Issue#5.3 September/October by Good Organic Gardening

grow naturally, eat fresh, live sustainably SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

JENNIFER STACKHOUSE

WHAT TO DO IN THE GARDEN NOW

JOANNA RUSHTON SEASONAL RECIPES FOR THE SPRING TABLE

MELISSA KING

COLOURFUL CARROTS

Garden to table GROW, HARVEST, PRESERVE, COOK: THYME, RAINBOW CHARD, WATERMELON & SPRING ONIONS

Vol. 5 No. 3 September/ October 2014 AUS $7.95* NZ $8.90 (Both incl. GST)

CLEVER CROPS PLUS:

• TIME TO THINK TANKS • IS GLYPHOSATE THE NEW DDT? • GROW TOP-DOLLAR VEGIES AND SAVE • USING GREYWATER ON THE GARDEN

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Chill l Yellow Jelly Bean

Mini Capsicum Capsicum annuum

Capsicum chinense

A compact plant with loads of jelly beansized fruits that go ‘bang’ in your mouth.

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Capsicum annuum

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Chilli

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Pot’n All™ Harvest Starters We have assembled a whole range of healthy options for the productive backyard. Here are just a few varieties included in the Harvest range…

Blueberry Sunshine Blue

BBlueberry Blueberry y Blue Rose

A mid-season fruiting variety that yields 2-4 kilos of ﬂavoursome fruit.

uueberry

A mid-season proliﬁc fruiting variety that yields large fruit.

Rubu u Thornless Blackberry Bears richly ﬂavoured fruit from mid-to-late summer. Hard to buy fruit, so grow your own!

RRuubus

Boysenberry A vigorous, trailing grower that’s actually a cross between a Paciﬁc Blackberry and a Raspberry. Its purple-blue fruit has a wonderful, slightly tangy taste.

Youngberry

Black/purple berries appear during summer in abundance. It has a vigorous, trailing habit and is a proliﬁc producer of fruit.

Silvanberry

Hybridised in Australia and a member of the blackberry family, Silvanberry bears luscious large berries in abundance from early summer.

Rubuu s

Ruubus

*Pot’n All Harvest Starters available nationally. Not available in WA.

12/10

Habanero White Capsicum chinense

Chill l Trinidad 7

A ﬁery hot Habanero with large, jelly-bean-shaped pods that add ﬂavour to many dishes.

10/10

Chill lli

Pod Pink

Capsicum chinense

Attractively coloured fruit is hot enough to ﬂavour seven pots of stew! Tasty too!

Naga Bhut Jolokia Yellow Capsicum chinense This seriously hot Naga, AKA the Ghost Chilli, was once the world’s hottest.

Chilli Chilli

13/10

Peach Ghost Scorpion hhilli

Capsicum chinense

12/10

Cross a Ghost Chilli with a Scorpion and you get sexy coloured fruit and serious heat!

15/10

Trinidad Scorpion Butch T Capsicum chinense Highly ﬂavoursome and EXTREMELY hot! Produces 2-3kgs of fruit per season.

Available from all Masters Home Improvement stores www.potnall.com.au • Pot’n All™ is a registered Trade Mark of Ramm Botanicals Pty Ltd.

CONTENTS

Contents 6

Editor’s note Meeting organic gardeners and groups is a delight and often more than gardening is talked about 8 The Grapevine What if the world’s “safest” herbicide, glyphosate, turned out to be one of the most dangerous? Jo Immig investigates 10 Readers’ Forum Horticulturist Melissa King answers readers’ interesting gardening questions 40

4 | Good Organic Gardening

Clever Crops Jennifer Stackhouse reveals why almonds and cloves earn clevercrop status Plant Profile Nuts are nutritious and delicious — we look at a few of the most popular varieties to grow Power Plant Elderberry and elderflower have a multitude of uses and a swag of therapeutic benefits

CONTENTS 20 Family Heirloom Melissa King finds oldfashioned varieties of carrots both colourful and tasty 24 Cyber Chat Chloe Thomson is often asked about her favourite gardening books, so she tells us what they are 26 Gardening Folk A professional couple have built their second permaculture garden on the Mid North Coast of NSW 30 Gardening Folk Annette Berryman’s suburban Melbourne garden is jam-packed with edibles, including aquaponics 34 Gardening Folk Don Drinkwater has put a lot of thought and work into regenerating his rainforest near Huonbrook, NSW 40 Time to Plant Melissa King tells how to plant persimmon and quince during the spring months 42 Things to Do Early to mid-spring is a wonderful time in the

garden; Jennifer Stackhouse gives timely advice Pest Patrol Claire Bickle looks at using oils for deterring and controlling pests safely The Underground The benefits of worm farms and why worms are so important to our environment Short Shoots Innovative and imaginative ideas for your garden from a fresh perspective Weekend Gardening Find out how to safely reuse your household greywater in your home and garden The Shed A rundown on what you need and what’s available in water tanks and accessories Feathered Friends Megg Miller tells all about one of the most popular breeds of chickens: Sussex Professional Organics We visit Barbushco, an organically certified farm specialising in bush foods 42

34 70

70 Organic Living Some edibles are expensive to buy but easy to grow. Chloe Thomson reveals her reliable favourites 76 Garden to Table Four seasonal edibles — how to grow, harvest, store and preserve them — plus recipes from Joanna Rushton 97 Cover To Cover The latest books for gardeners and cooks reviewed 98 What’s New Our Pick of the Crop of products and services for gardeners and cooks

Good Organic Gardening | 5

Editor’s note SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER Editor Diane Norris Managing Editor Kerry Boyne Designer Katharine McKinnon Contributors Claire Bickle, Kerry Boyne, Neville Donovan, Jana Holmer, Jo Immig, Melissa King, Megg Miller, Diane Norris, Joanna Rushton, Erina Starkey, Jennifer Stackhouse, Chloe Thomson Food photography Diane Norris Advertising Manager Miriam Keen Ph: 02 9887 0604 | Fax: 02 9878 5553 Mob: 0414 969 693 Email: mkeen@universalmagazines.com.au Advertising Production Coordinator Hannah Felton Cover Photo Fresh quinces by 123rf

Chairman/CEO Prema Perera Publisher Janice Williams Chief Financial Officer Vicky Mahadeva Associate Publisher Karen Day Associate Publisher Emma Perera Circulation Director Mark Darton Creative Director Kate Podger Editorial Production Manager Anastasia Casey Print Production Manager Lilian Ohanessian Prepress Manager Ivan Fitz-Gerald Marketing & Acquisitions Manager Chelsea Peters Subscription enquiries: 1300 303 414 Circulation enquiries to our Sydney head office: (02) 9805 0399 Good Organic Gardening Vol. 5 No. 3 is published by Universal Magazines, Unit 5, 6-8 Byfield Street, North Ryde, NSW 2113. Phone: (02) 9805 0399, Fax: (02) 9805 0714. Melbourne office: Suite 4, Level 1, 150 Albert Road, South Melbourne, Vic 3025. Phone: (03) 9694 6444, Fax: (03) 9699 7890. Printed by Toppan Leefung, China. Distributed by Network Services, Phone: (02) 9282 8777. UK Distributor: KLM Partnership, Phone: +44 019 9244 7544. Singapore & Malaysia Distributor: Carkit (F.E.) Pte Ltd, 1 Charlton Lane, #0102, Singapore 539631, Phone: +65 6282 1960, Fax: +65 6382 3021, Website: www.carkitfe.com. This magazine may have some content that is advertorial or promotional in nature. This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to the publishers. The publishers believe all the information supplied in this book to be correct at the time of printing. They are not, however, in a position to make a guarantee to this effect and accept no liability in the event of any information proving inaccurate. Prices, addresses and phone numbers were, after investigation and to the best of our knowledge and belief, up to date at the time of printing, but the shifting sands of time may change them in some cases. It is not possible for the publishers to ensure that advertisements which appear in this publication comply with the Trade Practices Act, 1974. The responsibility must therefore be on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisements for publication. While every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy, the publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. This magazine is printed on paper produced in a mill which meets Certified Environmental Management System ISO4001 since 1995 and EMAS since 1996. This magazine is printed on paper produced in a mill that meets Environmental Management System ISO14001. Please pass on or recycle this magazine. ISSN 2201-4306 Copyright © Universal Magazines MMXIV ACN 003 026 944 www.universalmagazines.com.au

ou may not be aware that putting together each issue of our magazine happens a good few months before it’s published; it’s standard across the magazine world. One thing I miss sharing with you at the right moment is events I have attended. One of these happened in May. I was invited to a garden club, really just to introduce myself, tell them a little about our magazine and talk about organic gardening in general. I love this part of my job, but it did highlight the importance of honesty, compromise, knowledge and goodwill. I have experienced such talks before. Everyone is cordial but sometimes there are one or two people who challenge every word said and question relentlessly to ascertain your credibility and commitment. My allotted time was three minutes but the discussion quickly blew out to nearly an hour. We started talking about our magazine, the importance of growing food at home and how we can all make small steps to protect our space and the environment as a whole. We talked about non-chemical alternatives, sustainable living, the beauty of nature and organic and biodynamic gardening. Then, out of left field, I was asked if I’d had my children immunised? What!? Unfazed, I answered the question honestly, but should I have? What does that have to do with organic gardening? And did it push the boundaries way too far? Other people at the meeting looked a little startled and afterwards it got me thinking: was I being tested on how organic I was? Was it an attempt to trip me up? Was the question about seeing if I was “too organic” or perhaps “not organic enough”? I don’t know, but it did give me the opportunity to say to everyone that all we can do is the very best we can at any one time — through good information, education, sensible communication and perhaps trial and error. I know that in my life I try to do the best I can with what I have at the time, and I’m sure everyone reading this does too. If it was a way to find out if I was fanatical then, yes, I suppose I am fanatical about nature, growing food without chemicals and caring for our environment. Naturalist Mardy Murie perhaps did more to save the Alaskan wilderness than anyone. When she addressed the US Congress years ago she was labelled “overemotional”, to which she replied, “What’s wrong with that?” When President Carter signed the Alaska Lands Act, one of the most significant conservation measures in US history, her “passion” was surely validated. That says it all to me. To be passionate and dedicated is a good thing and I think that is particularly true of people seeking a more natural way of living and who have an appreciation of the environment. So it was a wonderful meeting, after all, and the discussion it provoked simply amazed me. I hope you get your hands nice and dirty in a passionate gardening frenzy at this gorgeous time of year! Happy gardening

Diane Norris is the editor of Good Organic Gardening. She has written for Burke’s Backyard magazine, Backyard & Garden Design Ideas, Gourmet Kitchen, Greenhouse Living and WellBeing Organic Gardening. She was the editor of Sustainable & Waterwise Gardens and Good Gardening Guide. Diane has lived an organic lifestyle for more than 26 years and is committed to doing things the way Mother Nature intended. Unashamedly earthy, she promotes sustainable and organic living solutions while advocating an awareness of nature and wild places through her photography and writing.

Congratulations Chloe Congratulations to our valued contributor, Chloe Thomson, who earlier this year at the HMAA Laurel Awards received the Anita Boucher Young Achiever Award in recognition of her contribution to communicating to the public the joy and benefits of gardening. It was richly deserved, Chloe, and we are privileged to have you on our team.

Diane Norris We are a member of

See us on facebook at www.facebook.com/GoodOrganicGardeningMagazine Or contact us via email: GOG.universalmags@gmail.com

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THE GRAPEVINE | News

the grapevine Environmental news and updates compiled by Jo Immig

hat if the world’s “safest” herbicide turned out to be one of the most dangerous? An increasing number of studies are finding unforeseen dangers associated with glyphosate

that raise significant questions about its widespread use and safety. A common theme in new research findings is the longer-than-anticipated persistence of glyphosate and its breakdown products in our bodies and the environment. Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides on the planet for both urban and agricultural purposes. Its agricultural use has soared since the introduction of genetically modified crops engineered to be resistant to glyphosate (“Roundup Ready” crops). In Australia, there are currently 566 herbicide products registered for use with glyphosate as the active ingredient. It’s such a widely promoted herbicide that you can purchase it at supermarkets along with your weekly shopping, which certainly gives you the impression it’s harmless. Despite its extensive use, Australian regulators do little monitoring for glyphosate residues in our food, air, water and the wider environment. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a laboratory in Australia that can test for low levels of glyphosate and its breakdown products in blood and urine.

Glyphosate bans

The dangers of the herbicide glyphosate are too significant to ignore

8 | Good Organic Gardening

Late last year, the government of El Salvador banned glyphosate because of concerns about its potential link to chronic kidney disease. The Sri Lankan government followed suit this year with a total ban on the use of glyphosate, also believing it’s linked to an epidemic of chronic kidney disease in rice paddy farmers. After pressure, however, the Sri Lankan government revised its decision to a partial ban in hot spots with a high prevalence of kidney disease. An epidemic of chronic kidney disease in rice paddy farmers emerged in the mid-1990s and is believed to affect farmers in parts of India, Sri Lanka and Central America. Health authorities in Sri Lanka estimate there are up to 400,000 cases of chronic kidney disease with no known cause in that country alone, with as many as 20,000 deaths. The peer-reviewed research that alerted regulators to the possible connection tested the hypothesis that there is a link between exposure to glyphosate, the consumption

of hard water (high in mineral salts) and the onset of chronic kidney disease. Glyphosate has a unique metalchelating capacity believed to cause the bioaccumulation of toxic metals like arsenic, cadmium and strontium in the body, leading to kidney failure and death. It’s also reported that glyphosate acts to deplete minerals from the soil and kills soil microbes, leading to poor plant health and the need for greater fertiliser inputs. The Dutch Parliament has also announced a ban on glyphosate for non-commercial purposes due to health concerns. The ban is due to commence at the end of 2015. Brazil’s federal public prosecutor has requested the Justice Department to immediately suspend the use of glyphosate while health authorities re-evaluate its risks to health and the environment. A number of municipalities, regions, schools and parks around the world have also placed local bans on the use of glyphosate.

Glyphosate found in human urine Friends of the Earth Europe commissioned a human biomonitoring study to investigate levels of glyphosate in urine samples. An independent laboratory in Germany tested the urine samples collected from people across 18 countries. The results showed traces of glyphosate were found in samples from all 18 countries with just under 50 per cent of all samples containing glyphosate. All the volunteers who provided samples lived in cities and none had handled or used glyphosate products in the run-up to the tests. Friends of the Earth spokesperson Adrian Bedd said, “These results suggest we are being exposed to glyphosate in our everyday lives, yet we don’t know where it is coming from, how widespread it is in the environment or what it’s doing to our health.”

Glyphosate found in human breastmilk Moms Across America and Sustainable Pulse conducted a pilot study of American women’s breastmilk and found levels of glyphosate in three out of every 10 samples tested. There is currently no regulatory limit anywhere in the world for a “safe” level of

Photos: Bigstock

Is glyphosate the new DDT?

Natural tumbleweeds along the fenceline of an organic farm

Glyphosate in seawater Research closer to home in the Great Barrier Reef has found glyphosate persists in seawater — a surprising finding since it has long been marketed as a biodegradable product. This study demonstrated glyphosate is moderately persistent in marine water under low light conditions and is highly persistent in the dark. The authors conclude little degradation would be expected during flood plumes in the tropics, which could deliver dissolved and sediment-bound glyphosate far from shore.  For further information please refer to the Pesticide Action Network Asia-Pacific Monograph on Glyphosate: www.panap.net

glyphosate in breastmilk, perhaps because nobody ever expected to find it there. The levels found in the breastmilk samples were reported as 760 to 1000 times higher than the European Drinking Water directive for glyphosate, though lower than the US maximum contaminant level for glyphosate in drinking water. The study, while not scientific, does call into question the assumption that glyphosate does not bioaccumulate and should prompt researchers to investigate further.

Jo Immig Jo Immig is a writer and photographer who is passionate about all things organic. She’s the co-ordinator of the National Toxics Network, a not-for-profit organisation working to eliminate toxic chemical pollution, and an environmental scientist with expertise in issues such as pesticides, genetically engineered food, indoor air pollution and children’s environmental health. Jo represents the environment sector on the Community Engagement Forum of the Commonwealth industrial chemical regulator, NICNAS. She has published several books and contributed numerous articles on household chemical issues and sustainable living. Contact Jo at the National Toxics Network: info@ntn.org.au or visit www.ntn.org.au

Good Organic Gardening | 9

Q&A | Readers’ Forum

ask melissa Horticulturist and TV presenter Melissa King answers your cultivation questions Japanese maples do well planted in large pots

Powdery mildew has infested all sorts of things in my garden this year, like my roses and even my rosemary bushes. Can you suggest any organic methods for controlling it? I’m having the same problem in my garden. Because powdery mildew is a fungal disease it loves moist, humid conditions. One of the most effective organic remedies for powdery mildew is milk spray. It’s as simple as it sounds. Simply mix one part full-cream milk with 5–10 parts water and apply it as a spray. For some reason fullcream milk seems to work better than low-fat Pear slug decimated one of my fruit milk, but the jury is still out. Apply it every trees last summer. Can you suggest 7–14 days for best results and make sure you some organic methods for controlling it so get good even coverage when you apply it, I can get on top of it early this year? including underneath the leaves. Pear and cherry slug is a troublesome There is also a registered organic fungicide pest that chews its way through the for the control of powdery mildew called Ecoleaves of plants, including pears, cherries, fungicide, which can help to combat existing apples, quinces, plums and even hawthorns, fungal infections as well as prevent new spores skeletonising the foliage and weakening from germinating. Where you can, try to water at the plant. The mature pest is a black sawfly, the base of your plants and not over the foliage but it’s the slug-like larvae that do the real because wet leaves, particularly overnight, are damage. In order to control it organically you more susceptible to fungal attack. need to understand a bit about its life cycle. Powdery mildew on The adult sawfly lays its eggs in the leaf. this pumpkin vine They develop into hungry slug-like larvae, which leaf can be fixed feed on the leaves. When the larvae mature, with a milk spray they fall to the ground and burrow their way into the soil where they pupate and the cycle starts all over again! You’ll normally spot the first batch of larvae sometime around December–January and if you don’t get the pest under control, you’ll be plagued by a second generation that’s often more voracious. A gardening friend suggested throwing talcum powder over the tree when the “slugs” are out and about — and it works a treat. The little critters curl up and die. You could try using fine ash too; just make sure you’re standing upwind when you throw it. If you are patient enough, you can also handpick and squash the slugs or blast them off with a hose. If you’ve got chooks, try fencing them in an area around the base of the tree so they can eat any pupae as they emerge. Also encourage natural predators and pest-eating birds into Email your queries to Melissa at your garden by planting lots of scented GOG.universalmags@gmail.com flowering plants and nectar-rich blooms. Keep an eye out for pear and cherry slugs on fruit trees

Q Q

I have some really big pots that I’d like to put some trees into. Can you recommend some varieties that would grow successfully in a pot? My first choice would be one of the Japanese maples. In particular, the weeping Japanese maples because they won’t get too big and, provided you keep the water up, will do well in a large pot. There are some outstanding varieties to choose from, like Acer palmatum var. Dissectum ‘Crimson Wave’ with fine lacy leaves and burgundy-wine-coloured foliage, or weeping Acer palmatum ‘Omurayama’, which has bright-green foliage that turns stunning shades of gold, orange and crimson in autumn. In my garden we have made a feature of weeping Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum Atropurpureum’, which boasts gorgeous purple spring foliage and intense burgundy-red autumn colour. Just make sure you position your pots in a protected, partly shaded spot because hot sun will scorch the leaves. In winter when the trees are bare, you might like to plant flowering annuals like pansies or violas and winterspring bulbs for a bit of added colour.

10 | Good Organic Gardening

Photos: Bigstock

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CLEVER CROPS | Almond

Almond

one established branch each year from around six years of age. Although the drupe that contains the almond seed isn’t fleshy it can be attacked by fruit fly, so it’s important to maintain control in areas where these pests are active. Use organic baits and lures. Almonds are also prone to peach leaf curl, a bacterial disease that distorts the leaves. To control this disease, spray almonds (along with peaches, nectarines and apricots) with a homemade organic fungicide before bud burst (the appearance of leaves) in late winter. Bordeaux mixture is a combination of hydrated lime and copper sulphate and can be effective in preventing leaf curl.

Prunus dulcis

Bordeaux mixture

Words by Jennifer Stackhouse

s much as we like almonds today, it’s unlikely our distant ancestors ate them because the seeds were extremely bitter and poisonous due to a cyanide-like substance they contained. Although bitter almonds are still grown for oil and essence, the table-nut varieties we grow now, called sweet almonds, lack the toxin (a glycoside known as amygdalin) and are safe and delicious to eat. Almonds are nuts derived from the fruit (technically a drupe, or prune) of a very pretty flowering tree. As a species of Prunus, almonds resemble peaches or nectarines in their growth, habit and flowering. However, unlike those trees, which produce sweet, fleshy fruit, the almond is valued only for its seed. Almonds flower with single pink-white blossoms in late winter or early spring before the tree puts out its leaves. Crops are ready to harvest in summer.

Almonds and bees In California, where almond trees cover thousands of hectares of farming land, up to 1 million beehives are brought into the groves at flowering time to pollinate the vast numbers of flowers. The movement of such large numbers of hives across the country and the limitations on the bees’ diet from feeding solely on one crop are believed to be factors contributing to the collapse of bee colonies in the US.

12 | Good Organic Gardening

Most almonds require cross-pollination for fruit formation but some are self-pollinating. Ideal for the home garden is ‘All-in-One’, which is self-fertile. There are also purely ornamental varieties that don’t produce edible seeds. Ripe almonds may drop from the tree or can be harvested by hand. Some varieties split open as they ripen to release the edible seed.

