Final version Deloraine_Community_Booklet_PRINT

A H O W-T O G U ID E
FO R TH E ME AN DE R VA LL EY
1
Contents
Introduction
Message of Support
Why grow our own food?
The local scene
1
2
Ten garden tools for the
beginner gardener
Sun protection while gardening
Water wise gardening
Introduction to permaculture
Our Community Gardens
Local Producers
Getting Started
Garden Design
More local gardening tips
3
4
5
6
7
Meander Valley Plant Species List
Cook It
Meander Valley Council food
health and safety
Easy pizza dough recipe
Chunky potato and leek soup
Grow It
Pumpkin soup from
Westbury Primary School
9
How to create a no-dig garden bed
10
Propagating plants through Seed saving 11
Mulching tips from Gardening Australia 13
The Trick to Composting
14
Berries, berries and more berries
15
The juicy story on fruit trees
16
The good egg on backyard chickens
17
Organic recipes for pest control
19
Potato and carrot soup by Elena
Maz’s gardening tips for pest
control and fertilisers
21
Resources
10 Foods That’ll Re-Grow from
Kitchen Scraps
22
Complete Organic Fertiliser
Build it
The low down on Wicking beds
Small space vertical gardens
26
27
33
33
34
34
35
Irene’s recipe for tomato
passata (sauce)
35
Mandy’s Pumpkin & Cashew nut Curry 35
Mandy’s Tomato Kasoundi
36
Tara’s Plant-Eaters Broccoli Cheese 36
Enid’s Zucchini Relish 37
Peasants Pottage 37
Easy yoghurt flat bread 38
Companion planting guide from
Sustainable Gardening Australia
Seasonal sowing and planting guide
Resource list
How to build a cheap raised garden bed 25
29
30
30
31
39
43
47
Introduction
Messages of Support
I am delighted to be able to write this
message of support for the Meander Valley
Food Networks book. This publication is
a compilation of the content of a number
of practical workshops held in community
gardens in Westbury and Deloraine over a
two year period and it is wonderful to see
this information included in a publication
which will be of lasting benefit and use.
Local Food for Local People: A How-To Guide
for the Meander Valley and the workshops
leading up to it have been supported
through the Meander Valley Rural Primary
Health Services Program (MVRPHSP) over a
number of years largely because community
gardens and gardening have the potential to
impact hugely and positively on health and
wellbeing. There are the unquestionable
benefits of growing and eating your own
produce but also significant benefits from
the physical activity involved in gardening
not to mention the impact of community
and social connections, the pleasure of
seeing seeds you have sown or plants you
have propagated become productive,
and the sustainability impacts. If all of us
became more involved in gardening the
community would certainly be a far happier
and healthier place. I consequently sincerely
hope this publication encourages its readers
to become more involved in gardening and
to try new tips and techniques.
Congratulations to everyone involved
in this fantastic publication and “happy
gardening.”
Annette Barrett
The Manager
Westbury Community Health Centre
Food gardens create healthier, happier
people. This worthy booklet can get you
started. Good gardening to you!
Steve Solomon
Soil Health Guru
Here’s what others say about what
gardening means to them.
Irene Molsen says that she enjoys the anticipation when planting out seeds of having a
wonderful harvest, and the excitement of
watching her seedlings emerge, and finally
the satisfaction of harvesting and eating the
fruits of her labour.
Charlie Keane says she enjoys the theraputic
connection to nature. She is able to turn off
her thoughts and has a sense of achievement of a job well done.
Lisa Kelly says gardening is more than just
growing a plant, a flower, food.... It’s about
connection to the seasons, to memories,
to friends, to culture. Its learning from the
generosity of nature and applying that to life.
Sean Manners says Just Do It.
1
Why grow our own food?
Growing our own food can be one of the
most rewarding things we can do for
ourselves and our families. Nothing beats
the taste of fresh organic produce from your
own garden and if you’ve never tasted a ripe
red or yellow or purple tomato from your
own garden then you’re missing something
truly wonderful. For many, a favourite childhood memory is plucking ripe cherry tomatoes from the vine and feeling that burst of
sweet tomato freshness as it is eaten fresh
from the garden.
There was a time in Australian history when
many families had a vegetable garden in
their back yards. However due to increased
pressures on families along with ready
access to supermarket and fast foods the
quintessential back yard vege patch has
rapidly diminished and along with it the skills
to grow our own food.
Much of the produce we buy has had to be
sprayed and therefore contains harsh chemicals, which over time affect our health. Add
to that the often large amounts of traveling and storage time for bought produce
meaning that by the time we bring this
produce home there is little goodness left
for our bodies.
Then if we want to factor in the health
of the planet and ultimately ourselves,
it is much more sustainable to grow our
own food, as producing and shipping
massive amounts of produce around the
planet means using up a lot of the earth’s
resources. So by growing our food we are
not only helping ourselves but our planet
also. Which makes sense to do because
we only have one planet and we need it to
survive.
The other great thing about growing your
own food is that it is loads of fun. You get
to design and create your own vege patch,
plant and eat the food you like, and try
some interesting new foods, and all the
while getting fresh air and sunshine and
tasty, healthy results for your efforts.
So what are you waiting for … Grab a
shovel, some gardening gloves, a funky hat
and lets get Growing Together.
healthier,
te
a
re
c
s
n
e
rd
a
g
Food
. This worthy
le
p
o
e
p
r
ie
p
p
a
h
you started.
booklet can get
to you!
Good gardening
2
Getting Started
Garden Design
Garden design is important so that you
end up with a garden that is aesthetically
pleasing, meets your needs, and all your
beloved plants get the maximum growing
experience they deserve. However a garden
that naturally evolves can be beautiful and
practical as well.
Here are some tips for designing your
garden.
Check out friends
and other people’s
gardens. Look at
lots of pictures of
gardens and be
inspired.
Ask the question – what do I want from my
garden? Do I want it to be low maintenance,
do I want it to be tidy and have all straight
edges, or do I want a wild food foraging
style garden? Do I want a place to sit and
contemplate in my garden, perhaps near a
beautiful little pond? Do I want to entertain
in my garden?
Check out friends and other people’s
gardens. Look at lots of pictures of gardens
and be inspired.
3
Take the time to just BE in your garden –
to wander around and just dream. If, for
example, you have a desire for several fruit
trees in your garden, imagine where you
will put them, looking for things like proximity to other trees, plants, sheds etc, how
much sunlight reaches different areas in your
garden, and the direction of wind passing
through the garden. Fruit trees generally need
to have at least 3 to 4 metres spacing between
them, and of course don’t forget that some
varieties of fruit trees need a similar variety to
cross pollinate with. Space, light and wind are
important to consider when thinking about
any plants you want to plant in your garden.
Take a photo of your garden, photocopy it
and use it to draw onto to help you create
your design. Think about and look at what’s
beyond your garden and how it will fit into
the surrounding town and landscape. Maybe
you want your garden to stand out and
make a statement!
Think about the types of materials you will
use in your garden, whether it be rock,
timber, concrete and so on. It is always good
from a sustainability point of view to try and
use recycled materials in the garden, rather
than buying new materials. It is important,
however when using recycled materials
to make sure that there are no chemicals
that can leach into your garden and cause
damage to the plants and to you.
Above all, have fun in your garden and
remember there is no right or wrong way of
doing things, only what works for you.
Ten garden tools for the beginner gardener
1. A pair of scissors that you can
use to deadhead flowers, snip
herbs, harvest small vegetables
such as peppers, open a bag of
potting soil or a seed packet, or
cut string.
2. A soil fork. Can be used for
preparing a new bed, for turning
over old beds, weeding, and
turning compost.
3. Pruning shears. These do the
same work as kitchen scissors, as
well as the heavier duty work of
pruning small branches.
4. Tubtrugs garden buckets. These
are great for blending potting
soil, collecting weeds, carrying
grass clippings, mixing concrete
or any job around the garden
where you need to collect and
carry items around the garden.
They are made of food-grade
plastic that’s frost proof, and the
colours are cheerful.
5. Hand weeders. There are many
types of hand weeders and the
trick is finding one that suits you.
The site Mother Nature Network
recommends the Dandelion
Digger as it is great for digging up
weeds with long taproots.
6. A hose. All-important for
watering your garden.
7. A shovel. There are many
different types of shovels for
different jobs but a small compact
shovel with a long, narrow blade
works well for digging into hard
clay soil where there are occasional rocks to be encountered.
8. A knife. Some gardeners will buy
a special soil knife such as a HoriHori. However a basic kitchen
knife will often do the same job.
Knives can be used for cutting
through roots, transplanting,
dividing perennials, slicing
through sod, weeding, removing
bonsai plants from pots and
many more garden tasks.
9. Rakes. Broad lightweight rakes
are useful for tidying up around
the garden and thinner metal
rakes are great for spreading soil,
fine tilling and smoothing soil
over.
10. Hat and gloves. Finally, you
can’t go without a hat in the
garden, especially in summer
and gardening gloves will help
protect your hands.
Ideas sourced from Organic Gardening
http://www.organicgardening.com/learnand-grow/tools-for-newbies and Mother
Nature Network http://www.mnn.com/
your-home/organic-farming-gardening/
stories/10-essential-garden-tools.
4
Sun protection while gardening
The rise in the incidence of skin cancers
over the past decades is strongly related to
increasingly popular outdoor activities and
recreational exposure. Overexposure to
sunlight is widely accepted as the underlying
cause for harmful effects on the skin, eye
and immune system. Experts believe that
four out of five cases of skin cancer could be
prevented, as UV damage is mostly avoidable.
Adopting the following simple precautions, adapted from the Sun Wise School
Program can make all the difference. Shade,
clothing and hats provide the best protection
– applying sunscreen becomes necessary on
those parts of the body that remain exposed
like the face and hands. Sunscreen should
never be used to prolong the duration of sun
exposure.
Watch for the UV index
This important resource helps you plan your
outdoor activities in ways that prevent overexposure to the sun’s rays. While you should
always take precautions against overexposure, take special care to adopt sun safety
practices when the UV Index predicts exposure levels of moderate or above.
Exposure
UV Index
Low
2 or Less
Moderate 3–5
5
High
6–7
Very High
8–10
Limit time in the midday sun The sun’s UV rays are the strongest between
10 a.m. and 4 p.m. To the extent possible,
limit exposure to the sun during these hours.
Use shade wisely
Seek shade when UV rays are the most
intense, but keep in mind that shade structures such as trees, umbrellas or canopies
do not offer complete sun protection.
Remember the shadow rule: “Watch your
shadow – Short shadow, seek shade!”
Wear protective clothing A hat with a wide brim offers good sun
protection for your eyes, ears, face, and the
back of your neck. Sunglasses that provide 99
to 100 percent UV-A and UV-B protection will
greatly reduce eye damage from sun exposure. Tightly woven, loose fitting clothes will
provide additional protection from the sun.
Use sunscreen
Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF
15+ liberally and re-apply every two hours, or
after working, swimming, playing or exercising outdoors.
Sun Protection Recommendations
You can safely stay outdoors with minimal protection
Wear sun protective clothing, a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
and seek shady areas
Wear sun protective clothing, a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
and seek shady areas and stay indoors between 10am and
2pm (11-3pm daylight saving time)
Wear sun protective clothing, a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
and seek shady areas but stay indoors as much as possible
Water wise gardening
Use a hose nozzle with a hand trigger. This
gives more control and will save water while
walking from place to place in the garden.
Lawns use a lot of water. Consider reducing
your lawn area or use drought tolerant
grasses.
Put in new plantings in autumn after a good
rain. This means they can get well established before summer. If you plant new
plants in summer they will require constant
watering.
Avoid cutting grass too low. Taller grass
holds water better and protects the soil
from the sun. Cutting grass too short
encourages bare patches and growth of
moss in the lawn.
Use glazed pots for pot plants. Terracotta
pots dry out much quicker than glazed pots.
Lawn areas can be converted to native plant
strips and mulched to reduce water use.
Water the roots of plants, not the leaves.
Water your garden out of the heat of the
day, ie, before 10am and after 6pm.
