Innehållsförteckning för 15.3 från Good Organic Gardening

In many parts of our country, coming into spring feels almost like we’ve taken a shortcut directly to summer. As the days begin to lengthen again, it can be so warm and sunny — but hopefully without the dreaded humidity. And that means moving away from the hearty soups, curries and dishes from the slow cooker to salads, seafood and snacks like homemade dips for those warm-weather barbecues and sundowners in the alfresco. So now we’re talking eggplant, our magnificent cover star, for homemade baba ghanouj; cucumber, lettuce and tomatoes for endless salad dishes (figs are lovely in salads, too); and potted herbs to enhance every dish. We even have four recipes from Maggie Beer starring herbs and spices. With the approach of spring your chooks will start upping their…

PARKS AND RESPIRATION A recent global study looked at whether urban parks promote the health of our ecosystems as much as pristine natural reserves do — and, perhaps surprisingly, the answer was a resounding yes. Ecologists from Sydney’s UNSW and multiple other institutions compared 56 green spaces from around the world with nearby natural environments. They examined 23 different “services” the soil and plants from each space offered surrounding ecosystems, from water retention and carbon capture to nutrient recycling and pathogen control. According to lead author Dr David Eldridge from UNSW, beneath the manicured lawns, mulch and flowerbeds, parks are teeming with life in a very similar way that natural reserves are. “When we think of parks and ovals we generally think they’re reclaimed drainage areas or old rubbish dumps…

Eggplant, that curious, regally purple member of the nightshade family, has an identity problem. By botanical definition a berry, it’s used in cuisines all over the world as a vegetable, though it has little taste of its own and in cooking takes on the flavour of its accompanying ingredients, like an upmarket choko. As often happens with widely used foods, we can’t even agree on what to call it. What Australians, Americans and Kiwis know as eggplant goes by its French name aubergine in the UK and northern Europe and variations on the Italian melanzana in southern Europe. In south Asia, where it may have originated (though the jury’s out on that), it’s known as brinjal, a word from Arabic via Portuguese. Whatever you call it, there’s no disputing its…

Something is happening on Darkinjung land on the New South Wales Central Coast. Over the railway line from the colonial town of Wyong, just south of the Wyong River, lie the Central Coast Wetlands. The site of the Coast’s largest dairy farm for the best part of a century, the 155 hectares of lakes and waterways are now a mecca for birdwatchers who come to observe the ducks, pelicans, black swans, parrots and rare regent honeyeaters that flock there. And, not far from the historic Pioneer Dairy, you’ll find birds of a different feather: the people of SWAMP, or Sustainable Wetlands Agricultural Makers Project. SWAMP is a not-for-profit community garden run by volunteers according to a diverse range of principles from organics and regenerative practices to permaculture and biodynamics. “WE…

A couple of lettuces are a must-have for every vegie patch whether it’s large, small or in fact a container. Lettuce is often expensive to buy but is cheap and easy to grow and doesn’t take up much space. As well as saving money, homegrown lettuce means there’s always the start of a salad to accompany any meal or some nice green crunch to add to a sandwich or hamburger. There are lots of different types of lettuce (see table over page) and many of these are unavailable in supermarkets — yet another reason to grow your own. GETTING STARTED As lettuce is a fast-growing crop, it does best planted into well-prepared soil. To ready the soil for planting, dig the bed over, removing weeds, clumps of earth and stones.…

“Mary, Mary, quite contrary / How does your garden grow? / With silver bells and cockleshells / And pretty maids all in a row.” Verses like these conjure up the gardens of days gone by, gardens filled with childhood memories of a distant, slower-paced past. Just like anything else, plants go in and out of fashion and things often come full circle, much to our delight or disdain — though, fads and taste aside, the cultivation of flowers has enjoyed a resurgence in recent times. Homegrown flowers, whether bulbs, perennials or annuals, are now looked at with an eye to sustainability, from cut flowers without the flower miles to balanced ecosystems in both urban and rural environments that ensure biodiversity and seasonality. I love this newfound fondness for flowers because…