Edible and medicinal uses Almond seeds can be eaten raw, toasted or ground as flour. The seeds are also used to produce almond milk and almond oil. Almonds are extremely nutritious as they are high in vitamin E, essential minerals and good oils.

Growing tips Almonds need a period of winter chill — around 300 hours below 7°C — to encourage good flowering. They are really frost-tolerant although frost at flowering time can damage flowers and so reduce crops. They are best suited to areas with cold, wet winters and warm to hot, dry summers, so are ideal for a Mediterranean climate. In Australia, commercial almond production occurs mainly along the Murray River in Victoria and South Australia. Feed almond trees in spring, as growth resumes in autumn. Once the tree has established a framework of branches, almonds need little pruning other than to keep the centre open and reduce the tree height so it can be netted to protect the crop from birds. To renew growth, remove

Almond label Common name: Almond Botanical name: Prunus dulcis Group: Tree Requires: Full sun, well-drained soil Dislikes: High humidity, late frosts Suitable for: Cool to temperate gardens, orchards Habit: Deciduous tree 4–10m high Needs: Water when flowering and fruiting Propagation: Seed, grafting Difficulty: Moderate

Photo: Bigstock

A perennial favourite in Mediterranean gardens, almond grows well in most parts of Australia

You can easily make this at home using ingredients from your local garden centre or hardware. Simply dissolve 50g of copper sulphate in 2.5 litres of water. In a separate bucket, add the same amount of hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) to another 2.5L of water. Keep stirring so the mixture doesn’t settle, then pour the bucket of lime into the dissolved copper sulphate mixture. The mixture is most effective when applied fresh, so use it within a day or so, spraying the mix evenly over the bare branches and swelling buds. The copper sulphate in the mix will temporarily turn the tree blue, so don’t be alarmed. If the mixture looks like it’s settling, give the sprayer a good shake and continue spraying. Bordeaux mixture is approved for organic use but it’s still important to wear gloves, a mask and protective clothing when mixing and applying this fungicide — and be sure to keep the mixture and ingredients out of reach of children. If your tree does get infected, you can reduce the incidence of the disease by picking off the affected leaves early and discarding them in the bin (don’t put them in the compost). 

Cloves | CLEVER CROPS

in the days before modern dentistry. Even today, if no other medication is at hand, a clove pushed into the cavity can numb the pain.

Growing tips This tropical tree is best grown in hot, frostfree climates. In subtropical zones, clove trees may grow but not flower. Plants are usually seed-grown and can be slow to bloom. Select a warm, sheltered spot with deep, rich soil. Shade young plants and water them well until they are established. Fertilise twice a year and lightly prune to encourage more growth and flowers. 

Cloves Syzygium aromaticum (syn. Eugenia caryophyllata) This pungent spice plant is suitable for growing in hot, frost-free areas Words by Jennifer Stackhouse

ave you ever had a really good look at the cloves in your pantry? Go and get some out and take a closer look. These woody spices are the dried flower buds of a relative of our native lilly pillies. Cloves are part of the Syzygium genus and are known as Syzygium aromaticum. The species name reflects the pungency of the dried buds and stems. The long, woody end of the clove is the

Photos: Bigstock & Kerry Boyne

Cloves label Common name: Cloves Botanical name: Syzygium aromaticum (syn. Eugenia caryophyllata) Group: Tropical tree Requires: Full sun, rich, well-drained soil Dislikes: Cold conditions Suitable for: Large tropical gardens, tropical orchards Habit: Evergreen tree 8–12m high Needs: Regular water Propagation: Seed Difficulty: Moderate to hard

calyx. The hard round ball is the unopened flower still held within the sepals. If you have a clove tree, harvest the buds when they turn red. Allow the waxy buds to dry and harden in the sun before they are stored. Clove trees are native to Indonesia — to an island group called the Spice Islands or Moluccas (properly known as the Maluku Islands) — but are grown throughout the tropics.

Food and medicinal uses Cloves, both whole and ground, enhance all sorts of food, from curries and meat dishes to the traditional Christmas pudding or a jug of spicy mulled wine. Cloves have a particular affinity with apple, so a sprinkle of ground cloves adds aroma and flavour to apple pies, apple crumble and stewed apple. But cloves are far more than a spice to add to food. They have long been used medicinally and also to deter pests, especially when made into a pomander ball. Clove oil can even be mixed into a spray to deter cats. Cloves and clove oil contain eugenol, which gives them their distinctive aroma. A clove was a handy way to alleviate the pain of toothache

Bread sauce This classic British sauce, which dates back to mediaeval times, relies largely on cloves for its delicate flavour and is perfect on chicken or turkey. Ingredients 1 cup milk ½ cup cream 1 onion studded with 4–6 cloves, according to taste 1 bay leaf 1 tbsp butter 1 large or 2 small slices stale white bread, crusts removed & torn into pieces Sea salt & white pepper Method Place milk, cream, onion, bay leaf, butter and bread pieces in a small pot on a low heat. Season to taste. As the milk heats, beat gently with a fork to break up bread and create a thick sauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring gently then allow to stand until meat is cooked, at least 30 mins. Reheat when needed to serve. If too thick, add more milk or cream. Makes enough for 4 servings.

Good Organic Gardening | 13

PLANT PROFILE | Nuts

Why not nuts? Complied by Diane Norris

omething you might like to add to your repertoire in the edible garden is a nut tree — or two. My parents planted a lot of nut trees at their Mudgee property some 25 years ago and most are still going strong — healthy and productive. Nut trees can be quite handsome specimens, so here’s a brief overview of the species suited to growing in the home garden. There are nurseries that specialise in nut trees and it’s a good idea to seek horticultural advice from one. Individual nut species will be covered in more depth in future Clever Crop or Garden to Table sections of our magazine.

Almond Prunus dulcis Ubiquitous in Mediterranean gardens, almonds have been commercially cultivated in Australia since the 1950s and 60s but only recently have become popular in the Australian home garden.

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Cultivation In cooler climates almonds can be successfully grown if the site is warm and protected from cold winds. For the home garden, choose a smaller, self-fertile variety. Compact trees are easier to net against birds. Varieties Almonds are characterised by three shell types: paper shell, which can be easily rubbed off by hand; soft shell, which is firmer but can still be easily removed by hand; hard shell, which is similar to other nut shells. Paper-shell varieties: ‘IXL’, ‘Ne Plus Ultra’, ‘Nonpareil’. Soft-shell varieties: All-in-One™ cv ‘Zaione’, ‘Brandis Jordan’, ‘Johnston Prolific’. Hard-shell varieties: ‘Fritz’, ‘Mission’, ‘Peerless’. For more information, see page 12.

Cashew Anacardium occidentale Botanically, the edible cashew nut is the true fruit of the cashew apple, which is sometimes

called “pseudo” fruit. Cashew apples and nuts are highly nutritious, containing high amounts of vitamin C and being excellent sources of calcium, iron and vitamin B1. Cultivation The cashew tree grows in the tropics and subtropics, requiring high humidity and fertile soil. It can grow to 15m and can take up to 10 years to reach maximum yields. The outer shell is green and leathery and turns orange red when mature. The inner shell is hard and contains the edible kernel.

Chestnut Castanea sativa Chestnuts are becoming more popular for the home garden. They are loved for their sweet, edible fruit that can be roasted over an open fire or in the oven. Cultivation The chestnut tree is a large, deciduous tree that grows to 10m×10m, forming a round head. It is suitable for large gardens only J

Photos: Bigstock, Diane Norris & Courtesy of Flemings Nurseries

Many of us never consider growing nuts, but there are plenty of good reasons why we should

Nuts | PLANT PROFILE

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5 6

3 7

1 Young cashews on the tree 2 Chestnut 'Fleming's Prolific' 3 Walnuts 4 Organic cashews shelled 5 Almonds 6 Hazelnut 'Cosford' 7 Pistachio nuts with and without shells 4

Good Organic Gardening | 15

PLANT PROFILE | Nuts Kale

8 9

and, because it requires cross-pollination, it’s recommended that two different cultivars be planted in close proximity. Pollen is usually transferred on the wind. Chestnuts can begin to be harvested around four years after planting a grafted tree. Full potential is realised in about 10 years. Seedling chestnuts are grown from the nuts of trees specially selected for their fruiting habits and large nuts. The seedling chestnut should not be overlooked as a suitable tree for planting as, more than most other types of fruit, the chestnut tends to reproduce quality fruit from seedlings. Chestnuts prefer full sun and a welldrained loamy soil. These handsome trees are also popular as ornamentals in large gardens. Varieties ‘Castanea sativa’ (European chestnut — the most common chestnut grown in Australia), ‘Fleming’s Prolific’, ‘Fleming’s Special’, ‘Manjimup Mahogany’, ‘Morena’.

Hazelnut Corylus avellana The hazelnut, also known as filbert, is native to the Black Sea coast area. Hazelnuts are windpollinated and require cross-pollination. Because of their unique pollination system, hazelnuts are unpredictable for recommendation of cultivars for cross-pollination. For this reason, it’s recommended that several cultivars be planted to ensure adequate cross-pollination. Cultivation Hazelnuts require reliable watering and prefer a climate with a mild summer and cool winter. The tree blooms and pollinates in the middle of winter. It begins to bear fruit at around three years of age but reaches good yields at six years. Kernels develop from around October to March, and April marks the beginning of the hazelnut season. In warmer areas the season is earlier: late February to the end of March. The nuts fall to the ground naturally and need to be quickly collected, then washed and thoroughly dried.

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Varieties ‘American White’, ‘Cosford’, ‘Lambert’, ‘Red Aveline’.

Macadamia Macadamia integrifolia Macadamia can be temperamental occasionally but, being a native plant, is generally pretty hardy. Cultivation Macadamias prefer climates with distinct wet and dry seasons and the trees bear fruit at around 10 years of age. Cuttings and grafts will flower after three to five years. Plant trees in late autumn, coming into winter. This gives them time to branch out their roots without any heat stress during summer, particularly if it’s dry as well as hot. They like half a metre to a metre of good topsoil. Dig a hole twice the width of the container or bag and deeper. Back-fill with a little soil so that when the tree is planted it sits at the same level as it did in its pot. Make sure the graft (if a grafted specimen) is well above soil level. Carefully put the tree in the hole and fill (using your hands) around the trunk with the remaining soil, which should have a handful of complete fertiliser mixed in. Macadamias can be grown from seed but they’re usually propagated by cuttings, and grafting produces the best results. They can reach 15m but, if space is limited, consider new dwarf varieties. These can be grown in a large pot or container, but it’s a good idea to change the potting mix every couple of years. For more information about growing and cooking macadamia see our May/June issue, Vol 5 No 1.

Peanut Arachis hypogaea Peanuts, also widely known as ground nuts, originated in Peru and are now grown throughout the warmer areas of the world, including subtropical and even temperate

areas of Australia. Queensland produces over 95 per cent of Australia’s peanut crop (just 0.2 per cent of the world’s production). Cultivation Peanuts are legumes and grow underground. They are high in nutrition, containing vitamin E, magnesium, manganese and niacin. A peanut crop usually matures after about five months. Peanuts are a subtropical crop and need relatively warm growing conditions and good watering. They grow best in a sandy loam that has deep, friable, loam subsoil. Harvesting peanuts involves carefully removing them by hand from the soil.

Pecan nut Carya illinoinensis The pecan is a beautiful, large, spreading tree native to America and a member of the hickory family. Pecan nuts are rich in fibre, protein and energy and have the highest level of antioxidants of any nuts. Cultivation Pecan trees, under favourable conditions, can grow to 30m and make a great specimen tree in a large garden. Pecans need well-drained soils, preferably alluvial, at least 2–4m deep, even though they can survive in heavier soils. Pecans are slow-growing trees, producing light crops after five years, and nuts are harvested from April through to June. Healthy trees can live for generations. Although a subtropical tree, it will tolerate moderate frosts and needs cool winters to set properly. It will not tolerate late frosts and short summers. Self-pollinating varieties are available but two trees of different cultivars usually result in more nuts that are larger. Pecans are pollinated by the wind. The best idea is to visit a nursery specialising in nut trees and seek advice on suitable cultivars. Varieties ‘Apache’, ‘Mahan’, ‘Mohawk’, ‘Western Schley’, ‘Wichita’.

Nuts | PLANT PROFILE

Pistachio Pistacia vera In Australia, pistachios are grown commercially primarily in the northern Murray River area and in the central west area of Victoria, the Pinnaroo region of South Australia and, more recently, in Western Australia. Pistachios are rich in vitamin A, calcium and iron. Cultivation Pistachio trees are hardy and tolerate welldrained soil, including sandy soils. They need cool winters and hot summers. Pistachios nuts are ready for harvesting in April and the tree produces fruit in 5–7 years. After the nuts are shaken from the tree, the husks are removed and the nuts need to be dried in the sun when still in the shell. After drying they should be stored in a cool place. Pistachios are wind-pollinated and the pollen, a fine powder, can be blown several kilometres. After 25 or 30 years, a pistachio tree measures 6–8m. Technically, what is known as the pistachio nut is, in fact, a drupe (fleshy indehiscent fruit).

Smaller orchards are located in the Adelaide Hills and Riverland regions of South Australia and in southwest Western Australia. Cultivation Walnut trees can grow to 25m and live up to 200 years, so this makes them a handsome shade tree for a large garden. They require a Mediterranean climate but don’t like frosts in mid to late spring, during their flowering period. They also do better in a sheltered position. Walnuts are very high in omega-3s and mono-unsaturated oils and they also contain a wide range of minerals and vitamins. There’s an old saying that walnuts will grow where apples grow. They like a deep, well-drained soil with a pH greater than 6.0. Walnut trees bear fruit quite early in their lives, at 4–6 years of age, but at around year 11 or 12 they are in full production. Nuts are ready to pick around mid-April. Walnuts are wind-pollinated and strategic planting of compatible varieties will help with pollination. Varieties English (Persian) walnut, Juglans cinerea. 

Walnut Juglans regia The walnut is grown commercially in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales.

Thanks to Fleming’s Nurseries for assistance in compiling this feature.

11 8 Green walnuts on a tree 9 Macadamias 10 Peanuts 11 Pecans

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POWER PLANT | Elderberry/elderflower bunches of leaves and twigs to doors and windows for protection from witches. Every house on the Isle of Man has an elder tree to banish witches; similarly, in Russia, elder trees were thought to ward off evil spirits. Other beliefs, however, held that witches congregated under elder trees, so it was a nono to sleep under one.

Medicinal properties

Elder Sambucus nigra, S. canadensis Versatile elderﬂower and elderberry have a multitude of uses that are both delicious and therapeutic Words by Kerry Boyne

ll things elderberry and elderflower — wine, “champagne”, syrup, cordial, tea, jam, jelly — have traditionally been highly valued by the British. It’s even said that the English summer starts when elder is in flower and finishes when its berries ripen. Making elderflower cordial was an English summer tradition, one that’s being revived by “homesteaders” today. It was not produced commercially until the 1980s and it’s not just the English who like drinks made from the elder plant. They have a long history in most of Europe, including Scandinavia, and are also enjoyed in the US, Australia and New Zealand. A number of elder species (known as elderberry, elderflower and elder) grow all over Europe, the US, Asia, Australasia and parts of South America, but it’s the European Sambucus nigra and the North American S. canadensis whose flowers and berries are commonly used for drinks, cordials, wines and condiments, as well as for medicinal purposes. The cordial or syrup made from either flowers or berries can be added to cocktails

18 | Good Organic Gardening

and champagne, drizzled over ice-cream or pancakes, stirred through yoghurt and added to mineral water with a squeeze of lemon or lime. You can also eat the flowers in salads or fried in batter and use the cooked berries for pies and jam. Note: Never try to eat the berries raw and never juice the uncooked berries.

A potent antiviral and rich in vitamin C, elder has been called “the medicine chest of the people”. Mediaeval herbalist John Evelyn described it as “a kind of Catholicon against all Infirmities whatever”. Renowned British herbalist Maude Grieve wrote in the 1930s that an elderflower infusion was a “good old-fashioned remedy for colds and throat trouble”. In addition, she stated, “Elderberry wine has a curative power in the early stages of severe catarrh, accompanied by shivering, sore throat etc. Like elderflower tea, it is one of the best preventatives known against the advance of influenza and the illeffects of a chill ... It has a reputation as an excellent remedy for asthma.” Historically, the flowers and leaves have been used for pain relief, swelling, inflammation and diuresis, and as an expectorant. The ancient Egyptians thought elderflowers improved the complexion and healed burns. These days, the German Commission E approves the flowers for colds. The flowers have diaphoretic properties (ability to produce perspiration) and have been used to treat kidney ailments because of their diuretic properties. Though scientific evidence is lacking, elder has a reputation for being effective for headaches, arthritis and other rheumatic conditions as well as the common cold, sore throat and fevers.

Growing Folklore Elder was traditionally planted around dairies because it was thought to prevent the milk from turning. It was believed in mediaeval times that the most likely time to encounter fairies was on Midsummer’s Eve under an elder tree, where the Fairy King and Queen might be seen passing by. It was also believed that chopping down an elder tree could release a spirit called the Elder Mother, who would take her revenge unless you had asked her permission first and chanted her song. Elder wood was used for making wands and also flutes that were played to summon spirits. During the pagan festival of Beltane, the Celts wore garlands of elderflowers and tied

A very fast grower, elder will shoot up easily in almost any kind of soil, even heavy clay. It likes full sun but will also grow well in part shade, preferring a temperate to subtropical climate. Elder plants may spread by suckering, so you might consider growing one in a container or using root barriers in the garden to prevent spreading. They bear large, frothy clusters of lacy white or cream-coloured flowers in late spring through summer, which are followed by small black, blue-black or red berries. Elders can be grown from seed or cuttings: strike softwood (new growth) cuttings in spring to early summer; hardwood cuttings in autumn to winter. Alternatively, buy plants from specialist herb plant suppliers and mail-

order seed suppliers, such as Diggers Club, Nurseries Online, Four Seasons Herbs and Mudbrick Cottage Herb Farm. The latter also has the dried berries and flowers for sale. Make sure you get a variety that produces edible flowers and berries. Nurseries Online suggests growing Sambucus nigra ‘Laciniata’, a better ornamental form than the common Sambucus nigra, with larger flowers and it still fruits, along with Sambucus nigra ‘Aurea’ (Golden Elder) and Sambucus nigra ‘Guincho Purple’. “The three grown together should give excellent cross-pollination, better flowers and better berries,” says the website. For those who like purple foliage, Sambucus nigra ‘Purpurea’ may be available. 

Seasonal Minestrone

In parts of Northern Italy, Minestrone is served hot in winter and at room temperature in summer. The enduring ¾avour of this recipe is enhanced by the slow sweetening of onions and carrots before adding liquid stock. Use any seasonal vegetables.

Elderberry Syrup The honey in this recipe does double duty as an antibacterial in helping to preserved the syrup for many months and for soothing inflamed throats. Manuka honey, though expensive in this quantity, will greatly boost the medicinal potency, though any good raw honey will do. Maple syrup can be used as a substitute. Ingredients 3½ cups water ⅔ cup black elderberries 2 tbsp grated fresh or dried ginger 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp cloves 1 cup raw honey Method Pour water into medium saucepan and add elderberries, ginger, cinnamon and cloves (do not add honey). Bring to the boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour until the liquid has reduced by almost half. At that point, remove from heat and let cool enough to be handled. Pour through a strainer into a glass jar or bowl. Discard the berries (or compost them) and let the liquid cool to lukewarm. When it is no longer hot, add the honey and stir well. When the honey is well mixed into the elderberry mixture, pour the syrup into a mason jar or glass bottle. Store in the fridge and take daily for its immune-boosting properties. Standard dose is ½–1 tsp for kids and ½–1 tbsp for adults. If the flu or a cold does strike, take the normal dose every 2–3 hours instead of once a day until symptoms disappear. Recipe from Wellness Mama, wellnessmama.com, facebook.com/ EndlessWellness

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3 large onions, sliced into rings 2 slices free-range bacon or speck (chopped) 4 carrots diced 2 sticks celery ½nely diced (including tops) Two medium potatoes (or 300g), peeled and diced 250g shredded cabbage (prefer Savoy) 1 or 2 zucchinis sliced lengthways and chopped into chunks 1.5 litres chicken stock 2 small pieces of parmesan rind (keep pieces in the freezer) 100 -150g barley 400g can Cannellini beans or prepared dry beans 2 tbsp Stoney Creek Organic Flaxseed Oil Grated Parmesan and cracked black pepper Slowly sweat onions in olive oil, adding bacon and vegetables in order as you chop. Add chicken stock and parmesan rind, bring to the boil then simmer for 1 hour. Add barley and continue to simmer until cooked. Add celery leaves and beans to heat through. Serve with grated parmesan and pepper, stirring in ¾axseed oil at same time.