Water less frequently but water deeply
to encourage root growth. Frequent light
watering will encourage shallow root rowth.
Mulch, mulch, mulch. Mulch improves water
retention and can reduce evaporation by up
to 73%. It also adds nutrients to keep plants
healthy and improves soil structure.
Consider planting Tasmania natives. They
have evolved to grow in Tasmania and many
have low water requirements.
Consider replacing inefficient sprinkler
systems in favour of drip irrigation. The
advantage of drip irrigation is that it sends
water to the roots of your plants.
If you don’t already have one, consider
installing a rain water tank to reduce your
dependence on town water supplies.
Sourced from Clarence City Council’s How Does
Your Garden Grow.
Consider Australian natives. Many have low
water requirements.
Save water and grow an
amazing garden. Follow
these plant watering tips to
help your plants – and your
water bill!
6
Introduction to permaculture
The term permaculture, meaning “permanent agriculture” was coined in the 1970’s
by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren.
Permaculture is consciously designed
landscapes, which mimic the patterns and
relationships, found in nature, while yielding
an abundance of food, fibre and energy for
provision of local needs. People, their buildings and the ways in which they organise
themselves are central to permaculture.
Thus the permaculture vision of permanent
or sustainable agriculture has evolved to
one of permanent or sustainable culture.
(David Holmgren in ‘Essence of Permaculture’)
“You can fix all the
world’s problems, in a
garden. You can solve
them all in a garden.
You can solve all your
pollution problems, and
all your supply line needs
in a garden. And most
people today actually
don’t know that, and that
makes most people very
insecure.”
Geoff Lawton
7
Permaculture is more than designing
and growing a sustainable garden, it is
also a radical social movement focused
on a holistic way of life. It is a “network
of individuals and groups spreading
permaculture design solutions in both
rich and poor countries on all continents.
Largely unrecognised in academia, and
unsupported by government or business,
permaculture activists are contributing to
a more sustainable future by reorganising
their lives and work around permaculture
design principles. In this way they are
creating small local changes, but ones that
are directly and indirectly influencing action
in the fields of sustainable development,
organic agriculture, appropriate technology
and intentional community design”. (David
Holmgren in ‘Essence of Permaculture’)
All permaculture design is based on three
ethics: Care of the earth; care of the people;
and fair share (set limits to consumption and
reproduction, and redistribute surplus).
Practically speaking, a successful permaculture design is based on three guiding
principles:
1. First, each element of the system
performs multiple functions. For
example a lemon tree in your garden
can supply fruit for food and a cash
crop, rinds for compost, leaves for
mulch, dead twigs for kindling, and
shade for you, your pets and other
plants.
2. Second, each desired function of
the system is supported by multiple
elements. For example further shade
(shade being a desired function) could
be supplied by a vine-covered trellis and
several other fruit or native trees.
3. Finally, and crucial to permaculture
design, everything in the system is
interconnected to everything else.
This is vital, because the susceptibility
and output of a system depend not on
the number of elements it contains,
but rather how many exchanges take
place within the system (think of an old
growth forest vs. a monoculture tree
farm).
Design is the keyword. It’s all about how
you place the design elements together.
Look at how things work together in nature,
and then try and mimic that design in your
garden. The beauty of it is that permaculture principles work everywhere, in every
climate and on every scale. They can be
applied to whole villages or housing estates,
or to a tiny backyard or balcony.
If you think ahead and design your permaculture garden right, it won’t take much
effort, it will mostly look after itself, and it
will also be incredibly productive and beautiful and attractive to wildlife.
If you want to know more about permaculture and how you can incorporate its principles into your life, Permaculture Principles
at permacultureprinciples.com and Permaculture Design at http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/permaculture-design.html are
useful websites to guide you on your way.
Information taken from http://www.permaculture.net/about/brief_introduction.html and http://
www.tropicalpermaculture.com/what-is-permaculture.html and http://holmgren.com.au/downloads/Essence_of_Pc_EN.pdf.
Everything in nature is interconnected and
interdependent. Nature is also the ultimate
recycler. Everything goes
round and round. There is
“...saving the
t
u
o
b
no such thing as “waste”.
a
is
re
u
lt
Permacu
Everything is a resource.
be a hundred,
to
g
in
v
li
d
n
a
t
e
plan
And most importantly, it’s
very impressive
sustainable. It’s something
while throwing
r
organising othe
that works in the long run,
d
n
a
s
ie
rt
a
p
r
e
dinn
not something that is based
of the work.”
st
o
m
o
d
to
s
on inputs that will eventually
creature
run out, not something that
creates waste and problems that
Linda Woodrow
will eventually upset the system.
8
Grow It
Complete Organic Fertiliser
by Steve Solomon
To make enough Complete Organic
Fertiliser (COF) to cover 10 square
metres of growing bed you will need
to combine the below ingredients in a
good sized bucket and spread evenly
over the bed.
TWEAKS
INGREDIENTS
If your citrus or other plants show
signs of iron deficiency, add 1
tablespoon ferrous (iron) sulphate.
This may not be enough but is a safe
quantity.
3 litres oilseedmeal (2,100 gm)
½ cup dolomite lime, use #65
(200 gm)
1 cup agricultural lime, #100 is best;
otherwise use #65 (425 gm)
1 cup gypsum (300 gm)
1 pint soft rock phosphate or guano
(750 gm)
½ cup potassium sulfate (125 gm)
1½ tablespoons ferrous (iron) sulfate
(30 gm)
1 tablespoon manganese sulfate
(not magnesium sulfate, a frequent
confusion) (20 gm)
2 teaspoons zinc sulfate (20 gm)
1 teaspoon copper sulfate (5 gm)
1 teaspoon borax (5 gm)
1 cup kelpmeal (200 gm)
Mix these ingredients so they’re
uniformly blended.
9
If your soil is sand without a clay
subsoil, substitute dolomite lime
instead of agricultural lime. This will
tighten up your soil, helping it to hold
more moisture.
If your soil is heavy clay and it is a
new garden, or a clay garden that
has never been limed, double the
quantities of agricultural lime and
gypsum for two years and then revert
to the formula above.
Ready made COF can be obtained from
Seppenfelts, Emu Bay Rd, Deloraine, or the
Westbury Community Garden (enquire at
the Westbury Community Health Centre on
6701 2150).
How to create a no-dig garden bed
Esther Deans pioneered the no-dig-gardening
concept in Sydney in the 70’s because her
heavy clay soil was terrible for growing vegetables. Since then the no-dig garden bed has
become a popular and convenient way of
creating a garden.
No-dig gardens are easy to make.
Here’s how.
Picking the Spot and Bed Preparation.
Look for somewhere that gets plenty of
sunlight, is protected from strong winds and
is flat. You can construct it over lawn, existing
garden beds, or even concrete. Mark out your bed using non-toxic paint or
string or some other method. Your garden can
be any shape you like. Just remember you need
to access the middle of your garden bed from
both sides.
If creating over lawn, cut the grass and weeds
as low as possible. Clear the site of unwanted
material such as stones and dried seeds. To
deter grass from invading your bed create
sturdy edges from timber or bricks.
Soil Preparation
If you are building a garden on sandy or lowfertility soil, add a fertiliser layer about 2cm
thick; compost, worm castings, manure and/or
a sprinkling of dynamic lifter or blood and bone
will improve soil fertility.
To allow these nutrients, water and air to
penetrate to the rootzone, open the soil using
a garden fork. Push the fork into the soil as
far as it will go, then move it back and forth to
open, but not turn, the soil. Water sufficiently
to moisten the soil to the root zone.
Lay The Weed Barrier
Cover the garden with newspaper that has
been well-moistened so that it will not blow
away — about 10 pages thick. If you have
invasive grasses such as kikuyu or couch that
spread by stems that grow horizontally, lay a
thicker layer of newspaper to block light and
discourage growth. Overlap pages by one-third
their size to discourage weeds.
Add A Fertiliser Layer
Spread a fertiliser layer of compost/wormcastings/grass clippings/manure to cover the paper.
This will act as a slow release fertiliser and will
become available to the plants over time.
Lay Weed Free Mulch
Lay mulch such as composted stable sweepings/hay/straw/lucerne hay on top the nitrogen
layer to at least 10cm thick. A thicker layer is
alright. Repeat nitrogen and carbon layers if
needed.
Plant Seedlings And Seeds
Germinate small seeds in pots for transplanting
into the garden. Large seeds such as peas and
beans can be sown directly into the bed.  To
plant the seedling or large seed, make small
holes in the mulch to the depth of the newspaper, fill with compost and plant the seedling
or seed into this. Don’t plant the seed too deep
— just to double the size of the seed. Some
gardeners slit the newspaper with a trowel or
knife so that the seedlings roots can penetrate
the soil below.
Water Well
Give the garden a thorough watering to soak
the mulch.
Information found at Australian City Farms &
Community Gardens Network and coroborated by
Sandy Tiffin – local permaculturist.
10
Propagating plants through Seed saving
For home gardeners, saving your own seed,
taking cuttings or dividing clumps of plants
by the roots are the most common ways to
propagate plants. Saving and raising seeds
is a fun way to start propagating your own
plants.
First of all, hybrid varieties (you’ll see
the word “hybrid” in the seed catalogue
description or in the vegetable’s name) do
not always breed true to type. The seed
from last season’s mammoth tomatoes may
only produce scraggly plants bearing tiny
red buttons the following season. To avoid
this problem, always start with standard
(non-hybrid) vegetable varieties, or stick
with hybrids that you know will breed true.
Second, if you plant two or more standard
varieties of corn, squash, tomatoes or any
flowering vegetables, you’re likely to have
crosspollination by wind and/or insects. This
results in an uncertainty of your seed quality
(a rare result is a new hybrid of higher
quality than the two varieties with which
you started … but this is highly unlikely).
You can minimize this cross-fertilization
process by planting only one variety of flowering vegetables at a time and locating your
plot as far as possible from your neighbour’s
patch.
Third, keep in mind that many common
vegetables (root crops, cabbages, parsley
and brussel sprouts) are biennial. Biennial
means the plants do not form seedpods
until their second year.
For fleshy vegetables such as tomatoes,
squash and melons, pick them when they
are fully ripe. Scoop out their seeds and
spread them to dry in a well-ventilated
place. Beans and peas need to be left on
the vine until the pods are dry and crackly.
Corn should also be left to dry on the stalk
until the kernels dent. Other types of seed
may be gathered when the fruit or vegetables are fully formed, hard and “meaty.”
Remember to collect seeds only from the
most vigorous plants in you garden, and not
just from the first few ripe specimens you
happen to encounter. By selecting seeds
from just the healthiest plants, you will –
over time – select for and create a special
sub-variety of these crops that are especially
adapted to your backyard’s climate and soil.
Mary Jane’s gardening tip
Use Steve Solomon’s Complete Organic Fertiliser recipe in his
book “Growing Vegetables South of Australia” available in
Seppenfelts and get a soil test done to check that your soil is
balanced. This info is accessed through another book of Steve’s,
only available on Amazon.com, called “The Intelligent Gardener”.
11
Tips from Irene for growing great
tomatoes
Store your seeds in a cool, dry environment. It is best to use your seeds the
following year, although some seeds
do keep for two or more years. If you
want to make sure your seeds are
still viable you can do a test batch by
soaking some cotton wool in a shallow
dish of water, placing a few seeds in
the cotton wool, covering the dish
and leaving at room temperature.
If you get a good strike rate after a
week or so, your seed is good to go.
Larger seeds can be sown directly
into a garden bed that has been
prepared a week or more before
and nourished with a good quality
complete organic fertiliser. Smaller
seeds should be raised in pots or
trays, which have been thoroughly
cleaned and filled with good quality
seed raising mix. You can make your
own mix with one part garden soil,
one part course sand (not beach
sand), and one part vermiculite, peat
moss or compost. You must keep
seeds moist but not wet until seedlings emerge, which may be seven
to ten days for fast-germinating
seeds but two to four weeks for
slow starters.
