Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue#8.3 - 2017 i Good Organic Gardening

“Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” — Luther Burbank, botanist Welcome to our flowery spring issue! For many of us, our earliest gardening experiences involved growing flowers. That was true for me. Almost from the time I left home, I would plant flowers in rental properties — even one tiny terrace “backyard” that was just a small patch of bare concrete became a little oasis with some tubs of petunias and a mini pond. Happily, we can enjoy flowers all year, but there’s no time like spring for a floral explosion, so we couldn’t help but focus on flowers this issue. Melissa King has some new releases for the ornamental garden, while Jo Immig profiles edible flowers. Melissa…

Daylilies — their name says it all. They are attractive ornamentals grown for their abundance of yellow or orange blooms from spring to autumn. Daylily flowers do last for just a day and, while they may be short-lived, they can last longer if treated as a food. Yes, these yellow flowers are edible but better known in Chinese or Japanese cuisine than in our own. Daylilies are native to parts of Asia where their use as a snack goes back centuries. Buds as well as flowers are eaten, used as a garnish, steamed or even battered and fried. The buds can also be pickled, while the flowers can be dried and added to a clear soup such as miso. The flowers are mostly eaten for their colour but they are…

Bitter melon label Common names: Bitter melon, karela, balsam pear, bitter gourd Botanical name: Momordica charantia Family: Cucurbitae Requires: Sun and light shade Dislikes: Cold Suitable for: Temperate to tropical areas Habit: Annual vine Propagation: Seed Difficulty: Easy Despite its prosaic name and warty appearance, bitter melon is ubiquitous in Asian cuisines and the curries of the Subcontinent. Originating in India and embraced in China from the 14th century onwards, it’s now cultivated extensively in Bangladesh, India, China and Korea as well as in the Amazon region, East Africa and the Caribbean. Known in Hindi as karela, along with common names “bitter gourd” and “wild cucumber”, it is grown commercially in Australia as well, though it’s not always easy to buy in shops. That’s just another reason to grow your own.…

In Youngtown, on the outskirts of Launceston in northern Tasmania, husband-and-wife team Doris Rosenkranz and Chris Beaver have created a large, productive organic garden called LillyPilly Farm. It’s 2.2ha of organic paradise: fruit trees, raised vegetable beds, alpacas and five rescue dogs. Doris says this is just the beginning. She plans to enlarge the food garden and open a cat-boarding facility. Six years ago, Doris and Chris were living busy lives in Brisbane. Tired of city pressures and with Doris’s mother and sister in Launceston, they decided to make the move south. Doris says she too had lived in the area some 30 years ago, so northern Tasmania seemed a natural spot to build a new life. While looking at acreages, she received the call every parent dreads: her son…

SEPTEMBER 2017 Spring is the season most gardeners love the most. All that beautiful new growth and flowering makes it feel like the world has awakened fresh and happy. OCTOBER 2017 It’s high spring and everything is growing its socks off . Regular feeding, consistent watering and staggered plantings are the keys to a good harvest. When the moon is waxing from new moon to full moon, it is increasing light and drawing sap flow upwards. During the waning from full moon back to new moon, light decreases and sap is drawn downwards. This movement of sap flow has an influence on how well new plants will grow. There are four phases, each lasting seven to eight days. Sowing, planting and taking cuttings should not be done in the 12…

IN THE VEGIE PATCH Eggplant label Common name: Eggplant, aubergine Botanical name: Solanum melongena Family: Solanaceae Aspect and soil: Full-sun to light shade; well-drained soil Best climate: All Habit: Small annual bush Propagation: Seed, seedling Difficulty: Easy The name eggplant seems something of a misnomer when you look at this large, glossy, purple-skinned vegetable. That’s because the eggplants we favour today are different from those grown centuries ago when the name was coined. Early cultivars that were given the name eggplant had yellow or white skins and were thought to resemble a large egg such as a goose egg. Those keen to grow an eggplant with fruit that looks like an egg should seek out ‘White Star’ or the long-fruited ‘Casper’. ‘Rosa Bianca’ has round white fruit with purple blushes. There…