Stoney Creek Organic Flaxseed Oil is nature’s richest source of Omega 3 (60% as ALA). Available from your local organic or health store, independent supermarket, selected pharmacy or visit stoneycreekoil.com.au

Healthy Farm. Healthy Food. ®

Good Organic Gardening | 19

FAMILY HEIRLOOMS | Colourful Carrots Plump, multi-colored bell peppers

Carrots Words by Melissa King

oses are red, violets are blue and carrots are orange. But you probably know that carrots are also white, yellow, red and purple. Australia’s love affair with gourmet food has seen the return of a delicious range of unique and tasty heirloom vegetables, from white beetroots to green tomatoes, and multicoloured carrots are right up there with the best of them. With a little bit of searching we can now grow heirloom carrots in all of the sunset colours. And it’s not just diversity in colour. There are carrots in different sizes and shapes too, from rounded forms like the French heirloom ‘Paris Market’ to long-rooted types and everything in between. Grow the full collection and you’ll inspire a whole host of new culinary ideas, from balsamic-glazed carrots with roasted hazelnuts to delicious heirloom carrot salad. As far as health benefits go, carrots have been given a good rap. They are a great source of fibre, which is essential for a healthy digestive system, and are rich in vitamins A, K, C and B6. The beta-carotene found in carrots is also a powerful antioxidant. When you indulge yourself in a bit of carrot history, there’s a lot more to the humble orange carrot than you might think. Take the old

French variety ‘St Valery’, which is well over 100 years old with deliciously sweet, long, bright orange-red roots, or ‘Royal Chantenay’, which has thicker, stockier roots than most and does well in containers. Purple carrots have all the goodies orange carrots have, but even more disease-fighting antioxidants. Given their unusual colour, you might think they are relatively new, but purple carrots have actually been around for thousands of years. It’s just that they have become more available, at least in my lifetime. And they certainly bring wow-factor to our dinner plates. There are varieties with purple skin, orange flesh and a yellow core, like ‘Purple Dragon’, which brings three colours and a sweet, almost spicy flavour to our dishes, or varieties that are purple all the way to the core, like ‘Purple Haze’. Just bear in mind that, like many purple vegetables, purple carrots can share their colour when you cook them. A friend made stirfry with purple carrots and turned the whole dish purple! So it’s probably best to serve them raw in salads or just lightly blanched to maintain their decorative appeal. Red carrots are also very high in antioxidants. You’ll love heirloom varieties like ‘Atomic Red’, which are both good looking and full of flavour, or ‘Red Kuroda’, a top choice J

As far as health beneﬁts go, carrots have been given a good rap. They are a great source of ﬁbre, which is essential for a healthy digestive system, and are rich in vitamins A, K, C and B6.

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Photos: Courtesy of The Diggers Club, diggers.com.au

Why stick with predictable orange when you can have purple, yellow, red and white as well?

Colourful Carrots |

FAMILY HEIRLOOMS

Good Organic Gardening | 21

FAMILY HEIRLOOMS | Colourful Carrots 1

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for subtropical and tropical gardeners, with sweet deep-orange roots that are especially great for juicing. It’s well worth growing yellow carrots, too, which are vibrant both in the garden and on the plate. I like ‘Yellow Lobbericher’ with decorative yellow skin and sunshine flesh that’s a real novelty in salads. People often mistake white carrots for parsnip; while they look similar, the flavour is worlds apart. I find them to be sweeter and less earthy-tasting than some other carrots. It seems to be harder to get seeds or seedlings of white carrots on their own, so look out for heirloom mixes that contain all the different colours.

Growing The key to a successful plot of carrots is a sunny position and light, well-drained soil. I always dig the soil over well and add some compost and organic matter before planting, but avoid fresh animal manures because they can cause forking.

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Colourful Carrots | 6

FAMILY HEIRLOOMS

1 Hierloom carrot mix 2 Paris Market 3 Purple Dragon 4 Solar Yellow 5 Atomic Red 6 St Valery 7 Lunar White 8 Purple Dragon and Purple Haze 9 Thinning carrot seedlings

It’s cooler where I live, so I sow carrots from late winter to late summer or early autumn. But gardeners in more temperate areas may be able to grow and harvest them year round. It’s best to sow the seeds directly where they are to grow and then thin the young seedlings to 5–10cm apart. Because carrots seeds are so small they can be fiddly to handle, so you might like to mix the seeds together with sand in a jar first before sowing. It helps to separate the small seeds and make sowing easier. Be sure to keep the water up and stay on top of weeds, which will compete with your crop for water and nutrients. Carrots can take between 10 and 14 weeks to mature, depending on the variety, but you can pull baby carrots much earlier when the roots are sweet and as small as your finger — the kids will love them. 

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www.greenpatchseeds.com.au Good Organic Gardening | 23

BEAN THERE DUG THAT | Cyber chat

My favourite gardening books Words by Chloe Thomson

Even though there is a tendency these days to rely on Google when seeking answers to questions, I wanted to share with you my favourite selection of gardening books that I hope can become a well-thumbed, dirt-smudged, go-to resource for you too.

By Marcelle Nankervis This is a no-nonsense Australian annual garden guide for growing your own fruit and vegetables and it’s divided into two parts. The first covers What Every Gardener Needs to Know, including the basics like composting, saving water, what to plant when, pest control and greywater use. The second part is a month-bymonth Annual Garden Guide organised by climatic zone (tropical, sub-tropical, temperate and cool) to give you a clear understanding of the things you need to be sowing, planting and (hopefully!) harvesting. Although this book has no pictures, you won’t miss them. The simple fact that you can pick it up each month and, after reading a few pages, feel armed with all the information you need to get into your edible garden, makes this book a winner. Perfect for beginner gardeners and old hands who want a fast memory jogger!

Companion Planting in Australia By Brenda Little First published in 1982, this book is nearly as old as me! But the fact it’s been reedited and republished multiple times is testament to its usefulness in the garden as a handy pocket guide to the art of companion planting. Companion planting is an important part of pest and disease management and control in an organic fruit and vegetable garden. This book beautifully outlines how plants can work together to help deter pests and, most importantly, improve one another’s growth, health and harvest. I often take this book with me into the garden when I’m planting out a full garden bed of mixed vegetables and herbs. The easy-to-use A–Z guide to companion plants with no more than a paragraph on most herbs and vegetables makes on-the-spot referencing in the garden a breeze. A summary guide at the back of the book of “good companions” and “bad companions” spells it out simply in black and white. Throughout the book, Brenda gives handy hints on organic (often homemade or homegrown) control methods for common garden pests. She also explains the benefits of welcoming certain weeds and creepy-crawlies into our organic gardens.

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What Garden Pest or Disease is That? By Judy McMaugh An Australian publication, this book is a handy reference guide when you find yourself wondering what’s eating your garden. Full-colour pictures make finding the culprit easy and, thankfully, Judy offers effective organic methods in dealing with many of the pest and diseases she exposes. She also outlines how to prevent the spread of the pest or disease and offers suggestions on how to stop it recurring year after year.

Seasonal Tasks for The Practical Australian Gardener By Peter Cundall This “bloomin’ marvellous” book is a must for any southern Australian gardener. Mine is so well read that some of the pages are falling out and various sections are highlighted and underlined with notes in the margin! Helpfully broken down into gardening activities by month, it’s a detailed outline of everything you need to do in your garden to stay on top of tasks and keep it flourishing. As you’d expect of any Peter Cundall book, this one has a bent towards edible gardening but also includes brilliant information on houseplants, annuals and perennials, lawns, soil health and pest control. You don’t notice the lack of photos in this book; instead, there are some well-thought-out diagrams or sketches where needed. The writing style is very much in the easy-to-read words of Peter, so much so that you can almost hear him say “and that’s your bloomin’ lot” at the end of each chapter!

To follow my edible gardening adventures and for more tips and information, visit my blog: www.beantheredugthat.com.au

Photos: Ger Hynes

Smart Gardening

GARDENING FOLK | Kevan Millican & Cheryl Meyer Kevan Millican finds peace in his creative permaculture garden

New paths In this garden, the meandering pathways and an air of mystery are just as important to its owners as what grows there

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Kevan Millican & Cheryl Meyer | GARDENING FOLK Words & photos by Diane Norris he mid-north coast of NSW is something of a hotspot for organic gardeners for all sorts of reasons, among them a depth of caring and knowledge sharing among people, a sense of camaraderie and the wonderful geography and climate. About 10 years ago, Kevan Millican and his family moved to a bush block in Glenthorne, a few kilometres south of Taree. The block, a little over 2ha, was lightly cleared and burnt before the family bought it, but most of the big eucalypts were still standing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Though they do dominate their patch of ground, I have tended to develop the gardens around them,â&#x20AC;? says Kevan. Glenthorne is about 80km south of Port Macquarie, which has pretty much an ideal climate, and 12km inland from the coast. This means they only get a few frosts each year and a bit of relief from the heat of summer from the sea breezes. Of course, the coastal rainfall is excellent, too. All up, a great place for moving into a new stage of life. J

Kevan has used recycled cement roofing tiles to form sturdy edging to raised beds

Good Organic Gardening | 27

GARDENING FOLK | Kevan Millican & Cheryl Meyer Support provides a helping hand for this fruit-laden mandarin tree

“Both Cheryl and I seem to be moving into our third stage of life,” says Kevan, who is in his early 60s. “With both sons at uni in Newcastle, we feel freer to take on new careers.” They both have part-time jobs, Cheryl teaching cello and Kevan working for the Community Justice Centres mediating neighbourhood and workplace disputes. This allows them plenty of time for other work, new projects and developing their inner lives, Kevan says. Their stylish curved abode is their second owner-built home. It’s a sustainable and environmentally sensitive house that sits beautifully among the trees, gloved perfectly by the artistically crafted garden, Kevan’s second attempt at creating an extensive permaculture garden. “Through involvement with the Manning River Steiner School over 20 years, we have opened both our houses and gardens to the public for the Non-Conventional Homes Tour, a school fundraising event that ran for about nine years,” he says. He muses that, after studying social science, raising their boys and volunteering at the school (and centre for adult education), nothing could be clearer to him now than the desire to create “community” where they live. “We had a little caravan to accommodate WWOOFers at our last property, on Mitchells Island, and brought it with us when we moved to Glenthorne,” he says. “It’s now set up adjacent to the storage shed and a good mate is living in it. Only a few weeks ago, another semi-retired friend said, ‘I want to join your community.’ Not sure what that would look like or if he will ever end up living here, but he sounded serious and I have started creating a room inside the shed.”

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Kevan also uses coloured glazed roofing tiles add an artistic splash along pathways

Edible plants flourish in harmony with nature

Beyond the raised beds, which are close to the house, various tracks extend to diﬀerent parts of the property. The paths meander and entice you into other garden areas that have been very cleverly designed to add quite a mystical feel to the space. In the blood Kevan says there’s a remote agricultural streak and a strong carpentry lineage in his family, though not directly from his parents — or even obvious for him when growing up in Sydney. However, his mum was a keen gardener at their family home in Lindfield and her father was a builder and carpenter. So

it follows that Kevan says his approach is to “build a garden rather than grow it”. He fondly recalls how his mother got to spend the last few months of her life living with him and Cheryl, even though she and permaculture were not a compatible association. “She didn’t approve of my ‘weeds’ and would readily have removed them if I

Kevan Millican & Cheryl Meyer | GARDENING FOLK Kevan allows just one hand of bananas to ripen at a time

Edibles grow right up to the kitchen door

Old corrugated tanks have been lined with concrete to provide water in the garden. Note the ramp for birds and frogs

In-situ composting tubes made from the walls of an old aboveground swimming pool

It’s a sustainable and environmentally sensitive house that sits beautifully among the trees, gloved perfectly by the artistically crafted garden. wasn’t around to keep informing her that one weed is good for this and another is good for that,” Kevan recalls. With heavy clay soils to cultivate, Kevan does a lot of digging, or he used to in the early days. “I’ve used cheap, second-hand concrete and terracotta roof tiles, one-quarter buried in the ground, to support raised vegie garden beds,” he says. These also extend along the contour across the slope to form small terraces in the orchard. He is also experimenting with galvanised steel sheetmetal, which is recycled from the wall of an above-ground swimming pool and cut to form 1m-diameter by 900mm-high tubes. These sit in the middle of each bed to accept whatever can be composted. After a suitable period, they can then be used as large growing containers for edibles such as tomatoes, or lifted to allow composted material into the garden. Then they can easily be moved to a new spot. As well as the composting tubes, most vegie beds have a conveniently located water container of a similar size. These are cutdown 44-gallon plastic olive drums fed by an underground system of inch-and-a-half polypipe, with a one-inch pipe riser feeding water to each drum. Then, with a bit of exercise and the use of a good old watering can, the task of watering can be completed. Beyond the raised beds, which are close to the house, various tracks extend to different

parts of the property. The paths meander and entice you into other garden areas that have been very cleverly designed to add quite a mystical feel to the space. “Creating these pathways is for me the most interesting aspect of gardening,” says Kevan. “Providing opportunities for people to experience the natural environment is what motivates me to move into what was previously bush and unmanaged regrowth.” From experience, Kevan has learnt to appreciate the importance of making subtle changes rather than drastic ones when first moving into what was a previously a nonhuman space, like clearing sticks or minor pruning. “Our dominion over the earth can be incredibly subtle and positive when we get our heads in the right space,” he says. And it looks like he has found his right space. 

Kevan’s tips • Focus on creating pathways rather than just garden beds. (Gardens are primarily for people, not just plants.) • Sculpt the earth to direct the flow of water. • Concentrate more on preparing a space and allowing nature to have more of a say in what might grow there. • Keep improving the soil and eventually even the neediest plants can find a home.

Good Organic Gardening | 29

GARDENING FOLK | Annette Berryman It’s hard to believe this is all happening in a suburban garden

Words & photos by Jana Holmer ust 8km northeast of Melbourne’s CBD, on two adjacent 1920s house blocks in an unprepossessing Northcote street, is a site that gives expression to homegrown sustainability. The combined garden area (approximately 500sqm) around the houses is the base for a quest to provide healthy, locally produced food as well as incentives for cooking seasonally. More than this, these suburban blocks possess the resources for experimenting with “urban farming”, offering a space to supplement a local community gardening project the householders are involved in, as well as a forum for sharing practical ideas with the broader community.

Backyard J

bounty Here’s a garden that takes the concept of growing your own organic food to rare heights 30 | Good Organic Gardening

Annette Berryman | GARDENING FOLK

Propagation is a huge part of Annetteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vegie success

Annette Berryman and her partner Ken, along with Annetteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister Mandy Parke, are from farming backgrounds and are all interested in transferring the joys of living with plants and animals to the city, now involving two more generations in this lifestyle. Armed with knowledge of the social and physical history of this area, the trio are continuing the efforts of previous owners, who for 30 years enriched the heavy clay soils with composted material largely sourced onsite. Warming and cooling the weatherboard houses are managed with strategic shrub and tree plantings, while solar power, rain and groundwater harvesting plus water tanks complete the requirements for the gardening and animal husbandry interests of the family. J

One of the thriving aquaponic systems

Good Organic Gardening | 31

GARDENING FOLK | Annette Berryman Annette Berryman has installed extensive aquaponic systems in her creative organic garden

Annette swears by her successful aquaponic beds

Food harvests include vegies, fruit, herbs, eggs, honey and ﬁsh, amounting to hundreds of kilograms a year, with family, friends and fellow community gardeners sharing in the bounty. All creatures great and small In this amazing setup that aims to foster supportive systems for all inhabitants, from microbes to people, all creatures have their place. Chickens, bees, fish, guinea pigs, cats, a dog, kingfishers, doves, wattlebirds, lady birds, praying mantises, wood grubs, possums, fruit bats, lizards, bacteria and nematodes coexist, all contributing to the harmony of their environment. Cottage garden flowering plants for the bees and other pollinators as well as shade trees, fruiting shrubs (native and exotic), fruit trees and lots of vegie-growing areas are found in a variety of positions that take advantage of what the different seasons bring. Raised garden beds, grassed areas, wicking beds, herb pots and extensive aquaponic systems are all part of the “mixed farm” concept. Because fostering living systems has been paramount in developing this site over the years, which entails setting the scene for organisms to work out their symbiotic relationships, it takes plenty of patience and experimentation to deal with pests and weeds. These gardeners are keen to minimise the risk of introducing anything

32 | Good Organic Gardening

to the garden that may be toxic or have residual negative effects. Annette has an extensive knowledge of aquaponics and is working with others to refine the practice while successfully growing a variety of table fish and edible plants. She is adapting and devising the systems to suit different needs and is assisting in communicating these ideas. The aquaponic systems are fiercely protected because they are closed,

Harmoneat Annette and Ken’s daughter Meg is helping people in Myanmar, a country under great stress. She is working on a unique social enterprise involving the retention and promotion of growing and using fresh, organic food to both foster small business acumen and assist in reducing inter-ethnic tensions. She has been influenced by gardening in Northcote, with her website and blog offering delicious recipes and promoting wellbeing and health through good food. Try the Burmese recipe cards. harmoneat.com

biologically charged systems, their natural advantage being efficient water conservation through reticulation. The bees are equally vulnerable and are given due consideration. The subterranean life is also highly valued and actively cared for. Many discussions, seminars, online searches and books, as well as the implementation of gleaned ideas and experimentation, have helped in refining these gardeners’ approaches and techniques. These include insect and gastropod traps; making non-toxic, plantbased sprays; pruning to reduce infestations; choosing plants or planting strategically to maximise air flow, provide decoy fodder and repel pests; and paying close attention to the day-to-day happenings. In the interests of seeing that all the critters there are happy, the humans put much thought into fostering the right conditions. This includes looking out for the microbes, mycelium and subsurface organisms that are doing a lot of the heavy lifting, by attending to soil moisture and pH. The cultivation of suitable habitats also includes the standard worm-friendly conditions (shade, moisture and good worm tucker); composting areas (similar conditions);

Annette Berryman | GARDENING FOLK

Pipes can take water directly to the root zone of edibles

carrots, beetroot, radishes, cauliflower, broccoli, plus standby perennials like thyme, tarragon and oregano. Phew! Surplus is dried, frozen or preserved in some form. Right now the pantries, fridges and freezers groan under kilograms of honey, chutneys and green tomato pickles; preserved olives and lemon; marmalade, cumquat, raspberry & plum and apricot jams; packs of rainbow trout; Penang curry paste; pumpkin and other vegetable soups; stewed rhubarb, nectarine, plum, peach and apple; vegetarian pasta sauces; lemon and lime juice blocks; bags of basil leaves; homemade pet food; eggs; and quince paste. 

Gardening tips

Edibles make hanging clothes interesting!

organically derived teas as plant boosters; soils that are composted and mulched; chicken runs (clean, dry, secure from predators with shade and fresh water); and fish management (temperature, ammonias, nitrites, nitrates and pH control, feeding regimes etc). Wastes, these gardeners believe, in happy systems are constantly converted into energy and food for other organisms.

Cornucopia Food harvests include vegies, fruit, herbs, eggs, honey and fish, amounting to

hundreds of kilograms a year, with family, friends and fellow community gardeners sharing in the bounty. The sharers also engage in gastronomic and social events related to production. At the time of writing, the winter gardens are delivering for the table spinach, broad beans, rhubarb, kale, different parsleys, lovage, watercress, cress, chilies, capsicums, different mints including basil and Vietnamese, celery, a wide variety of lettuce, Asian greens like bok choy and Japanese spinach, garlic chives, chives, spring onions,

• Be curious, be adventurous, but be patient. That may sound trite, but it’s the journey and it’s fun. • Look after all living creatures and help them in their homes. • See yourself as one in a very long line of people interested in learning and paying the interest forward. No one person or one method has all the answers for gardening; you will make a contribution. • See your garden site — which may be a balcony with three pots — as part of a region, a suburb, a community and know you have a relationship with the broader landscape, climate and local residents.

Good Organic Gardening | 33

AMAZING GARDEN | Don Drinkwater

Rebirth of a

rainforest Meet a man who has regenerated a sad, eroded former cattle property into an organic rainforest oasis by doing it his way 34 | Good Organic Gardening

Don Drinkwater | AMAZING GARDEN xxxxxxx

Cunjevoi fills the forest understorey and (above) Don’s organic chillies

Don’s inspiration: the original uncleared rainforest just outside his property

Words & photos by Jo Immig ometimes good organic gardening happens on grand scale. That’s the case at Don Drinkwater’s 77ha naturally regenerated rainforest and fully certified organic oasis at Huonbrook, on the far north coast of NSW. This natural wonderland is a beacon of hope for the future — but it wasn’t always quite this idyllic. Don’s property adjoins Nightcap National Park, where the World Heritage-listed Protestors Falls marks the site of the 1970s Terania Creek protests that saved that precious remnant rainforest. The journey there takes you along winding country roads, across creek causeways and off the bitumen, deeper and deeper into lush rainforest where palms soar many metres into the sky and lichen-

covered boulders smoothed by the flow of water and time hug pristine creeks. On the day I visit there’s mist hanging low in distant ranges and a welcome shower of rain. Despite this region being one of the wettest in NSW, receiving a whopping 2m of rain a year, it’s been one of the driest summers on record.

Born chemical-free Born in New Zealand, Don emigrated to Australia and bought the property, a denuded and eroded dairy/cattle farm on its last legs, in 1977. He took the cattle off the land, left it to “go to weed” and travelled overseas. He ended up staying much longer than anticipated, helping friends during the early days of the HIV-AIDS epidemic. When he returned in 1995, the old homestead had sadly burnt down, so he

pitched a tent on the land, which by this stage was thickly covered in lantana. From the outset Don was adamant he’d regenerate the land without the use of any herbicides. Some locals thought he was mad; others were outright angry, accusing him of being irresponsible and destined for failure. Don knew better. He was lucky to have had an earthy upbringing in New Zealand with parents and grandparents who taught him self-sufficiency and respect for nature. He remembers his grandparents’ garden as rambling and full of life, very much like his own fruit and vegetable garden today. From an early age he knew pesticides had serious side-effects, as his grandmother taught him about the dangers of DDT even before Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring was published.  Good Organic Gardening | 35

AMAZING GARDEN | Don Drinkwater

Tamarillos almost ready to harvest Don’s mixed island vegie beds, where tall plants shelter the small ones

Don Drinkwater, an environmental visionary

Growing up in New Zealand during the time of the French nuclear weapon-testing program (around 175 nuclear devices were detonated in the Pacific) also made him wary of chemicals and he recalls the problem of radioactive fallout in the milk supply.

