Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue #10.4 - 2019 i Good Organic Gardening

When we came to our property in the Hunter Valley it was clearfelled pasture and had been so for half a century or more. There was so little standing timber that a friend dubbed it One Tree Hill and the name almost stuck. And yet, against all expectations, the birds came, if only to filch food from our chooks. Not just tuneful, soberly dressed magpies, currawongs and willie wagtails (that’s a wagtail nest opposite) but also flashy rainbow lorikeets; swirling flights of tiny, chittering robins and wrens; mobs of pastel-coloured galahs waddling gravely across the grass; nervous, squeaky-winged crested pigeons and flocks of boofhead wood ducks. Further away, white egrets scoured the paddocks right under the heels of the neighbours’ cattle while bald ibises, so shabby and awkward on foot,…

The name of this South American native, yacón, means “water root” in the Inca language. Although not widely known or eaten here, yacon is now getting some attention for its potential health benefits. For starters, the plant’s crunchy brown tubers are rich (60–70 per cent) in inulin, an indigestible sugar, which means they are low in calories. Their sweetness increases with storage and exposure to sunlight. They also have a high fructooligosaccharide (FOS) content, which makes them probiotic and high in soluble fibre. They are rich in phenolic compounds as well. The ability of FOS content to increase glucose absorption and stimulate insulin secretion in the pancreas suggests yacon is a good food for diabetics, though more studies need to be done to establish this. All this means that consuming…

THE PROPERTY’S LARGE AREAS OF BUSHLAND ARE HOME TO MANY NATIVE ANIMALS, INCLUDING A BIG MOB OF KANGAROOS, WHILE FROGS, REPTILES AND BIRDS VISIT AND LIVE IN THE GARDENS. A few kays outside the town of Beaufort in western Victoria is Glenview Park Farm, a 145-acre property owned by husband and wife Rob Pelletier and Kate Blood. The farm comprises many acres of bushland, some pastured areas, an orchard and a fruit tree nursery. No one driving past would guess the extent of the garden hidden behind the hedges. The front of the house is mown grass with well-spaced trees and behind the house is a “relaxed perennial garden” with deciduous trees. “There are several different areas in our garden and bushfire protection is a big influence on their location…

Without hops, the flowers of the hop plant, our beloved cold beer would be remarkably sweet due to the use of malts in the brewing process. Hops are added to impart bitterness, flavour and aroma and they act as a natural preservative. Each hop variety has its own flavour profile including citrus, pine, floral, fruit and more. That beery bitterness also comes from hops; the degree of tartness can be controlled by when the hops are added and which variety or combination of varieties is used. The hop plant may have originated in China but it was the Germans who, somewhere between the 9th and 13th centuries, discovered its potential as an ingredient for beer. Hop flowers or strobiles are produced by the female bine (yes, bine, not vine) in…

Avocados are rewarding trees for a backyard orchard, particularly in warm climates. The trees are shady and their bountiful fruit is not only delicious but packed with good nutrition and easy to eat. Palatable to most people, they are often used as an early solid food for babies. Avocados are native to Central America, including the West Indies, Guatemala and Mexico, so they feature in many local dishes such as the smooth, green dip called guacamole, made with lime juice, red onion, garlic, chilli and coriander. One of the reasons avocado tastes smooth and creamy is that, unlike most other fruits, it contains fat — but a fat classified as a “good” fat, as this form of mono-unsaturated fatty acid doesn’t contain cholesterol. It can even help to lower blood-cholesterol…

Although succulents are often grouped together, they come from many different plant families — including the daisy family (Asteraceae) and the stonecrop family (Crassulaceae) — as well as from many parts of the world, not least the arid and coastal areas of Australia. What makes them a plant group is that all succulents have adapted to survive dry conditions via fleshy leaves, stems and roots that help them retain water. Succulents relish hot, dry situations and can take a starring role in dry and heat-tolerant gardens. Many also grow well in containers. This tough plant group is also finding its way into flower and table arrangements indoors (see our succulent wreath on page 62) as well as into open terrariums for indoor gardens. In recent years, gardeners have rediscovered the…

Summer is coming and it’s time to think about heat-proofing the henhouse. Last January, high temperatures were especially challenging and, if future summers are as hot, we will need to make changes. Once temperatures exceed 40°C, losses from heat prostration are likely. During one very hot week when henhouse temperatures reached almost 47°C, fowls and turkeys collapsed and died. Whether you keep six, 16 or 60 birds, there are steps that can be taken to make heatwave care less demanding. Unfortunately, there isn’t a single solution. Apply the measures that are achievable and, hopefully, the outcome will be better for birds and their keepers. WHICH BREED? There is great variation in how different breeds handle the heat. If your heart is set on the large, heavily feathered breeds, the bantam…

