Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue #13.6 i Good Organic Gardening

It seems to me that many of us non-horticulturists develop this love of gardening in a gradual way. Maybe when you were young and living in share houses you dragged a well-loved pot plant from terrace house to terrace house, somehow managing to keep it alive despite understanding nothing about ideal light conditions, watering, feeding and so on. (I don’t think I even knew plants needed to be fed back then.) Perhaps that led to a little experimentation with growing a few herbs and upping your cooking ante with them. Then maybe a cherry tomato or two and some salad leaves. Yes, you’ve probably guessed I’m describing my own gardening journey here. My first attempts at growing in garden beds were with flowers — poppies and other annuals, in fact.…

PLANTS IN SPACE You’ve heard of gardening by the moon — but how about on the Moon? That’s the idea behind a new project in which Australian scientists are working with an Aussie space start-up on a plan that’s out of this world. The aim is not only to lay the groundwork for future human life on the Moon and other planets, but also to answer questions about food security in extreme environments here on Earth. The project, known as ALEPH, involves scientists from the Queensland University of Technology, RMIT, the Australian National University and Israel’s Ben Gurion University working with Australian company Lunaria One. They plan to put a shoebox-sized sealed chamber or “lunarium” full of plants and seeds on an international spacecraft to the Moon by 2025. “We…

CLARE BELIEVES IN PLANT NUTRITION, CONSISTENT WATERING AND PUTTING THE RIGHT PLANT IN THE RIGHT PLACE ACCORDING TO CLIMATIC CONDITIONS — HENCE FEWER PEST AND DISEASE ISSUES. Originally from Manchester in the UK, Clare James has called Australia home for decades. She and her partner, Brisbaneborn Simon, and 16-year-old son Ollie share an acre block in Mount Crosby in the Queensland capital’s leafy southwest. A qualified horticulturist and landscape designer, Clare loves being outdoors and always has. She attributes her interest in gardening to her mother’s passion for growing flowers and her father’s love of raising vegies. Even now she has long conversations with her dad back in England about who’s growing what and what’s in season. Her grandfather was also an avid gardener. As she says, “Having survived the…

Cauliflower has had a makeover. The much-loved white vegetable often served with creamy cheese is now available in new colours and enjoying new popularity in innovative recipes. Visit the greengrocer or the seedling section of the garden centre to discover green, purple and orange varieties. New recipe ideas include blitzing cauli to bits as an alternative to pizza dough, serving it crumbed and deep fried or cutting it into “steaks” as a vegan option. For most people, however, coloured forms are mere novelties and the white cauliflower reigns in vegie gardens and on the dinner table. The head of cauliflower is a flower, usually referred to as the curd, and made up of a mass of tiny, immature buds much like broccoli. The flower head forms best when temperatures are…

Apricots are one of the most delicious fruits to eat picked fresh from the tree as they ripen in late summer. These stone fruits thrive in warm temperate and especially Mediterranean climates with a period of winter chill. But they particularly hate cold winds when they are in flower and when fruit is developing. In areas with cooler springs and summers, grow apricots in a warm, sheltered, north-facing location to avoid fruit drop. As flowers bloom early (late winter to early spring) they can be damaged by late frost. As well as a warm location, apricots need cross-pollination for good fruit formation. When buying an apricot, take care to also buy its pollinator or look for a multi-grafted tree (also known as a “twoway” tree) that has the pollinator variety…

For type-A green thumbs, one of the rarely admitted joys of gardening is tinkering about with ways to store, file and sort our gardening paraphernalia. Don’t tell anyone, but the sight of labels and markers fills me with glee while the discovery on Instagram of a sexy new way of storing seeds can spur an adrenalin rush. Even if you’re not an organisational nerd, there are many practical benefits to gain from investing time and a bit of cash on systems that support your gardening practice. As with cooking, crafts and other activities that generate stuff, good storage and organisational systems are crucial. The ability to, say, swiftly locate a specific packet of seeds, access your stakes or find the growing tips for artichokes saves a heap of time —…