Lessons from lantana

A busy bee on the flower of a tea plant

36 | Good Organic Gardening

Tent living in a rainforest isn’t easy so, with the help of friends, Don built a modest house with solar panels and a rainwater tank. He began clearing lantana from around the house site and established fruit trees and vegetable gardens. Today, he’s largely self-sufficient with plentiful food from the garden and eggs from his friendly hens. He also supplies certified organic produce such as ginger, turmeric, herbs and vegetables when he has enough. As the rain eases, we set off for a walk aided by bamboo walking sticks from a nearby clump and make our way towards one of the first areas Don worked on. It’s now a dense canopy with many trees, including towering Blue Quandongs (Elaeocarpus angustifolius), palms and cunjevoi (Alocasia brisbanensis) in the valleys. There’s crunchy dropped palm fronds underfoot and tangles of mossy roots snaking around the forest floor. We even spy a giant endangered rainforest snail shell. As we walk, Don tells me about his work with the land. “Lantana has been an incredible teacher,” he says. “People think weeds are bad and they rush in, wanting to spray and clear everything, but lantana has provided invaluable habitat for animals as well as cover for the soil, helping it to recover organic matter, nutrition and moisture.

Don Drinkwater | AMAZING GARDEN The creek edge restored — now minus lantana

From the outset Don was adamant he’d regenerate the land without the use of any herbicides. Some locals thought he was mad; others were outright angry, accusing him of being irresponsible and destined for failure. I just spend a little bit of time in the morning or afternoon when it’s cool,” he says. The garden is fenced to keep out wallabies, brush turkeys and chickens, but he leaves plenty to eat for all the creatures. There’s an abundance of tiny red tomatoes and I feel compelled to pick up the fallen ones when Don points out, “There’s plenty of hungry mouths to feed under the mulch. Nothing goes to waste.” As we walk around, I hear the background buzz of bees. Butterflies flutter past and insects of all sorts dart here and there. Native bees and honeybees work the same flowers. To nourish the garden Don uses comfrey leaves, lemongrass cuttings and anything else to make mulch and compost. While a lot self-germinate, he practises crop rotation on the island beds and saves his locally adapted seeds for the next season. He adds dolomite when needed to adjust the soil pH. Pineapples grow particularly well in these parts and Don tells me the biggest challenge is the bower bird, who cunningly manages to Easy organic scoop out all the flesh while leaving the outside gardening of the hollowed pineapple intact on the plant. When people see Don’s extensive vegetable “There’s so much generosity in a single gardens they assume he must spend all his seed,” he says, as he loads me up with time doing it, but he doesn’t, he tells me. “It’s bunches of bok choy, parsley, tomatoes and taken a few years to get the soil right and now chillies to take home. 

Happy roster with the hens

“I learned how to work with lantana without chemicals by trial and error,” he says. “You need to pace yourself, be persistent and do the followup. The most important thing is you need to let go of the desire for instant gratification. Bit by bit, the regeneration starts as the seeds in the soil sprout and birds drop their seeds”. Over the years, with the help of a few small grants and local labour, Don has spanned out to all corners of the land, with much of it now regenerated, or well on its way. Wild dogs and cane toads are problematic, but over the years a huge variety of birdlife, snakes, frogs, lizards, insects and wallabies have returned. We stop to pay our respects to a most important tree. The red cedar getters took nearly every tree off this property but luckily left behind one mature tree (Toona australis). Don calls it his “daddy tree” and it has gone on to provide thousands of seedlings he has replanted all over the property.

Don hugs the daddy cedar

Good Organic Gardening | 37

GARDENING AMAZING GARDEN FOLK | |Don DonDrinkwater Drinkwater Another view of the meticulously restored creek

With such an abundance of produce, Don is an adept preserver, pickler and jam maker. He’s also a generous host and has prepared us a delicious lunch entirely from the garden. As we eat, the welcome rain sets in again and the conversation turns to the future and what he hopes will happen to the property. Of course, he wants it to be conserved, but importantly he wants to ensure it continues to be managed without the use of herbicides and insecticides. J Don shares his gardening wisdom and observances at chemfreegarden. wordpress.com

Don’s tips • Keep an eye on your soil pH by testing: acid/pink; alkaline/blue. Add natural lime/dolomite if too acid; fresh organic matter if too alkaline. Research what favours your soil type and what you grow. • Use cover crops to either dig in or cut for mulch. • Mulch, mulch, mulch. It enhances moisture retention and adds micro food. Uncovered soil is exposed to excessive sun and heavy rain. • Make your own liquid fertiliser (tea) from organic material: comfrey, nettles, vegetables gone to seed etc. Fill a covered container with material and water. Stir every few days and after three weeks it’s ready to be diluted for plant food. • Give as much to your garden as you take.

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TIME TO PLANT | Persimmon

Persimmon Diospyros kaki The persimmon is a wonderful backyard tree with glowing orange fruit that are in season from early autumn to mid-June.

ersimmons look a little like tomatoes and vary in colour from pale orange to dark red, but their most distinguishing feature is the flowerlike calyx made up of four leaves at the top of the fruit and when you cut the fruit horizontally there is a star shape in the flesh. The first thing to know about growing persimmons is there are two main types: older, astringent varieties that must be soft and really ripe before eating and nonastringent types that can be eaten when they are still crunchy or left until they are ripe and soft. Eat an astringent persimmon when it’s not ripe and it tastes a bit like kerosene, but wait until just the right moment and the flavour is sweet and syrupy. Astringent persimmons are generally selffertile, so you need only one tree to produce a good crop. Among the astringent varieties

you might like to grow are the heart-shaped ‘Hachiya’, with juicy fruit and virtually no seeds, and ‘Nightingale’, which is as sweet as its name sounds. Non-astringent (or sweet) types tend to require a cross-pollinating partner to bear a good crop of fruit, unless you grow ‘Fuyu’, one of the few self-fertile varieties, with squat round fruit. Persimmon ‘Ichikikei Jiro’ is another good non-astringent variety with few seeds that can be eaten straight from the tree when it’s still crunchy. Because the astringent types need to be eaten when they are soft and pulpy they are less versatile in the kitchen and are mostly used in baking recipes or eaten fresh with a spoon. On the other hand, the nonastringent types, which can be eaten crisp or soft, can be used in a variety of dishes, from persimmon and pecan muffins to an autumnal fruit salad. 

The ﬁrst thing to know about growing persimmons is there are two main types: older, astringent varieties that must be soft and really ripe before eating and non-astringent types that can be eaten when they are still crunchy or left until they are ripe and soft. 40 | Good Organic Gardening

Growing Growing: Persimmons prefer to grow in well-drained, slightly acid soils. Plant them in full sun with protection from strong winds. Astringent persimmons perform better in cooler climates, whereas non-astringent types will do well in subtropical gardens. Harvest: Persimmons are in season from early autumn to mid-June. Cut the fruit gently from the tree with a pair of secateurs. Pulling the fruit off can remove the calyx and damage the fruit. Ripening: To ripen an astringent persimmon, let it sit on the benchtop until it’s squishy and soft. It should feel like a water balloon that’s just about to burst. If you want to speed up the process, put it in a brown paper bag with an apple. The ethylene gas produced by the apple will hasten ripening. Health benefits: Persimmons are low in fat and calories but high in dietary fibre. They are also a good source of vitamin C. Storage tip: Try spooning out the flesh and freezing it.

Photos: 123rf & Bigstock

Words by Melissa King

Quince | TIME TO PLANT

Poached quinces Serves 4 2 large quinces, peeled & quartered 1 heaped tbsp honey or rice malt syrup (or to taste) 1 cinnamon stick 1 star anise 3 cloves 1 bay leaf Put ingredients in a small saucepan with enough water to well and truly cover the quince. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 1-1½ hours, until soft. Add extra water if needed while simmering. Serve with some of the syrup and a dollop of yoghurt, sweetened if preferred, and a sprinkle of grated nutmeg.

Quince Cydonia oblonga Not a fruit to be eaten raw, quince makes fragrant and delicious desserts, jams and pastes Words by Melissa King

hen I was growing up, my family spent every Easter at a friend’s farm in the country. We’d help round up the sheep, plant trees, do odd jobs and get to harvest fresh quinces. They were wonderful poached with sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and cloves. That’s my first memory of eating quinces and what a good one it is. Uncooked quinces are another experience altogether and in my opinion don’t taste all that good. Some people eat uncooked over-ripe quinces but I’m sure they are most popular poached or made into jelly or jam, where you really get to appreciate their flavour. The common quince (Cydonia oblonga) is thought to have originated in Asia Minor and spread to the Mediterranean, where it was cherished for its unique, tart flavour and beautiful scent. The fruit is similar in

appearance to a lumpy yellow pear and is wonderfully fragrant. In fact, a bowl of quinces can perfume an entire room. Of the named varieties, ‘Smyrna’ is one of the best with pear-shaped golden-yellow fruit that turns pink when cooked. The pretty spring blossoms are soft pink and, because it’s only a small tree, it’s a great choice for the backyard. Quinces are deciduous trees that can be grown successfully anywhere, from cooler subtropical areas to cold temperate regions. The quinces we picked were from an old tree that was all gnarled and twisted. Like olives, the trees seem to develop great character with age. Quinces are closely related to apples and pears. In fact, their growing requirements are similar but they are self-fertile so don’t require a pollinating partner to produce a good crop of fruit. 

The quinces we picked were from an old tree that was all gnarled and twisted. Like olives, the trees seem to develop great character with age.

Growing Growing: Quince trees enjoy full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. Give trees a good dose of complete plant food in spring and top-dress with compost. Cooking ideas: Quinces are delicious stewed, poached or baked in desserts. They also make great jams and jellies and beautiful paste to eat with cheese. A bit of history: In ancient Greece the quince was regarded as a symbol of fertility. Harvest: Quinces generally ripen sometime between mid-February and late April. You can tell they’re ready to pick when the fruit changes from green to yellow. The ripe fruit usually drops from the tree, so harvesting can be as simple as picking the quinces up from the ground. Storage: The fruit stores well and can be kept for up to three months in the fridge.

Good Organic Gardening | 41

GARDEN DIARY | Early spring

Things to do in

September Early spring is an exciting time — the days are longer and warmer and everything is growing, especially if there has been gentle spring rain By Jennifer Stackhouse Vegetables

form little fruit, it may be because they lack a cross-pollinator. Check with your local garden centre about the best pollinating varieties for your crops and plant one now.

COOL & TEMPERATE I know the garden centres are full of seedling tomatoes and other summer crops and you are yearning to plant. But if your area is subject to late frosts or if the soil is cold, do the plants a favour and wait a few more weeks for the weather to really warm up. However, it’s safe to sow seeds of summer crops such as tomatoes, eggplant, capsicum and basil in punnets now for planting out in a few weeks. Seeds that can be direct-sown, such as beans and sweet corn, can go in now in warm and coastal areas, but wait a few more weeks in cold areas.

Fruit COOL & TEMPERATE Before peaches and nectarines open out their new growth, spray them with an organic fungicide such as copper or lime sulphur to reduce the likelihood of peach leaf curl (often called curly leaf), which may occur later in spring and lead to premature leaf drop. If your fruiting trees have good flowering but

42 | Good Organic Gardening

Compost & soil

Cold protection If seedlings are planted out when it’s too cold, they fail to thrive and can be outperformed by later plantings. If you’ve planted frost- or cold-sensitive vegetables outdoors and the weather turns cold, place a cloche (plastic or glass dome) or other protective device over the plants to keep them warm. If the day is sunny, remove the cover during the day and replace it at night.

COOL & TEMPERATE Keep on top of the weeds to reduce reseeding and competition for garden plants. Hand weed or hoe. Use the green weeds to rev up the compost heap or soak them in a bucket of water to make compost tea, which can then be used as a liquid plant tonic for potted plants and vegetables. TROPICAL Cover all bare soil with a layer of organic mulch, compost or a green manure crop such as Japanese millet or lablab, or grow an ornamental groundcover plant such as nasturtium. This protects the soil from erosion when the heavy rains return in the months ahead. 

Photos: 123rf, Bigstock & Diane Norris

TROPICAL If you have plenty of water to spare for your vegie garden you’ll be harvesting abundant crops, but as the humidity builds so will fungal diseases such as mildew and various rots. To keep diseases under control in the organic garden, simply remove affected plants. In the space you’ve opened up, start to prepare the soil for wet-season planting. It’s a good time to plant sweet corn, beans such as snake beans, capsicum, sweet potato and cherry tomatoes.

TROPICAL Continue to apply fertiliser to potted plants — smaller amounts on a monthly basis. Also apply fertiliser to passionfruit vines and water the vines well. If the plant is overcrowded, carefully remove some of the excess growth. Remove weeds from around the base of all fruiting plants. Where birds and wildlife are decimating crops on backyard fruit trees, consider erecting a protective screen around and over your fruit trees. Where this is too expensive or difficult, keep trees pruned so, as the fruit matures, it can be protected with bird-safe netting.

Early spring | GARDEN DIARY

4 1. To protect frost or cold-sensitive vegies, cover them with a cloche (plastic or glass dome) 2. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good time to plant sweet corn, beans such as snake beans, capsicum, sweet potato and cherry tomatoes in warmer zones 3. Cover bare soil with a layer of organic mulch or a green manure, such as Japanese millet, in tropical areas 4. In temperate areas, hand weed or hoe to keep on top of the weeds to reduce reseeding risk 5. In tropical zones where birds and wildlife are prolific, consider erecting protective screens or white netting over crops 2 3 5

Good Organic Gardening | 43

GARDEN DIARY | Mid-spring

Things to do in

October Spring is now in full swing — and it really can swing, dipping between cool and hot, wet and dry. Watering is vital, particularly for new plants as they come to terms with warmer conditions By Jennifer Stackhouse

COOL & TEMPERATE Spring is when most gardens are at their peak, with everything in bloom and in full leaf. Take time to smell the roses but also take time to weed, plant and water your growing vegetable crops. Tie up lax and climbing plants, such as tomatoes, cucumbers and beans. Chillies are popular backyard vegies with many varieties available for planting now. Don’t just think red or green — there are vibrant orange, yellow, purple and even chocolate-toned varieties, too. When you buy a chilli, read the label to discover how hot it is. The heat of chillies is given in the Scoville units: the higher the figure, the hotter the chilli. Chillies planted now continue to produce good crops well into autumn. Plants that have grown through winter can be lightly pruned and fed and they’ll grow on for another year. TROPICAL Continue to plant wet-season crops for a constant stream of delicious homegrown vegetables throughout summer. Although the vegie books all recommend full sun for vegetables, that doesn’t apply to vegies in the tropics or the hot inland. They do best with light shade, which cuts sunscald, reduces water use and minimises plant stress. Delicate leafy plants such as lettuce are highly vulnerable to sunburn. Use shadecloth, lattice or even other plants to shade crops. Sweet corn, loofah (a vigorous climber), snake beans

44 | Good Organic Gardening

Grow your own gifts Mid-spring is the ideal time to take cuttings or sow seeds to grow your own Christmas gifts. Plant out a herb pot using cuttings from your garden or start seeds in punnets for a delicious gift.

TROPICAL Make the most of the wonderful tropical climate by growing a tropical orchard planted with mango, avocado, bananas and pineapple. Experiment with unusual fruits such as dragon fruit (a form of cactus), rambutan and Chocolate Sapote. In small areas, look for fruit trees grafted onto dwarf rooting stock as they make a compact option and some can even be grown in large containers. Select a range of varieties to give fruit over many months.

Compost & soil

Fruit

COOL & TEMPERATE As the weather warms, making compost gets a lot easier and faster. To help that organic matter break down, add air to your heap by turning it with a fork or that corkscrew-shaped tool called a compost worm. If conditions are dry, hose the compost heap lightly so it’s moist but not wet. Use compost that’s ready as nutritious mulch for your garden or dig it into areas where you’re planting.

COOL & TEMPERATE Mid-spring sees early stone-fruit varieties beginning to ripen, including apricots and peaches. It’s also time to start watching out for fruit fly in regions where these pests are active. Traps such as Dak Pots that lure male flies into the trap can alert you to the presence of these damaging pests. When the males begin to appear in the traps, it’s time to use organically certified baits and lures, readily available at most nurseries or garden centres.

TROPICAL Plan ahead for the wet times by growing vegetables in raised beds, putting herbs in pots and laying stepping stones or gravel mulches on paths for good access, even when soils are wet. Also, cover soil with mulch to reduce runoff. Where there are heavy rains, soils can be leached of nutrients, so regularly add organic fertiliser, compost or manure around productive plants to keep them growing. 

and even sunflowers can all provide useful shade in the vegie patch.

Photos: Bigstock

Vegetables

Mid-spring | GARDEN DIARY

2 3 1. Mid-spring is the ideal time to take cuttings or sow seeds to grow personalised gifts for Christmas â&#x20AC;&#x201D; like herbs 2. Plan ahead for the wet times in the tropics by laying stepping stones or gravel mulches on paths for good access even when soils are wet 3. Watering is vital this month, particularly for new plants, as warmer conditions arrive 4. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the perfect time in tropical areas to experiment with growing unusual fruits such as dragon fruit (a form of cactus) 5. Loofah (a vigorous climber) can provide useful shade in the tropical vegie patch 4

Good Organic Gardening | 45

PEST PATROL | Oils Homemade white oil: mix vegetable oil, dishwashing liquid and water

Oil strike! White oil has long been a favourite with gardeners, but it’s important to know what the oil is derived from and what pests/diseases it can control. And, if you can’t ﬁnd a commercial product with organicfriendly ingredients, why not make your own? Words & photos by Claire Bickle orticultural oil-based sprays, whether plant- or petroleumbased, work predominantly on suffocation, as a lot of insects, especially sap suckers, breathe through their skin. The oil used as a contact spray blocks their pores so they cannot breathe out carbon dioxide. Oils can also have other actions. In the case of the citrus leaf miner moth, for example, oil sprayed on the foliage stops the moth from landing and laying her eggs within the cell layers of the leaves. Both the smell and the effect of the oil on the leaf surface work against her. Oils may also act as poisons by interacting with insects’ fatty acids and thus compromising normal metabolism. They may also prevent transmission of viruses. Because the actions of oils are not systemic, they may be less harmful in general to a range of beneficial insects, the environment and human health. In addition, pests will not become resistant to them and, as they have

46 | Good Organic Gardening

low toxicity, there is generally only a 24-hour withholding period for using produce.

Plant-based or petroleum-based? Plant-based oil sprays are derived from a range of botanical or vegetable oils. These include olive, sunflower canola, cottonseed, soy, neem, tea-tree and eucalyptus oils. The use of plant-based oils is a more sustainable option and also has a low carbon footprint. Note, however, that canola oil must be from GM-free sources to be organic. You can make your own version of white oil with vegetable oil and dishwashing liquid or you can buy the ready-made varieties. Be aware, though, that some products sold as white oil may be manufactured using petroleum-based products, so always check the label. Both plant-based and petroleum-based oils will control a wide range of insects, including aphids, citrus leaf miner, scale, two spotted mite, whitefly and various sap-sucking insects, with little or no chemical residue, no withholding period and no significant impact on beneficials.

Making your own white oil at home couldn’t be easier

Homemade White Oil • 500mL vegetable oil (olive, sunflower or canola) • ½ cup dishwashing liquid or pure soap liquid Blend ingredients. To use, shake the mixture and mix 2 tablespoons with 1 litre of water in a spray bottle. Spray on both upper and undersides of leaves and trunk.

Oils

Neem

Vegetable oil (left) and neem extract

It’s important to note there is a difference between plant sprays made from neem extract azadirachtin-A & -B and neem oil, which does not contain much azadirachtin, although the oil has been found to have its own pesticide actions that don’t rely on these compounds. In Australia, neem oil has not been registered as a pesticide/miticide and is generally sold as a plant tonic. This is because there are so many different molecules in neem oil that it’s economically prohibitive to test and certify each one, even though in other parts of the world neem oil is used in a staggering number of applications. For example, the oil and other extracts of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica) have been used in India for hundreds, if not thousands, of years for making natural insecticides as well as myriad other items, including soap, toothpaste and pet products. Neem sprays contain azadirachtin A & B, which are highly stable and effective. These products are generally registered as organically safe to use on a range of plants and are known to affect over 200 species of insects, including aphids, mites and whitefly. Neem is considered to have limited effect on beneficial insects. Neem works by acting mainly as an anti-feedant and a growth disruptor, stopping the insects from progressing through their development stages by preventing moulting. It also impacts on the insects’ appetite as they lose the desire to feed. Rather than have that knock-down insecticide effect, it causes them to become weaker; they cease to cause damage and are easily preyed upon by other insects. The bonuses of using products derived from neem extract are that there is no residue, it’s a renewable resource, it has broad-spectrum activity, is OK for organic certification and is a concentrated formulation.

| PEST PATROL

Petroleum-based oil sprays work better at higher temperatures because they are thinner and have a higher flash point. However, they are more expensive and their origins are from non-renewable or sustainable sources. The organic gardening and farming community is not in favour of the use of these types of oil sprays, so we do not recommend petroleumbased oil sprays in the organic garden.