IN THE NATIVE GARDEN THE FLOWERS STAND UPRIGHT LIKE CANDLES ON A CAKE AND HAVE A COMMANDING PRESENCE IN THE GARDEN FROM LATE SUMMER THROUGH AUTUMN AND INTO WINTER. Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’ label Common name: Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’ Botanical name: Banksia spinulosa Family: Proteaceae Requires: Well-drained soil; full sun all day for best results Watering: Water well to establish for first year in garden; will be needed more often in pots Suitable for: Most climates; moderate tolerance to frost and high tolerance to coastal winds; all soils Habit: Evergreen dwarf cultivar; flowers late summer to late autumn Propagation: Seeds or cuttings Difficulty: Easy If you’re looking for a compact, birdattracting beauty for your garden, you’ll love Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’. It’s a spectacular dwarf form of Banksia spinulosa boasting big goldenorange flowers…

COOL & TEMPERATE VEGIES Early spring can be a lean period as winter crops finish and newly sown crops grow, but there are some special treats. One of the most delicious crops to harvest in early spring is asparagus. Look for fresh spears daily and harvest quickly. As the spears mature, they become woody and inedible. Also productive in early spring are peas, broad beans and English spinach. Plant out summer crops (direct-sow seeds or plant seedlings of chilli, capsicum, tomato, eggplant, cucumber, pumpkin, squash, zucchini and beans), but hold off in cold regions until frosts are over and the soil warms. Be particularly careful with frost-tender tomato, cucumber and pumpkin, but instead sow broad beans, broccoli, English spinach and rocket. Potatoes, beetroot and carrots can be planted now in…

Now that incubators are easy to come by, lots of people are trying their hands at hatching chicks. For some, it’s a successful project but for others, it can end in disappointment. There are, however, few experiences as magical as watching chicks hatch: a little tweaking of the incubation process can result in fluffy chicks for all. INCUBATOR LORE There is an unwritten rule with incubators: you get what you pay for. It’s worth paying a little extra to a reputable seller because you also get after-sales service. Cheapies from China sound great, but more stories report problems than success. Follow-up enquiries are worthless. Often, too, these incubators are resold, perpetuating the failure saga. Research the incubators that are in your price bracket and talk to breeders; by doing your…

THE DISGRACE OF BEAK TRIMMING “A few customers have recently asked me about beak trimming: is it really so bad and does Organigrow practise it? No, I do not and never have. Why don’t I need to? I have no pecking problem due to the diversity of my farm. The best deterrent is giving chooks space and keeping them occupied. Chooks love to forage, scratch and eat pasture; my birds have things to do and places to go. At 600/ha, we’re well below stocking guidelines. I also have a gentle breed: Lohmann. Their egg production is not as high as more aggressive birds like ISA Browns and Hyline but my passion is their welfare and the quality of my product. Cage farms definitely debeak and, sadly, it’s almost universal at…

It smells like a carrot and tastes like a carrot but it’s green and leafy, not orange and crunchy. That’s a surprise! This strange taste sensation comes from the leaves of a pretty and rather clever herb that forms a mound of glossy, almost fern-like leaves that taste like fresh carrot. This herb is a type of cress — often called Lebanese cress — and, like watercress, enjoys growing in or near water but can be grown in drier situations in soil with plenty of regular watering. As these cress-like plants come from areas that are rich in limestone, they prefer a soil with a neutral to alkaline pH. It can also be grown in a pot, which is one way to keep on top of its water needs and…

Magic Meadow, Lovely Banks: it all sounds a bit Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm but there’s no trace of Shirley Temple in Deb Parsons’ busy five-acre (twohectare) market garden in the northwest Geelong suburb of Lovely Banks. Once mainly farmland, Lovely Banks is fast becoming a residential area thanks to its handy position close to the Princes Highway and overlooking Geelong. But the Parsons’ farm, Magic Meadow, run along organic and sustainable lines, has little to do with the encroaching suburbanisation. Besides managing the property and its vegetable gardens, Deb mentors the would-be farmers among her neighbours in growing their own produce, runs bread-making workshops — traditional wood-fired sourdough, to be exact — and makes her own gourmet feta and preserves. She also harvests honey from her own beehives (her bees…