HOW TO GROW PLANTS FROM SEEDS Starting plants from seeds is a wonderfully economical way to grow lots of plants, with each seed packet usually containing dozens or hundreds of seeds. Several fragrant annual and biennial plants — such as alyssum, sweet peas and sweet rocket — do best when grown from seed sown direct into the garden bed or pot, rather than being grown in seedling punnets and then being transplanted, so there is no transplant shock. Perennials such as carnations and wallflowers can also be grown from seed, but it’s best to start them in trays or punnets of seed-raising mix then transplant the seedlings into their final home. This method is also more cost-effective than buying seedlings from nurseries or garden centres. It’s best to use specialised…

Have you ever heard a gardener say, “Time to dose up my gardenia with Epsom salts because the leaves are turning yellow again”? Is this the correct diagnosis and action? Possibly, but it’s likely to be only partially correct. Many gardening articles rightly draw our attention to the importance of a “healthy” pH (7 being neutral and 6 being slightly acidic). It’s often said that somewhere between 7 and 6.5 is the sweet spot where most plant nutrients and minerals remain available. However, pH is the beginning of our inquiry, not the end. It’s also important to know what nutrients and minerals are available in your soil. I won’t be dissecting here the science of hydrogen ions and the associated bonding of anions and cations. Instead, I want to equip…

FOOD TIMING AND WEIGHT LOSS There is plenty of advice out there as to the time of day you should eat. Some of it is anecdotal, some mythical and some cynical. A recent study measured the difference between calorie loading in the morning versus the evening. It did so using an isotope-based method measuring hydrogen and oxygen as a function of carbon dioxide production. Overall, although people who had bigger breakfasts felt more satiated throughout the day, there was no difference in energy balance or weight loss between the two groups. Source: Cell Metabolism ALMONDS AND YOUR GUT In a new study researchers recruited healthy adults who were eating less than the recommended amount of dietary fibre each day and who were snacking on unhealthy snacks such as chocolate and…

PUTTING ANTS ON THE MAP Researchers from around the world joined forces to produce a global diversity map of the world’s ant populations. They constructed it using more than 14,000 maps of individual ant species and combined the data with computational wizardry to create the treasure map. Invertebrates represent most animal species on earth. Sometimes called “the little things that run the world”, they are fundamental to any healthy ecosystem. Ensuring their conservation in a rapidly changing world is urgent and critical. The problem is we know so little about them and their habitats. Effective conservation efforts rely on good datasets to make meaningful decisions and that’s something lacking in the invertebrate research world. Most conservation efforts focus on vertebrates. The treasure map shows ant species richness is greatest in…

When lichen appears, some gardeners get very worried. Be curious, not afraid. Lichen is a flat green growth that can have a slightly leafy look but it isn’t a plant and isn’t usually damaging. It can grow on the bark of trees as well as on fences or other timber in the garden — even on the roof or on stonework. Indeed, it’s estimated that lichens cover around six to eight per cent of the world’s land surface, from the arctic tundra to the desert. Lichens are thought to be both ancient and very slow growing. Rather than worry, regard lichen in your garden as a fascinating growth formed by two organisms, algae (or a cyanobacteria) and a fungus, living together. The algae live among the “leaves” of the fungus.…

AT FIRST ANNIE TRUCKED IN LOADS OF GOOD-QUALITY COMPOST AND MANURE FROM THE FAMILY FARM BUT AFTER A FEW SEASONS REALISED SHE NEEDED RAISED WICKING BEDS. Annie Malone started gardening at a tender age. She grew up on her parents’ vast dairy and beef cattle property near Capel, a couple of hours south of Perth, and she and her six siblings all had jobs on the farm. “I had my first vegie garden at 10 years old in an old unused chook pen,” she recalls. She grew tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce with runner beans along the wire fence. Her mother Alice was an inspiration with her large vegetable garden, citrus and stonefruit orchard, fernery and flower beds. The rich Capel River loam was perfect for her beloved gerberas, gladioli, roses…