Tips for using oil sprays • Always read and follow instructions on labels. • Spray all plant surfaces, including the undersides of leaves and any crevices in the branches and stems where pests can hide. • Use the right equipment and spray pressure to ensure droplet sizes are not too big. • Do not use when temperatures are below 5°C or above 30°C or when the humidity is above 90 per cent. • Do not treat plants that are droughtstressed from lack of water. • Do not mix oils with sulphur- or copper-based pesticides and avoid applying oil before or after treatment with these types of pesticides.  Note: Not all pests and fungal diseases are susceptible to treatment with oil sprays, so proper pest/disease identification is critical.

Good Organic Gardening | 47

THE UNDERGROUND | Worms One of the benefits of having a worm farm — liquid fertiliser literally on tap

The wonderful

world of worms What the so-called “intestines of the Earth” get up to and why they’re so important

48 | Good Organic Gardening

Worms | THE UNDERGROUND

Words by Claire Bickle veryone knows an abundance of worms in the soil of any garden, orchard or farm is a good thing, as is the worms’ ability to recycle household and garden waste. But exactly what do they do that is so miraculous? You may be surprised to learn there are some 3000 species throughout the world, but did you also know there’s quite a marked difference between what the composting worms we use in worm farms do compared with the activities of the earthworms we find in our garden soils? Composting worms, most commonly seen in worm farms, have a preference for consuming waste products such as fruit and vegetable scraps, grass clippings, leaf litter and related organic waste matter,

including ground eggshells, shredded newspaper, soft prunings and so on. What they’re really keen on is the bacteria that grow on these types of organic matter. The worms usually used in worm farms are red, blue and tiger worms (Eisenia fetida). They tend to travel longer distances faster and are found in clusters or groups. These types of worms have happily transitioned to worm-farming setups where they can easily recycle large amounts of household waste or be a part of a much larger waste-recycling situation. Earthworms, on the other hand, tend to be solitary and spend their time consuming existing soil. Important outcomes from this consumption and passing of soil and organic matter include improving soil structure, better water infiltration, J

Photos: Claire & Rose Bickle

It’s relatively easy to encourage earthworms into your garden soil: you just need to add organic matter in the form of compost, mulch, manures, leaf litter — anything you can get your hands on, basically.

Composting worms: red, blue and tiger are commonly used

Composting worms Which worm farm is for you? Ready-to-go worm farms are available from garden centres and hardware stores, but if you’re into recycling there are many homemade alternatives. I’ve seen people use bathtubs, kitchen sinks, Styrofoam boxes and even old compost bins — there really are unlimited design options. Coir peat bricks make ideal bedding for your worms to start out in your worm farm, whether store-bought or homemade. What comes out of your worm farm? Worm wee, or liquid castings, the liquid that collects in the very bottom tray, needs to be drained off at least weekly to stop it backing up into the farm and drowning the worms. This brown liquid can be diluted to the colour of weak tea and used as a fertiliser on just about everything. Worm poo or worm castings is what the worms turn your kitchen scraps and garden waste into. This dark brown, nutrient-rich, compost-like substance can be used in potting mix and propagating mix or added straight into the garden as a fertiliser. Tips • Keep your worm farm out of the sun — worms don’t like the heat. • Keep it out of the rain, too, if possible or at least make sure there’s adequate drainage so your worms don’t drown. • Worms do like the dark, so cover the top with carpet underlay, newspaper or a worm blanket. • Worms love to eat kitchen scraps: fruit, vegetables, tea bags, coffee grounds, ground eggshells, small amounts of shredded paper and garden refuse such as lawn clippings, leaf litter and soft prunings chopped finely. And be sure to chop your kitchen scraps finely as well; it makes it a lot easier for your worms to consume. Fruit and vegetable pulp that comes out of a juicer is ideal, too. Remember, dry materials need to be moistened and lawn clippings should be free of herbicidal residue. • Worms don’t like to eat onions, meat, fish waste, dairy, citrus peel, chilli, garlic, oily food scraps, animal manures and strong-smelling herbs high in oils such as rosemary.

Good Organic Gardening | 49

THE UNDERGROUND | Worms Earthworms are generally a lot larger than the species chosen for composting purposes

Did you know?

• If you cut a worm in half it will NOT grow back the other half. • Worms can eat half their bodyweight in food every day. • Worms in pots is a no-no. If they’re confined in a small space, while churning through the soil they’ll inevitably damage your pot plant’s roots.

Troubleshooting Smelly worm farm This means your worm farm has become too acidic. Add a good handful of dolomite or garden lime to the top tray and water it in. It’s good practice to do this every 2–4 weeks, anyway. It can also mean you’ve forgotten to drain the worm wee from the bottom tray and it’s backing up. You may even have to clean out the whole farm and start again if this has occurred. Rain exposure can also cause drowning in traditional setups, or in other styles, where drainage is inadequate. Finally, it could be due to too much nitrogenous kitchen scraps and not enough carbon-dry material like dry grass clipping or leaves to balance it out.

The initial bedding used for worms to settle into their farm is usually coir peat

50 | Good Organic Gardening

Ants or flies in the farm Ants are a sign that the farm is too dry. Moisten by running a 10L watering can through the farm. Add more kitchen scraps — you may have been including too much dry material such as leaf litter and the like. Vaseline around the legs of your worm farms will stop ants marching up into the farm. Flies are generally a problem if meat and fish products have been added to the farm and the exclusion screens aren’t working.

Worm wee can be diluted to the colour of weak tea and used as a fertiliser on just about everything. increased availability of nutrients to plants, turning over of the topsoil, increased rate of decomposition of organic matter and large deposits of castings that contain high levels of beneficial bacteria, organic matter and nutrients. Not without good reason have earthworms been called “the intestines of the Earth”.

Gotta get some worms It’s relatively easy to encourage earthworms into your garden soil: you just need to add organic matter in the form of compost, mulch, manures, leaf litter — anything you can get your hands on, basically. One easy method is trench composting, where you simply bury kitchen fruit and vegetable scraps about 20cm deep in various locations around the garden. Mulching is also conducive to more worm activity as it keeps the soil moist and its temperature regulated, so it slowly breaks down to add more organic matter to the soil. Regular watering around the garden will also encourage the worms.

Worms | THE UNDERGROUND Vermicastings are liquid gold

Avoid using chemical fertilisers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. Worms are very sensitive to them and these chemicals will actually reduce worm populations. Also recommended is a reduction in vigorous soil cultivation that breaks up the soil structure too much. What are you waiting for, then? You should have already put down this magazine and started your own worm farm — or at least begun adding organic matter to your garden beds to encourage more worm activity. 

Important notes • The ideal temperature range is 20–25°C. If the weather is too hot or too cold, worm activity will decrease. • Worms will regulate their population within the farm. • Worms like a neutral pH. Add dolomite or garden lime on a regular basis. • Worms tend to be more active at night. • Monitor your worms’ consumption. Don’t put more food scraps in if there are still some there. Excess food will go mouldy before the worms can get through it.

Worm farm overhaul in progress with worm farm, coir peat brick and worm blanket

Probiotics for the garden.

More growth.

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Good Organic Gardening | 51

SHORT SHOOTS | earthy ideas

Top Tips Words by Erina Starkey

As well as composting your newspaper you can also fashion the pages into homemade eco-friendly pots, which can then be planted straight in the ground. Using a wine bottle or glass as a mould, tightly wrap newspaper around the base, tucking in at the bottom. Continue to layer the newspaper around the bottle until the shape of a pot is formed. Spray lightly with water to help define the shape. When dry, remove from the bottle or glass and it’s ready to fill with a plant of your choice. Used paper coffee cups also to make great express versions.

Food for thought

Consider sharing any gluts of fruit or vegetables with local charity organisations. It’s a great way to help the community and can make a substantial difference to individuals and families. Donations of food can also reduce the growing amount of food that ends up in landfill every year, which is not only wasteful but environmentally unsustainable. Visit www.givenow.com.au to find an organisation near you.

Gardening for beginners

We all have one friend who, despite good intentions, is a serial plant-killer. The

52 | Good Organic Gardening

best place to start them off and help build their confidence is with an air plant. Air plants don’t even need soil to live as they take their nutrients from the air. To keep your air plant alive, mist with water occasionally and protect from extreme conditions. Once they’ve graduated from this, recommend an aloe plant or a succulent. These are notoriously hardy, easy to look after and well suited to most conditions. Your friend will become a gardener in no time.

Hose hassles

A hose with a split or cut may be useless, but don’t throw it away; hoses can be easily mended by a connecting hose piece. A hose joiner piece is a unit that fits to either end of the hose and screws together. Simply cut out the section of the hose that is damaged and rejoin. Hose joiners can be bought online or at your local hardware store. Reuse old lengths of hose by threading them through the ties of staked plants or trees to provide an extra buffer from chafe damage.

Fertile grounds

Have you ever thought to offer your plants a morning coffee? Coffee grounds are nutrient-rich with nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and trace amounts of minerals including

Photos: Bigstock & Erina Starkey

Good news!

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copper. Reuse your grind by adding it to your compost to activate it, as well as into your worm farm or directly into the soil. Be mindful that coffee increases the acidity of the soil, so if you drink more cups a day than you should, make sure it’s spread out and diluted.

Step up your safety routine

If you think secateurs are the most dangerous tool in the shed, you’d be dead wrong. The worst offender is your ladder, which is responsible for the most garden accidents. To prevent injury, ensure your ladder is placed firmly on the ground in a balanced position and have someone hold it steady for you. Keep your ladder in good condition and inspect it before use. While it may look harmless, it’s better to be safe than sorry. For those who are still wary, invest in long-handled pruners to perhaps avoid ladders altogether.

Dead or alive

Not sure if your plant is still there? To test, bend back the branches. If they are flexible, chances are the branch is still alive; if it snaps, it’s probably dead. Scrape back the bark of a leafless stem or twig using your fingernail. If green is revealed beneath the brown stem, there is still life in the plant. Cut back dead growth until you start to see green tissue again to give it the best new start.

Climate control

Some areas of your garden will have microclimates suited to different plant varieties. To discover where they are, get up early on a frosty morning to see where the frost has settled and where it hasn’t. Frosts are usually found in exposed areas and in lower parts of the landscape where cold air gathers. By noting where frost settles and where it doesn’t, you’ll have an indication of where you should be planting your frost-sensitive plants and your cool-climate plants.

A pair of pineapples

What’s better than one pineapple? Two pineapples! If you cut the top off your pineapple and peel the outer leaves away, you can create a cutting that will produce another pineapple. Propagate your cutting in a seed tray filled with propagating mix; after about a month you can expect to see plenty of young roots. When planting pineapples in the ground, it’s important to plant them into a ridge or raised bed because pineapples must have free drainage. They also love well-composted soil that’s been mulched on the surface.

Herb infusions

One of the easiest and most enjoyed gifts from the garden is herb-infused oils. To make, just insert freshly picked herbs into an attractive bottle, add a few bulbs of homegrown garlic and top with quality olive oil, making sure the oil completely covers. J

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www.wobble-tee.com.au Good Organic Gardening | 53

WEEKEND GARDENING | Greywater

going

grey Photos: Patrick Redmond

The wasted water that gurgles down your plugholes can be reused on your garden

54 | Good Organic Gardening

Greywater |

WEEKEND GARDENING

Compiled by Diane Norris he use of greywater has become an important water conservation resource and it’s easy to employ in a water-wise garden. With our experience of droughts and enforced water restrictions, many gardeners are embracing the reuse of water to keep their gardens alive. Sydney water has estimated that the average household (3.5 people) produces 586L of waste water a day, which roughly translates into about 350L of greywater that could easily be recycled. Most states adopt the generation of about 100L per person per day of greywater from bathrooms and laundry. Did you know we can use up to 40 per cent and more of our mains water supply just on gardens during the summer months? This puts a huge demand on our fresh water supplies, which can be dramatically alleviated by choosing the right plants, employing smart landscaping techniques, capturing rainwater and reusing greywater. Accounting for up to 70 per cent of waste water, greywater is the household water that has been used in the bath, shower, spa, hand basin and washing machine — not the water from toilet flushing, or blackwater. Kitchen sink waste water is not recommended for garden use because it may contain high levels of fats, food residues and other impurities, all of which can affect the long-term health of soils and clog irrigation filters and driplines. 

Choosing products Reusing greywater from the laundry is easy, but the right choice of laundry products is essential. Many chemicals go into most laundry products and these could kill beneficial insects and soil microbes and damage your plants. Laundry powder packaging will inform you about the product’s ingredients, but here’s a good guide. Choose laundry products that are: • Low in phosphate and phosphate-free • Low in sodium (salt) • Readily biodegradable • Liquid rather than powder • Concentrated • Suitable for use in cold water You can also take an extra environmental step and choose laundry powders, like Aware for example, that are made from plant-based ingredients, are palm-oil-free and do not contain petrochemicals.

Good Organic Gardening | 55

WEEKEND GARDENING | Greywater

Greywater rules Experts advise that laundry (washing machine) water is best to recycle for use on the garden as long as you use environmentally friendly soaps and detergents (low phosphorous products are marked “NP” on the packaging). But there is some debate around phosphorus and detergents. The whole idea of greywater-safe detergents with low or no phosphorus is misleading as phosphorus has no effect on greywater but rather on the soil and plants it comes in contact with. A little bit of phosphorus is good for most plants.

Generally, liquid detergents are preferred because powders tend to be bulked up with salt, which is more of a concern than phosphorus in soils. The concept of garden-friendly is admirable but, unfortunately, there are no standards to measure any detergent against to determine eco, garden or environmental friendliness. But use those marked NP or garden-friendly — it’s the best we can do. Bathroom greywater is sometimes used on gardens provided it doesn’t contain too much soap, bubble bath or shampoo.

Experts advise that laundry (washing machine) water is best to recycle for use on the garden as long as you use environmentally friendly soaps and detergents (low phosphorous products are marked “NP” on the packaging). 56 | Good Organic Gardening

• Use only greywater systems accredited by your local authorities. • Regulations require all greywater must stay within your own property. • Do not allow greywater to pool on the surface of your yard. • Do not use greywater that has been used to wash nappies. • Do not let children play in greywater. • Do not drink greywater. • Do not let your pets drink greywater. • Wear gloves and wash your hands after touching greywater. • Use greywater on alternate areas in your garden. • Greywater should not be used on plants you intend to eat (except the root zone of fruit trees). • Allow greywater to cool as hot greywater damages plants. • Do not use untreated greywater for surface irrigation. • Do not store untreated greywater for more than 24 hours.

Greywater |

WEEKEND GARDENING

Accounting for up to 70 per cent of waste water, greywater is the household water that has been used in the bath, shower, spa, hand basin and washing machine — not the water from toilet ﬂushing, or blackwater. How to go grey

Every square metre of irrigation area can usually accept 5–10L of greywater each day. (Requirements vary from 10 to 20sqm per person, depending on the soil type.) Treatment systems: The quality of greywater is improved by filtering or otherwise treating it. Treated water can be stored for longer, is of a higher quality and can be used for toilet flushing and clothes washing as well as on the garden.

Reusing greywater ranges from the easy task of bucketing water from the washing machine right through to installing an automatic greywater diversion and irrigation system. Before you purchase and install any kind of greywater recycling system, however, you need to contact your local water authority, council or health department. Regulations vary across Australia regarding what house water can be recycled, the method of installation, treatment (if any) and the type of irrigation system that can be used. What type of greywater system you choose will depend on your budget, where you live, your existing plumbing network and the landscape of your garden. Greywater systems are either diversion or treatment systems. Diversion systems: These filter and directly divert greywater from the laundry or bathroom to the garden for immediate use. The water is not stored for more than 24 hours, if at all. It needs to be spread over a minimum area.

Irrigating with greywater The safest way to transport your greywater to your garden is through sub-surface irrigation pipes. These need to be at least 10cm below the mulch or ground surface. Make sure the diversion system selected has Australian Standard Watermark approval and contains a filter to trap any debris, such as lint or hair, that may be in the greywater. A layer of mulch on top of the irrigation system prevents greywater rising to the surface.

Monitor your greywater carefully to make sure no run-off escapes from your property. Occasionally check the pH level of the greywater and soil and remember not to use greywater on any below-ground food crops such as vegetables with edible roots, bulbs and tubers (potatoes, carrots, beetroots and onions). You need to ensure no edible part comes in direct contact with greywater. We recommend that greywater be used around the root zone of fruit trees or in the ornamental garden — not on edibles or native plants. J

Our thanks to Sam Milani of Grey Flow (greyflow.net.au) and Dr Ross Mars, wastewater specialist and permaculture teacher from Water Installations (waterinstallations.com), for their expert assistance with this feature.

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Good Organic Gardening | 57

THE SHED | Water Recycling tanks

Bring in the tanks

name a few. Lawn sprinklers and drip irrigation systems can utilise rainwater efficiently.

Capture every drop of rain that falls onto your roof and your garden will applaud

There are three main things to remember if you are using a rainwater tank for water conservation: Capacity: The larger the tank, the more rainwater can be captured and stored for use during dry periods. A minimum size of 5000 litres is suggested. But for those wanting to maximise rainwater use in their gardens, a 10,000L tank would hold enough water to help irrigate a garden. A static supply of 10,000 litres is recommended for bushfire protection as fire hoses and roof sprinkler systems use a lot of water. Always seek advice from your local tank supplier about correct sizing and configuration to ensure you get what you truly need.

58 | Good Organic Gardening

backyard, capturing and harnessing rainfall in a rainwater tank will make a difference. By storing rainwater run-off from your roof, a water tank provides a valuable source of water for garden irrigation and other domestic uses, and makes a huge difference to your water usage. Using rainwater appropriately can save you money on water bills and help the environment. You can also install water-efficient devices such as dual-flush toilets, AAA-rated shower heads, tap aerators, trigger nozzles and tap timers, to

Photo: Bigstock

Compiled by Diane Norris ater is one of the most precious commodities we have and water conservation is constantly on our minds. Rainwater tanks have played a vital role in taking the pressure off our rapidly dwindling town water supplies and allowed homeowners to irrigate their gardens during water restrictions. Did you realise that up to 40 per cent of a householdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water use can be replaced with rainwater? So even in the smallest

Tank considerations

Water tanks|

THE SHED

Which is for you?

Rainwater tanks are essential for a sustainable lifestyle

Water use: Keep a check on water levels in your tank, especially if you use tankwater on a daily basis. You need to decide if the quality of the water from your roof is safe to drink â&#x20AC;&#x201D; tankwater is not recommended for drinking unless the only source â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or is just going to be used in your yard. You might also consider getting a licensed plumber to advise on connecting your captured water as an auxiliary supply to your washing machine or toilet. You can install a water pump to run an irrigation system but make sure you install a filter to sieve out algae or debris that can sometimes be present in your tank. The

filter will stop blockages occurring in your irrigation sprays. Position: Tanks need to be installed pretty close to where the water is captured. Most water comes from the roof of your house, garage or shed when it rains. The water is diverted from gutters and downpipes straight into the tank. Any overflow from the tank can be directed to the garden or an additional overflow tank. Your tank also needs to be sited near a power point (to operate the pump) and near an existing gutter with downpipe fitted. J

For those wanting to maximise rainwater use in their gardens, a 10,000L tank would hold enough water to help irrigate a garden.

Polyethylene tanks: These are commonly referred to as poly tanks and are manufactured from UV-stabilised polyethylene (plastic). They are tough and durable and are able to withstand the harsh Australian sun. Most manufacturers use food-grade polyethylene and construct tanks in a one-piece configuration that ensures long-term structural strength. Poly tanks donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rust or corrode and are impact-resistant and long-lasting. They come in a wide range of sizes, shapes and colours and are most commonly installed above ground. Installation is relatively easy as the tank is comparatively light and manoeuvrable. Metal tanks: Metal tanks are easy to transport and are mostly suited to above-ground sites. They are sturdy and have a long lifespan as well as being resilient to sun damage. Some metal tanks have a polymer coating inside the tank walls and on both sides of the base. Metal tanks can be custom made and are usually corrugated. They can be made from a variety of metals, including the old favourites Zincalume or galvanised steel. The current trend is Colorbond (coloured polymer-coated steel), which comes in a range of colours and lasts for years. For special applications you can also buy copper or stainless-steel tanks. Metal tanks can be more economical than concrete tanks in the larger sizes as they are above ground, which negates the need for costly excavation. Large metal tanks have steel frames and heavy-duty liners, and come in sizes up to 250,000L or more. Fibreglass tanks: These have been around for many years and are resistant to rust and corrosion. They are mostly smooth-finished and installed above ground. They can tolerate extreme temperatures, come in a large range of colours and are relatively light, so are easy to transport and install. Fibreglass tanks are usually manufactured with a black internal finish to inhibit algae growth. Concrete: Concrete tanks are suitable for above-ground or in-ground installation. Tanks up to 10,000L are transportable, while the larger ones are poured on-site. These tanks are extremely long-lasting and durable. Most areas that are not connected to water mains and rely solely on rainwater for everything choose concrete tanks over other types. In suburban areas, concrete tanks can be installed underground. If you want to use them for drinking water, these tanks need to be flushed well to remove any concrete taste from the water.

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THE SHED | Water tanks

Tank accessories After your new tank is safely home, there are accessories you may like to think about. Of course, your tank supplier will point you in the right direction. You should consider: • A pump cover to protect your pump • A diverter to capture the first lot of rain and filter it off, taking with it dust and debris • Tank level indicator to show water level • Tank lid, dust cover, strainer and screen • Overflow kit to divert water when your tank overflows

Correct plumbing ensures every drop of rain is captured

Slimline tanks with a width of around 600mm are the most space-eﬃcient in suburban areas as they are purpose-designed for narrow side passages.

