Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue #11.1 - 2020 i Good Organic Gardening

As we move toward the winter months, there’s probably not quite as much to do in the garden unless you’re undertaking structural jobs or putting a lot of work into soil improvement. There’s still lots to plant, of course, and it’s a good time to put in any dormant trees you have your heart set on. For us, though, there’s definitely less mowing, slashing and whipper-snippering, and our winter vegies don’t seem to be as much work as the fruiting annuals of summer. So what to do on a cold rainy day? Well, you could start planning a fireproof garden (more on that next issue) or think about drought-proofing yours (more on that soon, too), or you could organise your photos, declutter your wardrobe Marie Kondo-style or clear out the…

SENETTI BABY BLUE, PERICALLIS CRUENTUS The plant: Quick-growing and evergreen, senetti are naturally perennial and keep blooming, after pruning, to reboot throughout autumn, winter and into early spring. Their compact growth habit makes them perfect for pots on the patio and planted en masse in garden beds. Growing and care: For the best flowers, grow them where they will receive morning sun and afternoon shade. Senetti will tolerate light frost but will need protection from strong winds. If growing in pots, always use a premium-quality potting mix. Why not try … These stunning senetti from Oasis Horticulture, which come in an incredible range of colours including Baby Magenta Bi-Colour, the abovementioned Baby Blue, Magenta Delight and Lavender. Oasis Horticulture, oasis.com.au GINKGO ‘LEMONLIME SPIRE’, GINKGO BILOBA The plant: Ginkgo ‘Lemonlime Spire’ with…

Frances and Jeff Michaels are the heartbeat of the organic gardening supplies business Green Harvest. Their passionate common interest in sustainable food systems, organics and permaculture brought them together some 30 years ago at an international permaculture conference in New Zealand. With an advanced diploma in horticulture from Ryde TAFE in Sydney, Frances teaches horticulture and is a permaculture designer. Both she and Jeff share a passion for growing food, keeping chooks, buying local and organic, recycling, saving energy and walking as lightly on the earth as they can. They’ve recently moved house so for this article we’re showcasing the garden at Green Harvest Organic Gardening Supplies, the couple’s business near Maleny in the rolling green hills behind Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. “WE REALLY WANTED PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT AN ORGANIC…

Berries make a lot of sense in a productive garden. If managed well, they take up little room, they produce fruit that’s otherwise expensive to purchase and they come in lots of different flavours. Some, such as blueberries, can even be grown in large containers. Despite all these pluses, there are a few downsides, including thorns. Also, as the fruit begins to ripen, many of the berries top the list for bird attacks. EVERGREENS LIKE BLUEBERRIES AND DECIDUOUS SHRUBS SUCH AS CURRANTS SHOULD BE SPACED AT LEAST 1M APART TO ALLOW FOR MATURE GROWTH. The definition of a berry is a fruit without a stone produced from a single flower containing one ovary. That botanical description can include a watermelon or a tomato, so it doesn’t actually define the fruit…

The gage is a type of European plum with an extensive history. The best known is the greengage, which produces small but very sweet fruit much sought after for making verdant greengage jam as well as for eating fresh. Gage fanciers wax lyrical about them. I’ve heard them described as “ambrosial” and “nectar of the gods”. You get the picture: sweet and very juicy. These plums are best known and grown in the coldest parts of Australia, particularly in Tasmania and elevated regions of the mainland. When conditions are good, greengage trees are heavily laden with fruit in late summer and autumn — but if there’s the slightest problem when the trees are flowering, they may bear nothing at all. This is because greengages, like other European plums, crop best…

We often hear about how important biodiversity is to natural habitats, but that significance extends to all living things, including us. Our own bodies are flourishing microcosms buzzing with life. We live in a symbiotic relationship with 300–500 different types of gut bacteria, whose presence is crucial to our health. There are around 100 trillion of these bacteria inside each of us — that’s 10 times the number of cells in our body! The lesson here is that all biological organisms live in complex relationships with their own species, with other species and with their environment. That’s what the science of ecology is all about. As gardeners, we can’t ignore this fact because no garden or farm is exempt from the laws of ecology. In the ecological design system of…