Installing an aquaponics system can be a rewarding project. However, the selection of fish and plant species calls for careful planning. Also, consider using plants suited to your particular climate — or use a greenhouse. GETTING STARTED Let’s assume you understand the principles of an aquaponics system: that is, reticulating water through a system containing plants and fish and using the fish waste as the primary nutrient source for the plants. (Refer to previous articles for more detailed explanations on building or purchasing an aquaponics system.) After acquiring an aquaponics system, the next step is to consider what growing media, or soil substitute, to use. This was discussed in depth in previous articles but a recap follows. GROWING MEDIA OPTIONS Traditionally, a stone (20cm round or edged) or expanded clay…

IN SEASON NOVEMBER FRUITS Apples (Lady Williams), avocados, bananas, blueberries, cherries, grapefruit, loquats, lychees, mangoes, melons, mulberries, nectarines, oranges (Valencia), papaya, passionfruit, pawpaw, peaches, pineapples, starfruit (carambola), strawberries, youngberries VEGIES Artichoke, Asian greens, asparagus, beans, cucumbers, chillies, lettuce, onions, peas, potatoes, silverbeet, snowpeas, spinach, spring onions, sugar snap peas, sweet corn, tomatoes, watercress, zucchini, zucchini flowers IN SEASON DECEMBER FRUITS Apples (Lady Williams), apricots, avocados, banana, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, currants, grapes, lemons, lychees, mangoes, melons, nectarines, oranges (Valencia), papaya, passionfruit, pawpaw, peaches, pineapple, rambutans, raspberries, starfruit (carambola), strawberries VEGIES Asparagus, beans, capsicum, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, peas, radish, snowpeas, sweet corn, spinach, spring onions, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, watercress, zucchini SEASONAL TIP One of our favourite summer sides is the dish we call Three Pea Salad. It covers…

Cooking whole beetroot over a hot fire crisps and darkens the skins while sweetening and softening the flesh. It works best with new-season beetroot, about golfball size — just give them a quick scrub and chuck them on the grill, leaves and all. They only take 30–40 minutes to cook. Served with herbs, lemon and labneh (a simple homemade yoghurt cheese), they are delectable. Serves 4 as a starter or side INGREDIENTS • Large bunch dill, chopped• About 3 tbsp olive oil• Good sprinkle dried chilli flakes• Zest 1 lemon• 12 small fresh beetroots, with leafy tops if possible• Flaky sea salt & freshly ground black pepper For the labneh • 500mL natural cow’s or sheep’s yoghurt• ½ tsp fine sea salt METHOD 1. First make the labneh. Put the…

In late spring the old kowhai tree outside my kitchen window (pictured)is heavy with flowers and filled with buzzing bees and squabbling wattlebirds that relish the nectar in the flowers. Kowhai isn’t a common tree in Australia but where it is grown it produces a welcome crop of nectar-rich, boldly coloured flowers. It forms a magnificent, long-lived, multi-branched small tree about 8m high. The one in my garden is at least 70 years old and was grown from seed. Kowhai is native to New Zealand where it’s seen in bushland and along roadsides as well as in parks and gardens. The common name is a Maori word that describes the golden yellow colour of the blossoms. The flowers produce a yellow dye, which is just one of its clever attributes.…

Good Organic Gardening contributor Jana Holmer, husband Pieter and daughter Holly live on a 622m2 block in Newtown, an old suburb of Geelong on the outskirts of the CBD. Formerly with international professional services firm Ernst & Young, Jana now describes herself as an author, builder, mother and carer. Her pastimes are writing children’s stories and making pasta and natural cures for ailments. She also recently invented an educational card game. Then, of course, there’s gardening. She came to it early in life when, at the age of five, she and her family lived in a Californian bungalow on a cobblestone laneway in the Melbourne inner suburb of Fitzroy, which in the early 70s was “a mix of timberyards, an industrial estate and rough housing on narrow streets”, she recalls.…

Capsicums can be expensive so having access to inexpensive homegrown peppers is a very good reason to grow your own. Capsicum is eaten fresh or cooked. For a sweet yet savoury treat, char capsicum over a flame or roast it in the oven or under the griller until the skin is blackened and easy to remove. Like its fellow Solanaceae family member the tomato, capsicum is a fruit but broadly classified as a vegetable. In Australia we call this popular salad vegetable capsicum but in other countries it is known as bell or sweet pepper, chilli or paprika (dried capsicum is the source of the spice known as paprika). Despite the common name pepper, capsicum is not related to black pepper or peppercorn. Capsicums differ from hot chillies as they…