IN THE VEGIE PATCH Zucchini label Common name: Zucchini, courgette Botanical name: Cucurbita pepo Family: Cucurbitaceae Aspect and soil: Sun to light afternoon shade (warm climates only); well-drained soil Best climate: All Habit: Annual vegetable, 100cm high and wide Propagation: Sow seed or plant seedlings in spring and summer Difficulty: Easy Zucchinis are one of the most bountiful of all the summer crops, so think carefully about how many plants you grow. Two will provide more than enough for most families. If you plant more, you’ll be looking for ways to use them in every meal. Luckily, they can be sliced, diced, grated or spiralised, stuffed and eaten in a huge range of savoury and sweet ways, from fritters to chocolate cakes. The flowers, too, can be eaten, giving even more…

IN THE NATIVE GARDEN When it comes to beautiful, versatile Aussie plants, callistemons are up there with the best of them. Commonly called bottlebrushes because of their uniquely shaped flowers, they are a popular plant in many gardens and very attractive to birds so it’s not uncommon to see honeyeaters hanging off the branches, feeding on the nectar-rich blooms. The showy flowers are followed by clusters of small woody fruit, which can hang around for ages, but plants are best pruned after flowering to maintain good shape. The young growth on some varieties is also attractive with flushes of pink, red or bronze new leaves. These versatile plants come in all different shapes and sizes, from lowgrowing varieties such as Callistemon ‘Little John’, which grows to just 1m tall and…

COOL & TEMPERATE VEGIES In the warm parts of temperate zones, gardeners will be planting second crops but in the cool areas, where frost is still a worry, it’s safer to wait until the end of the month before planting out cold-sensitive seedlings. Keep cucumber, tomato, zucchini and pumpkin seedlings under shelter. Tomatoes that are planted out and growing need to be trained. Tie them to tall stakes or a screen, removing any low growth that’s touching the ground. Use soft ties to avoid damaging the soft stems. Also train climbing beans and cucumbers on a tepee or trellis to make them easier to maintain. Make the most of the good growing times ahead with succession planting. Every few weeks, sow more seeds or plant a few more seedlings of…

Spring is upon us and there are myriad tasks we gardeners have on our busy spring gardening to-do list: new plantings, increased watering, mulching and, of course, fertilising. But there are many questions around fertilising: which fertiliser does one buy and apply to what plant? How is it applied and when? With so many choices, even the most seasoned gardener can be easily confused. Do you choose a dry fertiliser or a liquid fertiliser, or both? What is good value for money and, in fact, why bother fertilising in the first place? WHY FERTILISE? As soil and air temperatures start to rise, most plants are ready and wanting to put out new growth and will continue to do so throughout spring, summer and autumn, depending on climate zone. Adding fertilisers…

The secret of any good potato salad is to use a firm, waxy potato such as kipfler or pink fir apple, as they keep their shape much better than floury types. The latter also fall apart when tossing and end up as mush because they absorb too much dressing. Adding a splash of vinegar to the boiling water helps hydrate and tenderise potatoes without them falling apart. Preparation time: 25 mins Cooking time: 20 mins Serves: 6 INGREDIENTS • 6 large potatoes, scrubbed • 300g green beans, cut into 3cm lengths • 2⁄3 cup (100g) garden peas • 2⁄3 cup (170mL) buttermilk • 1⁄3 cup (85g) extra-light sour cream • 1 tbsp chopped parsley • 1 tbsp chopped chives • 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves • 1 tbsp finely chopped…