COOL & TEMPERATE VEGIES In cool and inland areas, it’s time to be on frost alert: icy portents of winter are likely to arrive this month. Frosts bring an end to pumpkin vines, sweet potatoes and even choko vines. On the plus side, the cold conditions help clear up pests and weeds. Simply harvest any vegies that remain on vines and stems then clear away spent plants. Use cleared space to grow late-winter and spring crops. Sow seeds of kale and other brassicas along with cool-season legumes such as peas and snow peas. Brassicas, including kale, cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, are popular autumn and winter crops, but watch carefully for caterpillars. Regularly inspect leaves, stems and flower buds on broccoli, looking out for green caterpillars of the cabbage white…

(High-carb day) One of my all-time favourite childhood memories is eating a pie for breakfast before school. Not much has changed, except I now make my own pies. Serves 6 INGREDIENTS • 3 tbsp coconut oil or good-quality animal fat such as lard or duck fat• 1kg beef cheek, trimmed & cut into 2cm cubes• 1½ onions, finely chopped• 1 carrot, finely chopped• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped• 200g beef mince• 2 tbsp curry powder• 600mL beef bone broth or stock• 400g whole peeled tomatoes, crushed• 2 tbsp tapioca flour, mixed with 2 tbsp water• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper• 2 tsp lemon juice• 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds• 1 tsp brown mustard seeds• 2 tbsp olive oil• 2 sprigs crispy curry leaves…

One look at the bristly red seed pods and leathery leaves on this tropical tree and you’d think its claim to being a clever crop is that it’s very good at self-protection. But there’s more to bixa — also called annatto, achiote and other regional names — than you’d realise. This plant is the source of a natural food colouring and dye. The dye, known as annatto, is an orange-red colour and is used to colour butter, margarine, cheese and many other foodstuffs. The spiky pods split open to reveal red seeds. It is the waxy covering around the seeds, known as the pericarp, which gives up the dye. The dye is extracted by soaking the seeds in water. As its common name of lipstick tree suggests, it’s also used…

Until 1950, the suburb of Ashwood was a patchwork of market gardens, orchards and poultry farms at the far southeast edge of Melbourne’s creeping urbanisation. Even today, its suburban blocks are large and, at 1000m2, Leanne Mason’s is bigger than most. She does most of the work herself, though she admits line trimmers and chainsaws are beyond her. LEANNE IS DETERMINED TO MANAGE HER GARDEN ALONG ORGANIC LINES — SHE USES NO SPRAYS, NOT EVEN ORGANIC ONES — AND ACCORDING TO PERMACULTURE PRINCIPLES. “For open garden events,” she says, “I call on my knowledgeable and hardworking friends to help me tidy up.” A former nurse, currently working part-time as a “sensory panellist — also known as a food taster”, Leanne counts reading, dancing, yoga and crafts among her many interests…

MAY 2020 Late autumn means it’s still a good time in most regions to get all those lovely health-giving brassicas and root vegetables into the garden JUNE 2020 Winter has officially arrived and, while it’s a quieter time for planting in cooler regions, there’s lots to put in the ground in the warmer zones New moon First quarter Full moon Last quarter 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…

DID YOU KNOW? These broad, flat beans, native to the Mediterranean, are among the oldest of cultivated vegetables. Remains found in excavations in northern Israel have been dated to 6800–6500 BCE. They are also known from ancient sites in Egypt. One day after a spring gale I found my rows of broad beans, which had been grown in a block surrounded by garden stakes and string, lurching over each other like drunken sailors. On investigation I discovered that some of the stakes had disappeared. Yes, my co-gardener, not a fan of the broad bean, had “borrowed” the stakes for another part of the garden. “You had too many,” he said. As far as I’m concerned you can never have too many stakes and lengths of string for broad beans as…

