Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue#9.3 - 2018 i Good Organic Gardening

Babaco label Common names: Babaco, champagne fruit, mountain papaya Botanical name: Carica pentagona (Vasconcellea × heibornii) Family: Caricaceae Aspect & soil: Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil Best climate: Subtropics, temperate, Mediterranean, cold (with shelter) Habit: Herbaceous shrub Propagation: Potted plants Difficulty: Easy Babaco is often called the cold climate pawpaw and is a member of the pawpaw genus Carica. It originates at high-altitude zones of subtropical Ecuador, which is why this clever pawpaw can thrive in the temperate zones of southern Australia. Its fruit, like pawpaw, is cylindrical, ridged and yellow, but it has a flavour and texture more like a melon. The fruit is around 20–25cm long and colours from green to yellow as it ripens. Unlike most pawpaw, the babaco fruit has no seed. It can be…

Chicory label Common names: Chicory, succory, coffeeweed Botanical name: Cichorium intybus Family: Asteraceae Aspect & soil: Sun; well-drained moist soil Habit: Short-lived herbaceous perennial Propagation: Seed, seedling Difficulty: Easy Chicory is a hardy perennial that’s usually grown as an annual. The leaves, though slightly bitter, are good as salad greens when young and tender, and may be cooked with butter as a green vegetable when older. The roasted and finely chopped tap roots are used to make chicory “tea”, a caffeine-free coffee substitute, or added to coffee as in the New Orleans style. As a member of the Asteraceae (daisy family), it produces pretty mauve-blue flowers after two years. These can be used in salads and vinegars. Leaves and roots need to be harvested before flowering, though, as once the plant…

Kate Wall found her vocational calling just after the disastrous 2011 Brisbane floods. It all began when she decided to start a volunteer group to help Brisbane residents affected by the flood to clean up and restore their gardens. After six months of working in more than 150 gardens, Kate realised that “the garden was the place I was meant to be” and so began her career in professional gardening. Kate, who received a humanitarian award from Lions International for this immense service to the community, says gardening has now become her biggest passion in life and jokes that her husband Lee and son Ned, 9, would probably call it an obsession. Featured here is her own garden, situated on a 600m2 block in Yeronga, a suburb of subtropical Brisbane…

Presented by the Centre for Organic Research & Education (C.O.R.E.) WINNER: BRETT COOPER We are Limestone Permaculture Farm, a one-acre homestead located in the Karuah valley on the mid coast of NSW. Our farm showcases practical and transitioning examples of most permaculture principles, components and functions. USE OF RECYCLED MATERIALS Using permaculture principles, we strive to recycle and reuse materials, for example: • Growing tunnels, compost bays, trellis• Vineyard structure (Hills Hoist clothes line)• Farmgate (repurposed 1961 caravan) USE OF COMPOST Our compost is the cornerstone of good soil ecology and is achieved by: • 28-day hot composting (three-bay aerobic set-up)• Six-month cold composting (anaerobic)• Compost, manure and weed teas• Worm farm USE OF TECHNIQUES THAT CONSERVE WATER RESOURCES AND ENERGY Our analysis, design and landforming techniques used to slow,…

Broad bean label Common name: Broad bean, fava bean Botanic name: Vicia faba Family: Fabaceae (bean family) Aspect & soil: Sun; well-drained soil, shelter from wind Best climate: Cool, temperate Habit: Annual climber or bush Propagation: Seed, seedling Difficulty: Easy When you eat broad beans you are consuming some of the oldest vegies known to cultivation. These wide, flat beans, native to the Mediterranean region, have a long history as a cultivated vegie. Remains found in excavations in northern Israel have been dated to 6800–6500 BCE and they are also known from ancient sites in Egypt. There are two ways to eat broad beans. They can be boiled or steamed whole when small and immature, or allowed to mature then shelled like peas so only the bean itself is eaten. I…

Tomato label Common name: Tomato Botanical name: Solanum lycopersicum Family: Solonaceae Aspect & soil: Sun; moist fertile soil Best climate: All Habit: Annual vine; fruits summer to autumn (year round in warm zones) Propagation: Seed, seedling or grafted plants Difficulty: Moderate If you’ve space to grow vegies, you’re probably already thinking about planting tomatoes. They are one of the most popular edibles and highly rewarding to grow. When it comes to flavour, the homegrown tomato is in a class of its own. Not only do tomatoes from your own garden taste delicious, they are also full of valuable nutrients. Tomatoes provide lycopene, an antioxidant found in red fruit, along with vitamins A and C and carotene, and they are packed with fibre. TIMING Tomatoes need warmth to grow and are not…

COOL & TEMPERATE VEGIES In mid-spring it’s a case of what not to plant! October is a top month for planting out all potted plants as well as getting started with seeds or seedlings of summer crops. Summer crops to plant now include beans, corn, cucumber, pumpkin, squash, tomato and zucchini. In areas that experience late frost, hold off planting out frost-sensitive vegies such as tomato and cucumber. When sowing or planting, allow plenty of room for each plant to reach its optimum spread. Avoiding overcrowding helps to reduce diseases and also makes plants easier to manage, so follow recommended spacing advice. As well as getting the spacing right, train sprawling crops to reduce problems. Train tomatoes by tying stems to tall stakes or a trellis. Remove excess branching. Also…