These days, chooks are credited with being much smarter than previously thought and owners who spend time with their flock soon realise the birds have definite likes and dislikes. Hens can be quite passionate about aspects of their life, egg lay being a major one. And a nest to lay in is a top priority. How do we know this? Extensive research undertaken with hens showed they were prepared to go through all manner of challenges to secure a nest. We need to acknowledge this primal instinct and ensure we provide spacious, inviting nests. The process of egg lay is associated with a number of activities stimulated by hormonal changes. Generally, we are not privy to them so it can be an eye opener to learn about pre-lay behaviour. NEST…

COOL & TEMPERATE VEGIES • Clear out the remnants of your winter crops to prepare the soil and make way for summer plantings. • It’s time to think about putting in some artichokes (globe and Jerusalem), capsicum, chilli, cucumber, onions, lettuce, garlic, plenty of tomatoes and herbs. • Where it’s still cold and frost is not quite gone for the season, hold off on summer crops like tomato. Instead, sow broad beans, broccoli, spinach, swedes and rocket. • As new shoots appear, so do weed seedlings. Regular hoeing is needed; later you can mulch to deter weeds around vegies. If you have a lawn, removing weeds now gives grass room to grow as things warm up. • Potatoes, beetroot and carrots can be planted in all areas. Use certified disease-free…

THE KILLER TOXINS INSIDE US A new Australian documentary based on the work of Sydney Morning Herald/The Age journalist Carrie Fellner and featuring actor Mark Ruffalo exposes the chemical corporations behind “forever chemicals” and the battle to hold them to account. Nearly everyone on the planet has these toxic chemicals in their blood-streams. They’re found in human breast milk and umbilical cord blood as well as in other animals such as polar bears. They’re called “forever chemicals” because they never break down in the environment and they stay in our bodies, causing a range of health effects including cancer, heart disease, immune system dysfunction and developmental delays in children. These per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, were invented in the 1930s and became the basis of a billion-dollar…

I’d plonk achocha firmly in the oddball category. It’s rarely on the menu or on sale in supermarkets so, to try it, you’ll have to either grow it or take a trip to South America where it’s widely grown and eaten. Also known as caigua or Bolivian cucumber, it tastes like a cross between a cucumber and a zucchini and young fruit can be used as a cucumber substitute. Achocha is part of the large cucurbit family that includes cucumber and, indeed, zucchini. Rich in vitamin C, it counts among its traditional medicinal uses the lowering of blood cholesterol. The elongated, choko-shaped fruit usually has soft spikes on its green skin. Inside, it resembles a cucumber with large seeds set in crisp greenish white flesh. The fruit isn’t big; it…

Bryn “Bif” Kettle runs a farmlet in Yabberup, a rural community two hours southeast of Perth. Of the farm’s eight acres, two are given over to the vegetable garden. Called Biffo’s Farm, it features a roadside store that sells his own fresh produce as well as, say, spuds and avocados sourced from other local growers. A fitter and turner by trade, Bryn can seemingly turn his hand to anything. He does odd jobs as a mechanical fitter, works on a cattle stud part-time, does pump repairs and fencing and also works shifts at Greenbushes lithium mine. These days, though, when not camping and fishing for mullet or prawns, he mainly farms. In fact he’s been doing it for most of his life, he reckons. His family moved to Kendenup in…

Loved for their cool, clean crunch, cucumbers are a summer favourite that can be planted now as seeds or seedlings in all areas. Even though the supermarket leads us to believe they come in just two types and one colour, this amazing fruit — yes, technically a berry, not a veg — grows in a range of colours, sizes and shapes. The cucumber is a member of the cucurbit family so it’s related to pumpkins, zucchini, watermelons and rockmelons and, like many of its relatives, grows on a clambering or trailing vine. How big or vigorous that vine is depends on the variety you choose and, if you’ve not got room for a large vine to take over a corner of your garden, there are varieties better suited to growing…