• When transplanting tomato seedling
s,
dig a hole 30cm wide and put in a layer
of compost mixed with one teaspoon
of Epson salts and half a cup of blood
and bone, then a thin layer of soil and
plant your seedlings into that.
• Also when transplanting seedlings,
crush up some crayola chalk or calcium
and place around seedlings, as this
strengthens the stem of the plant. You
can also add some potash to this to
ensure a good crop.
• Always make sure tomatoes never
dry out, as they love water especially
on hot days. Fertilise fortnightly with
liquid fertiliser.
• To bring on an early crop of tomatoe
s,
before planting them in spring add one
teaspoon of borax into the planting
hole and mix with soil. The borax
hastens blossoming and brings on an
early crop.
• Add a tablespoon of sugar to waterin
g
can once a week when crop is nearly
ready and give them a soak with that.
When transplanting your seedlings, gently
water to help settle the roots. You can
water plants with a solution of seaweed
concentrate to help overcome transplant
shock and aid in rapid regeneration of new
growth. Mix a solution of 10 ml of seaweed
concentrate to 9 litres of water. It is best to
transplant seedlings in the late afternoon
or evening to avoid burning from the sun
through the hot day.
12
Mulching tips from Gardening Australia
There are four important reasons to mulch.
First and foremost is water conservation.
Mulch stops the top of the soil drying
out, keeps the soil moist, and can reduce
watering by about 60 per cent. Mulching
also prevents weeds and weed seed germination, which compete with plants for
moisture and nutrients. Mulching also keeps
the soil temperature constant, and using an
organic mulch means you’re adding extra
organic matter to the soil. So that’s an
added benefit. Mulch stops the top of the
soil drying out, keeps the
soil moist, and can reduce
watering by about 60 per cent.
Mulches can either be organic or inorganic,
however organic mulches break down and
add organic matter to the soil. This improves
soil structure and drainage, and encourages
earthworm and soil microbial activity. Organic mulches, such as straw based
mulches, are quite common. Try pea straw,
but there is also lucerne and bean, and
cane type mulches. They can either come
by the bale or some people prefer to use
the chopped product for a neater look. Pea
straw is a favourite because it’s easy to use
and inexpensive. Simply grab a biscuit and
lay it on the garden like pavers. Then loosen
it up to fill the gaps. 13
Bark based mulches are another great organic
choice. An advantage of the bark-based
mulches is they take longer to break down so
you don’t have to apply them as often. They
come in a range of grades, from fine through
medium, and coarse. It’s best to use medium
to coarse grade bark mulches because they
don’t absorb any moisture and allow rainfall,
or irrigation water, to penetrate the soil where
it’s needed. The disadvantage of using a finer
based mulch is it absorbs moisture and can
also form a seed bed for weeds. The depth of mulch depends on the type
of mulch used. For coarse mulches a layer
of between 2 and 6 centimetres is ideal.
Although unprocessed straw mulches from
the bale can be applied thicker. To stop birds flicking mulch out of the
garden, use plants as a border.
Another problem is that during the natural
decomposition of woody materials, such as
uncomposted fresh sawdust, pine bark and
woodchips, soluble nitrogen is taken from
the mulch by fungi and bacteria. This causes
something called nitrogen drawdown, but
it can be overcome by applying a balanced
organic fertiliser before mulching. Rather than using lawn clippings, leafy prunings and leaf litter as mulch, it’s far better to
put it in the compost and let it break down
naturally. Although some people like to
apply compost as mulch, it’s actually better
to use a coarser material, such as straw or
bark. But try putting compost on first, and
use it as a soil conditioner or improver, and
then add mulch. Apart from a few plants that don’t like
mulch, such as bearded iris, whose rhizomes
actually need to bake, mulching will
encourage the garden to thrive and help to
conserve precious water.
http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/
s1484684.htm
The Trick to Composting
The first trick to composting is all in the
layering process. Just like making lasagne.
Whether you are making compost in a
compost bin or a home- made wooden
structure, you need to have layers of
nitrogen based material and carbon based
material. The second trick is cutting everything into small enough pieces to make the
job easier for the worms and microbes.
When you start adding your materials, start
with a carbon layer of about 10cm thickness, then add a layer of nitrogen of about
the same thickness, and then another
carbon layer, and another layer of nitrogen
and so on. It is always good when you are
adding a nitrogen layer such as your kitchen
scraps to then immediately top with a
carbon layer. This keeps out the flies.
Nitrogen rich materials are fresh lawn
clippings, shrub prunings, food scraps including tea and coffee grounds, manures
and seaweed.
It is also important to keep the moisture content right in your compost. Your
compost needs to be moist but not wet.
So when you add your carbon layers, give
them a little watering in. Your nitrogen
layers will usually already have enough
moisture in them. To test the moisture
content in your compost – wearing a
gardening glove, take a handful of compost
and squeeze. If a few drops of water trickle
between your fingers then you have the
right amount of moisture. If no water
trickles out then your compost is too dry –
add water. If you get more than a trickle it
is too wet – turn to aerate and leave uncovered until water content declines.
Carbon rich materials are dried grass, leaf
litter (but not if it’s already wet and slimy),
straw, hay, shredded newspaper, office
paper and shredded cardboard.
To start pick a well-drained sunny spot,
somewhere relatively close to the house so
it’s not a chore to get to the compost bin
when your inside compost tub is full and
you’re in a hurry to empty it. Then make sure
you have enough composting materials to
get you started. Keep your straw or hay or
whatever carbon materials you are using
close to your compost bin for convenience.
For more in depth information on composting
see - Creative Composting for the home and
community gardener at http://
communitygarden.org.au/
wp-content/uploads/2009/08/
composting.pdf.
The first trick to composting
is all in the layering process.
Just like making lasagne.
14
Berries, berries and more berries
Berries are usually sold as bare rooted
plants. When buying next year’s
raspberry canes, look out for ones that
are nice and white because that means
that plant is alive and healthy. Thornless blackberries have nice
fibrous roots, and thinner canes
than raspberries. There are quite a few
thornless varieties of brambleberries
available now such as blackberries,
youngberries and gooseberries, which
can be sourced at various nurseries. If
your local nursery doesn’t have them,
you could ask them to get some in.
When planting raspberries it is
recommended that you start with at
least three canes to produce about six
to nine canes and lots of berries when
mature. Raspberries like well drained
soil, with plenty of humus and should
be planted about a metre apart and at
the depth they were originally in the
ground. Tuck the roots in and cut the
canes off. Boysenberries and other
brambleberries including loganberries,
young berries, and blackberries should
be planted a little further apart because
they are robust plants. Plant two canes
in the same hole. They don’t need to be
fertilised initially, but in spring add some
good general-purpose fertiliser, lots of
potash, and not too much nitrogen. It
is also important to construct a trellis
to support the berry canes. One
suggestion for a trellis is a pine post at
15
either end of the row with two support
wires for brambleberries, and one
support wire for raspberries. Maintaining and pruning soft cane fruit
is really important. Young plants tend
to produce a lot of canes, which need
thinning out. But as they mature, remove
the last year’s stems and maintain young
canes. Tie the canes against the trellis
and cut off excess growth. If you would like more information
on growing Blueberries you might
like to visit: www.abc.net.au/
gardening/stories/s789952.htm
Boysenberries are much more wanton
in their growth but prune using the
same principle. Cut the old wood
out of all brambleberries, including
boysenberries, loganberries, young
berries, and blackberries. Bundle the
young canes together and wind them
over the wire, and down to a second
wire.
Blueberries are a great option for the
Meander Valley and will reward you
with luscious fruit but beware, they are
very thirsty and you will need a good
water supply to keep them growing!
Growing berries is not too difficult. It’s
a question of good soil preparation
and then enjoying your berry-delicious
bounty.
The juicy story on fruit trees
The type of fruit you can buy is limited
to how well it cool-stores and how well
it resists bruising and blemishing, and
not necessarily on how it will taste or
its nutritional value. There are so many
varieties of fruit trees you can grow
with tastes you’ll never experience
from store bought fruit, so why not
give it a go and grow your own fruit
trees? Even if you can’t plant in your
back yard, you can grow some dwarf
varieties in pots quite successfully.
When choosing types of fruit trees
for the Meander Valley area it is best
to stick to cool temperate fruit trees
such as apples, pears, quinces, cherries, plums, mulberries and nashis.
Peaches and nectarines are touch and
go, depending on variety. It is better
to choose a late flowering variety, and
apply bordeaux spray from the end of
July before budburst, and then again
after blossoming.
Other subtropical species you may like
to try are loquat (Heard’s mammoth is
the best variety but is still marginal and
unlikely to fruit unless you have a warm
microclimate); lemon (Meyer lemon
is possible, however cover in winter
when young, put near stone walls/
chimneys, on northern side, and out of
wind); kumquats and limes probably
survive best in a big pot in a sheltered
verandah or courtyard; grapes (pinot
noir and eating varieties are good);
pomegranates (these are difficult,
however some people in the area have
had success). Kiwi fruits do well in our
area and are worth growing.
If you are interested in espalier for fruit
trees there are many sites online to
explore.
Even if you can’t plant
in your back yard, you
can grow some dwarf
varieties in pots quite
successfully.
People should seriously think of nut
trees. Walnuts, chestnuts and hazelnuts all grow well here, and are some
of the best foods and don’t require
much looking after.
Information for this page provided by local
permaculturist Sandy Tiffin.
A great site for discovering dozens of varieties of fruit trees (especially apple) and for
tips on pruning and other great articles is
Woodbridge Fruit Trees at
www.woodbridgefruittrees.com.au/wft/
16
The good egg on backyard chickens
Keeping chickens in the backyard has lots
of benefits and done properly will reward
you and your garden in many ways for years
to come. By taking the time to research
requirements and installing an appropriate chook shed, ongoing care should be
straightforward.
If you’re interested in raising your own small
backyard flock, there are a few things to
think about before you get started:
Well-fed chickens are
able to provide healthier
produce and survive
harsher conditions.
Find out which predators are common in
your area (for example, feral cats, domestic
dogs or snakes) and take this into consideration when designing and building your
chook run.
Think about whether you want your
chickens for egg production, meat production or both. Keep in mind that hens will lay
most of their eggs in the first three years,
after which the number of eggs will decline.
For this reason it’s a good idea to stagger
the ages of the birds, adding new birds to
the flock to keep you in a supply of eggs.
Avoid roosters as they’re not needed to
produce eggs. They also tend to make your
chickens broody (sit on their eggs to hatch
chicks) which will reduce the number of
eggs they lay.
17
Before bringing your chickens home to
roost, it’s important to ensure that their
housing is ready to keep them safe while
they adjust to their new environment.
You can buy a ready-made chook shed and
run or build your own with a few basic tools
and recycled materials. Another option is
to convert an unused outbuilding. There
are also portable pens (known as chicken
tractors), which can be moved around your
yard.
As with any living creature, a varied diet
and good nutrition is important. Well-fed
chickens are able to provide healthier
produce and survive harsher conditions.
Provide a constant supply of fresh clean
water (laying hens need lots of water).
Ensure there’s a constant supply of fresh
food and oyster shell grit—chickens are
designed to eat all day.
Feed a combination of commercial poultry
food supplemented with kitchen scraps.
Scraps alone are not sufficient nutrition
and should not be high in salt or fat. Your
chooks will also need access to earthworms,
insects, plants and pulled weeds.
Keep your chook shed clean by removing
leftover scraps—they attract vermin, ants
and flies. Ensure wild birds can’t access
your chooks’ water or feed as this can pass
on disease. Clean out the feed and water
troughs every day. Avoid putting out excess
amounts of food so you don’t attract rats
or mice. Scrape surfaces free of manure.
There are more cleaning tips available on
the internet.
Provide access to loose dirt so your chooks
can take a bath—a dirt bath suffocates
poultry lice.
Keep a close eye out for any weight loss,
noisy breathing, or if the comb on the top
of the head loses colour. Also notice if any
health issues are flock-related or in just one
bird. Healthy birds are bright, active, eat
often and interact with other chickens. Talk
to your vet about any health concerns.