Luli Faber is a neuroscientist and passionate gardener who loves to have flowers on her property year-round. Her 16ha block borders the Stuart River in Wilkesdale in the South Burnett region of southeast Queensland. “My main requirement is to find perennial varieties of bushes and bulbs that are frost and drought hardy, making them compatible with the prevalent temperate climatic conditions, where the temperature can fall to -6°C in winter,” she says. The glorious butterfly bush in front of her home attracts hummingbird moths, butterflies and countless species of native bees and wasps. Luli has planted oleanders, hibiscus, which die back in frost but regenerate, kangaroo paws, star jasmine, drought- and frost-tolerant daisies, geraniums, daylilies, a climbing honeysuckle and marigolds, which are annual but self-seeding. “I try to reduce work…

Presented by the Centre for Organic Research & Education (C.O.R.E.) WINNER: RICK HUTTON — BINGARA CENTRAL SCHOOL CIVICS CLASSES “The Living Classroom is a centre dedicated to regeneration. Regeneration means the reinvigoration of the land and the passing-on of knowledge and inspiration to the next generation. On 150 hectares, we have designed, mapped and are building a range of ‘storyboards’ showcasing food systems from across the globe. Recycling is a key theme and with our raised mandala kitchen gardens, we have reused sheets of corrugated iron to form six-sided mandala beds filled [see opposite] with compost over shredded paper and activated to provide a healthy living soil. “Our student participants are active in building the garden beds and planting them with seasonal vegetables. They have created compost heaps, collected seeds,…

1 WATCH ROSES GO BANANAS Rose growers in the know swear by banana skins: just dig some in around the roots of your roses and watch them thrive. Banana peel is packed with goodies missing from many soils — phosphates, calcium, sulphur and magnesium — and your blooms will thank you. Another traditional gardening trick is to bury a wedge of lard under the roots of new roses, though cooking fat might be in short supply in the modern kitchen. 2 DON’T KEEP MUSHROOMS IN THE DARK Exposing mushrooms to sunlight can significantly boost their levels of beneficial vitamin D. Though more of a problem in long northern winters, vitamin D deficiency — blamed for many conditions including diabetes, autism, psoriasis, tuberculosis, osteoporosis and MS — can also result when…

In season SEPTEMBER FRUITS Apple (Lady Williams), blueberries, custard apple, grapefruit, lemon, lime, mandarin (Imperial), rockmelon, orange (blood, Navel), papaw, papaya, pineapple, pomelo, strawberries, tamarillo, tangelo VEGIES Artichoke (globe), Asian greens, asparagus, beans, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, chilli, fennel, garlic, kale, leek, lettuce, mushrooms, peas, potatoes, silverbeet, spinach, spring onions In season OCTOBER FRUITS Avocado, banana, blueberries, dragonfruit, gooseberries, grapefruit, guava, kiwifruit, mango, melons, orange (Valencia), papaw, papaya, passionfruit, pineapple, pomelo, strawberries, tangelo VEGIES Artichoke (globe), Asian greens, asparagus, beans, beetroot, broad beans, cabbage, cucumber, chilli, fennel, garlic, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, peas, potato, silverbeet, spinach, spring onion, watercress, zucchini SEASONAL TIP The French have a ritual for eating artichokes. You boil or steam them whole, drain, then break off leaves one by one, dip in vinaigrette and…

Every ingredient in this lively salad says Italy. Fregola is a type of Sardinian semolina pasta, not dissimilar to couscous. During processing, it is mixed with water, rolled into tiny pebbles, sun-dried and roasted, giving it a rustic quality. Red-fleshed blood oranges were developed in Sicily, while subtly scented aniseedy fennel is everywhere in Italy. Preparation time: 25 mins Cooking time: 12 mins Serves: 6 INGREDIENTS • 2 cups (400g) fregola • 4 blood oranges • 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed & thinly sliced • Freshly ground pepper Anchovy-Lemon Dressing • 4 anchovy fillets, drained • 1 garlic clove, peeled • 1⁄2 tsp dried chilli flakes • 1⁄4 cup (60mL) lemon juice • 1⁄4 cup (60mL) olive oil METHOD 1 Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and…