Though many gardeners are now restricted to a small backyard or an even smaller patio, that’s no reason to give up on growing fresh produce. There are plenty of compact vegetables that can be grown in containers from pots, troughs or hanging baskets to small, raised beds. Even a repurposed foam box can provide enough growing space for a crop of lettuce or shallots. Provided you can place the container in a sunny location, you can have the pleasure of harvesting edibles from your garden all year round. GETTING STARTED To get growing healthy and productive plants in a small space, gather large containers, each with a good-sized drainage hole in its base. Fill them with good-quality potting mix, which can be boosted by adding bagged or homemade compost. Use…

In an ideal world, we’d eat freshly picked organic produce and drink pristine water from free-flowing rivers and streams. Everyone would have regular access to nature, absorb safe amounts of sunlight, take regular exercise, be exposed to gut-balancing microbes and daily experience the positive feelings of being safe, secure and loved. Unfortunately for most of us, the 21st-century reality is we live in densely populated urban environments or less-than-pristine rural or regional settings. This is precisely the reason Robert and Steph Gourlay have devoted the better part of 20 years to developing a range of health products to redress the imbalances of modern living. The Gourlays live on Mangiri, 110 acres (44.4 hectares) of land on the Mongarlowe River near Braidwood in the NSW Southern Tablelands. The property is a…

COOL & TEMPERATE VEGIES • Spring is definitely here and the final frost should be gone for good — well, at least till next year. Around the end of the month it will be time to put in sensitive crops like tomato and cucumber as well as other summer vegies such as beans, corn and squash. Train climbers on a tepee or trellis using soft ties to minimise stem damage. • What else? October is tops for planting beetroot, capsicum, celery, chillies, eggplant, leeks, lettuce, silverbeet and spring onions. And, of course, an array of tomato varieties. • Get ahead of next month’s plantings by starting cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini and other cucurbits in pots. • Go herbal with calendula, chamomile, marigolds, oregano, rue and the full Simon & Garfunkel: parsley,…

Recipes extracted from Maggie’s Recipe for Life published by Simon & Schuster Australia, RRP $49.99. TRI-COLOUR ROASTED BEETROOT SALAD WITH THYME, WALNUT, GOAT’S CHEESE AND HERB SALAD SERVES 4 I remember the first time I ever served goat’s curd for a lunch. It was a long, long time ago after a trip to France where I’d bought a bottle of amazing walnut oil. Gabrielle Kervella from Western Australia was a pioneer in making fresh goat’s curd of such quality and it was available for the first time in Adelaide. I simply made a mound of it, drizzled it with the aforementioned walnut oil and toasted walnuts and served it with some roasted beetroot and leaves from the garden. I have to say it was the equal of anything I had…

GROW YOUR GARDENING KNOWLEDGE THIS SPRING! If you’re looking for the perfect gift for beginner gardeners — or you want to grow your own gardening knowledge and reduce the overwhelm — join me in Sprout School, my online gardening course designed to make anyone a better and more confident gardener. Over seven pre-recorded video modules I’ll take you through all aspects of gardening from the ground up. You’ll also be invited to join our private Facebook group for six months where students can post photos and ask questions whenever they need to. If you’d prefer face-to-face chats with me for more help and advice, you can also join our monthly live Q&A sessions via Zoom. 100 per cent of past students would recommend Sprout School and they all agree that,…

A fruit you won’t find at the supermarket, pepino is a small, round to egg-shaped yellow fruit with purple stripes on the skin and yellow flesh inside. It’s closest in taste to a rockmelon although many people find its flavour bland. Pepino grows on a lax shrub and is part of the Solanaceae family, which also includes tomato, potato and capsicum. Native to South America, it can be grown in all areas but does need frost protection in winter. Pepino fruits generously and over a long period. Flowering begins in spring with fruit forming quickly. Most plants are productive from late spring well into winter. As well as producing an abundance of fruit, pepino tolerates light shade so is an ideal choice for a shaded backyard — for example, a…

A few years ago, when Alan Reis was in his mid-80s, a member of his family suggested he document his wonderful life so far — and so was born his memoir, Ramblings of a Silly Old Bugger. It’s a delightful read and documents a remarkable man’s life journey. And it’s not over: this year he turns 89 years young and has no intention of slowing down. Born in Toowoomba, Alan spent some of his childhood in Nobby, Kingaroy and Mount Tyson until his father returned to Toowoomba and bought a small farm on a corner just south of the present-day CBD. As the fifth child of 12, Alan started his gardening life young. Growing food was a necessity to cut the family’s food bill. His mother taught him the basics,…