Tanks come in an enormous range of colours, shapes and sizes, so there is one suitable for the smallest courtyard up to a large-acreage garden. You can buy water bladders that can be installed under a piered house or verandah. Slimline tanks with a width of around 600mm are the most space-efficient in suburban areas as they are purpose-designed for narrow side passages. These come in small capacities, from 500L to 5000L, and are more suited to feeding toilets and washing machines. Tank manufacturing now ensures that most tanks, whatever shape or size, come in a full range of colours. Of course, if you choose a concrete above-ground tank you can paint it with a coloured cement-based paint. Concrete tanks last the longest by far. Metal and plastic (poly) tanks last at least 10 years and can indeed last much longer (some manufacturers offer up to 20-year warranties). Of course, weather conditions, like full sun each day, affect the longevity of your tank. Metal tanks can rust after several years.

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Make sure when you buy a tank that it complies with the Australian Standards AS3500 and AS3855. All valves and fittings should be approved for use on drinking water supply systems and they need to comply with AS4020 and MP52. Tanks can be bought from irrigation outlets, specialised tank suppliers and larger hardware stores, rural suppliers or garden centres. Tank suppliers are also listed in the Yellow Pages under Tanks and Tank Equipment.

Installation First, it could be a good idea to check with your local council to see if you need to provide any paperwork or obtain an application to install a rainwater tank. As for installation, your tank supplier should provide you with the exact site preparation guides you need so you can get that done in plenty of time before your tank arrives. For above-ground tanks the site needs to be flat and level, well compacted and free from any rocks, stones and sharp objects. The site should be at least 600mm larger in diameter (or size) than the base of your

Rainwater collection • Tanks should not be used to collect water from roofing where lead-based paints or tar-based coatings have been used. • Run-off should not be collected from roofs with lead sources (such as lead flashings) or through some types of lead pipes that were in use many years ago. • Roofs made of fibrous cement will leach lime for a while, so any rainwater collected should be discarded for an entire season. • Roofs painted with acrylic paints will have dissolved detergents and chemicals in the first few run-offs, so this water should be discarded. • Run-off collected in some urban and industrial areas may contain pollutants. • In farmland areas, captured rainwater may contain agricultural chemicals (pesticides) that will contaminate the water.

Photo: Bigstock

Shape, size, colour and type

Water tanks|

tank. Alternatively, you might be able to use a concrete or brick base, retained sand bed or an approved tank stand for smaller tanks. Large concrete tanks are usually placed underground, so excavation will be necessary.

Tank care • Tanks come fitted with a strainer and you can buy accessories such as dust covers and diverters, but sometimes other maintenance will be needed. • Keep your gutter and roof clear of leaves. Install a diverter that will drain off any debris with the first shower of rain. Leaf eaters discard any leaves before the water enters the tank. These need to be installed on each downpipe, either directly under the gutter or in the downpipe. • Clean inlet strainers regularly and replace if stainless-steel mesh becomes damaged. • Check for sludge every few years and remove any buildup of sediment from the tank floor. • Make sure the inlet strainer is tight-fitting and the other outlets are in good repair.

Poly tanks are by far the easiest to install as they are light enough to move around or roll and they can be carried over fences with a few willing helpers. Check with your tank supplier, as the cost of installation, fittings, pipe work and a pump will not be included in the price of the tank, so it will be up to you to organise. Remember, you may need the services of a plumber to hitch the tank to the roof and pump. Unless your tank is high enough to gravity-feed, you will also need to buy an electric pressure pump to get the water moving. The pump will turn on automatically when the tap is opened. There are many to choose from, including Australian-made items, and you’ll find them at irrigation outlets or your tank supplier.

Keep water clean Tanks need to be maintained and the proper tank fittings installed. Open tanks can be the perfect breeding nook for mosquitoes and the water can be spoiled by rotting vegetation if not sieved out, so make sure a tight-fitting strainer is correctly in place. A first-flow diverter is a good investment because it will flush out the initial dirty water from your roof.

THE SHED

If the tank is for drinking water it’s worth investing in a filter.  Thanks to Mark Robertson of Think Water Dural. See duralirrigation.com.au for more information

Before your tank arrives • Double-check the site measurements against the tank size you have ordered. • Ask your tank supplier for site preparation details. • If excavation of the site is needed, organise well in advance. • Make sure access is suitable for the truck and tank. • Ensure you have your site prepared well before the date of your tank’s delivery. • If your tank is a non-concrete type, in addition to the delivery driver, two or three people will be needed to place the tank in position. Organise some helpers to be on-site to manoeuvre the tank into place as most suppliers will only offload the tank off the truck.

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FEATHERED FRIENDS | A favourite fowl Buff Sussex, like this young pair, are hardy farm fowls

Let’s talk Sussex This big British bird is one of the oldest known breeds, dating back to the Roman invasion Words by Megg Miller ne purebred with great appeal is the Sussex. I bet you’ll recognise it as it’s almost as well known as the Silkie. You may not know what the breed is called but you’ll identify it by its unique neckwear. Both the Light Sussex and the Buff Sussex have a distinctive black-speckled neck hackle. To those unfamiliar with poultry terminology, it’s similar to a black collar. The Sussex is a big bird; in fact, it’s one of the few breeds with no upper limit for weight. The standard fowl are bred to minimum weights of 4.10kg for males and

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3.20kg for females. It would be common for mature males to weigh in at 6.35kg and females at 4.80kg or more. That’s a lot of chook to feed and to hold.

British to the backbone There are no prizes for guessing where this breed originated: it’s clearly a regional fowl from the south of England. Old books tell of Sussex being a popular area where fowl were raised and fattened for the London market — not dozens but thousands and thousands of birds, many finished through cramming, the disgusting process of force-

A Light Sussex rooster showing the distinct hackle

A favourite fowl|

FEATHERED FRIENDS

A group of young Light Sussex pullets heading off to the range

feeding fowl a pasty meal several times daily for greater weight. It wasn’t until 1905 that Sussex was officially recognised as a pure breed. By this time cramming was a distant memory, but farmers raising this meaty bird were not looking for recognition, but a fair price. A standard was

drawn up, several colours were recognised and Sussex were ready to take on all comers.

A bird with presence Sussex present as wholesome, healthy fowls and, though large, are graceful. You can tell from their appearance they are a meat bird:

Photos: Bigstock & courtesy of Megg Miller

The handsome speckled Sussex

they are broad, wide, deep-bodied, long and plump-breasted. The shape is not boxlike but rectangular; the back is flat and long and this is complemented by a long, straight breastbone. While we have mentioned the weights of standard fowl, for people short of space the bantam version would be ideal. It displays the generous proportions associated with the breed but in miniature: males in the 1.14– 1.36kg range and females from 910g to 1.14kg. Sussex display a moderate-sized single comb and wattles, and prominent red earlobes. We can guess from the earlobe colour that hens will lay a tinted or brownshelled egg. With Sussex it should be tinted. One characteristic of the breed is a fold of skin, or dewlap, on the throat of mature hens. This adds to their matronly appearance because it’s usually accompanied by fine, white, hairlike feathers. The best layers in your flock will be free of this endearing characteristic. Sussex are white-skinned, so expect to find the legs and feet flesh-coloured. It’s common for roosters to display a pink tinge on the outer side of the legs and in some it will deepen to red. It’s quite normal and not a sign of an allergy or ill-health.

Choose a colour

Sussex present as wholesome, healthy fowls and, though large, are graceful. You can tell from their appearance they are a meat bird: they are broad, wide, deep-bodied, long and plump-breasted.

There’s a small range of colours to choose from. The best known and most numerous is the Light Sussex, a white- or silverplumaged bird with the familiar black striping on the neck hackle. Also black are sections of wing feathers (usually obscured when closed) and tail feathers. A pretty variation is a white- or silverplumaged bird with the black markings  Good Organic Gardening | 63

FEATHERED FRIENDS | A favourite fowl A pretty light Sussex hen

Although other varieties exist, they are uncommon and difficult to locate.

Role in autosexing

diluted to lavender blue. This variety is known as the Coronation. If the Buff appeals, the main plumage colour will be golden buff with neck hackle, wings and tail a rich greenish black. Speckled is the oldest recognised variety, presenting as a deep mahogany with each feather tipped with a black bar and a white spot. Gorgeous! Tail feathers are green-black with a white tip.

Autosexing, the ability to distinguish the gender of chickens at hatching due to variations in feather colour or pattern, became popular in the 1930s and 40s. A favourite cross was a red-plumaged rooster, like a Dark Indian Game mated to Light Sussex hens. The red plumage was due to gold genes and the white of Light Sussex to silver genes. The chicks? The pullets were always buff and the cockerels silver but if you reversed the mating, the autosexing failed. This cross is practised today by smallholders seeking a slow-growing, tasty meat bird. The autosexing allows them to separate the genders if they want to feed them differently. There are other red males that could be used, but the Light Sussex hen is one of the few silver breeds available.

Management tips The Sussex is placid in nature, so is an easy bird to keep. Access to free range is recommended to ensure it gets plenty of exercise. If allowed to get fat, Sussex are adversely affected by hot weather. Overweight birds also lay poorly.

A big-bodied bird eats heartily and Sussex do have a high feed intake. They are likely to consume nearly twice as much as a smallbodied Hamburgh or a Langshan. Big-bodied birds don’t fly as well as smaller birds, so a ladder-type perch will make getting up and down easier. This will help prevent leg or foot-pad injuries and is fun exercise. High temperatures are the challenge for owners of this breed, and roof insulation and the intermittent use of misters or sprinklers on the roof or in the yard will pay dividends. The fact is it’s difficult for such large birds to disperse body heat. Ice in drinking water and cool, damp soil will help when temperatures soar. You may even have to take the girls inside to share the airconditioner if they get particularly stressed.

Link with the land Sussex are ambassadors for a slower, more peaceful way of life. They are a reminder of what farm stock used to look like: big, bold and boastful of good health and vitality. No wonder they’re so popular with urban folk. By all means, keep Sussex, but there is an additional responsibility as summers get hotter: to survive, they need more TLC than other fowl. Still, that’s not too much to ask for such a beautiful bird. J

Eggs are simply the best. We give them the best certiﬁed organic grain – no meat-meal (unlike others). We value the welfare of our feathered friends; that’s why we give them an idyllic habitat with plenty of space to roam, lots of deep mulch to scratch through, shady trees and lush pasture so our eggs are nutrient dense and rich in omega 3’s. We run no more than 600 hens per hectare. Our hens are always occupied so we don’t have to debeak.

Happy hens lay sensational eggs. 64 | Good Organic Gardening

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PROFESSIONAL ORGANICS |Barbushco Natural bushfood jams, syrups, pasta and dukka

Australian Native

Organic Foods Words by Diane Norris t was a true pleasure and privilege to visit Bruce and Barbara Barlin, owners and founders of Barbushco, at their picturesque property in Lorne, NSW. Originally a beef cattle farm, since 1996 it’s been a family-owned enterprise, with more than 26,000 native trees planted — most by hand — since then. In 2001, the Barlins became members of Organic Growers of Australia and have been certified A Grade Organic since 2004, through ACO, Australian Certified Organic. The farm’s cattle have also been certified organic.

I Bruce checks one of the 26,000 native trees on his Lorne property

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While bush foods grow all over Australia in different climatic zones, in deciding to specialise in them, Bruce and Barbara’s aim was to grow only plants indigenous to their own area and to ensure products made from them would be viable to market. Bruce and Barbara looked for diversification alternatives in the 1990s when the prices for beef cattle were very low. They said they considered a lot of alternatives, but the initial outlay for most was very expensive and the time before any returns considerable. Around the same time, there were seminars being held up and down the coast to attract growers to the bush food industry.

Photos: Diane Norris & courtesy of Barbushco

When you become acquainted with the versatility, health beneﬁts and wonderful ﬂavours of Australian bush foods, you wonder why there aren’t more producers like this one

Barbushco |

PROFESSIONAL ORGANICS

The Barlins did some homework and decided they would give it a go. And now they are bush food growers.

Natural flavours “Ask most people what they think bush foods are and you get a pretty standard answer: kangaroo and witjuti grubs,” says Barbara. Bruce says they prefer to talk about their products as Australian native flavours. These are foods and flavours that can be easily used in our existing diets and eating habits. Bruce and Barbara started by planting lemon myrtle and aniseed myrtle trees, then Dorrigo peppers, cinnamon myrtles, lemon-scented tea-trees, Davidson plums, rosellas, riberries and brush cherries. From these they produce Barbushco spices, jams, sauces, essential oils, bush-flavoured pasta, teas and bush dukkah (a blend of nuts, seeds and bush spices). They point out that Australia has literally thousands of bush foods that have been identified by the CSIRO and other research taking place over the past decade, but we currently use only a couple of hundred of these. Australia imports billions of dollars worth of spices and foods from overseas every year, yet we have wonderful flavours here that are comparable in taste and superior in quality. The basic flavours for most of Barbushco’s products come from the spice trees. Bush leaf flavours are best used like spices or herbs to

Bruce and Barbara proudly accept the Green Award at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in March, 2013

give a subtle taste to dishes. They adapt easily to any style of cooking and can also be used to make aromatic hot or cold teas. Lemon myrtle has been taking the imagination of chefs for a while. It has a superb fragrance and goes beautifully in a variety of culinary applications: cheesecakes, desserts, breads, biscuits and chocolates. As Barbara says, it imparts a “superlative” flavour to fish, sauces, pasta and beverages. It can be used instead of lemongrass in Southeast

Asian dishes and, because of its ease of use, it’s becoming a real favourite with Asian chefs. Lemon myrtle also makes a wonderful herbal tea. It has calmative properties, so it’s a nice tea to have before bedtime or refreshing as an iced tea on a hot day. Aniseed myrtle is a very aromatic spice with a flavour similar to that of star anise. It can be used to flavour pasta, seafood, stocks, sauces, breads, biscuits, chocolates, ice-cream and liqueurs. It substitutes beautifully for J

While bush foods grow all over Australia in diﬀerent climatic zones, in deciding to specialise in them, Bruce and Barbara’s aim was to grow only plants indigenous to their own area and to ensure products made from them would be viable to market.

The stunning beauty of Bruce and Barbara’s Lorne acres

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PROFESSIONAL ORGANICS |Barbushco Barbushco’s prize-winning spices, teas and essential oils

Bruce and Barbara Barlin

As well as using native trees for bush foods, Barbushco also distils essential oils. Australian native essential oils have been the subject of much research recently in several universities. star anise or French tarragon in any recipe. Barbara’s banana tea cake recipe is a real winner when they host groups for morning tea and a farm tour. Cinnamon myrtle, as its name suggests, has a taste and aroma similar to that of cinnamon and can be used instead of cinnamon in curries, breads, desserts and stirfries. The Barlins have combined cinnamon myrtle, lemon myrtle and chilli powder to make a blend they call Rainforest Blend. It’s a versatile mixed spice that can be tossed into stirfries or salads or sprinkled on barbecue meats. Lemon-scented tea-tree has a sharper lemon flavour than lemon myrtle and is mixed with aniseed myrtle to make their Rainforest Blend Tea. It has a slightly spicier taste than the straight lemon myrtle tea. Aniseed myrtle and lemon tea-tree have stimulant qualities and together make a great pick-me-up. Dorrigo pepper is an Australian leaf pepper with a sharp, hot flavour. It’s similar to black pepper in taste, although subtler when first tasted; it has a longer palate and Bruce says it grows on you the more you eat. It complements cheese, dips, bread, pâtés, soups, mustards and sauces, and can be used in any culinary application where common pepper is used. It has antibacterial properties and some naturopaths are recommending Dorrigo pepper to combat internal candida. Perhaps the most recognised of Australian flavours is wattle seed. It has a coffee/hazelnut/ chocolate flavour and is great in ice-cream, cream, cakes, breads and biscuits. A lot of people are using wattle seed as an alternative to ground coffee as it’s naturally caffeine free.

68 | Good Organic Gardening

Native fruits As well as the spice trees, Bruce and Barbara grow some Australian native fruits, including two of the more than 50 varieties of lilly pilly: brush cherry and riberry. These have quite different flavours and Barbara says they make beautiful jams. Riberry has a berry taste with a spicy finish almost like ginger or cardamom, while brush cherry is like a cross between a cherry and red currant. Riberry is used in the Barbushco Lilli Pilli Jam, giving it a unique flavour. Davidson plum is very tart in flavour but excellent when made into jams and sauces. Davidson plum has a very high concentration of antioxidants and natural preservatives, which allow it to be dried without adding chemical preservatives. Barbushco also makes rosella jam. Also known as native hibiscus, rosella is an annual bush. It has a small cream flower that looks like a hibiscus and when it closes up it forms red bracts around the seed. It’s these red bracts that are used to make delicious jams, sauces and syrups. Among other products is their Bush Tomato Chilli Sauce. Although related to the tomato in genus, the bush tomato tastes nothing like a tomato. It’s often called a bush raisin because the flavour is almost fruity but has a strong, sharp, spicy aftertaste. The bush tomato sauce also incorporates other native spices.

Essential oils As well as using native trees for bush foods, Barbushco also distils essential oils. Australian native essential oils have been

the subject of much research recently in several universities. Because of this, they are now becoming increasingly popular in aromatherapy and cosmetics manufacturing. Barbara says they distil three of their tree varieties into essential oils: lemon myrtle, lemon-scented tea-tree and aniseed myrtle. Lemon myrtle is the world’s richest known source of the lemon flavour and fragrance citral (90–98 per cent). It has been described as more lemon than lemon and is an exquisite essential oil for vaporisation and aromatherapy.

Barbara’s Banana Tea Cake with Aniseed Myrtle Spice Ingredients 1½ cups plain flour 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp bicarb soda 1 cup sugar 2 tsp Barbushco Aniseed Myrtle Spice ½ cup chopped walnuts or macadamias 1 cup mashed banana 2 eggs ¼ cup melted butter Method Sift flour, baking powder and bicarb soda. Add sugar and Aniseed Myrtle Spice. Add nuts, banana, eggs and cooled melted butter. Stir quickly and lightly. Pour into greased bar tin or ring tin and bake in a moderate oven (180°C) for 35–40 mins.

Barbushco | Lemon myrtle oil has been shown to have therapeutic actions as an antiseptic, antiviral, calmative and corrective for the common cold, influenza, bronchitis, Herpes simplex, indigestion and other irritable GIT disorders. Research at Charles Sturt University also shows it has very high antifungal properties. Lemon-scented tea-tree essential oil is prepared from the leaves and stems of this beautiful Australian native shrub Barbushco’s success is based on healthy native species

COLD PRESSED

(Leptospermum petersonii). It has similar medicinal characteristics to those of the ordinary tea-tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) as an antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic. Lemon-scented tea-tree also contains the insect repellents citronellal, citronellol and geraniol. Lemon tea-tree oil can be used in aromatherapy as an immune-system stimulant, particularly for colds and flu, for the digestive system (dyspepsia and colitis)

PROFESSIONAL ORGANICS

and for the treatment of anxiety, stress, depression and nervous tension. Aniseed Myrtle Oil, with its distinct aniseed aroma, is a stimulant in small quantities and a sedative in larger quantities, so it needs to be used sparingly. It has been known to cause a light-headed sensation people have described as a “spacey” feeling. Because of its low oil yield, aniseed myrtle is less readily available and more expensive.

Educating our future

Striking rosellas, also known as native hibiscus

Bruce and Barbara are sharing their expertise, enthusiasm and love of native foods. “Food technology teachers are constantly telling us how difficult it is to source high-quality classroom resources for the bush-food section of the curriculum,” says Bruce, “so we now offer a range of bush-food teaching aids, including a DVD, posters and product packs.” This is only a snippet of what happens at Barbushco. It is a most amazing property and an enthralling enterprise that has been built through good management, acquired knowledge and a love of native bush foods, not to mention love of the land and family. We thank Bruce and Barbara for the generosity they extended to us while we were putting together their wonderful story. For more information, see barbushco.com.au. 

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AUSTRALIAN CERTIFIED ORGANIC Good Organic Gardening | 69

ORGANIC LIVING | Cheap eats Blueberries are easy to grow in the garden or large pots

Grow and save Foods that cost a bomb can be inexpensive — and often very easy — to grow at home

70 | Good Organic Gardening

Cheap eats|

Words by Chloe Thomson f you’re budget-conscious when grocery shopping (and, let’s face it, who isn’t these days?), you’ve probably noticed some fruit and vegetables are pretty darn expensive. And, as Murphy’s Law would have it, it’s always the ones you want or crave that cost the most. But, if you’re savvy about what you choose to grow, you can feed your family wonderful organic produce without the high pricetag. Here are a few of my favourites that can be expensive to buy (organically grown or not) so it’s well worth the savings if you can grow them yourself. The shorter season of some of these crops will encourage you to make preserves or pickles and become more aware of the seasonality of produce. You can’t get more local than freshly picked from your own backyard and you’ll also know exactly how it was grown.

ORGANIC LIVING

Artichokes when flowering and fruiting are the most striking of plants

Photos: 123rf. Bigstock & Diane Norris

Asparagus This is my favourite spring crop. Once established in your garden, it’s very easy to maintain and harvest. I love the glut we have in spring and many spears get eaten raw on the way back to the kitchen. If I have too many to cope with, I swap them with friends or neighbours. A bunch of organic asparagus can cost upwards of $6 and my pet hate is seeing out-of-season produce from Peru in the supermarket. So embrace this magnificent spring vegetable and grow your own. Asparagus prefers a cooler climate but can be grown as a short-lived crop in the warmer and subtropical states. Plant dormant asparagus crowns during winter in a full-sun or part-shade space that you’ve dug over well with manure and compost. When choosing a site in your garden for asparagus, think long-term. It will take two to three years before a crown is producing edible spears and each crown will continue to produce in the ground for years before needing division. I’ve actually planted several crowns in a raised bed I created around the base of one of my nectarine trees and both the tree and the asparagus are flourishing. The care and maintenance of asparagus plants couldn’t be simpler. Allow them to establish for the first two years without harvesting spears. (In the second year, you can take a few — just to remind you why you’re growing them — but leave the rest!) Once established, the ferns will yellow/ brown off in late winter. Cut them back to just above ground level and cover your asparagus bed with a layer of manure and straw mulch. Then wait for the magic to happen.