Mint is a versatile herb to grow and it comes in myriad flavours, colours, sizes, shapes and textures. Many mints are edible but also have medicinal or health benefits and some yield essential oils. The best known is spearmint, used to make mint sauce or jelly as a traditional accompaniment to roast lamb. Though spearmint (Mentha spicata) is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to mint, it’s a great introduction to growing the herb. Spearmint grows as a groundcover and spreads via runners or stolons (underground stems). It produces short square stems of tasty green leaves, which grow through the warmest parts of the year but can die back completely in cold winter areas. In summer and autumn it may have long leafy stems with spires of…

A living wreath planted with succulents makes a great feature for your home. Their pale-green and blue tones mixed with the unique biology of the plants draw your eyes towards the flame. Succulents, particularly the shallow-rooted kind used here, can grow and thrive in surprisingly little soil — or in this case, moss — so you can use them to create a decorative garland then replant them into the pot or container you removed them from. With a little patience and care, this lovely wreath is relatively simple to create and the end result will make a beautiful decoration on the Christmas table or as a welcome by the door. Materials • moss• succulents• peat-free fibre pots• secateurs• candles• wreath frame• florist wire• thick string Method 1. Tie the thick…

COOL & TEMPERATE VEGIES Gardens are growing strongly with the advent of warmer weather and longer days. Already there’s plenty to harvest but there’s still lots to plant, including corn. This vegie is wind pollinated so to aid pollination and ensure lots of juicy kernels it’s necessary to plant in blocks of at least a metre square. Pumpkin is traditionally grown under corn as it happily covers the soil beneath the cornstalks. The first pumpkin flowers are often male. Fruit isn’t produced until female flowers appear. If there are male flowers only, tip-prune the long stems to encourage side shoots that are more likely to produce female flowers. Fertiliser and daily watering keeps pumpkins growing strongly. In warm zones, tomatoes, cucumbers and others may be flowering and forming fruit. In…

Recipes from Outdoor Cooking: River Cottage Handbook No.17 by Gill Meller, published by Bloomsbury ($35.00). Out now. If you go camping in the summer months and like to cook outside over a fire or hot coals, or even in an earth oven, this is a beautiful book to inspire camping cuisine that’s a bit more interesting than chops and jacket potatoes. The book also tells you everything you need to know about building a fire or earth oven for outdoor cooking. Here are a few sample recipes.…

Mackerel has to be my favourite fish for cooking outside over an open fire. Its skin crisps beautifully while, underneath, the oily flesh stays moist and tender. The fresher the mackerel, the more delicate and delicious its flavour will be, so select fish with nice bright eyes and vibrant, colourful skin. Ripe, sweet tomatoes and a garlicky bashed eggplant purée make this a great summer’s night dish. Serves 4 INGREDIENTS • 4 good-sized, super-fresh mackerel, gutted & cleaned• 2 tbsp olive oil• 4 sprigs rosemary• 250g large, ripe tomatoes, halved• 2 medium eggplants (aubergines)• 2 garlic cloves, peeled & grated• 1 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)• Pinch dried chilli flakes• Handful basil leaves, chopped• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper METHOD 1. Prepare your…

Lilly pilly is a native fruiting plant that makes a clever edible hedge or even a living Christmas tree. There are many different plants known as lilly pilly and lots of named varieties, many selected for their compact growth and size. The species grows as a rainforest tree, preferring a sheltered position in a moist location such as near a creek. Named varieties are much smaller than these species but still prefer shelter and regular watering for best growth. For an edible hedge, select a compact variety and plant around 60-90cm apart. Water the young plants regularly to encourage strong growth. As the hedge grows it can be trimmed to encourage a dense, bushy shape. When shaping a lilly pilly it is also possible to create interesting forms such as…

Tell us about the heritage of your brand. FELCO will turn 75 next year and Felco Australia as a subsidiary of FELCO is turning 20 this year. Created by Felix Flisch in 1945, FELCO has remained a private family company, now run by his grandchildren. Nestled in the hills behind Neuchatel, Switzerland, FELCO employs 160 people in the same village where it started and focuses almost exclusively on the manufacturing of secateurs and loppers. It now owns its own precision forge in the Jura where all aluminium handles are manufactured. What is your brand’s philosophy? Swiss precision made to last. From day one, FELCO tried to manufacture products of a high standard that would prove to be reliable tools for the professional market. Ergonomy, durability and manufacturing excellence are at…