SEPTEMBER 2024 Spring is most gardeners’ favourite season. It’s such a joy to watch the whole world coming to life with new growth and colourful profusions of flowers. OCTOBER 2024 It’s high spring and all the hard work is starting to pay off. Regular feeding, consistent watering and staggered plantings are the keys to a great harvest. New moon First quarter Full moon Last quarter When the moon is waxing from new moon to full moon, it is increasing light and drawing sap flow upwards. During the waning from full moon back to new moon, light decreases and sap is drawn downwards. This movement of sap flow has an influence on how well new plants will grow. There are four phases, each lasting seven to eight days. Sowing, planting and…

Years ago, Australians ate sweet potato. It was commonly a whitish-grey, sweetly flavoured vegetable served roasted with pumpkin, carrot, parsnip and potato. Then a chunky orange vegetable arrived with the catchy name of kumara. Move over, sweet potato. Although kumara is just a more colourful form of sweet potato, it gave the vegetable an unexpected cachet. Kumara is the Maori name for sweet potato but the tuber isn’t native to New Zealand. Indeed, although widely grown through the Pacific region, kumara (or sweet potato) spread from Central and South America to Oceania more than 1000 years ago. New varieties arrived in New Zealand in the 1840s, possibly on whaling ships that travelled to southern waters from America and Europe. These were larger tubers than traditional Maori crops, with darker red-and-gold…

In our environmentally conscious world, every small effort toward sustainability matters. An eco-friendly practice that’s easy to implement is the use of homemade newspaper pots for starting seeds and raising seedlings. Making newspaper pots is a great way to repurpose old newspapers and the benefit is that such containers are biodegradable — they can be planted directly into the soil, eliminating the need for plastic pots and reducing transplant shock for the seedlings. They also provide good aeration and drainage for the roots, promoting healthier growth. Moreover, paper pots can be made at home with minimal materials, which saves money and is also a great activity for those cold winter months. Come late winter, they’re a great way to start warm-season seeds like tomatoes indoors and get a head start…

IN SEASON SEPTEMBER FRUITS Apple (Lady Williams), blueberries, custard apple, grapefruit, lemon, lime, mandarin (Imperial), rockmelon, orange (blood, Navel), pawpaw, papaya, pineapple, pomelo, strawberries, tamarillo, tangelo VEGIES Artichoke (globe), Asian greens, asparagus, beans, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, chilli, fennel, garlic, kale, leek, lettuce, mushrooms, peas, potatoes, silverbeet, spinach, spring onions IN SEASON OCTOBER FRUITS Avocado, banana, blueberries, dragonfruit, gooseberries, grapefruit, guava, kiwifruit, mango, melons, orange (Valencia), pawpaw, papaya, passionfruit, pineapple, pomelo, strawberries, tangelo VEGIES Artichoke (globe), Asian greens, asparagus, beans, beetroot, broad beans, cabbage, cucumber, chilli, fennel, garlic, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, peas, potatoes, silverbeet, spinach, spring onion, watercress, zucchini SEASONAL TIP Green papaya Green papaya, so popular in South East Asian cuisines, is simply unripe papaya. It has little flavour of its own but readily absorbs the flavours of…

TOUGH NEW SPRINKLER Bringing you Wobble-Tee Sprinkler’s latest product, the RolaRain Sprinkler. Why would we make a newer model when the Wobble-Tee has been so popular and successful? Well, the Wobble-Tee Sprinkler was designed as a domestic sprinkler to be used on the lawn in your backyard, but it has been utilised in so many other situations that are outside the original design concept. So, simply, we have made a tougher new design more suited to farming applications, sporting fields and industrial use. The wheels allow the central part of the sprinkler base and fittings to rise off the ground slightly when being pulled along, stopping the sprinkler base scuffing the grass surface and reducing wear on the hose and sprinkler fittings from rubbing against the ground. For more information…