Administer regular worming treatment and
check for stick-fast fleas and ticks. The fleas
appear as small, shiny black dots on the
combs and wattles. Check for ticks at night
because they leave the birds during the
day. The ticks look like small grey/black dots
under the wings.
Put your chickens to work on some garden
chores. When allowed to roam in the
garden, your feathered friends will scratch
to turn over compost and aerate soil. They’ll
eat weeds, leaves and fresh lawn clippings.
They’re also a great pest control service,
dining on insects, bugs and sometimes even
mice.
Fertilise your garden. Chook poo provides
more nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus
than any other manure so it’s great for your
plants. Turn it into compost before using it
on the garden—raw manure can burn or kill
your plants. To do this, collect the manure
and bedding from your coop, add it to your
compost, water it, then turn it every few
weeks. Depending on the composting conditions, chook litter will take 6-12 months to
be ready to feed your garden. When ready,
spread it on your garden and work it into
the soil. Always wear gloves when handling
livestock manure and thoroughly wash your
hands and any produce before eating.
Collect eggs at least once each day—twice
if possible, especially in hot weather. Clean
the eggs with a damp cloth, fine sandpaper
or steel wool, and store them in your fridge.
Wash your hands after handling the eggs.
Learn how to catch and
hold your chickens so they
become familiar with being
handled. Begin handling a
few weeks after you bring
them home to give them
time to settle in and get
used to you and their new
surroundings. Chickens need
to be handled with care.
Once they’re used to you,
they’ll sit quite calmly and
can be stroked by children.
18
Organic recipes for pest control
(continued from p18)
You can save water by recycling the
calcium-rich water from boiling your eggs
and use it to water your plants.
If you intend to sell or give away eggs,
you’ll need to check the state government
Food Act. As a backyard owner, you also
have responsibilities under the Animal
Health Act and the Animal Welfare Act.
Check with Council regarding any restrictions or requirements in your area.
This portable chicken coop was made for
sale by local young people. They also make
wood shelter boxes, potting benches,
top-bar bee hives, solar dehydators and
seedling cold-frames. For information on
these items you can contact Nate Austen on
0427 543 365 Westbury Community Health
& Day Centre, 89 Meander Valley Rd, Westbury 7303.
The material for this article was sourced from
the Commonwealth of Australia (Department
of Industry). For more detailed information visit
their website http://yourenergysavings.gov.au/
waste/reducing-recycling/kitchen-food-waste/
keeping-backyard-chickens.
19
Tomato leaf spray is effective in killing
aphids and mites. It works because the alkaloids in the tomato leaves, and the leaves of
all nightshades, are fatal to many insects.
Garlic Oil Spray is a great, safe insect repellent. Simply put three to four cloves of
minced garlic into two teaspoons of mineral
oil. Let the mixture sit overnight, and then
strain the garlic out of the oil. Add the oil
to 500 ml of water, and add a teaspoon of
biodegradable dish soap. Store in a bottle or
jar, and dilute the mixture when you use it
by adding two tablespoons of your garlic oil
mixture to one pint of water. Compounds in
garlic are irritating or deadly to many insects.
The oil and soap help the mixture stick to
plant leaves. Garlic oil repels whiteflies,
aphids, and most beetles. A word of caution,
don’t apply this spray on a sunny day,
because the oils can cause foliage to burn.
Simple Soap Spray is useful in taking out
a wide variety of garden pests, including
aphids, scale, mites, and thrips. Just add one
tablespoon of dishwashing soap to 4 litres
of water and spray the mixture on the pests.
The soap dissolves the outer coating or shell
of the insects, eventually killing them.
Beer for the Slugs. Sink a tuna can or pie
plate into the ground, and add about 6 cm
of beer, to about 3 cm below the top of the
container. The slugs will go in for a drink
and drown. Slugs are attracted to the yeast.
It’s really important to sink the container
into the soil and keep the beer about 3 cm
lower than the soil. This way, the slugs have
to go down after the beer, and they drown.
If the beer is near the soil, the slugs can just
have a drink and then go and munch some
host as when they’re done with happy hour.
Red Pepper Spray works well for making
your plants less tasty to mammal and bird
pests. Mix four tablespoons of Tabasco
sauce, one litre of water, and one teaspoon
of dish soap. The capsican in the pepper
spray will irritate the animal pests, and
they’ll look for less spicy fare elsewhere. Baking Soda Spray for Powdery Mildew is
a tried-and-true method for preventing
powdery mildew. It needs to be applied
weekly, but if you have a problem with
mildew in your garden, it will be well worth
the time. Simply combine one tablespoon of
baking soda, one tablespoon of vegetable
oil, one tablespoon of dish soap and 4 litres
of water, and spray it on the foliage of
susceptible plants. Baking soda spray works
because the baking soda disrupts fungal
spores, preventing them from germinating.
The oil and soap help the mixture stick to
plant leaves. Vinegar works very well for weeds in your
lawn and garden. The main issue with
vinegar is that it can harm other plants. It is
recommended to use a foam paintbrush to
brush the vinegar directly onto the leaves of
weeds you’re trying to kill. This prevents the
vinegar from getting onto other plants and
ensures that the entire leaf surface is coated
with the vinegar.
into some white vinegar and pouring that
onto your sidewalk weeds. Please note that
this concoction will kill just about any plant
it comes in contact with, so keep it away
from your other plants, as well as your lawn. And the Best Homemade Garden Concoction of All is Compost. It adds nutrients,
improves soil structure, increases moisture
retention, and increases the number of
beneficial microbes in your soil, as well as
preventing organic matter from making its
way to the landfill.
For more information on organic pest control go
to www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/organicgarden-pest-control.html.
Sink a tun
a can or p
ie
plate into
the groun
d,
and add a
bout 6 cm
of beer, to
about 3 cm
below the
top of the
container.
The slugs
will go in
for a drink
and drown
.
Boiling Water for Sidewalk Weeds. Boil
some water, and pour it over weeds in the
cracks of your sidewalks or driveways. Most
weeds can’t stand up to this treatment, and
your problem is solved. Just be careful when
pouring!
Vinegar and Salt for Sidewalk Weeds.
Boiling water or just pulling them works but
if you have some really stubborn weeds, you
can try diluting a few teaspoons of water
20
Maz’s gardening tips for pest
control and fertilisers
1. For curly leaf use 1 part vinegar to 5
parts water – spray on.
2. For aphids use 1 part full cream milk to
10 parts water – spray on.
3. For a wide range of pests in the garden
make white oil using 1 cup of cooking
oil, 1 cup of water, a dash of washing
up liquid – blend then dilute 120 ml to 5
litres of water – use as spray.
4. For white fly and other pests boil
rhubarb leaves and spray on liquid.
5. For any bugs use 1 part washing up
liquid to 10 parts water – spray on.
6. Soak cow or horse poo and use liquid for
fertiliser. Dig in the left over solids.
7. Also soak seaweed and again use liquid
for fertiliser then dig in the seaweed.
Hot tip
Ian Mackenzie from Deloraine
Primary School has a garden tip
for great rhubarb. They love to
be fed a lot of blood and bone
and all manures are good. Ian
says they love it!
21
10 Foods That’ll Re-Grow from Kitchen Scraps
Leeks, Scallions, Spring Onions and Fennel
You can either use the white root end of a
vegetable that you have already cut, or buy
a handful of new vegetables to use specifically for growing.
Simply place the white root end in a glass
jar with a little water, and leave it in a
sunny position. I keep mine in the kitchen
window. The green leafy part of the plant
will continue to shoot. When it’s time to
cook, just snip off what you need from the
green growth and leave the white root end
in water to keep growing. Freshen up the
water each week or so, and you’ll never
have to buy them again.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass grows just like any other grass.
To propagate it, place the root end (after
you’ve cut the rest off) in a glass jar with a
little water, and leave it in a sunny position.
Within a week or so, new growth will start
to appear. Transplant your lemongrass into
a pot and leave it in a sunny outdoor position. You can harvest your lemongrass when
the stalks reach around a foot tall – just cut
off what you need and leave the plant to
keep growing.
Celery, Bok Choi, Romaine Lettuce
and Cabbage
After a few days, you should start to see
roots and new leaves appear. After a week
or so, transplant it into soil with just the
leaves showing above the level of the soil.
The plant will continue to grow, and within a
few weeks it will sprout a whole new head.
Alternatively you can plant your cutting
directly into soil (without starting the
process in water) but you will need to keep
the soil very moist for the first week until
the new shoots start to appear. Ginger
Ginger is very easy to re-grow. Simply plant
a spare piece of ginger rhizome (the thick
knobbly bit you cook with) in potting soil
with the newest (ie. smallest) buds facing
upward. Ginger enjoys filtered, not direct,
sunlight in a warm moist environment.
Before long it will start to grow new shoots
and roots. Once the plant is established
and you’re ready to harvest, pull up the
whole plant, roots and all. Remove a piece
of the rhizome, and re-plant it to repeat the
process.
Ginger also makes a very attractive houseplant, so if you don’t use a lot of ginger in
your cooking you can still enjoy the lovely
plant between harvests.
Similar to leeks, these vegetables will
re-grow from the white root end. Cut the
stalks off as you normally would, and place
the root end in a shallow bowl of water –
enough to cover the roots but not the top
of your cutting. Place it in a sunny window
position, occasionally spraying your cutting
with water to keep the top moist.
22
Potatoes
Garlic
Re-growing potatoes is a great way to avoid
waste, as you can re-grow potatoes from
any old potato that has ‘eyes’ growing on it.
Pick a potato that has robust eyes, and cut it
into pieces around 2 inches square, ensuring
each piece has at least one or two eyes.
Leave the cut pieces to sit at room temperature for a day or two, which allows the cut
areas to dry and callous over. This prevents
the potato piece from rotting after you
plant it, ensuring that the new shoots get
the maximum nutrition from each potato
piece.
You can re-grow a plant from just a single
clove – just plant it, root-end down, in a
warm position with plenty of direct sunlight.
The garlic will root itself and produce new
shoots. Once established, cut back the
shoots and the plant will put all its energy
into producing a tasty big garlic bulb. And
like ginger, you can repeat the process with
your new bulb.
Potato plants enjoy a high-nutrient environment, so it is best to turn compost through
your soil before you plant them. Plant your
potato pieces around 8 inches deep with
the eye facing upward, and cover it with
around 4 inches of soil, leaving the other 4
inches empty. As your plant begins to grow
and more roots appear, add more soil. If
your plant really takes off, mound more soil
around the base of the plant to help support
its growth.
23
Onions
Onions are one of the easiest vegetables
to propagate. Just cut off the root end of
your onion, leaving a ½ inch of onion on the
roots. Place it in a sunny position in your
garden and cover the top with soil. Ensure
the soil is kept moist. Onions prefer a warm
sunny environment, so if you live in a colder
climate, keep them in pots and move them
indoors during frostier months.
As you use your home-grown onions, keep
re-planting the root ends you cut off, and
you’ll never need to buy onions again.
Sweet Potatoes
And one for the kids….. ‘Pet’ Carrot Tops!!
When planted, sweet potato will produce
eye-shoots much like a potato. Bury all or
part of a sweet potato under a thin layer of
soil in a moist sunny location. New shoots
will start to appear through the soil in a
week or so. Once the shoots reach around
four inches in height, remove them and
re-plant them, allowing about 12 inches
space between each plant. It will take
around 4 months for your sweet potatoes to
be ready. In the meantime, keep an eye out
for slugs… they love sweet potatoes.
I call this a ‘pet’ because the plant that
re-grows from planting a carrot top will NOT
produce edible carrots, only a new carrot
plant. The vegetable itself is a taproot which
can’t re-grow once it has been removed
from the plant. But it makes an attractive
flowering plant for the kitchen, and they’re
easy and lots of fun to grow…. for kids of all
ages!
To propagate sweet potatoes, it is essential to use an organic source since most
commercial growers spray their sweet potatoes to prevent them from shooting.