Though its common name comes from the German words for cabbage and turnip, kohlrabi isn’t exactly either. And, despite its bulbous bottom, neither is it a root vegetable. So what is it? Well, it’s actually a brassica and a cultivar of wild cabbage, which puts it in the same species as cabbage, kale and cauliflower and the same genus as turnip. Whatever it is, kohlrabi was relatively unknown until some 400–500 years ago, when it began to appear in history books in Europe. It’s still not a hugely popular veg here in Australia but seems to be gaining traction because it’s easy to grow, grows fast and will thrive in pots or smaller spaces. KOHLRABI COMES IN GREEN-OR PURPLE-STEMMED VARIETIES AND BOTH CAN BE EATEN RAW OR COOKED. Kohlrabi comes…

Mangosteen is one tropical fruit that gets a great rap for its flavour. Sweet, tangy and citrusy, it’s been described as “thrillingly, intoxicatingly luscious”. If you’ve never seen or tasted this fruit, you’re probably want to after reading those mouth-watering descriptions. Despite its name, it’s nothing like a mango in flavour or appearance. The mangosteen is a small, roundish fruit with a dark-purple skin that conceals globules of white flesh, each bursting with flavour and juice. Native to parts of Southeast Asia — particularly around the Indian Ocean — the mangosteen has travelled far and wide and is now grown in tropical and subtropical zones around the world including Australia and Central America. GROWING MANGOSTEENS If you fall in love with this fruit and live in a tropical area with…

Horticultural oil, also known as white oil, is an easy and inexpensive pesticide to prepare at home from readily available materials. It can be used to control scale, aphids, mealy bug, citrus leaf miner, mites and caterpillars on roses, ornamentals, citrus and other fruit trees. The commercial horticultural oil insecticides sold in garden centres are petroleum based: essentially, refined paraffin oil with an added emulsifier to make them water soluble. These are not the kind of thing you want in your soil as they take years to break down in the ground. A better option is to purchase a natural horticultural oil based on vegetable oil — or simply make your own. The benefit of a natural horticultural oil is that it’s a non-toxic pesticide and perfectly safe to use.…

COOL & TEMPERATE VEGIES ∙ Autumnal cool is yet to take over so, while there’s still some daytime warmth, now’s the time to prepare for winter and spring harvests by starting cabbage, broad beans, Asian greens, lettuce, rocket, carrots, silverbeet, spring onions and spinach.∙ Other edibles to try now include tatsoi, rocket, broccoli and leeks. Also, add some autumn colour with pollinator magnets like edible cornflowers, calendula, dianthus, pansies, violas, snapdragons, nasturtiums, verbena and marigolds. They should turn your plot into an eye-pleasing hive of industry.∙ If it’s still warm enough, consider starting some herbs such as parsley, basil, rosemary, coriander, rosemary, marjoram and thyme. You could give mint and lemon balm a go but watch out they don’t take over.∙ Summer crops like tomato and zucchini will be starting…

Walnuts are tree nuts of the genus Juglans, the most common varieties being the English (or Persian) walnut (Juglans regia) or the black walnut (J. nigra). Technically, walnuts are stone fruit and not true nuts. The “nuts” are picked when green for pickled walnuts or when fully ripe for nut meat or walnut oil. While still in the shell, the nut meat is protected by the antioxidants in the brown seed coat. English walnuts originated in Persia (they were not grown in England but were transported by English ships) and the black walnut is native to eastern North America. The black walnut is tastier but more difficult to shell, so is not grown as often commercially. Once picked, walnuts need to be stored properly or they are susceptible to insect…

KALE ‘RAINBOW CANDY CRUSH’, BRASSICA OLERACEA The plant: A world-first edible ornamental that was released at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2021, this kale is a STANDOUT! With fluorescent-pink-purple leaves that are loaded with nutrients, what’s not to love? Unlike other kales and brassicas, this one’s leaves have a sweet aftertaste, with no bitterness — plus the colour persists even after cooking. Growing: Grow ‘Rainbow Candy Crush’ in a full-sun vegie patch or decorative bed or mixed into your flower borders for some wow-factor foliage contrast. It will reshoot after cutbacks if you need to harvest the leaves and, once established, is relatively low maintenance. Floriana, floriana.com.au ‘LITTLE BIBI’ PBR, MYRTIFOLIA X OPPOSITIFOLIA ‘POLYLAB’ The plant: A versatile plant with a naturally mounded habit and glaucous grey-green leaves year round,…

