bokashi - What is it? Bokashi is a Japanese term, meaning ‘fermented organic matter’ and is the basis of the bokashi systems that we sell. The fermentation process basically pickles the food waste, rather than allowing it to decay like with regular composting. This means that you can recycle and compost a wider variety of food scraps and take care of more of your kitchen waste. In addition to the usual fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and tea bags,  Bokashi composting systems allow you to add many other food waste products that are not compost bin or worm farm friendly like citrus peelings, onions, bread, meat and fish (both raw or cooked) and cheese. Pretty much anything and everything! The Bokashi system speeds up the whole composting process - up to 50% quicker than regular composting. The Bokashi Process - How does it work? The Bokashi compost system uses bins or buckets nested on top of each other with a lid on the top bin. It’s an anaerobic composting process which means the breaking down of food requires no oxygen, unlike regular compost heaps that need turning over and aerating to break down the organic matter. Bokashi composting requires a special sprinkle (a sawdust-like product) or a liquid spray that contains a whole lot of beneficial microorganisms - a bit like a yoghurt culture that ferments the waste. Food scraps are added to the top bin in layers and squished down with a potato masher or spoon to remove as much air as possible in between the layers. Sprinkle or spray is then added on top of the waste. The top bokashi bin has holes in the bottom that drain liquid as the products ferment into the bottom bin. This compost juice can be diluted and applied to the garden as a liquid fertiliser. Keep the bins in a warm dark spot, like the corner of your laundry or garage, or in a sheltered, shady spot outside, but close enough to your kitchen to make it easy and convenient to fill. When the bin fills to the top, secure the lid tightly and stand for 7-10 days in summer or up to 14 days in winter - and voila! Your bokashi compost is ready for the next step. The fermented food is next buried in the garden in a trench, or it can be added to your compost bin with other organic matter. The beneficial bacteria in the soil will continue to break down the food waste, and within 3-4 weeks all of the food will have decomposed. This is so much faster than regular composting which can take several months to decompose matter depending on the climate conditions. Bokashi when first fermented is quite acidic and very potent, so it’s important that the waste when initially buried does not come into direct contact with plant roots, and any liquid is diluted properly (2 tablespoons per 5 litres of water for established gardens and house plants, or 3-4 tablespoons to 5 litres of water for trees and shrubs). The liquid certainly packs a real punch so apply directly to the soil and avoid contact with foliage. Super interesting fact: The bokashi liquid is so full of beneficial goodies the undiluted liquid can be poured into toilets, septic systems, and bathroom and kitchen sink drains to prevent algae build-up and odours. Key advantages to using a Bokashi Bin No mess, no foul smell and no pests! The most beautiful thing about Bokashi bins (yes composting can be beautiful!) is that they are a fairly contained system and the food only sits in the bucket for a couple of weeks before it’s buried. And because the food is not decaying, all the usual foul gases and pongs that come from normal compost aren’t present. Instead, there’s an almost sweet, malty smell as the waste ferments. Decreased composting time – up to 50% quicker than traditional composting. A standard Bokashi bin in a 3-4 person household will take 1-2 weeks to fill. Then it sits for a little over a week, and once buried converts all food waste into luscious compost within 3-4 weeks. That’s 6-8 weeks in total from the kitchen to compost! Easy to use, requiring no mixing and produces a very natural pour-on liquid fertiliser as well as physical compost No garden space required for a compost heap or worm farm boxes - Bokashi buckets are so compact (and because they don’t smell) you can easily keep them inside. Gubba staff tip: It’s a good idea to have two Bokashi Bin systems. When one fills you can start on your next one. By the time that one fills the first one will be emptied into the garden and you can start over again! Want to know more? Want to know more about getting the most from your Bokashi Bin? Read our guide to Creating the Perfect Bokashi Shop now for a Bokashi Bin Composting System: ZingBokashi 15 litre Compost Starter Kit 15 litre ZingBokashi Compost Bucket ZingBokashi Compost Zing (Sprinkle) 1kg Bag Maze Liquid Bokashi Spray 500ml

In this article: The original Gubba Garden Bag, Giant Garden Bag, Utility Bag, The All-Rounder Bag, Jumbo Garden Bag, Big Garden Cleanup Bag with Tie In gardens big or small garden maintenance can be a tough job if you don't have the right equipment. One of the biggest pain points can be organic waste removal - lawn clippings, prunings, fallen leaves and other garden debris, and transporting it around the garden or storing it ready for collection or recycling.   The original Gubba Garden Bag Kick-starting the Gubba Garden Bag range is the original stand-open bag - a firm favourite amongst Kiwi gardeners for over 20 years! A clever Kiwi invention designed and manufactured by the founder of Gubba, the original Gubba Garden Bag is made in New Zealand from top-quality and very tough woven material with comfortable strong handles, and it folds away flat after use!  The smartest thing about the design is the plastic rods that hold the bag open by itself, making dealing with green waste easy and more efficient without it flopping over and the contents spilling out. This garden bag is a square-shaped bag roughly 700 x 700mm and 400mm high - approximately 196 litres in volume. Large enough to hold quite a bit of garden debris, yet still easy to carry to the green waste recycling bin.  These bags are great value for money and will last for years! Big jobs need a bigger bag - Giant Garden Bag If you need something larger for a super-sized backyard clean up, then the Giant Garden Bag may be the bag for you. Based on the original bag, the Giant Garden Bag also stands open by itself but with extra capacity for bigger tidy-up jobs. Featuring the same super-tough material and comfortable woven handles it also folds away flat for simple storage after use. Again this is a square-shaped bag 700x700mm and 600mm high with a capacity of roughly 294 litres.  