Mushroom
Mushrooms can be propagated from
cuttings, but they’re one of the more difficult vegies to re-grow. They enjoy warm
humidity and nutrient-rich soil, but have to
compete with other fungus for survival in
that environment. Although it is not their
preferred climate, cooler environments give
mushrooms a better chance of winning the
race against other fungi.
Prepare a mix of soil and compost in a pot
(not in the ground) so your re-growth is
portable and you can control the temperature of your mushroom. I have found most
success with a warm filtered light during
the day and a cool temperature at night.
Just remove the head of the mushroom and
plant the stalk in the soil, leaving just the
top exposed. In the right conditions, the
base will grow a whole new head. (In my
experience, you’ll know fairly quickly if your
mushroom has taken to the soil as it will
either start to grow or start to rot in the first
few days).
Cut the top off your carrot, leaving about an
inch of vegetable at the root. Stick toothpicks into the sides of the carrot stump
and balance it in a glass or jar. Fill the glass
with water so that the level reaches the
bottom of the cutting. Leave the glass in
filtered, not direct, sunlight and ensure
water is topped up to keep the bottom of
your cutting wet. You’ll see roots sprout in a
few days, and you can transplant your ‘pet’
carrot into soil after a week or so.
Your success re-growing lovely fresh vegies
from scrap may vary, depending on your
climate, the season, soil quality and sunlight
available in your home or garden. And some
vegies just propagate easier than others
do. In my experience, a bit of trial and error
is required, so don’t be afraid to do some
experimenting. Get your hands dirty. It’s lots
of fun! And there’s nothing like eating your
own home-grown vegies.
24
Build it
How to build a cheap raised garden bed
To make a cheap raised garden you will need
to source some cheap untreated timber
lengths. This can often be sourced from
salvage yards and is much cheaper and more
sustainable than buying new timber. Just
make sure that the timber is untreated, as
you don’t want nasty chemicals leaching
into your vegies. Also getting timber that
is the same thickness and height will make
construction a lot easier.
But before you rush out and buy your timber
think about the size and shape you would
like your bed/s to be. For convenience it is
better if you can reach the middle of the bed
from both sides. Perhaps you will want one
big long bed or several shorter ones, which
will depend on the shape of your yard and
the types of vegies or other types of plants
you want to grow.
Here is one way to join your timber boards
together at the corners by using off-cuts
from one of your boards after cutting them
to length. Here the bed is two boards high
and the off-cut is attached, the thickness
of the boards in from the edge, so the
lengthways boards can butt up against the
join evenly. Don’t forget to measure, then
re-measure just to make sure you have the
measurements right.
Once you have completed constructing your
bed refer to the no-dig garden section of
this book for how to fill your bed or simply
use cardboard or thick layered newspaper
25
to line the bottom to keep out weeds,
then fill the bed with soil or a mixture of
compost, leaf mulch, manures and soil.
Once you have filled your raised bed you are
ready for planting.
To keep your raised beds operating optimumly you will need to top up each season
with compost or manures or both to make
sure your plants are getting enough nutrition.
You will also find ready-made garden beds at
garden centres or you can use other materials such as off-cuts from water tanks, old
refridgerators or any non-toxic recepticle
you can fill with soil and drill holes in the
bottom. Let your imagination and creativity
run wild.
The low down on Wicking beds
A wicking bed is a garden bed with a waterproof lining that holds a reservoir of water
at the bottom from which water is drawn
upwards like a wick to the surface of the
bed via natural soil absorption or through
the roots of plants in the bed. Basically it
works like large self-watering pot. Wicking beds are usually made with timber
sides and a pond liner at the bottom to
act as a water reservoir, but they can also
be made out of plastic tubs or any other
container that holds water and does not
corrode when in contact with soil. For a comprehensive guide on how to make
both a timber and plastic tub wicking bed,
you can visit the below website at Urban
Food Garden. John Ditchburn, creator of this
site gives full instructions, including pictures
to help guide you through the process.
Cross section of a wicking bed.
http://www.urbanfoodgarden.org/main/wickingbeds/wicking-beds.htm
26
Small space vertical gardens
You can easily produce the same amount of
fresh vegetables without taking up excess
space. A vertical vegetable garden is easy
to create. You can create one using shelves,
hanging baskets, or trellises.
The first step is to determine what the conditions are like in the area you wish to place the
vegetable garden, such as on the balcony.
The amount of sunlight will be the greatest
factor in determining which plants will thrive
in your urban environment. For instance, if you
live in an area surrounded by other buildings
your balcony or patio may be shaded most
of the time, therefore, you should choose
your plants accordingly. Leafy vegetables
like lettuce, cabbage, and greens do well with
limited sunlight, making good choices for
shady areas. If you are blessed with an abundance of sunshine, your selection of plants
will be greater, as vegetables thrive best in full
sun. In a sunny environment you can grow,
tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, beans, carrots,
radishes as well as leafy greens.
Even vine crops, such as squash, pumpkins, and cucumbers can be grown as
long as the container is deep enough to
accommodate them and proper staking
is available. Fill containers with peat moss
and a suitable potting mix amended
with compost or manure.
Almost any vegetable that can be grown in
a garden will also work well as a containergrown plant. Nearly any type of container
can be used for growing vegetable plants.
Old washtubs, wooden crates, gallon-sized
coffee cans, and even five-gallon buckets
can be implemented for growing crops as
long as they provide adequate drainage.
27
Shelves
Since most vegetables can be easily grown
in containers, shelves offer the benefit of
growing numerous types of vegetables on
each shelf as high up as you can reach or as
space allows. You can position the vertical
vegetable garden so that all of the plants
receive adequate amounts of sunlight at the
same time. Although any type of shelving
may be used, the best type is the kind with
slats. This will allow better air circulation and
during watering intervals, the excess water
on the top shelves will trickle down to the
bottom ones.
If shelves are not for you, containers can
also be situated on tiers, forming a vertical
appearance as well. Alternatively, vegetables can also be grown in hanging baskets or
along trellises.
Hanging baskets
Hanging baskets can be placed on
the balcony or on suitable hangers.
Numerous types of vegetables can be
grown in hanging baskets, especially
those with trailing characteristics.
Peppers and cherry tomatoes not only
look good in hanging baskets, so do
trailing plants, such as the sweet potato
vine, but they also thrive nicely in them.
Keep them watered daily since hanging
baskets are more prone to drying out,
especially during hot spells.
Trellises
Trellises can be used for the
support of trailing or vine crops. A
fence can also serve as a trellis for
beans, peas, tomatoes and vine crops
like squash and cucumbers. Using corn
stalks or sunflowers is another great
way to take advantage of vertical space
while making interesting pole supports
for beans and other climbing vegetables. Use a stepladder as a makeshift
trellis to support vine-growing plants
like pumpkins. The rungs of the ladder
can be used to train the vines while
placing the vegetables on its steps for
further support – this also works well with
tomato plants.
Be creative and find something that works
for you and your unique situation. Growing a
vertical vegetable garden is the perfect way
for urban gardeners and others to still enjoy
a bountiful harvest of freshly grown vegetables without taking up their already limited
space.
Stephanie’s gardening tip
I like to grow lots of flowers in my garden
in between the vegetables, it looks
beautiful and is good for the bees and for
me and for visitors. I think our gardens
should feed us with food and also feed us
with beauty. I have sweet peas climbing
up my raspberry canes. They look really
beautiful cascading up the canes in flower
and also add nitrogen into the soil, and
then self seed each year.
Russell Lupins are another favourite, as
they look beautiful in their pastel shades
and also add nitrogen to the soil. I have
planted them with Artichokes and they
look gorgeous together. Another favourite flower which is also a
great green crop is phacelia, also called the
bee plant, as the bees go crazy over the
mauve coloured flowers.
Information taken from Nikki Phipps, author of
‘The Bulb-O-licious Garden’ at Gardening Know
How @ http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/
edible/vegetables/vgen/growing-a-vertical-vegetable-garden.htm
28
The local scene
More local gardening tips
Claire’s gardening tips
Nell’s gardening tips
1. Planting garlic under roses and fruit
trees to prevent black spot.
1. Children will be enthused to grow
vegetables if they can reap a quick
harvest. Radishes will mature in just a
few weeks, and children enjoy munching
the crisp peppery vegies. Seeds may be
sown in all but the coldest months May
to August. Germination takes about a
week, and they can be harvested and
eaten raw -after washing - in six weeks.
2. When taking cuttings, you dip the end
in honey to help encourage root growth
and prevent rotting.
3. Cover seedlings with a plant pot overnight to protect from frost.
Mary’s gardening tip
Grow your strawberries in baskets at the
back door. Because of the extra traffic the
birds tend to leave them alone as against
them being in the ground.
Jenny’s gardening tip
Pre sprout some seeds such as peas,
sunflowers and pumpkins for germination
viability and more rapid emergence.
29
2. Seedlings will die from wilt if they are
not given some protection from the sun
in the warmer months.. Spread shade
cloth over leafy seedlings for several
days and remove each night. Water
them freely twice daily.
3. Pollinating Pumpkins. Female flowers
can be distinguished by the small
swelling at the base of the flower. If
they are not pollinated - bees don’t
come gathering nectar in wet weather
- these swellings will go yellow and
shrivel up. To hand pollinate, take the
long protruding anther from the centre
of the male plant and and hand pollinate
the centre of the female flower.
Our Community Gardens
Local Producers
We are very lucky in the Meander Valley to
have two community gardens, one in Westbury and one in Deloraine. The community
gardens are a space for us to come together
and enjoy the delight of gardening. They
are a space for us to learn, create and meet
other people from our community.
There are not many people who can
produce all they need to sustain their diet
in their own back yard or small acreage.
So when you are buying extras to add to
your homegrown produce, please think
about buying locally grown produce and
food items. A good starting point to access
local growers and producers is at the
local markets. There is a general market
at the Deloraine Showgrounds on the
first Saturday of every month; a general
market is on at Liffey every second Saturday
morning of the month except May, June,
July and August; a specific Farmers Market
currently operates at the Agricorp carpark in
Deloraine every second and fourth Saturday
morning; and a general market is on at
the Westbury Green every third Saturday
morning of the month.
Everyone is welcome at the community
gardens.
The Westbury Community Garden is located
on the corner of Jones and Dexter Sts. For
information regarding times and events
please contact the Westbury Community
Health Centre on 6701 2150.
The Deloraine Community Garden is located
on the corner of East Barrack and Pultney
Sts. For information regarding times and
events please contact Deloraine House on
6362 2678.
We are also very lucky to have a wood-fired
pizza oven in each of the gardens. The pizza
ovens are there for the community to use
and enjoy. If you would like to know more
about the pizza ovens see contact details
above.