Livewell Farm is situated in Haigslea, just west of Ipswich and about an hour’s drive from Brisbane. Owners Brian and Lisa both enjoy working the 40-acre property but Lisa gives her partner full credit. “If it weren’t for Brian the garden would not be nearly as fantastic,” she says. “He’s out there every day tending to things, planting, planning, enjoying it. His constant attention makes it thrive. “If it was left up to me the garden would still be in early developmental stages or dead. I get super excited about doing something then distracted with life outside the garden. Brian’s the workhorse; I’m more the visionary.” That said, Lisa would prefer the fruit trees, ornamentals and other bits and pieces weren’t “just plonked in”. She laughs, “That annoys me. Brian…

Taro is a starchy staple crop throughout the Pacific and parts of Asia but it can be grown as far south as Melbourne. One of the most ancient cultivated crops, taro is valued as a fast-growing root-to-tip edible plant with heart-shaped glossy leaves that can be used as a spinach replacement once well cooked. (The leaves must be cooked as they contain oxalic acid.) While the leaves are a rich source of vitamin A, C and protein, the starchy tubers can be cooked as sweet or savoury dishes. Once peeled, they can be baked, steamed, fried, boiled or mashed and, because the tuber’s starch grains are very small, taro is extremely easy to digest. The tubers produced by each plant are of similar size to the average sweet potato —…

The success of any gardening endeavour begins and ends with the quality of the soil. Most plants require a soil that drains well but retains sufficient moisture and nutrients for plants to grow. Sandy soils tend to dry out more easily but all soil types — composed of various proportions of sand, silt and clay — can dry out completely under severe drought conditions. When soils don’t retain moisture they don’t keep nutrients, either. Water-soluble nutrients can leach straight through the soil, out of the reach of plant roots, potentially contaminating groundwater sources. By using soil amendments to improve moisture retention, we can also improve nutrient retention, thereby reducing garden water and fertiliser requirements, while at the same time improving plant growth — a true win-win outcome. Soil-amendment products work…

COOL & TEMPERATE VEGIES These first weeks of summer accentuate how vast Australia is — and how varied its climate. In warm northern and coastal gardens, homegrown salads are already on the menu as are fresh fruit salads. In the colder south, salad crops are just beginning to grow and fruit is ripening. Wherever you are, keep those crops growing and productive with regular water and fertiliser. Liquid feeding leafy crops produces lots of new growth. Get in the habit of checking the vegie garden once or twice a day. Be on the lookout for pests and weeds as well as crops to harvest. Take the hose or watering can with you. If a hot day is forecast, water plants early in the morning and again in the afternoon or…

In just about any garden big or small, if you share a bushland margin you’ll find lizards, from tiny garden skinks to water dragons or even goannas. Blue-tongues are common visitors and often permanent inhabitants in many gardens. In northern Australia, introduced species of geckos compete for roof space on warm nights, lying in wait for an unsuspecting moth or mosquito. I have always found lizards fascinating and in this article I get the chance to immerse myself in their eccentric world. ATTRACTING LIZARDS If you want lizards to stay or migrate into your garden, you will need to consider their physical requirements such as hiding spots and warm positions with rocks for cover and lots of insects to eat. These constitute a lizard-friendly environment. A pond is always an…

This wonderful dessert is easy to assemble and incredibly delicious. It’s the perfect thing to cook as the flames die back and you are left with a nice bed of chunky embers. You can do the same thing with apples or plums; they will be equally good. Serves 4 INGREDIENTS • 4 ripe peaches• 50g unsalted butter, softened• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways• 2 tbsp soft brown sugar• Grated zest ½ lemon• 4 sprigs thyme METHOD 1. Prepare your fire and let it die back a bit. You want a nice bed of moderately hot embers — a little flaming wood and smoke is fine.2. Halve the peaches and remove the stone. Lay the peach halves, cut side up, on a double layer of foil, large enough to encase the…

DRY LIFELESS SOILS A THING OF THE PAST WITH EARTHLIFE GARDEN MATE Stop breaking your back trying to dig your clay soil, stop wasting water trying to keep plants from dying in the hot summer months and start using Earthlife Garden Mate. This easy-to-use, simple soil conditioner combines several products in one. Earthlife Garden Mate breaks the hydrophobic crust on any soil and replaces wetting agents. It breaks up any clay and balances pH, replacing gypsum, lime and dolomite. It contains more than 60 natural minerals to maximise plant metabolism, minimising the need for chemical supplements. It combines more than 30 types of vital soil microorganisms, ensuring a sustainable soil profile. It’s as simple as spreading over gardens and lawns three to four times a year and your soil’s natural…