The Utility Bag - handy around the home! The Gubba Utility Bag is a handy little indoor-outdoor bag ideal to use anywhere and anyhow you like. It's excellent as a re-usable shopping bag and is lightweight, tough and easily folds away after use. Made from waterproof and wipe-clean material, pop a couple in your car for spur-of-the-moment supermarket visits or have one stashed by the back door for bringing in the firewood. The Utility Bag is also very sturdy so perfect for smaller garden clean up jobs when you're tackling weeds, small amounts of prunings, leaves or lawn clippings.  This bag is made in New Zealand and is 400mm x 400mm x 400mm in size - approximately 64 litres capacity. The All-Rounder Bag - extra handle for easy tipping! Gubba's cleverly designed All-Rounder is a practical garden bag with an extra handle. The large and sturdy cylindrical-shaped 'stand-open bag features an extra handle on the side to allow for easy tipping and emptying. The large capacity carries and stores quite a lot of grass clippings, garden pruning and other waste or it could even be used for creating leaf mulch and compost! The bag features strong and comfortable webbing handles, is made from tough, waterproof material and collapses down for easy storage when not in use.  This bag is made in New Zealand and is 580mm diameter x 650mm high - approximately 171 litres in capacity. Love your home-grown vegies? The All-Rounder would also be an excellent, transportable option as a potato growing bag! Fill up with soil, pop in your seed potatoes and watch them grow! What do our customers have to say about Gubba Garden Bags? "Thought I'd drop a note to let you know I've just replaced all our old Gubba garden bags with new ones. Our old bags were over 15 years old and had been used regularly for commercial (landscaping and nursery) work. Well done on an excellent and durable product!" - Andrew, Twining Valley Nurseries "My parents gave me a Gubba Bag 18 years ago. It's been a terrific home gardening aid for our gardening endeavours and only now needs replacing. I highly recommend for all gardeners. I'm hoping Santa will bring me a new one." - Pauline If you're a landscaper or just have a large section with plenty of garden and lawn, you may need to super-size your garden bag to collect all your green waste. Our range of extra large bags that can be fitted over a garden bag stand are perfect for these jobs. The Jumbo Garden Bag This garden waste bag is very big and very tough. Made from a recycled wool pack, it makes an ideal garden waste container for a lot of grass clippings, large prunings and can also be used for storing compost, firewood and a whole range of other applications. Re-usable and long-lasting, these bags feature four side-panel flaps on the top that can be folded over to secure the bag shut or folded over the top of a garden bag stand. The Jumbo Garden Bag is 700mm x 700mm and 820mm high in size - approximately 400 litres in capacity. The Big Garden Cleanup Bag with Tie Made from a super-strong, woven PVC material, this large garden bag is designed to fit securely over the top of a garden bag stand. Naturally it can be used without the stand too, but its large capacity makes it perfect for big cleanups or commercial landscaping jobs and is often used by green waste collection services. Used with the garden bag stand, the bag stands open to be filled while the sturdy drawstring holds it in place over the frame. The drawstring also comes in handy for drawing tight when the bag is filled so the contents remain in the bag and not all over your driveway! The Big Garden Cleanup Bag with Tie is 1500mm high x 1200mm wide. You can purchase this bag on it's own, or with the Garden Cleanup Bag Stand to hold it up & open. Or purchase the combo: Garden Clean Bag with Tie and Stand.

When it comes to handy garden items the “must have” list is longer than you'd think, and it can be a daunting task deciding what you need for each job. But there are a few key things that every gardener really should have in their kit, and here are our top 5 picks to get you started… Essential item number 1 has to be a trowel. Generally a multi-use hand tool, trowels are perfect for digging, planting, scooping, transferring plants, mixing and more. They come in all shapes and sizes – some have deeper scoops to allow for lifting more soil, some have marked measurements for accurate digging depths, and some are narrower for transplanting young plants and delicate work! Shop Trowels One of the most useful tools in your garden kit has to be the hoe. Long or short handled, these handy tools are exceptional for preparing the soil for planting and easily and effectively dealing to nasty weeds. Again, these tools come in different shapes and sizes for different tasks, so you may need more than one in your tool kit! Shop Hoes Save yourself from filthy hands, torn nails, cuts and scrapes with a quality pair of gardening gloves. Your hands tend to bear the brunt of most gardening work, so it’s a smart idea to set yourself up with the right gloves for the job. Lightweight gloves are great for delicate planting, weeding and general work, heavy duty and long-sleeved gloves are great for pruning, thorn resistance and rougher tasks. Don’t forget about little hands – we have a range of kids gloves for eager garden helpers! Shop Garden Gloves When you notice a stray branch poking out or a plant that needs a tidy up you reach for a pair of pruners. Blade quality and ease-of-use are two important factors to consider when choosing the right pair, but so is knowing which type you need. Bypass pruners work like scissors and are great for trimming green, soft wood and making cuts close to the bud, whereas Anvil pruners are the tool you need for cutting back dead wood. Shop Pruners Not often top of mind when thinking about essential garden tools, but a quality watering system is a must in any NZ garden. Hozelock, a well-established and respected supplier of top quality garden hoses and accessories, have a good range of everything you need to set yourself up…or replace your old and tired hose system. Or if worry-free watering when you’re away is what you need, check out the Iriso drip-feed irrigation systems. Simple, affordable and extremely efficient they save you time and money and minimise water waste. Shop Watering Accessories