Have you ever stopped to wonder what plant produces saffron? Those long orange threads sold as saffron come from a crocus flower that grows from a corm. The saffron crocus flowers in autumn, producing lavender cup-like flowers with a cluster of golden and red filaments in the centre of each flower. It’s not just pretty. By the time it reaches the retail market, this flower — or the orange-red threads it produces — is worth gram for gram more than gold. It may seem a lot to pay for a spice, even one as intriguing as saffron, but there’s good reason why it’s so expensive. The cost is an indication of the long journey between growing saffron and selling it. Saffron is used to flavour and colour foods such as…

I work from home — in Tumbarumba, in the western foothills of the Snowy Mountains — as a graphic designer and food photographer. I produce a few market goodies (homemade condiments, seed packs, greeting cards), create content for my Snowy Foodie blog and am working on a cookbook. I started gardening in 2015 when I moved here from Canada to live with my Aussie husband, John Riddell — also a creative who balances his filmmaking and writing work with a bit of farming. ORGANIC GROWING CAN BE CHALLENGING BUT YOU LEARN FROM YOUR PLANTS, YOUR MISTAKES, YOUR CLIMATE AND THE WHOLE SYMBIOSIS OF NATURE SURROUNDING IT. My dad grew vegies when I was a child in the Appalachian region of Québec. I remember discovering the taste of carrots, beans and…

MARCH 2023 Mid-autumn in most of Australia means there are still plenty of daytime high temperatures, which in turn means lots to plant in your vegie patch and herb garden. APRIL 2023 April brings more autumnal conditions as the days become shorter and the nights cooler, heralding the end of the wet season in northern tropical areas 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…

Leafy, peppery mustard greens are an easy-to-grow cool-season crop related to cabbages, broccoli and other brassicas. The young leaves add a spicy kick to salads — or you can cook up the older leaves in soups and stir-fries. Mustard greens are frost tolerant and some say they actually taste better after the first frost. Most are ready to begin harvesting within 5–6 weeks of planting. Just be sure not to harvest the whole plant in any one pick while the plants are still young. GROWING You can sow mustard green seeds into punnets in late summer, raising the seedlings in a protected spot away from hot afternoon sun. Alternatively, direct-sow seeds in the garden in early autumn. Seedlings are also readily available from nurseries in late summer, autumn and winter.…

SOAK CLEVER It’s a great idea to water your garden thoroughly before you put mulch down. This wets the soil and the mulch keeps the moisture in. The best mulches are those with a variety of large and small particles as they let oxygen and moisture penetrate through to the plants’ roots. Evenly sized mulches tend to compact and prevent oxygen and moisture penetrating the soil. CATS SCAT! Tired of finding feline calling cards in your garden? Here are four simple solutions. Make a repellent by combining 2 parts cayenne pepper, 3 parts dry mustard and 5 parts flour. Simply mix together and sprinkle. Cats don’t like tea leaves, so empty your used ones onto the garden soil. Try using a sprinkler activated by a motion sensor. It only takes…

COOL & TEMPERATE VEGIES ∙ As autumn takes hold, don’t stop putting in brassicas, broad beans, peas, spring onions and spinach. Now is also a good time to consider putting in carrots and spuds as well as artichokes, asparagus and beetroot. Snow peas and spinach planted at the end of summer may be ready for harvesting.∙ Also ripening are pumpkins. Test them by rapping on the skin: a deep drumlike sound means they’re ready. Leave a bit of the stem attached and store in a cool, dark place over winter.∙ It could be time to give up on those ragged-looking tomatoes but don’t throw out the green unripe fruit — keep it for making chutney.∙ Autumn’s always a good time to rest a bed or two with a quick crop…

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