30
Common
Name
Soil Type
Grow
from
Uses
Trees
Acacia dealbata
silver wattle
•
Acacia melanoxylon
blackwood
•
Acacia verticillata
prickly moses
•
Eucalyptus amygdalina
black peppermint
Eucalyptus ovata
black gum
Eucalyptus pauciflora
cabbage gum
Eucalyptus rodwayi
swamp peppermint
Eucalyptus viminalis
white gum
•
Nematolepis squamea
satinwood
•
Pittosporum bicolor
cheesewood
•
Pomaderris apetala
common dogwood
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Shrubs
31
Acacia genistifolia
spreading wattle
•
Acacia mucronata
catepillar wattle
Acacia terminalis
sunshine wattle
Allocasuarina littoralis
black sheoak
•
Banksia marginata
silver banksia
•
Bauera rubioides
wiry bauera
Bedfordia salicina
tasmanian blanketleaf
Beyeria viscosa
pinkwood
Callistemon pallidus
lemon bottlebrush
•
Cassinia aculeata
dollybush
•
Correa lawrenceana
mountain correa
Dodonaea viscosa
broadleaf hopbush
Gaultheria hispida
copperleaf snowberry
Grevillea australis
southern grevillea
Hakea epiglottis
beaked needlebush
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Easy to propagate by division
Easy to propagate from cuttings
Easy to propagate from seed
Salinity control
Water Wise
Bush tucker
Shelter belts
Erosion control
Low flammablity
Fertile soil
Poor soil
Clay soil
Loamy soil
Sandy soil
Poorly drained soil
Well drained soil
Montane Vegetation
Riparian
Sedgeland and Wetland
Heath
Grassy Vegetation
Dry Eucalypt Forest and Woodland
Wet Eucalypt Forest
Vegetation Community
Endemic
Standard
Name
Rainforest
Coastal Vegetation
Meander Valley
•
Common
Name
Leptospermum lanigerum
woolly teatree
•
Leptospermum
scoparium
common teatree
•
Melaleuca squarrosa
scented paperbark
•
Olearia lirata
forest daisybush
•
Olearia phlogopappa
dusty daisybush
Oxylobium arborescens
tall shaggypea
Ozothamnus ferrugineus
tree everlastingbush
Pomaderris elliptica
yellow dogwood
Pultenaea daphnoides
heartleaf bushpea
Endemic
Vegetation Community
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Easy to propagate by division
Easy to propagate from cuttings
Easy to propagate from seed
Salinity control
Water Wise
Bush tucker
Shelter belts
Erosion control
Low flammablity
Fertile soil
Poor soil
Clay soil
•
•
Grow
from
Uses
•
•
•
•
Loamy soil
Soil Type
•
•
Sandy soil
Poorly drained soil
Well drained soil
Montane Vegetation
Riparian
Sedgeland and Wetland
Heath
Grassy Vegetation
Dry Eucalypt Forest and Woodland
Wet Eucalypt Forest
Rainforest
Coastal Vegetation
Standard
Name
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Herbs and Groundcovers
Acaena novae-zelandiae
common buzzy
•
Argentipallium dealbatum
white everlasting
Chrysocephalum
apiculatum
common everlasting
•
Gompholobium huegelii
common wedgepea
•
Hibbertia procumbens
spreading guineaflower
•
Kennedia prostrata
running postman
Pelargonium australe
southern storksbill
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Grasses, Lillies, Sedges
Austrodanthonia
caespitosa
common wallaby-grass
Carex fascicularis
tassel sedge
Dianella tasmanica
forest flaxlily
Diplarrena latifolia
western flag-iris
Juncus pallidus
pale rush
Lomandra longifolia
sagg
•
•
•
•
•
Poa labillardierei
silver tussockgrass
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Note: However well intended, planting threatened species is potentially problematic. Due to risks of genetic contamination, limited availability of
provenance plants and to discourage collection from native occurrences without a permit, threatened species were deliberately not included in
these plant lists.
32
Cook It
Meander Valley Council
food health and safety
Easy pizza dough recipe
Ingredients
Meander Valley Council works with
the community to ensure safe food for
everyone. If you are interested in producing
or preparing food to provide or sell to the
public, the Environmental Health Officers
are able to assist you. Council can help you
find a registered kitchen to use, or provide
you with information you will need if you
would like to use your own kitchen.
375ml (1 1/2 cups) warm water
2 teaspoons (7g/1 sachet) dried yeast
Pinch of caster sugar
600g (4 cups) plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil, plus extra for
brushing
Meander Valley Council also provides free
Food Safety Training Sessions to community
groups. We can tailor a session to suit your
needs around the types of foods you wish to
sell. Contact Council to book in your session.
1. Combine the water, yeast and sugar in
a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes or
until foamy. Combine the flour and salt
in a large bowl and make a well in the
centre. Add the yeast mixture and oil.
Use a round-bladed knife in a cutting
motion to mix until the mixture is
combined. Use your hands to bring the
dough together in the bowl.
If you require further information on Food
Safety or starting your own Food business, please do not hesitate to contact the
Meander Valley Council EHOs on 6393 5300.
www.meander.tas.gov.au
Method
2. Brush a bowl lightly with oil. Turn the
dough onto a lightly floured surface and
knead for 10 minutes or until smooth
and elastic. Place in the prepared bowl
and turn to coat in oil. Cover with plastic
wrap and set aside in a warm, draughtfree place to rise for 30 minutes or until
dough doubles in size.
You are now ready to top with yummy
toppings from the garden such as tomatoes, basil, onion, garlic, spinach, zucchini,
capsicum, chillies, grated carrot and anything
else your creative mind can come up with.
(makes 2 large (3 small) pizzas)
33
Chunky potato and leek
soup from Elena
Pumpkin soup from
Westbury Primary School
Ingredients
A recipe from Westbury Primary School
created as part of the chaplaincy program in
the school for the children to have a yummy
hot breakfast.
4 tbl oil
2 tsp paprika
2 medium leeks, white part only –
sliced
2 kg potatoes – peeled and cubed
1 tomato – cut in half
1 capsicum – cut in half
4 bay leaves
1.5 to 2 litres of water
300 ml cream
salt and pepper to taste
parsley to garnish
Method
1. Fry leek till glossy looking
2. Add paprika and mix well
3. Add potato and mix to coat with paprika
4. Add water, tomato, capsicum and bay
leaves
1. Bring to boil, reduce low heat and slow
cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked
Ingredients
1 pumpkin - cut into pieces
Onion – diced
1 small potato – diced
1 carrot – diced
Celery – 1 small stick
Curry powder – 1 to 2 teaspoons
1 teaspoon vegie stock powder
1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
Water
Butter for frying
Method
Fry onions, butter and curry powder with
half the pumpkin, then add rest of pumpkin,
potato, carrot, celery, stock powder and
stock cubes. Add water just to cover, bring
to boil then let simmer till vegetables are
soft. Blend and then serve.
(makes about 15 cups)
1. Remove tomato, capsicum and bay
leaves
2. Add cream, serve and sprinkle with
parsley
34
Potato and carrot soup by Elena Mandy’s Pumpkin and
Cashew nut Curry
Ingredients
2 medium onions – peeled and sliced
4 tbls oil
2 kg potatoes – peeled and cubed
1 kg carrots – peeled and cubed
300 ml cream
salt and pepper to taste
Method
1. Sauté onion
2. Add carrot and potato and cook for
approx. 5 min under lid, mixing well
3. Add water and bring to boil
4. Cook until veggies are soft
5. Puree until mixture is a cream texture
6. Add cream and mix well
Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion (peeled & chopped)
1 bunch coriander with roots
1 long red chilli (seeded & chopped)
1 small red chilli seeded & chopped)
¼ cup curry paste
1 ½ cups water
1 veggie stock cube
165ml coconut milk
700g potatoes (peeled & cut into 5cm
chunks)
600g pumpkin (peeled & cut into 5cm
chunks)
½ cup unsalted cashews
Coriander leaves to serve
7. Serve with crusty bread and fresh
chopped parsley or chives
Method
Irene’s recipe for tomato
passata (sauce)
2. Cut a 2cm stalk and roots from coriander
bunch. Wash well. Chop finely. Discard
rest of stalks
If you have an abundance of tomatoes, a
good way to use them is to make a tomato
base sauce. Take a baking dish and fill up
with whole tomatoes (skin on), add a few
cloves of garlic along with dried or fresh
herbs, sprinkle salt and pepper and drizzle
olive oil over the top. Bake in 160-degree
oven for 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from
oven and put through sieve when cooled.
Store in sterilised jars.
35
Vegan, serves 4
1. Cook onion in oil for 2-5 minutes
3. Add to pan with chillies and cook 1
minute
4. Add curry paste cook for 1 minute
5. Combine water, stock cube, and
coconut milk then add to pan
6. Add pumpkin and potato and cook until
tender
7. Stir in cashews and heat through
8. Serve with coriander leaves scattered
Mandy’s Tomato Kasoundi
(chutney)
Tara’s Plant-Eaters Broccoli
Cheese Makes 6 x 500ml jars
Take one cup of soaked (for a few hours or
overnight) cashews (or nuts of choice)...
strain and blend with one litre of water.
Good for curries.
Ingredients
250gm fresh ginger, peeled & chopped
125g garlic, peeled & chopped
60g green chillies, peeled & chopped (no
seeds)
50ml malt vinegar
250ml oil
90g black mustard seed (whole or ground)
30g turmeric
90g cumin
60g chilli powder
2kg firm ripe tomatoes – peeled (or tinned)
300ml malt vinegar
250g brown sugar
50g salt
Method
1. Mince together in food processor
ginger, garlic, green chillies and 50ml
malt vinegar
2. Heat oil to very hot and add mustard
seeds, turmeric, cumin and chilli
powder. Stir about 5 minutes
Make a roux paste in a pan of 1/2 cup olive
oil and flour of your choice, it tastes cheesier
if you add 1 tablespoon of besan flour at this
point.
Optional - add a stock cube, Tara likes
rapunzel organic cubes, otherwise use 1/4
tspn salt.
Then stir in cashew nut milk and 1/2 tspn of
paprika and 1/2 tspn of turmeric.
Stir until it boils and thickens.
Take away from the heat and add 1 tblspoon
of nutritional yeast*** crucial
Stir this mixture through your steamed broccoli.
Option - stir this through your cooked pasta
of choice for Mac Cheese or you can use
this ‘cheese’ sauce to make vegetable au
gratin, with various steamed vegetables, a
layer of breadcrumbs and bake.
3. Add minced ingredients. Cook a further
5 minutes
4. Add tomatoes, 300ml vinegar, sugar and
salt
5. Simmer 1½ hours
6. Chutney is cooked when oil comes to
the top
36
Enid’s Zucchini Relish Peasants Pottage
Ingredients
(inspired by garden to plate workshop
hosted by Tara)
1 1/2kg diced zucchini
1/2kg diced onion
300g beans/capsicum
500ml vinegar
500g sugar
1/4 cup salt
1/2 cup plain flour
Spices: mustard, tumeric, mountain pepper,
coriander
Method
1. Put zucchini, onion and beans/capsicum
in a bowl with salt and leave overnight. Then rinse.
2. Cook rinsed ingredients in vinegar, sugar
and your choice of spices, mustard,
tumeric, mountain pepper, coriander.
3. Cook till tender (20min)
4. Thicken with flour and vinegar mixture.
5. Pour hot into sterilised jars.
This is where it all
began. We have been
making pottage since
man had fire and a pot.
37
This is where it all began. We have been
making pottage since man had fire and a pot
in which to cook food. Pottage was basically
throwing whatever was around in a pot and
letting it cook…sometimes for weeks on
end…adding to it as a new ingredient came
along. The main ingredients are vegetables and grains, with fish or meat thrown
in whenever possible, though this was the
exception rather than the rule.
Here are the basics:
Choose three vegetables for your pottage.
Look at what you have in your kitchen or
garden, and consider what is starting to look
a little on the high side of fresh; pottage is
a great way to use what you would otherwise toss. Cabbage or other greens that
are looking a little wilted, carrots that are
starting to dry out a bit, or root vegetables
that you aren’t sure what to do with are
great options. The addition of onion or garlic
helps to boost flavour, too. For all of your
vegetables, remove any rotten/soft bits and
wash and chop the rest. Throw everything
into a pot or a slow cooker.
Select fresh or dried herbs and spices to
add to your mix. Some great herb and
spice combinations include oregano,
basil, marjoram, and parsley for an Italian
flare; parsley, thyme, tarragon and chives
for a French taste; or garlic, cumin, oregano,
cilantro, jalapeno, and coriander for
Mexican.
Easy yoghurt flat bread
Next, add a grain to the pot, such as barley,
brown rice, millet or quinoa. Try to keep
your grains to about 25 to 30 percent of
your vegetables. At this point you can also
add meat products like soup bones or ham
hocks. Ingredients
Lastly, add stock or water to the pot,
making sure everything is covered with
about an inch or two of liquid.
Method
If you’re using a slow cooker, set it to low
and let it cook all day. When you get home,
taste everything and add salt and pepper if
needed. You may need to increase the heat
(set it on the stove if you’re able) to boil off
any excess liquid, depending upon if you feel
like something that is more like a soup or a
stew (the choice is yours). If you’re cooking
the pottage on the stove, simmer until the
vegetables and grains are cooked through,
stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
Serve in bowls with grated cheese or a
spoonful of yoghurt or sour cream. Bread
is a wonderful traditional and wonderful
accompaniment to pottage.