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: MELON MAGIC Don’t overlook melons as star ingredients in salads. Try watermelon, Persian fetta, grilled king prawns and mint leaves with a dressing of olive oil…

EU BANS OUTDOOR USE OF BEE-HARMING PESTICIDES The EU announced in April this year that it will expand measures, first put in place in 2013, to further protect honeybees and other pollinators from exposure to the neonicotinoid pesticides, or neonics, such as imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam. All outdoor use of these three pesticides will be banned under the new measure and the neonics in question will be permitted for use only inside permanent greenhouses where no contact with bees is expected. European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said the protection of bees was vital “since it concerns biodiversity, food production and our environment”. In 2013, in the wake of the devastating epidemic of bee colony collapse disorder, the commission severely restricted the use of neonic plant protection products and seed treatments…

Sacred basil label Common names: Holy basil, queen of herbs, sacred basil, tulsi Botanical name: Ocimum tenuiflorum var. sanctum Family: Lamiaceae Aspect & soil: Full sun; well-drained soil Best climate: Tropics, subtropics, temperate, Mediterranean Habit: Perennial Propagation: Seed Difficulty: Easy Sacred or holy basil is a plant that’s held in great reverence by many cultures and religions (particularly Hindu) and has many medicinal benefits. It’s also an easy-to-grow addition to the herb garden and a highly fragrant plant that’s edible and tasty. Flavourwise, it has a more aniseed taste than traditional sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), which is the most popular of all the basils. The leaf is also slightly smaller and a little tougher than sweet basil, with a slightly hairy purple stem. The olive-green leaves of sacred basil are also…

SUSAN SEES HER GARDEN AS “A PRODUCTIVE MESS. MOST GARDENS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU GET A DESIGNER OR LANDSCAPER IN, TEND TO BE QUITE FORMAL AND NEAT. OURS ISN’T.” Nearly a century ago, the hilly suburb of Newtown, one of the highest points in the Victorian city of Geelong, was semi-rural. According to resident Susan Bird, there was an orchard on the slopes of nearby Queens Park as well as market gardens and nurseries. “The Chinese gardeners were up early seven days a week, digging, planting and seeding,” she says. “Vegetables were washed, bunched and put on backs of trucks and they were delivered to customers all over Geelong on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.” With her prolific organic garden, Susan is continuing not only a local tradition but a family one…

SEPTEMBER 2018 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 2018 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 hours…

Guava label Common name: Guava Botanical name: Psidium guajava Family: Myrtaceae (Myrtle) Aspect & soil: Sun; rich, well-drained soil Best climate: Most frostfree areas Habit: Evergreen tree Propagation: Seed or cuttings Difficulty: Medium As a home garden plant, guava ticks all the boxes. It’s an attractive tree in or out of fruit, with lush evergreen foliage, beautiful patchwork bark, fluffy flowers and sweet, fragrant fruit. In the kitchen, it’s a welcome ingredient in tarts and pastries, guava ice-cream and summer cocktails. Or simply eat it fresh from the tree when it’s extra ripe. In the garden, guavas make wonderful fruiting screens, informal hedges, feature trees or decorative potted specimens. Most varieties don’t grow much taller than 4m and you’ll be harvesting a bumper crop just two years from planting. Depending on…

Images & recipes from Bao buns, pho, sushi, poke bowls, gyoza, ramen and kimchi have devotees on every high street. Now Jennifer Joyce shows how easy it is to create these zingy, fresh, healthy flavours at home. From grilled sticky skewers and steak tacos, salads, rice bowls and dumplings, to prawn katsu bao and miso-glazed ribs, this is an adventure in the dazzling diversity of modern Asian cooking. Jennifer’s exquisitely simple recipes, no-nonsense explanation of ingredients, hand-drawn diagrams and beautiful photographs are all you need to start cooking in your own Asian kitchen.…

Makes 4 serves Preparation time 10 mins Cooking time 15 mins INGREDIENTS • 500g salmon fillet• 2 tbsp Japanese light soy sauce• 2 tbsp honey• 2 oranges, sliced• 250g dried soba noodles• 200g asparagus, trimmed• 1 finger-sized red chilli, thinly sliced• 1 tbsp togarashi spice mix• 2 handfuls mizuna or wild rocket Citrus Dressing • Zest & juice 1 orange• 1 tbsp Japanese light soy sauce• 1 tbsp honey• 2 tbsp lime juice• 75mL yuzu juice• 2 tsp grated ginger• 1 small Asian shallot, finely chopped METHOD 1 Slice the salmon into 4 pieces. Mix the soy sauce with the honey in a shallow glass dish, then place the salmon, flesh side down, in the marinade.2 Mix together all the citrus dressing ingredients.3 Slice the peel from the oranges using…