You should be harvesting spears for about six weeks during spring and into early summer, after which it’s time to leave the ferns to develop and the cycle begins again. No need to weed or stress about keeping the bed tidy again until late winter. What could be easier?!

Garlic Garlic is another favourite of mine to grow and eat. Growing garlic is particularly easy because, once planted, mulched and watered, it’s a pretty self-sufficient crop. Thankfully, most pests don’t share my garlic obsession, so your crop will be relatively safe from attack. In the unlikely event that black aphids do infest your crop, treat organically with a spray of Eco-oil. Growing garlic is as simple as dividing up the cloves of a whole bulb and planting

during autumn into a full-sun, well-drained and sweetened soil (add lime and compost). Many garlic bulbs from supermarkets, particularly imported ones, have been sprayed with a chemical to stop them from shooting — don’t try growing these at home. Instead, look for healthy, plump bulbs at your local organic greengrocer or you can buy certified diseasefree bulbs from nurseries such as Diggers Club. Organic garlic can be $40–$50 a kilo. Last year I grew 4kg of garlic across two garden beds. Ka-ching! My favourite varieties are: • Mammoth Purple. As the name suggests, it produces large bulbs with big cloves. • Early Purple. Ready for harvest in November/December, this is a mild garlic with large, purple-skinned cloves. • Silverskin, a later-harvest variety, but it stores exceptionally well. J Good Organic Gardening | 71

ORGANIC LIVING | Cheap eats Tasty asparagus can be eaten raw but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delicious cooked as well

Rule of thumb: plant garlic on the shortest days of the year and harvest on the longest

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Nothing beats the taste of freshly picked organic raspberries

Cheap eats|

Money-saving tip: There’s no need to buy garlic bulbs every year; you can replant your own homegrown garlic from the previous season. Choose bulbs that have stored well and are firm, clean and disease-free. I prefer to plant only the larger cloves, saving the tiny ones on the inside of the bulb for eating.

ORGANIC LIVING

Artichoke is a perennial plant that can be grown from seeds or seedlings

Berries Raspberries and other Rubus berries (the ones with the fleshy, bumpy bits on them) as well as blueberries are particularly expensive because they are a highly labour-intensive crop to grow commercially. Strawberries can also be a pricey purchase if demand outstrips supply or you’re after organically grown fruit. Although I’m yet to enjoy huge blueberry harvests from my little plants, I’ve had great success growing strawberries, raspberries and loganberries. The cane-growing raspberries, blackberries and loganberries are particularly economical crops to grow at home — trained vertically along a fence or trellis, they don’t take up much space. When choosing raspberry varieties, look for those that are dual cropping, meaning they produce a big crop in summer and then a secondary, smaller crop in autumn. Probably the best advantage of growing your own berry fruit is the huge array of varieties you can choose from, many of which aren’t commercially viable to grow because they have a softer fruit that doesn’t pack and transport well. Often, however, these softer, small fruits have the best flavour and you may find not many ripe berries make it back to the house. Among my favourite varieties are: • Chandler, a strawberry that produces lots of large (up to 60g) deep-red fruit that is oh, so sweet. • Cambridge Rival, a super-sweet, English heirloom variety of strawberry with an intense flavour and a lovely, glossy red fruit. • Hokowase, an intensely sweet, soft strawberry, perfect for picking and eating straight from the patch. • Willamette, a dark-red raspberry when ripe and a succulent, dual-cropping plant. • Autumn Bliss raspberry, another dualcropping variety that produces large, beautifully sweet fruit. • Thornless loganberry, a great one for pain-free picking, is a tasty cross between raspberry and blackberry. Utterly delicious!

Globe artichoke At around $2 an artichoke, loving these thistle family members can be an expensive habit. Yet they’re as easy to grow as their weedy relatives and, with one plant J

A bunch of organic asparagus can cost upwards of $6 and my pet hate is seeing out-of-season produce from Peru in the supermarket. So embrace this magniﬁcent spring vegetable and grow your own. Good Organic Gardening | 73

ORGANIC LIVING | Cheap eats producing 6–8 buds in its first year and loads more over the following 2–5 years, it makes sense to grow your own. Artichokes are perennials that can be grown from seed or seedlings. To save more pennies and guarantee a tried and trusted variety, ask your neighbours, friends or family if they have some productive plants you could cut side shoots from in autumn. Plant artichoke in spring and autumn in a full-sun position, in moist soil enriched with well-rotted manure or compost. By the following spring you will be harvesting fat, juicy buds — but don’t let them get too big or open as they’ll go tough.

Others worth considering • Snow peas • Tomatoes, particularly the heirloom varieties • Capsicums — again, look for interesting heirloom varieties • Herbs — don’t pay $2–$4 a bunch every time you need some • Mushrooms — keep an eye out for gourmet mushroom kits and impregnated logs

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Garlic can be expensive to buy so why not grow your own — organically?

GARDEN TO TABLE | FOUR SEASONAL EDIBLES

Grow, harvest, store, preserve and cook with recipes by Joanna Rushton, The Organic Chef

80 Thyme Spring Chicken & Vegetable Broth Infused with Thyme

84 Rainbow Chard Rainbow Chard Salad with Citrus Dressing

88 Watermelon Watermelon Cake

92 Spring Onion Quick & Easy Aromatic Spring Curry Green Curry Paste

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Four Seasonal Edibles | GARDEN TO TABLE

82 86 78

Good Organic Gardening | 77

GROWING

| Thyme

Thyme Thymus vulgaris Words by Melissa King

hyme is one of those invaluable herbs that have a place in the garden, kitchen and medicine chest, so versatile is its appeal. In the garden it’s a decorative groundcover with pretty clusters of flowers that attract bees and other friendly pollinators. In the kitchen it’s the perfect partner to lamb, chicken and beetroot, and medicinally it has been used for centuries to reduce the severity of colds, treat skin infections and as a potent antiseptic. Common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is the one most will be familiar with — grown for its strongly aromatic grey-green foliage and flowers that bloom in shades of white, pink or purple. Then there’s lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus) with citrus-scented leaves that make a great

78 | Good Organic Gardening

accompaniment to lamb cutlets; variegated thyme (Thymus x citriodorus ‘Variegata’) with decorative two-toned foliage; turkey thyme, which is the perfect choice for flavouring poultry dishes; and creeping thyme, a mat-forming perennial that carpets the ground. And that’s just to name a few! Thyme is native to areas of the Mediterranean, so it’s tough and easy to grow. Grow it in pots on a sunny balcony or as a decorative groundcover, or combine it with other perennials in the flower border. Creeping thyme even makes a lovely scented lawn alternative or is great between stepping-stones or garden pavers. Health properties: Thyme has one of the highest antioxidant levels of all herbs; it is one of the richest sources of potassium, iron, calcium, manganese,

Thyme | GROWING

magnesium, and selenium and is high in essential vitamins like A, C and B6. So itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no wonder it has been used for centuries to help prevent disease and promote good health. Thyme also has strong antiseptic and antifungal properties. A balm made from the leaves can be effective in helping to heal cuts and burns and to treat skin conditions and acne. Thyme tea is commonly used to help combat colds and flu. Growing: Plant it in a warm, sunny spot with welldrained soil. Planting: Sow seed in spring or take cuttings in spring and autumn. Plants can also be divided during spring or autumn. Potted plants are generally available year round.

Pests and diseases: Thyme, when grown in full sun, is pretty free from any problems. It, however, is great in the garden â&#x20AC;&#x201D; substances leached from its leaves hinder surrounding plant growth, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s useful to reduce competition from weed or grass growth. But, if you do see any weeds popping up through the carpeting types of thyme, gently pull them out. Harvest: Pick the leaves regularly to keep plants bushy and compact. Storage: Any of the thyme varieties are low in moisture and therefore are very easily air-dried. Place out in direct sunlight, then when dried-out, store in a glass lidded jar to retain its flavour.

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COOKING WITH JOANNA RUSHTON | Thyme

Star ingredient: Thyme

Spring Chicken & Vegetable Broth Infused with Thyme Serves 4

Ingredients • 1 tbsp ghee • 2 gloves garlic, crushed • 1 onion, diced • ½ leek, sliced • 4 chicken thighs, sliced • 1L quality chicken stock • 2 small carrots, diced • 2 small zucchini, diced • 1 cup broccoli florets • 3 sprigs fresh thyme • 1 bay leaf • ½ kale or Tuscan cabbage, shredded • Salt & pepper to season

Method 1. Heat ghee in saucepan. Add garlic, onion and leek and sauté till softened. 2. Stir in the sliced chicken thighs and seal the chicken, then add the stock, bring to a simmer and add carrots, zucchini, broccoli, thyme and bay leaf and allow to simmer until chicken is cooked through — about 8 minutes.

Jo’s tip Serve with grated Parmesan (optional).

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3. Add shredded kale or cabbage and season with salt and pepper. 4. Remove from heat and let sit for 2–3 minutes.

Thyme | COOKING WITH JOANNA RUSHTON

Good Organic Gardening | 81

GROWING | Rainbow chard

Rainbow chard Beta vulgaris Words by Neville Donovan, Greenpatch Organic Seeds

Tip Position plants to receive afternoon shade as the spring and early summer months heat up. This will extend the harvest time and minimise wilting.

ainbow chard is a colourful, leafy vegetable that has been grown since early last century in European countries and is an heirloom favourite in that part of the world. It arrived in Australia more recently, where it has become fashionable as a homegrown ornamental vegetable and gained

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noticeable popularity in blends of microgreens on cafe and restaurant menus. This handsome vegie is very nutritious, its dark-green mineral-rich leaves high in potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper and vitamins A, C, K and E.

Rainbow chard | GROWING

The long, colourful stems can be rich yellow-cream or vivid red. The broad green leaves contrast with the coloured veins, which makes this plant highly decorative in the garden. It can be grown in the vegetable patch as a mixed border, as it is an erect grower with the large leaves on top exposing its brilliant stems. It also fits beautifully in small spaces and is suitable for container growing.

When to plant Cool climate: Sow seeds towards the end of the last frosts, in late winter/early spring, right up until first frosts begin in autumn. Avoid mid-winter sowings. Temperate climate: Sow in the coolest months from mid-autumn until early spring but avoid mid-winter sowings in inland frosty areas. Subtropical climate: Sow mid-autumn to late winter, avoiding any hot conditions. Tropical climate: Sow mid-autumn to late winter only, avoiding any hot, humid conditions.

How to grow Rainbow chard enjoys cooler conditions and does well in full sun or with half a day’s shade. Well-established plants will tolerate frost but will grow better with some protection. Avoiding intense summer heat and heavy winter frosts will mean less stress on the plant. The initial growing stage for tender young seedlings can be crucial and a little shelter will help them keep growing. Grow taller plants nearby to protect the young seedlings, or plant closer to a building or cover with shadecloth. A deep watering once or twice a week, early morning or late afternoon, is preferable in dry conditions. Best results can be achieved by directly watering underneath the leaves when they are wilting but not so much that the plant becomes waterlogged. Mulching is very beneficial in retaining soil moisture for the plants root system and reducing evaporation. It keeps weeds to a minimum, too. Try pea straw, sugarcane or lucerne hay. Fresh lawn clippings can be used by adding aged animal manure or an organic fertiliser that will assist in maintaining nitrogen levels. The natural change to longer daylight hours will enable rainbow chard to go to flower. These are an insignificant green colour that, when fertilised, will form into a hard seed clumps with several embryos — polyembryony — which are ready to collect at the light-brown stage. They can be sown with confidence that more than one plant will germinate from each seed. A soil depth of around 20cm is needed to grow healthy plants. Loose friable soil combined with organic matter — compost, aged animal manures or a green crop dug in — is ideal. They prefer a pH of 6–7. The use of dolomite or lime will boost the pH if initial test readings are low. These additions will also increase calcium and magnesium levels. Raise seedlings in pots or seed containers. Simply fill the pot or container to the top with seed-raising

mix and level the soil. Sow seeds sparsely, about 3cm apart, cover lightly with 1cm of soil and keep moist until the seedlings start to emerge. When the seedlings have grown to 5cm, transplant them to the garden or container and keep them moist. You can also sow rainbow chard direct into the garden. Create a fine soil till with a garden rake and plant two seeds together at spacings of 30–40cm. Cover seed with 1cm of soil and keep seeds moist, especially the top few centimetres. Thin out the weaker plants when they are about 5cm high. Many fertilisers — including liquid seaweed, fish emulsion and pelletised chicken manure — can be used as side dressings if required. This will help keep the growth coming with continual harvesting. Soil food such as compost and vermicast can also be added to promote healthy plants. If plants are growing and doing well, there’s no need to provide extra food.

Troubleshooting Leaf spot is the main problem for rainbow chard in moist, humid conditions. This will show up on the surface of the leaves as several small dark round spots. Avoid watering the leaves and aim at the soil level. If the leaves are damaged, they can be cut and discarded. Snails and slugs will feed on the leaves and like to hide in the centre of the plant or on the underside of leaves. Be prepared with beer traps, sprinkle bran on top and bury the container at soil level. Spent coffee grounds spread around the seedlings act as a deterrent. Pet-friendly iron-based bait pellets also work very well.

Harvesting, storing and preserving Rainbow chard leaves and stalks can be harvested when they are 20cm long. The stalk can be cut using a knife or secateurs where it joins the stem. Pick fresh leaves and stalks as required or, if there’s an abundance, place in a plastic bag and cool-store for up to a week at 5°C. For longer storage, remove the stalks and blanch the leaves for two minutes, cool in cold water, drain and put into plastic freezer bags. They will keep in the freezer for up to one year.

Rainbow chard label Common name: Rainbow chard Botanical name: Beta vulgaris Family: Amaranthaceae Likes: Sun to part shade, good soil Climate: All Habit: Upright, branching Propagation: Seed or seedlings Difficulty: Easy

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COOKING WITH JOANNA RUSHTON | Rainbow chard

Star ingredient: Rainbow chard

Rainbow Chard Salad with Citrus Dressing Serves 2-4

Ingredients • 1 bunch rainbow chard, washed & shredded • 1 pink grapefruit, segmented • Pinch Celtic sea salt to taste • 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds • 1 small fennel, shaved • 100g sheep’s feta, roughly crumbled

Dressing ingredients • 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar • 1 tbsp fresh orange juice • 1 tbsp fresh grapefruit juice • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice • 6 tbsp olive oil • Salt & pepper to taste

Method 1. In a large stainless-steel bowl, combine shredded chard, grapefruit, salt and pomegranate seeds. 2. Combine dressing and add, letting chard marinate for up to 10 minutes. 3. Add shaved fennel and crumbled sheep feta. Toss to mix and serve on a platter.

Jo’s tip Sprinkle chopped fresh mint through the salad just before transferring to a serving platter.

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Rainbow chard | COOKING WITH JOANNA RUSHTON

Good Organic Gardening | 85

GROWING | Watermelon

Rainbow Watermelon Thyme chard Thymus Citrullus Beta vulgaris vulgaris lanatus Words by Neville Words Words Donovan, by Jennifer by Melissa Greenpatch Stackhouse King Organic Seeds

hen I was a kid we used to sit on the back steps on hot days and eat slices of cool, crisp watermelon as an antidote to the hot Queensland summer. We also used to have watermelon seed-spitting competitions. Many of the watermelons for sale in the supermarket or greengrocer are now seedless, so if you want your kids to share your childhood watermelon experiences, you may have to grow your own seeded watermelons. I always hoped my watermelon seeds would grow and produce watermelons but, of course, mid-summer is far too late to be planting watermelon seeds as these plants need time and lots of room to grow and flower and for the fruit to ripen. The ideal time to plant watermelons is in spring. Seeds can be sown where they are to grow, or raised in punnets or small pots to be planted out as the weather warms. In the hot tropics, watermelons can be grown throughout the year.

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Although watermelons are subtropical in origin (they came into cultivation originally in Africa) they can be grown anywhere with a long hot summer. Watermelons need around 90â&#x20AC;&#x201C;100 days from planting to harvest. If the

Health beneďŹ ts Watermelons are not really grown at home for reasons of nutrition. Indeed, watermelons are almost entirely water and sugar. We tend to grow them because kids enjoy eating them, they are impressive plants and there are so many intriguing varieties that you just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find in the shops. But there are some benefits to eating homegrown organic watermelons. They actually do contain some vitamins (A and C) and the red colouration of the fruit also indicates they are a source of lycopene, an antioxidant also found in good quantities in red tomatoes.

Watermelon | GROWING

weather turns cold early or there’s a lack of warm sunshine, the crop may not reach maturity, but you’ll still have the fun of watching the vine sprawl across the garden.

Although the vine needs lots of room to spread out (at least 2–3m is ideal), it can be grown in raised vegetable gardens and allowed to spread over the sides.

Varieties

Harvest and storage

Ordinary watermelons have large, oval, striped green fruit but there are many other varieties, some of them very old, which are worth growing. One of the most beautiful is a variety called ‘Moon and Stars’, which is an heirloom watermelon dating back to 1926. It has a darkgreen skin splashed with yellow moon and star-shaped splodges. Inside, the flesh is pink with brown seeds. The leaves are also variegated. As well as red or pink-fleshed watermelons, there are also varieties with yellow, orange or white flesh. If the season isn’t long or summers are not hot in your neck of the woods, look for small-fruited watermelons, which are quicker to ripen.

Harvest watermelons when they are large, heavy and sound "drummy" when tapped. A mature watermelon can weigh between 9kg and more than 20kg. The stem where the fruit joins the vine may begin to whither as another indication of ripeness. Undamaged melons can be stored in a cool place for several weeks or kept in the fridge. The fruit is eaten fresh or can be added to a fruit salad or a salsa. Or it can be juiced. The rind, which is normally discarded to the compost heap, can be pickled. The seeds are also eaten in some countries as a snack. 

How to grow Watermelons are part of the large cucurbit family of vegetables that also includes other summer growers such as pumpkins, cucumbers and squash. Like these plants, they have small flowers that are either male or female. Both are needed to produce a crop, but it’s the female flowers that produce the fruit. The watermelon has few pests or diseases. The seeds can be planted where they are to grow. Before sowing the seed, dig in compost, fertiliser or well-rotted manure as these vines need to bulk up on lots of nutrients. In areas with lots of summer rain or poorly drained soil, sow watermelons in a mound to improve the drainage.

Watermelon label Common names: Watermelon Botanical name: Citrullus lanatus Group: Fruiting vine Requires: Long, warm summer, lots of sunshine and water Dislikes: Drying out Suitable for: Vegie beds, paddocks Habit: Annual Needs: Rich, friable soil, regular water Propagation: Seed, seedling Difficulty: Easy

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COOKING WITH JOANNA RUSHTON | Watermelon

Star ingredient: Watermelon

Watermelon Cake

Ingredients • 1 whole round watermelon • 500mL double cream • ½ tsp vanilla essence powder • 1 punnet strawberries, washed • 1 punnet blueberries, washed

Method 1. Cut base of watermelon so it sits evenly, then cut peel off, maintaining a nice, round shape. 2. Blend thickened cream to a nice whipping consistency and add vanilla

88 | Good Organic Gardening

essence. Coat outside of the watermelon with the cream. 3. Cut strawberries into slices down through the middle and arrange over the watermelon with blueberries scattered in between.

Jo’s tip Sprinkle with toasted almond flakes before serving for a nutty crunch. Additional decorative fruit such as kiwi and raspberries is also divine.

Watermelon | COOKING WITH JOANNA RUSHTON

Good Organic Gardening | 89

GROWING | Spring onions

Spring onions Allium fistulosum Words by Jennifer Stackhouse

ots of plants have different names in different areas, but spring onions probably take the prize (have a look at the various noms de plume under common names in the Spring onion label box — there are many more). To most Australians, these onion relatives are known as spring onions but they are often simply called shallots by Australian gardeners. Thank goodness for colour photographs in magazines so we can clear up the confusion. Whatever you call them, these plants are a smart addition to the vegie patch as they are easy and quick to grow — much faster and more reliable than regular onions — and can be used in many ways in the kitchen. Importantly, the slender white bases and the hollow green leaves can both be used, so there’s little waste. These plants do not form a bulb. Spring onions are a must-have ingredient for dishes, from potato salad to stir-fries, and add vitamins A and C to your diet.

Varieties There are few named varieties of spring onion, but one recent release is ‘Straight Leaf’, so named as its leaves

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grow very upright, which makes the row look tidy and reduces contact between the foliage and soil. For those who like something that looks a little different, search out the red form of spring onion. These striking stems have red bases and green leaves and under the red surface, the stems are white. A heritage variety you may come across is called ‘Welsh’ and dates back to 1777. It is described as having a thin white stem. Its flavour is more pungent as the weather warms.

How to grow Spring onions can be grown in rows set about 15cm apart or in clumps or small runs in a raised vegie bed or large pot. These plants are ideal to grow in small spaces as they are fast and can be grown fairly close together, so they don’t take up much room. They do best in full sun with well-drained soil. With less sunlight, they’ll be spindly and may be prone to pests, such as aphids, and diseases. Sow seeds in moist soil. They can be planted yearround in most areas, with spring to autumn providing optimum growth.