750g self raising flour
1tbsp baking powder
500g natural yoghurt
1 tsp sea salt
1. In a food processor, blend flour, baking
powder, yoghurt and salt until it forms a
dough.
2. Knead for 1 minute on floured work
surface.
3. When you are ready to cook the bread,
divide dough into 12 equal portions and
using a rolling pin, form bread into ‘side
plate’ sized pieces. Score each ‘bread’
5 or 6 times with a sharp knife.
4. Cook in a hot, dry frying pan or cooking
plate for a few minutes each side.
This bread is great spread with a garlic or
herb butter of your choice at the end of
cooking and just prior to serving.
Enjoy!
38
Resources
Companion planting guide from
Sustainable Gardening Australia
Good Neighbours
How it works
Bad Neighbours
Apple
Nasturtium, Chives
Nasturtium climbs tree and is said to
repel codling moth
Potatoes
Apricot
Basil, Tansy, Asparagus
Basil and tansy are said to repel
damaging insects
Asparagus
Apricot, Basil, Chives, Comfrey, Lovage,
Marjoram, Parsley, Tomatoes
Basil and Parsley are said to improve
flavour. Onions and garlic release
substances reducing growth.
Balm
(Lemon)
Tomatoes
Attracts bees, said to enhance flavour
and growth
Basil
Tomatoes
Basil said to repel flies and mosquitoes
Beans
(climbing)
Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage,
Carrots, Cauliflower, Corn, Lettuce,
Lovage, Majoram, Parsley
Beetroot
Beans (bush), Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts,
Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kohl Rabi, Lettuce,
Lovage, Marjoram, Onion, Peas, Potato,
Spinach, Silverbeet
Bad Neighbours roots release substances
reducing growth
Borage
Squash, Strawberries, Tomato
Said to deter tomato worm and improve
tomato flavour and yield. Said to increase
strawberry yield.
Brassicas
(Incl:
Broccoli,
Cabbage,
Cauliflower)
Beans, Beetroot, Carrots, Chamomile,
Coriander, Cucumber, Dill, Lettuce, Lovage,
Marjoram, Marigold (French), Mint,
Nasturtium, Pea, Potato, Rosemary, Sage,
Tansy, Thyme,Tomato, Zinnias
Dill attracts a Cabbage White Butterfly
controlling wasp. Nasturtium disguises
and repels aphids. Sage repels the
Cabbage White Butterfly. Zinnias
attract ladybirds, which we love! Bad
Neighbours roots release substances
reducing growth
Garlic, Rue,
Strawberry
Capsicum,
Chilli
Carrots, Onions, Tomato
Carrots
Beans, Chives, Coriander, Cucumber,
Leeks, Lettuce, Lovage, Marjoram, Onion,
Pea, Radish, Rosemary, Sage, Tomato
Bad Neighbours roots release substances
reducing growth
Dill, Celery
Celery
Cabbage, Chives, Dill, Dwarf Beans, Leek,
Lovage, Majoram, Onion, Pea, Sage,
Spinach, Tomato
Bad Neighbours roots release substances
reducing growth
Carrots, Parsnip,
Potato
Chamomile
Cabbage, Onion
Deters flies and mosquitoes. Strengthens
neighbouring plants
Chives
Apples, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Peas
Prevents Apple Scab. Said to deter aphids Beans
Plant
39
Garlic, Onions
Beetroot, Chives,
Garlic, Gladiolus,
Onions, Sunflower
Beans (Climbing),
Tomato
Plant
Good Neighbours
Cucumber
Basil, Bens, Borage, Broccoli, Brussel
Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower,
Corn, Dill Kohl Rabi, Lettuce, Lovage,
Marjoram, Nasturtium, Parsnip, Pea,
Radish, Sunflower, Tansy
Dill
Brassicas (Incl: Broccoli, Cabbage,
Cauliflower)
How it works
Bad Neighbours
Potato, Sage,
Strongly Aromatic
Herbs
Dill attracts a Cabbage White Butterfly
controlling wasp
Eggplant
Beans, Spinach
Garlic
Apricot, Cherry, Mulberry, Parsnip, Peach,
Pear, Raspberry, Rosemary, Rose
Kohl Rabi
Beetroot, Onion
Beans, Tomato
Leek
Carrot, Celery, Lovage, Majoram, Onion,
Parsnip, Strawberry
Beans, Peas,
Parsley
Lettuce
Achillea, Beans, Beetroot, Cabbage, Carrot, Achillea, Coreopsis & Zinnia attract
Chervil, Coreopsis, Cucumber, Lovage,
pollinators and offer shade for lettuce
Marjoram, Marigold (French), Onion,
Parsnip, Pea, Radish, Strawberry, Zinnia
Parsley
Marigolds
(French)
Numerous vegetables, including tomato
Melon
Radish, Sweet Corn
Mint
Cabbage, Tomato
Deters pests such as Cabbage White
Butterfly, ants and fleas
Nasturtium
Cabbages, Fruit Trees, Radishes, Zucchini
Flowers repel aphids and codling moth.
Cabbage white butterfly is attracted
to this plant, and will seek it out over
cabbages
Onion
Beetroot, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot,
Chamomile, Leeks, Lettuce, Lovage,
Marjoram, Parsley, Parsnip, Silverbeet,
Strawberry, Summer Savory, Tomato
Smell of onion said to deter numerous
pests. Onions release substances
reducing growth of Bad Neighbours
Parsley
Asparagus, Sweet Corn, Tomato
Said to improve flavour of asparagus and
tomato
Peas
Beans, Beetroot, Brussel Sprouts,
Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery,
Cucumber, Lettuce, Lovage, Marjoram,
Parsnip, Potato, Radish, Sage, Squash,
Sweet Corn
Bad Neighbours roots release substances
reducing growth. Sweet Corn has
traditionally been used as “living stakes”
for peas
Chives, Garlic,
Onion, Shallots
Potato
Beans, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage,
Cauliflower, Corn, Eggplant, Horseradish,
Lovage, Marjoram, Marigold (French),
Nasturtium, Parsnip, Peas, Sweet Alyssum,
Sweet Corn, Watermelon
Sweet Alyssum and Marigolds attract
beneficials and suppress weeds.
Potatoes release substances reducing
growth of Bad Neighbours. Horseradish
should be planted at the corners of the
patch
Apple, Celery,
Cherry, Cucumber,
Pumpkin,
Raspberry,
Rosemary, Squash,
Sunflower, Tomato
Pumpkin
Beans, Cabbage, Eggplant, Peas, Radish,
Sweet Corn
Bad Neighbours roots release substances
reducing growth
Potato
Deters aphids, especially from roses
and raspberry. Repels Cabbage White
Butterfly
Beans, Cabbage,
Peas, Strawberry
Kills root knot nematodes and eel worm
Asparagus, Beans,
Gladioli, Peas
40
Plant
Good Neighbours
How it works
Bad Neighbours
Radish
Beans, Carrot, Chervil, Cucumber, Sweet
Corn, Cucumber, Lettuce, Lovage,
Marjoram, Nasturtium, Parsnip, Pea,
Spinach, Sweet Corn
Radish is said to attract leaf miners from
Spinach
Hyssop
Raspberry
41
Blackberries,
Potato, Tomato
Rosemary
Beans, Cabbage, Carrot, Sage
Said to deter Cabbage white butterfly.
Attracts beneficials
Sage
Brassicas (Incl: Broccoli, Cabbage,
Cauliflower), Carrot, Rosemary
Sage repels the Cabbage White Butterfly
Silverbeet
Beetroot, Cherry, Lavender, Lovage,
Marjoram, Onion
Spinach
Celery, Eggplant, Strawberries
Squash
Borage, Lovage, Marjoram, Nasturtium,
Peas, Sunflower, Sweet Corn, Tansy
Potato
Strawberry
Beans, Borage, Chives, Leek, Lettuce,
Marigold (French), Onion, Pyrethrum,
Sage, Spinach
Brassicas (Incl:
Broccoli, Cabbage,
Cauliflower),
Brussel Sprouts,
Garlic
Sunflower
Apricots, Cucumbers, Squash
Beans, Potato
Sweet Corn
Beans, Cucumbers, Lovage, Marjoram,
Melon, Parsnip, Peas, Potato, Pumpkin,
Radish, Squash, Zucchini
Sweet Corn has traditionally been used as Cabbage
“living stakes” for peas. Bad Neighbours
roots release substances reducing
growth
Tomato
Beans, Cucumbers, Lovage, Marjoram,
Melon, Parsnip, Peas, Potato, Pumpkin,
Radish, Squash, Zucchini
Marigolds said to repel white fly and root
knot nematode. Bad Neighbours roots
release substances reducing growth
Turnip
Cucumbers, Lettuce, Nasturtium, Peas,
Tomato
Watermelon
Potatoe
Yarrow
Most aromatic herbs
Zucchini
Lovage, Marjoram, Nasturtium, Sweet
Corn
Cucumber
Basil, Wormwood
When planted along pathways, is said
to enhance essential oil production and
herb flavour.
Apricots, Beetroot, Fennel, Kohl Rabi,
Potato, Rosemary,
Sweet Corn
A couple of general plants that make
great companions for other reasons
• Basil helps repel flies and mosquitoes.
• Borage in the strawberry patch will
increase the yield.
• Catnip repels fleas, ants and rodents.
• Caraway helps breakdown heavy soils.
• Chamomile deters flies and mosquitoes
and gives strength to any plant growing
nearby.
• Chives grown beneath apple trees will
help to prevent apple scab; beneath
roses will keep away aphids and
blackspot.
• Elderberry a general insecticide,
the leaves encourage compost
fermentation, the flowers and berries
make lovely wine!
• Fennel (not F. vulgare or F.officionale)
repels flies, fleas and ants.
• French Marigold root secretions kill
nematodes in the soil. Will repel white
fly amongst tomatoes.
• Pyrethrum will repel bugs if grown
around the vegetable garden.
• Rosemary repels carrot fly.
• Rue (Rutus, not Peganum) keeps cats
and dogs off garden beds if planted
round the borders.
• Sage protects cabbages from cabbage
white moth.
• Tansy (Tanacetum, not Senecio) repels
moths, flies and ants. Plant beneath
peach trees to repel harmful flying
insects. Tansy leaves assist compost
fermentation.
• Wormwood (Artemesia, not Ambrosia)
although it can inhibit the growth of
plants near it, wormwood does repel
moths, flies and fleas and keeps animals
off the garden.
Information sources:
Bagnall, Lyn, Easy organic gardening and moon
planting, published by Scribe Publications, VIC.
• Garlic helps keep aphids away from
roses.
• Hyssop attracts cabbage white moth
keeping brassicas free from infestation.
• Mint repels cabbage white moth. Dried
and placed with clothes will repel
clothes moth.
• Nasturtium secrete a mustard oil, which
many insects find attractive and will
seek out, particularly the cabbage white
moth. Alternatively, the flowers repel
aphids and the cucumber beetle. The
climbing variety grown up apple trees
will repel codling moth.
42
Seasonal sowing and planting
guide with recipes
Summer planting
DECEMBER
PLANT: Late potatoes, globe artichoke
suckers and seedlings of Brussels sprouts,
tomato, capsicum, kale, eggplant, zucchini,
cucumber, sweetcorn, cabbage, cauliflower,
celery, broccoli, silverbeet, lettuce, leek,
Asian brassicas and roots.
SOW: Asparagus, bush and climbing beans,
beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts,
cabbage, Asian brassicas, capsicum, carrot,
cauliflower, celery, eggplant, kale, kohlrabi,
leek, lettuce, salad onion, parsnip, pumpkin,
winter squash, radish, rhubarb, summer
spinach, swede, sweetcorn, tomato, turnip
and zucchini.
JANUARY
PLANT: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage,
capsicums, cauliflower, celery, cucumber,
eggplant, leek, lettuce, parsnip, pumpkin,
silverbeet, late sweetcorn and tomato.