Welcoming over 460,000 visitors a year, the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is recognised as one of Australia’s premier cool-climate garden destinations. With a number of unique collections and Australia’s only Subantarctic Plant House, there’s plenty to explore across the 14ha site located only a few minutes from the centre of Hobart. In 2018 the Gardens is celebrating its bicentenary. The second-oldest botanic gardens in Australia, it was established just two years after Sydney’s. The team has worked hard to prepare for this milestone year and the living collections are flourishing. There has been a spruce-up of the facilities for visitors, including the construction of a new visitor hub at the main entrance to welcome visitors and provide information on areas that have special seasonal blooms or points of interest. This…

Sweet corn label Common name: Sweet corn Botanical name: Zeya mays Family: Poaceae (grass family) Aspect & soil: Sun; welldrained soil Best climate: All Habit: Annual grass Propagation: Seed, seedling Difficulty: Easy Sweet corn is a type of grass that’s grown for its sweet, juicy, delicious cobs. As it is a grass, corn is wind pollinated, which means it isn’t reliant on bees to produce a crop. In backyard vegetable gardens, sweet corn is traditionally grown in blocks 1-2sqm, rather than in rows. This is done to maximise pollination as this pattern of planting ensures good pollination, regardless of which way the wind is blowing. If there’s been a good spread of pollen, the resulting cobs contain rows of juicy kernels. Poor pollination shows up as patchy cobs with blank spaces…

Saw-tooth coriander label Common name: Saw-tooth or perennial coriander Botanical name: Eryngium foetidum Family: Apiaceae (carrot family) Group: Biennial Requires: Sun to part shade; moist well-drained soils Dislikes: Frost Suitable for: Herb gardens, vegetable gardens, containers Habit: Rosette-forming herb Needs: Warmth Propagation: Seed Difficulty: Easy If you love the taste of coriander but have difficulty growing it through the warmer weather, let me introduce you to saw-tooth (or saw-leaf) coriander. Native to Mexico and other areas of South America, it has all of the flavour of common coriander and more. Sawtooth coriander copes with hot, humid weather and grows well in situations where annual coriander quickly bolts to seed. Saw-tooth coriander is a biennial herb that produces a plentiful supply of leaves over a two-year stretch. It grows from a basal…

COOL & TEMPERATE VEGIES It’s encouraging to see new shoots appearing on bare branches and poking through soil. The sight of the first asparagus shoots is an exciting moment each spring. Harvest daily as the spears quickly become tall, woody and inedible. Use a sharp knife to cut below soil level. Not so welcome are weed seedlings. Keep them under control with regular hoeing. Also spread mulch around vegetables to deter weed growth. Sow summer crops, including chilli, capsicum, tomato, eggplant, cucumber, pumpkin, squash, zucchini and beans. Also plant lettuce and herbs. Potatoes, beetroot and carrot can be planted in all areas. Use certified disease-free seed potatoes (tubers). In areas that are still cold and where frosts are likely, hold off planting warm-season crops. Instead sow broad beans, broccoli, English…

Makes 4 serves Preparation time 15 mins Cooking time 15 mins INGREDIENTS • 300g ruby red tuna loin• 3 tbsp black sesame seeds• 1 large ripe avocado• 4 radishes, sliced• 2 tbsp finely chopped chives Lotus Wafers* • 2 lotus roots, peeled• 2 tbsp vegetable oil Citrus Dressing • 3 tsp Japanese light soy sauce• 2 tbsp lime juice• 2 tbsp orange juice• 1 small Asian shallot, finely diced• 2 tbsp yuzu juice• 2 tsp caster sugar• 2 tsp finely grated ginger METHOD 1 Preheat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan-forced. Using a mandoline, slice the lotus root for the wafers about 3mm thick. They should be thicker than you might expect as they will shrink and become crisp. If they are too thin, they will burn. Arrange in a…

Makes 8 serves Preparation time 45 mins & 1hr chilling Cooking time 40 mins INGREDIENTS • 250mL boiling water• 75g cocoa powder• 350g plain flour• 350g caster sugar• 2 tsp baking powder• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda• 1 tsp salt• 2 eggs• 250mL milk• 125mL vegetable oil• 2 tsp vanilla extract Matcha Frosting • 325g salted butter, room temperature• 650g icing sugar• 2 tsp vanilla extract• 2 tbsp matcha powder• 3 tbsp milk METHOD 1 Preheat oven to 180°C or 160°C fanforced. Grease and line 2 × 20cm or 3 × 18cm round springform cake tins.2 Pour the boiling water into a measuring jug and add the cocoa. Whisk the mixture smooth and let cool while you measure out all the remaining ingredients.3 Pour the remaining dry ingredients into the…

ORGANIGROW — ON FREE RANGE Misleading “free range” claims have led to a deep feeling of mistrust by consumers. Government standards have now set an upper limit of 10,000 birds per hectare, but this is meaningless as there’s no definition of what that means: a producer can have half a million birds in a dozen sheds, all cheek by jowl in the corner of a 50ha property. The best way to avoid bad practices is to look for certification by Humane Choice. Organic certification is also useful but beware the larger producers; they also can be misleading on their stocking densities and ranging. You can look at Google Earth at the farm producing the eggs you buy, including mine. I only run around 600 chooks per hectare. If you can’t…