Throughout their long and bumpy history, turnips haven’t had much love. The projectile of choice for ancient Greeks and Romans to hurl at unpopular public figures, they were long regarded as fodder for livestock and the poor. In the 15thcentury, to call someone a turnip was to imply they were an idiot. Turnips still don’t win many popularity contests but they deserve kudos for their sweet, peppery flavour, nutritional content and ease of cultivation. Next to radishes, they’re one of the fastest growers in the vegetable garden. A tennis-ball-sized turnip will be ready to harvest 60–70 days from sowing, but you can also harvest baby turnips earlier. These are delicious raw in salads and you can use the tender green tops as a spinach or silverbeet substitute, too. GROWING AND…

It’s teeming with rain, there’s a cruel wind and the yard is muddy. Should you let the poultry out? Their ancestors made do with scant shrub and bamboo cover and they all seemed to survive. Today’s poultry have it easy compared to their forebears and it’s likely they’re not as acclimatised to harsh winter conditions. It’s often kinder to keep them out of weather extremes, but birds used to freedom don’t take kindly to sudden confinement. You will need diversions that offer entertainment and help keep bullying and other antisocial behaviour at bay. CONFINEMENT POSITIVES It costs more to have poultry outdoors in winter weather. Fowls are not able to put on a parka for weather protection and so double their feed intake to maintain body temperature. Another issue is…

COOL & TEMPERATE VEGIES Liquid-feed leafy winter crops already growing such as silver beet, spinach, coriander and rocket. Boost with liquid organic fertiliser every 7–10 days. Buy and plant asparagus, artichoke and rhubarb crowns now while deciduous stock is available. These long-lived perennials do well in dedicated beds enriched with compost or aged manure before planting. Where they’re already growing, cut back old growth and toss manure and compost around the area to feed the spring harvest. Also plant broad beans (see page 44), garlic, lettuce, peas, shallots and spinach for spring crops. Ideally, plant lettuce seedlings or sow seed every 3–4 weeks to avoid a glut. Help pea seedlings reach climbing supports by putting twigs at the base of the frame. Regularly inspect cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower and other brassicas…

Kate’s book is available through your local bookstore or via her website or online booksellers (Amazon, Booktopia, Angus & Robinson), katewall.com.au Eco-dyeing is a process of using natural materials as sources of colour and pattern for dyeing paper or fabric. In this step-by-step guide we go through the process of using weeds to dye paper. You can try using any weeds or indeed any plants in your garden. For this demonstration I have used weeds with interestingly shaped leaves and flowers, including wild heliotrope, Mexican prickly poppy, Phyllanthus weed, cobbler’s pegs and Rhodes grass seed heads, among others. Step 1 Gather your materials. • Fresh or dried plants. Fresh leaves and flowers will be more flexible in terms of arranging them on the page. In the case of berries, such…

CLIMATE IMPACT ON THE WORLD’S FOOD SUPPLY Experts warn the climate emergency will affect the world’s food supply in three key ways: quantity, quality and location of the food produced. In a supply-and-demand-driven economy, the reality is the price of food will also increase as will food insecurity, which inevitably impacts the most vulnerable members of the community. Despite the initial thought that increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would act as a fertiliser and make plants grow more, the reality is climate impacts are reducing the amount of food grown around the world due to increasing temperatures, changing rainfall patterns leading to floods and extended droughts, and pest pressures. The location of agricultural production is also changing. Tropical equatorial regions that have previously provided abundant of food are the…

A fully grown clump of lemongrass can reach up to 1.5m high and 30cm or more across. It may take up a lot of room in the herb garden, but it’s well worth growing if you love Asian food or enjoy a restorative cup of herbal tea. A true grass, lemongrass has long, slender leaves with that telltale citrusy scent and flavour that distinguish lemongrass tea from other herbal teas. The leafy clumps can also be used to add height and bulk to new gardens or in a sensory garden for scent and texture. Although not grown for its flowers, lemongrass can produce panicles of tiny flowers in summer. However, these are not often seen in Australia. It is the swollen stem bases that are harvested to use in cooking,…