SOW: Beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts,
winter cabbage, kale, carrot (main winterspring crop), kohlrabi, spring onion, silverbeet, late swede, turnip, lettuce (chill seed
in fridge first), late sweetcorn.
FEBRUARY
PLANT: Seedlings of broccoli, Brussels
sprouts, winter cabbage, kale, cauliflower,
celery, leek, lettuce, silverbeet and spring
onion.
43
SOW: Broccoli, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower,
late Brussels sprouts, leek, turnip, late
swede (risky), beetroot, Chinese brassicas,
Asian roots, parsnip, and silverbeet.
Summer harvesting
An abundance of fruit and vegetables can
be harvested throughout summer. At the
beginning of summer you can harvest kale
which can be planted and harvested all year
round; broad beans, peas, snap peas and
snow peas; garlic; spinach; silverbeet and
parsley.
Mid to late summer you can harvest berries,
tomatoes, zucchinnis, salad and stir fry
vegies such as lettuce, bok choy, capsicum,
chili, cucumbers, carrots, potatoes and lots
more.
Summer recipe ideas
The hallmark of summer is the abundance of
berries and tomatoes. Berries can be eaten
on their own, baked in pies and muffins etc,
included in salads and breakfast cereals,
and much more. They can also be frozen to
enjoy throughout the year.
Tomatoes can be eaten from the vine, put
into salads, made into sauces and soup,
baked, fried, grilled and so on. They can also
be cooked into a puree and frozen.
Broad beans are something people have
trouble knowing what to do with. They
are better picked when they are young
and can be enjoyed roasted with garlic and
lemon juice. The creamy texture of broad
beans complements sharper, salty flavours
perfectly. Toss beans with Greek cheese to
create a tasty topping for bruschetta, simply
sauté with anchovy fillets and seasonal
tomatoes to accompany meat dishes or
combine with lemon juice for a warm, zesty
salad base for halloumi.
Zucchinnis are something you can end up
with an abundance of in summer. Zucchinnis can be used in stir-fries, salads, baked
into cakes etc, cooked with tomato and
frozen, used in omlettes and so on. Really
your imagination is the limit. Many leafy
green vegetables can be used in lots of
different salad combinations throughout
summer. There are many recipes out there
or create your own and share with friends
and family.
Autumn planting
MARCH
PLANT: Garlic cloves and seedlings of celery,
kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, winter
lettuce, silverbeet, spring and salad onion,
chives and leeks.
SOW: Beetroot, carrot and parsnip early in
March only. Then turnip, English spinach,
broadbeans, peas (frost-free districts only),
Asian leaf and root vegetables, spring and
salad onions, lettuce and into vacant beds,
green manure crops.
APRIL
PLANT: Garlic cloves and seedlings of salad
and spring onions, late leeks, winter lettuce,
silverbeet, mini-cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes (early, frost-free districts only) and
green manure crops.
SOW: Spring and salad onions, English
spinach, Japanese turnip, broadbeans and
Asian cabbages and root crops.
MAY
PLANT: Broccoli, early potatoes, broadbeans, garlic, spring and salad onions, Japanese turnip and winter lettuce.
SOW: Broadbeans, English spinach, Asian
brassicas and root crops, spring and salad
onions, shallots, chives and green manure
crops.
Autumn harvesting
You will often end up with many late tomatoes in Autumn. Pumpkins will be ready for
harvesting in Autumn. Potatoes can still be
harvested into Autumn and winter. If you
stagger your planting of things like carrots
and brassicas you should still be able to
harvest these in Autumn and through into
Winter. Lettuce and other leafy greens
should continue throughout Autumn and
Winter as well, especially if protected from
frosts.
Autumn recipe ideas
Your abundance of tomatoes can be made
into sauces, soup, cooked and frozen or
even canned.
Pumpkins with their golden colours and
sweet flavours are wonderful in all kinds
of autumnal dishes such as creamy roast
pumpkin pasta, pumpkin soup, grilled
pumpkin with paprika, baked in pumpkin
pie, scones and bread, or simply roasted and
tossed through salads. It can be cooked,
mashed and then frozen to make soup later
or added to baked goods.
44
And of course you can still be enjoying your
many leafy green vegetables as well as
carrots and brassicas in stir-fries, salads and
caseroles.
Brassicas such as brocolli and cauliflower are
great steamed and then tossed in fresh herb
butter, or coated in olive oil and roasted in a
very hot oven until golden and tender.
Kale is delicious chopped, de-stemmed and
sauted with onion until slightly tender, add
garlic and saute until cooked to your liking.
As the weather is still quite
cool in spring you can be
still enjoying hearty soups,
casseroles and stir-fries.
Winter planting
JUNE
PLANT: Asparagus crowns, early potatoes,
rhubarb divisions, Jerusalem artichokes,
globe artichoke suckers, potato onions,
chives, shallots and garlic cloves.
SOW: Long-keeping, salad and spring
onions, broadbeans and English spinach. In
containers under glass or indoors sow seed
of cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli to raise
seedlings for August planting.
JULY
PLANT: Asparagus crowns, early potatoes,
shallots, potato onions, long-keeping, salad
and spring onion as small seedlings, garlic
cloves, rhubarb divisions, Jerusalem and
globe artichokes.
45
AUGUST
PLANT: Certified seed potatoes, Jerusalem
artichokes, shallots, potato onions, garlic
cloves and oca (Oxalis tuberosa). Off-sets
(suckers) of globe artichokes (for tasty food
and brilliant flowers). Divisions of chives,
rhubarb and asparagus crowns. Sturdy
young seedlings of cabbage, cauliflower,
celery, broccoli, lettuce, onion and leeks.
SOW: Direct where they are to be grown
seed of peas (including delicious snow
peas), broad beans, turnips, swedes, Asian
brassicas, English spinach and onions. In
warm, well-drained soil or containers, sow
silverbeet, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli
and lettuce seeds.
Winter harvesting
Many people believe that there is not much
you can grow and harvest through winter in
Tasmania. However there are many vegetables you can still be enjoying throughout
those cold winter months such as cabbage,
carrots, celery, fennell, kale, leafy greens
like bok choy, leeks, parsnips, spinach, silverbeet, chard, parsley, swede and turnip.
Winter recipe ideas
All of the above are great in soups, stir-fies
and hearty casseroles. Vegetables such as
carrots, turnips and swede are great roasted
in the oven, such as balsamic and rosemary
roasted root vegetables. Or make a yummy
gratin of winter vegetables with your
favourite combination of cheese for the
topping. Cabbages can be fermented and
made into sauerkraut and enjoyed for weeks
to come (see resource page for further
information).
Spring planting
SEPTEMBER
PLANT: Potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes,
globe artichokes, chives, rhubarb divisions
and seedlings of cabbage, cauliflower,
celery, broccoli, lettuce, silverbeet, spring
long-keeping and salad onion and leeks.
SOW DIRECT: Carrot, beetroot, parsnip,
silverbeet, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli,
lettuce, onion, kohlrabi, summer spinach,
leeks, swede, turnip, peas, Asian brassicas, Japanese turnip, peas. Under glass in
containers sow tomatoes, pumpkin, zucchini
and sweetcorn
OCTOBER
PLANT: Potatoes, globe artichoke and chive
divisions. Also seedlings of cabbage, cauliflower, celery, broccoli, leek, lettuce, salad
and spring onion, leeks and towards the end
of the month seedlings of tomato, zucchini,
pumpkin, squash, bush and climbing beans
and sweetcorn.
SOW DIRECT: Carrot, beetroot, parsnip,
silverbeet, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli,
lettuce, spring and salad onion, leeks, late
peas, tomato, zucchini, pumpkin, squash
and sweetcorn. Under glass or in containers
sow cucumber, eggplant, capsicum and
tomato.
NOVEMBER
PLANT: Potatoes, globe artichokes and seedlings of Brussels sprouts, tomato, capsicum,
kale, eggplant, zucchini, cucumber, sweetcorn, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, broccoli,
silverbeet, lettuce, leek, Asian brassicas and
roots.
SOW: Asparagus, bush and climbing beans,
beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts,
cabbage, Asian brassicas, capsicum, carrot,
cauliflower, celery, eggplant, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, salad onion, parsnip, late
peas (cold districts only), pumpkin, winter
squash, radish, rhubarb, summer spinach,
swede, sweetcorn, tomato, turnip and
zucchini.
Spring harvesting
As the weather starts to warm in spring you
can harvest early broad beans, peas, snap
peas and snow peas, carrots, cauliflower
(these will be smaller), kale, greens such as
chard and spinach, beetroot, lettuce, spring
onions and artichokes.
Spring recipe ideas
As the weather is still quite cool in spring
you can be still enjoying hearty soups, casseroles and stir-fries. However on those intermittent warm days you can also enjoy some
light spring salads from the garden such
as sugar snap pea and radish salad, shaved
asparagus and brussel sprout salad and snap
pea and marinated mushroom salad. Globe
artichokes come into their own in spring and
can be enoyed grilled, steamed, marinated
or pickled. Rhubarb goes wild in spring
and can be enjoyed in many desert recipes
such as rhubarb crisp or apple and rhubarb
crumble.
The above guide shows us that we can be
enjoying the fruits of our labour all year
round, even in Tasmania. You don’t have
to be living in Queensland to be enjoying
vegies from your garden through winter.
Adapted from Peter Cundall’s year-round
planting and sowing guide for vegetables.
46
Resource list
There is an abundance of knowledge out
there about gardening. You only have to
talk to neighbours, friends and family to get
good tips for growing great tasting, organic
produce. We have included here some
online resources that may also be useful
to you in your gardening adventure. Your
local garden centre or nursery is also a good
place to obtain information.
Permaculture
Gardening Australia
Permaculture Design
Magazines or website ABC Gardening
Australia: www.gardeningaustralia.com.
Principles And Guidelines For Permaculture
Garden Designs. Their website is http://
www.tropicalpermaculture.com/permaculture-design.html
Companion Planting
Sustainable Gardening Australia
www.sgaonline.org.au
Sustainable Gardening Australia presents:
The most comprehensive companion
planting chart in the known universe
Green Harvest
Organic website with tips and products for
organic growers http://greenharvest.com.
au/index.htm
Inspirations Garden Centre - Exeter
Inspirations vegetable seeds offers the
home gardener a select range of vegetable
seeds of early productive gourmet varieties.
www.vegetableseeds.net.au/index.html
Allan’s Garden Centre – Prospect
For seeds, seedlings, inspiration and more.
www.allansprospect.com.au/
Woodbridge Fruit Trees
Fermenting Veggies at Home
A great site for discovering dozens of varieties of fruit trees (especially apple) and for
tips on pruning and other great articles .
www.woodbridgefruittrees.com.au/wft/
Comprehensive site for those wishing to
learn the art of fermenting their garden
produce.
www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/03/
fermenting-veggies-at-home-follow-foodsafety-abcs/#.VFWq8DSUenl
Sustainable Gardening Australia
Sustainable Gardening Australia is a not-forprofit, non-government, volunteer-driven
organisation dedicated to changing the way
Australians garden.
www.sgaonline.org.au/
47
Permaculture Principles
permacultureprinciples.com/resources/freedownloads/
The “Essence of Permaculture”, the Design
Principles / Permaculture Flower posters and
lyrics to the ‘Rhymer’s Manual’ are free to
download.
Keeping backyard chickens
Comprehensive site on raising backyard
chickens - http://yourenergysavings.gov.
au/waste/reducing-recycling/kitchen-foodwaste/keeping-backyard-chickens
Acknowledgements
This project has been a
collaboration between
Meander Valley Food Networks,
Deloraine House, Deloraine
District Community Health, and
Westbury Community Health.
Thank you to local schools and
individuals who provided their
handy tips, recipes and resources
and allowed us to photograph
them and their gardens.
Thank you also to Meander
Valley Council for their support
and providing local plant guide
for the booklet.
Many thanks to Catherine Smith
who fulfilled the role of editor,
researcher and consultant.
Without her, this publication
would not have been possible.
Project Funded by the Australian
Government through Medicare
Local Tasmania.