Spring onions | GROWING

To sow seed, make a 1cm-deep groove in the prepared planting area and scatter the seeds along the row. The small plants can be thinned so they are around 5–6cm apart. Cover the seed with soil and keep the area moist until seeds germinate in around 10–14 days. If planting seedlings, follow the same technique of creating a shallow groove in the soil and lay the seedlings along the row, then back-fill with soil and firm them in. Water well and within eigh to 10 weeks, you’ll be harvesting home-grown spring onions. Well-grown, they have few pest or disease problems but should be protected from snails and slugs using deterrents such as spreading coffee grinds or crushed eggshells around the plants, or use an organic snail bait put in an open-ended pipe or jar. Water regularly (more frequently in hot weather) and liquid-feed every two weeks to encourage fast growth.

Harvest and storage Where you have spring onions in the garden, simply harvest the stems as needed. Plants are ready to harvest when they are at least pencil thick. Wash clean of soil, remove the roots and they are ready to eat or prepare. As spring onions stand clear of the soil, they are rarely gritty

— unlike leeks, their close relatives — so a quick rinse under the tap is all that’s needed. If you harvest too much, or have bought spring onions from the supermarket or greengrocer, simply wrap them well in something such as clingwrap and store them in the crisper of your fridge where they’ll keep for several weeks. J

Spring onion label Common names: Spring onions, scallions, shallots, eschallots, green onions, Welsh onions, Japanese bunching onions Botanical name: Allium fistulosum Group: Bulb Requires: Full sun, regular moisture Dislikes: Poorly drained soil, drying out Suitable for: Vegie beds, pots Habit: Annual Needs: Rich, friable soil, regular water Propagation: Seed, seed tape, seedling Difficulty: Easy

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COOKING WITH JOANNA RUSHTON | Spring onions

Star ingredient: Spring onions

Quick & Easy Aromatic Spring Curry Serves 4 • 1½ tbsp green curry paste — see page 94 for recipe • 540mL coconut milk • 200mL chicken stock • ½ cup carrots • 2 cups broccoli florets • 1 cup green beans, topped & tailed & cut in half • 600g salmon fillet, skinned, deboned & cut into cubes • 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

Method

Ingredients • 1 tbsp coconut oil • 2 cups sweet potato, peeled & chopped into small cubes • 6 spring onions, washed, tops removed & roughly chopped

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1. Heat coconut oil in saucepan over a medium heat. 2. Add onions and sweet potato, cook for 3–5 mins then stir in the curry paste and infuse onion and sweet potato for 2 mins. 3. Add coconut milk and chicken stock and allow to simmer for 20 minutes (the sweet potato will start to soften and thicken the sauce a little). 4. Add carrots, broccoli and green beans. Allow to simmer for 5 mins. 5. Just before vegetables are cooked, add cubed salmon and continue to gently simmer until salmon is cooked, about 4–5 minutes. 6. Just before serving, pour in lime juice. Garnish with some fresh coriander and serve with brown rice or quinoa.

Spring onions | COOKING WITH JOANNA RUSHTON

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PRESERVING WITH JOANNA RUSHTON | Spring onions

Star ingredient: Spring onions

Green Curry Paste Makes 30 portions and will keep in freezer for up to three months.

Ingredients • 5 stalks lemongrass, cut on bias & chopped • 1 coriander root & leaves, crushed • 10 spring onions, chopped • 50g clove garlic, chopped • 50g knob Thai ginger (galangal), peeled & chopped

94 | Good Organic Gardening

• 1 tsp shrimp paste • 10 peppercorns, crushed • 3–5 green chillies, depending on flavour • 3 kaffir lime leaves, chopped • 3 tbsp water

Method Blend all ingredients until a smooth paste.

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Books | REVIEWS

Cover to cover Leaﬁng through books for gardeners and cooks Grow Your Own Fruit & Veg Gardens • Patios • Balconies • Roof Terraces • Allotments By Alan Buckingham, Australian consultant Jennifer Wilkinson, Specialist consultant Jo Whittingham, Penguin Australia, RRP $39.99 This is another wonderful book from prolific gardening author Alan Buckingham. It too is overflowing with gorgeous photographs to accompany the brilliantly simple and comprehensive text. There is step-by-step advice and practical knowhow to help you feed yourself and your family from your backyard. Seasonal charts show when to sow, transplant and harvest edibles in our temperate and tropical gardens. There are garden design ideas and detailed information on soil, weeds and compost, as well as choosing fruit trees, plant care, pruning and other measures to ensure success in the vegie patch or home orchard. This is an eye-catching book and one you will refer to endlessly, whether a novice or experienced gardener. I Am Food Eating your way to health By Anthia Koullouros, Penguin Australia, RRP $39 Joanna Rushton, The Organic Chef, who contributes the recipes to our Garden to Table section, recommends this book. Anthia has helped many clients achieve excellent health and happiness through her work as a naturopath, herbalist and organic lifestyle educator, and her book is testament to the excellence of her work. It takes the reader on a journey to discover the foods that are best for the body, soul and planet. There are shopping lists, a meal planner and expert tips to get you started plus lists of herbal teas and the medicinal benefits of foods for ailments ranging from allergies to stress. Anthia shows how to get the most from fresh produce and, in turn, enhance your health. The photography is superb and the pages flow easily. With more than 80 recipes, meal suggestions and no-nonsense advice on choosing and cooking real, honest food, this book belongs on every cook’s bookshelf. Backyard Bees A Guide for the Beginner Beekeeper By Doug Purdie, Murdoch Books, RRP $35 We know someone who became a suburban beekeeper by default. Unable to get rid of the bees that had taken up residence in her house eaves, she decided to make them work for her and now loves them like pets, enjoying the bounty of their honey and beeswax. If you’d like to do the same, this sunny-looking book has all the advice you need, from what kind of bees — native or the superpollinators, the European honey bee? — to housing them, equipment you’ll need, hive management and bee health. There’s also a chapter of beautiful recipes using honey. How does Honey-Glazed Chicken Wings followed by Chamomile Honey Ice Cream sound? Anyone for Bee Sting Cake or Honey-Roasted Macadamias? The recipe section ends with some great ideas for using beeswax, too. Oh, if you’re worried about what the neighbours might think, the author gives advice on that as well. Natural Remedies An A–Z of Cures for Health and Wellbeing By Mim Beim, Rockpool Publishing, RRP $29.99 If part of your plan in growing your own food is to also have a backyard medicine cabinet, this book can guide you on what to grow to enhance your health naturally. Based in the NSW Southern Highlands and one of Australia’s most respected and best known naturopaths, Mim Beim has brought her wealth of experience in natural health to this comprehensive guide, covering more than 200 common ailments, from acne to warts, high blood pressure to thyroid conditions. With each topic she explains what the health problem is, its symptoms and causes, then offers dietary advice along with herbal and other natural and lifestyle remedies. The book is not meant to be read cover to cover but is for dipping into when you need to know more about particular health issues. A great one for herb gardeners.

Good Organic Gardening | 97

PICK OF THE CROP

pick of the crop Our selection of products and services for gardeners and cooks Ultra Boost+6 — probiotics for your garden

Egg stamping Ah, bureaucracy, don’t you love to hate it? When I pack eggs into cartons they have my name and address on them, but that isn’t enough for the shiny bums from Food Safety. I am now required to put a printed mark on each egg that goes into the cartons. This is absurd! Don’t they know the shell is porous and will allow ink to bleed through into the inside of the egg? At all times I strive to produce a pure product free from any chemical contamination, but this is an anathema. To make matters worse, I bought an inkjet printer from Bellsouth for two grand, which was supposed to do the job. It didn’t and just made an ugly smudge of non-food-grade ink on the eggs. They refused to take it back. I have now bought a second-hand Hitachi printer for six-and-a-half grand, which at least uses food-grade ink, but it still has its problems. I have spent all day trying to set it up but still haven’t got it working perfectly. I strongly suspect it’s a conspiracy to stop small producers from competing with the big boys of the industry. Grrr! — Simon. organigrow.com.au

Following extensive research conducted here in Australia within the field of bioscience, Ultra Boost+6 has been developed to stimulate plant growth and improve soil quality. Ultra Boost+6 has been approved for organic use and works by providing the micro- and macro-organisms (good bacteria) needed to improve the nutrient uptake by plants. In other words, it is a probiotic for your garden. Importantly, Ultra Boost+6 is environmentally sustainable and safe to use across all soil types and on all plants and shrubs. The results achieved with Ultra Boost+6 have been scientifically verified and independent field tests conducted with some of Australia’s leading commercial growers have shown that Ultra Boost+6 will substantially improve plant growth (crop yield) and assist in the control of some pathogens. thegoodearthcompany.com.au

PowerFeed Organics Seasol introduces a new product to its organic range with PowerFeed ORGANIC. This premium certifiedorganic fish fertiliser is suitable for all plants, including 225 edible crops, flowering plants and natives. PowerFeed ORGANIC is a fast-acting liquid that goes to work immediately whether applied to the foliage or the soil. This ensures the maximum amount of natural nutrients, ORGANIC vitamins, proteins, amino acid and trace elements to sustain healthy productive growth. The dual effect of PowerFeed ORGANIC naturally conditions the soil through its highly active liquid compost, which helps break up clay soil, reduce nutrient loss in sandy soil and make nutrients easily available to all plants. Team PowerFeed ORGANIC with certified organic Seasol for an amazing health treatment. Seasol promotes healthy growth in all plants all year round. It stimulates root development, enhances flowering and fruiting and increases resistance to heat, drought, frost, pests and diseases. seasol.com.au *based on foliar application

PLANT FOOD

For Fruit, Vegies and Herbs Promotes sustained healthy growth Adds liquid compost to soil

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Make your own brew We’ve come across a fantastic, simple and non-messy new homebrew product. The brew only takes 10 minutes to set up and does not require a cumbersome kit or complicated procedures. Simply pour water into the bag, add the enclosed “Moondust”, screw on the special brewing cap and leave for a minimum of two weeks to get 37 schooners of real craft beer. It’s then ready to drink straight away. Just open the tap and pour. We particularly like that it’s made from all-natural ingredients with no preservatives or sugar. It’s even approved by the UK Vegetarian Society. At the moment there are three products in the range: Cheese Makers Golden Ale, Four Candles Bitter and Dark Adder Dark Ale, each at $59.90. Later this year there will be apple and pear cider. Available online now at moonshinedrinks.com.au and in more and more shops.

PICK OF THE CROP Off to a great start

Structurally sound greenhouses Sproutwell Greenhouses has become known for its innovative designs, robust construction and highquality products at value-for-money prices. They offer the largest range of 6mm & 10mm aluminium polycarbonate greenhouses or glasshouses, which come as DIY kits. Their extensive range comes in four different widths — 2m, 2.5m, 3m & 4m — and lengths of 1.8m up to 20m+. “Our aim is to introduce our great range of greenhouses to every residential backyard in Australia. This has been the driving factor in finding the right balance between hobby gardeners and semi-commercial gardeners while providing a greenhouse that also accommodates those who live on acreage or in areas prone to severe winds,” says Lisa Cowley, co-founder of Sproutwell. The owners of Sproutwell don’t want anyone to be disadvantaged when it comes to keeping to a budget, so they’ve made it their mission to develop good-quality, structurally sound greenhouses but still manage to keep costs low and make them affordable for most Aussie families. sproutwellgreenhouses.com.au

The heat is on at Greenpatch This year Greenpatch Seeds is introducing some great new varieties of chillies, available in both seeds and plants. Several of them are highly ornamental and look every bit at home in a decorative garden bed as well as the vegie garden. Other varieties are also available. Black Pearl is a highly ornamental plant with purple to black leaves and round black/purple fruit ripening to a deep red colour. It has a bushy habit and grows to 45cm high — Heat level 7. Habanero Chocolate — don’t be fooled by the delectablesounding name. This one is not for the faint-hearted, being extremely hot! Plants grow to 90cm tall, the fruit ripens from green to chocolate-brown, measuring up to 6cm long and 2.5cm wide with a waxy coating. The flavour is rich and smoky — Heat level 8. Fiesta is compact, low, spreading ground cover. The 9cm-long fruit are a perfect all-round chilli with a colour change from cream to speckled purple to yellow to orange then red. Great as ornamentals and for eating — Heat level 6. greenpatchseeds.com.au

The new Harvest Starters range is the latest addition to the impressive Pot’n All plant range. Already incorporating the ornamental Garden Starters and exciting Heart Starters Chillies, Harvest Starters presents backyard edible plants led by a broad range of nutritious berries including blueberry, thornless blackberry, silvanberry, boysenberry and youngberry. These varieties start out life in Ramm Botanicals’ tissue culture laboratory, so the plants available at retail are extremely healthy, vigorous and ready to produce. The Harvest Starters range boasts other tasty choices, including a range of six different strawberries, seven different passionfruit and the increasingly popular goji berry. The plants are presented in the Pot’n All biodegradable tubes, which are quick and easy to plant as they are planted pot and all. Pot’n All advanced tubestock is priced around half that of larger pots, so they’re a very economical way to get your garden growing. Harvest Starters are available from Masters Home Improvement stores. ramm.com.au

Strawberry Spinach — pretty, nutritious and delicious This exotic but very easy-to-grow spinach is pretty well unknown to most Australian gardeners but one that will become very popular in the future as more and more people come to discover it. It is native to North America and Europe and grows low to the ground, looking like any usual spinach until at maturity it begins to develop 50cm-long tendrils, which form fruit in the axis of each leaf. The fruit of Strawberry Spinach is bright red and about 2cm in diameter. As the fruit fully matures it changes to a dark-red colour and becomes sweet and juicy. The leaves look and taste like any common spinach and are used like any spinach leaf. The fruit can be tossed in a salad mix for added colour and an exciting taste bonus or made into a jam with the addition of sugar. They even team well in jams when blended with many other types of fruit. A bowl of the delicious red fruit topped with a scoop or two of vanilla ice-cream is enough to temp just about anyone. The plants are very easy to grow and you can get your seed from Rangeview Seeds. rangeviewseeds.com.au

Giving musical voice to the wind Windsong Australian-made windchimes are finely tuned to different melodies and give a musical voice to the wind. The windchime in minor scale is contemplative, in pentatonic scale is tranquil and calming, and in major scale is festive. Each one is named to reflect its own musical character. The heavenly metal of a Windsong windchime in your home will provide a lifetime of enjoyment. Windsong also has a select range of pure 100 per cent copper rain chains, which give a musical voice to the rain, are functional when used in place of a gutter downpipe and beautiful to look at. The sound of flowing water when it rains has a soothing, relaxing effect on the human mind and spirit. See the range of Windsong windchimes and copper rain chains in their Facebook store facebook.com/windsongchimes. Mention this magazine to be eligible for free freight and a bonus gift. windsongchimes.com.au

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PICK OF THE CROP

Complete solar LED lighting kits

Getting the most from produce Taste the difference with the Kuvings B6000 Whole Slow Juicer — the first cold press juicer to juice whole fruit and vegetables with the strongest motor and lowest RPM of any in the market. There is no better way to absorb more nutrients than with a Kuvings Cold Press Juicer. kuvings.net.au or call 02 9798 0586, $599.

Now you can install simple solar lighting anywhere — your carport, cabin, chook shed or potting shed — with no electrician required! The Ulitium LED solar lighting kits are perfect for any undercover setting that needs illumination. Easy to install, the kit includes a small solar panel, an LED light with dimmable settings and a rechargeable battery. It contains all the necessary simple components to set up your own independent source of lighting. You can choose 1–4 lights in the kit, each light runs from six hours to 60 and, because the battery is housed in the light, you can use it as a torch if you wish! Perfect for under the verandah or as spare lighting for your guest room, this is just one of a range of simple pre-wired solar power systems to suit your lifestyle. Whether it’s for a simple lighting kit or to power your whole house, give Rainbow Power Company a call on (02) 6689 1430 or visit rpc.com.au

Angove Family Wine Nature’s solution Worm Tech offers quality products and services to all customers. Worm Tech has been established since 2010. The company grows and packs all its compost worms FRESH on its farm in Yenda, NSW. Worm Tech can ship Live Worms Australia Wide and offers a LIVE delivery guarantee. Worm Tech can help set up a recycling system to suit your needs, whether it be a household worm farm or waste management of large commercial buildings or factories. No job is too big or too small. wormtech.com.au

Angove Family Winemakers has been growing grapes and crafting fine South Australian wines for five generations. The range of organically grown and made wines includes Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot and a Shiraz Cabernet. As any winemaker will tell you, the quality of a wine begins in the vineyard and is driven by the quality of the grapes. Organic grape growing ensures that the entire vineyard environment is managed for maximum, natural nutrition for the vines and their resulting grape crop. At all levels of viticulture, organic systems help the vine produce better fruit. Organically grown vines tend to be smaller, with lower crop levels than ordinary vineyards, resulting in more flavour-filled grapes. In the winery these wines are crafted with just the gentlest touch of the Angove winemakers to ensure flavourpacked pleasure in every glass. angove.com.au

A greenhouse to suit every garden Grow-Fresh Greenhouses is a fast-growing Australian-owned family business offering a wide range of domestic/semi-commercial greenhouses and glasshouses. Growfresh is very selective with its range of products, maintaining a wide selection to suit all requirements and budgets while ensuring quality is matched with value for money. Special emphasis is put into the engineering of designs, ensuring they will withstand anything the Australian climate throws at them. While the Dorset range is the perfect residential greenhouse, the Stanford and Stately ranges are designed for acreages and high-wind areas. Growfresh does not use click systems and shortcuts (which will fail in adverse weather) — true nuts-andbolts construction only! Two new ranges are being launched this year. Currently available are sizes from 2m to 20m in length and beyond. Colour options include silver, green, black and white. For a greenhouse to suit every garden, call 1300 GO GROW (1300 46 4769) or visit the website. growfreshgreenhouses.com.au

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PICK OF THE CROP Water only when needed with the Toro Precision Soil Sensor The Toro Precision Soil Sensor reduces water waste by measuring moisture levels in your soil and determining when to allow your controller to water. “We’ve taken the same technology found at professional golf courses and sports fields and created a sensor intended for residential use,” says Ben Hall of Toro Australia. The Precision Soil Sensor is a two-part system that includes a battery-powered sensor and a receiver connected to your irrigation controller. Communication between the sensor and receiver is wireless, with up to 152m line-of-sight range. It’s very easy to install and no digging is required. First, connect the receiver to the controller, then find a representative area of your property for the sensor. Push the sensor probe in the ground and it will automatically calibrate itself to your soil type and begin communicating wirelessly with the receiver. toro.com.au

Quality in growing media Rocky Point Mulching is bringing back genuine quality in potting mix and other growing media. The secret is their award-winning exclusive supplier, Green Fingers Potting Mix. Green Fingers recently won the National Growing Media Supplier of the Year award for the third consecutive time and was inducted into the Nursery & Garden Industry of Australia Hall of Fame — the only Queensland Company to receive that honour. All Rocky Point Mulching growing media are carefully constructed at their combined site in Woongoolba, Queensland, by the Green Fingers team. Topquality ingredients that are sent to some of the best production nurseries are prepared and put straight into an impressive lineup of Rocky Point Mulching growing media, including Premium Potting Mix (30L & 60L), Active 8 (30L & 50L), Cow Manure, Garden Soil and the economical Eco Potting Mix. For more information or to find your local retailer of Rocky Point Mulching premium-quality garden products, visit rpmulching.com.au or find them on Facebook.

Biodynamics in a bottle Being conscious of health and environment shouldn’t mean you have to miss out on the little indulgences in life, like good wine. The Caracatsanoudis family understands this philosophy and that’s why their business, Robinvale Wines, has been such a success since it first began in 1976. Today, they still run the winery along with a 30ha biodynamic vineyard. The winery has its own bottling facilities and cellar-door sales, and is listed among the district’s tourist attractions. Robinvale Wines produces a wide variety of wines, including table, sparkling and fortified organic, biodynamic and preservative-free. For those who choose to avoid all animal products, whether it’s for ethical or health reasons, there is also a range of vegan- and vegetarianfriendly wines. robinvalewines.com.au Tasting notes 2006 Cabernet Sauvignion, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot: This preservative-free, vegan/vegetarian-suitable dry red wine is a blend of premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc & Merlot grapes. It shows a vibrant crimson/dark plum colour. The rich and complex bouquet and goodlength palate exhibit a fine array of lovely characters of mixed berries, dark cherry, spices and fine tannins with underlying subtle French and American oak.

Incubators for your chicks Planet Poultry is proud to introduce a range of incubators to the Australian market. Italian designed, engineered and made, River/Covina Incubators are a hi-tech, low-maintenance, easyto-use range of digital incubators. Available in Manual or Automatic, these incubators are suitable for the poultry hobbyist and fancier. They are designed for hen eggs as well as pheasant, guinea fowl, quail, partridge, turkey, geese, ducks, peacocks, pigeons, exotic birds and birds of prey, with temperature settings from 30°C to 40°C. The temperature is able to be set at increments of 0.1°C and is digitally displayed. These incubators offer innovative technical solutions and high reliability. Humidity is controlled by adding water via external watering ports. Inspection windows allow viewing of eggs at all stages of incubation without the need to open the incubator. These incubators have been factory fitted to suit the Australian market. Models available: 12 hen egg (or 48 quail egg) manual or automatic, 24 hen egg (or 96 quail egg) automatic and 49 hen egg (or 196 quail egg) automatic. 12 months manufacturer’s warranty. planetpoultry.com.au

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