While the culinary delights of sage are well known, its health benefits are not so widely broadcast these days despite its long history of use for everything from enhancing memory to treating the plague, aiding conception and soothing a sore throat. Sage was prized by the ancient Greeks and Romans for both its medicinal properties and culinary uses, especially as a meat preservative, and the ancient Egyptians were known to use it as a fertility stimulant. It has long been cultivated around the Mediterranean and in Asia Minor and is widely used in Greek, Italian and Middle Eastern cuisines. HEALTH BENEFITS Sage is one of the large genus Salvia (of the mint family), the name being derived from the Latin salvere (to save), which refers to the plant’s curative properties.…

Kinsfolk Farm, in Moriac, west of Geelong, is part of an exciting new wave in Australian farming: a diversified, small-scale market garden growing 30 to 40 varieties of seasonal vegetables and herbs. Tom Gaunt and Bridie Cotter sell their organic produce at Torquay Farmers’ Market every Saturday as well as supplying many local eateries around Geelong and the Surf Coast. Both Tom and Bridie are blow-ins from the big smoke, though Tom has been coming to surf nearby Fairhaven for years. Originally from the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn, he studied industrial design and, while sharing a house in Northcote, discovered the rewards of growing spuds and keeping chooks. “WE WANTED THE COUNTRY LIFE WITH THIS MIX OF CULTURES, AND RECEIVING OUR FIRST BOX OF VEGETABLES OPENED OUR EYES TO THIS…

Cabbages and their cruciferous or brassica friends prefer cooler growing conditions, so they’re best grown in autumn, winter and early spring. They range in size and shape from the large or mini drumhead with their round heads of tightly packed leaves to the more elongated Chinese cabbages with paler, crispy leaves — and who can pass up the vibrant, antioxidant-packed red cabbage? If space in your garden is limited, try growing the open, leafy Chinese cabbages including tatsoi and bok choy. They have a similar cabbage flavour but their leaves can be harvested individually throughout the growing season and, being softer, they cook quickly in stir-fries or Asian soups. Today, China grows the most cabbage while the Russians are the biggest consumers — but nearly every cuisine around the world…

Sometime in early winter, gardeners are likely to glimpse the first prunus of the season starting to flower. Most likely it will be a Prunus mume — commonly called a Chinese plum or Japanese apricot — putting on a showy burst of delicate pink on bare, winter-grey branches. Appearing in the depth of winter, these pretty flowers bring a note of joy when other plants are dormant and mark the beginning of a floral parade of deciduous prunus trees that continues well into spring. The prunus clan includes almond, cherry, peach and plum, all familiar in the productive orchard. But these also have non-fruiting, flowering forms, often referred to as “blossom” trees or flowering or ornamental prunus. Ornamental varieties have white, pale pink, deep pink or occasionally red single or…

Have you ever noticed it takes longer for your garden to get wet in dry weather? Ever watered a pot plant and watched the water run out the bottom while the plant remains dry? This is a result of potting mixes breaking down and waxy substances forming in soils. Potting mixes contain varying amounts of bark and other uncomposted material (more in cheaper mixes) that break down in less than 12 months and leave “goat tracks” that allow water to run freely from your pot. In both pots and soil, waxy substances build up as by-products of fungi breaking down organic matter. Salts from fertilisers and tap water divert water away from plant roots, while fats and waxes (lipids) emanating from various sources repel water. These conditions produce hydrophobic (water-repellent)…

CALLING ALL ORGANIC GROWERS!! GROWING NATURALLY MADE EASY!! Earthlife 100% natural Microbial Rock Mineral products are Certified Allowed Inputs for organic farms and gardens. Containing natural minerals, microbes and humates they are contaminant-free with no chemicals, no manures and no blood and bone. By using these products, you can reduce water use and eliminate chemical use while increasing soil life and fertility, subsequently improving plant nutrition, health and vigour. Over 60 trace and micro-elements minimise the need for chemical supplements; and this, combined with over 30 types of vital soil micro-organisms, restores soil ecology. It can be as simple as spreading over gardens and pots every 8–12 weeks, and the soil’s natural cycles can kick back in. They condition and feed all soils and all plants, whether in the ground,…