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You are here: Home / Archives for Nursery

June 7, 2022 by Karen Lavin

Loving Pesky Pests: Possums

             

We’ve had an influx recently of people asking ‘How do I stop the local possum from eating all my plants’ and ‘How do I keep possums out of my garden?’  To this, we say ‘Lucky you!’  Believe us, the Nursery has its own fair share of pesky possums trying to eat up the herbs and veggies in the night – in fact, you’ve probably seen the nets and covers we place over the plants to protect them – and we’ve always considered ourselves extremely lucky to have wildlife in a highly suburban-industrial area.  Just because we’re all lucky, doesn’t mean we can’t protect our plants!

The ’why’ is the first thing to consider when dealing with pests like possums: acknowledge that we live in a society that idealises suburbs filled with fence-to-fence grass backyards.  This often forces wildlife like possums to get creative with where they live and what they scavenge. Thus, if you notice possums sleeping in your gutters and eating your lemon trees, then they probably have nowhere to go and are very desperate.  Of course, we want our lemon trees to survive too! In these situations, instead of trying to get rid of them, think of the permaculture principles and remember that it is easier to work with the environment than against it.  For enviro-friendly possum prevention methods, try out some of the following – and remember: everyone’s garden is a little different, so you may need to mix and match a couple of different options.

Prevention
Make a homemade mix of chilli, garlic, tea, or lemon to spray onto the affected plants– there are plenty of quality online recipes.
Fence off specific areas or cover plants in mesh (ensure you use bird and bat safe netting!)
Grow citronella or garlic plants amongst the affected plants–garlic chives, leeks, and citronella geraniums are all good choices.

Offer them alternative options
Provide a tray of fruit and salad scraps – like putting out bird seed.
Select a plant that will act as a gift (or sacrifice) and place it near the possum’s trail and allow them to eat it.
Gift them a nesting box! Place it in the garden away from the plants they eat and/or near the area they are currently sleeping in.

Filed Under: Nursery Tagged With: #CityFarmNursery, #factsheets, #possums, info

February 1, 2022 by Karen Lavin

Vacancy – Nursery Co-ordinator

Do you have experience in a retail nursery and a passion for customer service, preferably with a practical working knowledge of Permaculture plants and their uses as well as managing people (staff and volunteers)?

Northey Street City Farm             
….. a place for learning about living sustainably in the city

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position:   Nursery Coordinator

Hours:                                24.5 hours per week (required to work weekends – penalty rates paid )

Pay rate:                            NSCF Award Agreement Level 3, $26.49 /hr, plus entitlements (e.g. leave, super) as defined in the NSCF Enterprise Agreement

Contract Position:       Permanent part-time

Responsible to:              Enterprise Manager

Person

The Nursery Coordinator will be responsible for operating the City Farm Nursery making it a profitable enterprise that provides a service to the community through providing useful plants and other permaculture resources. The Nursery Coordinator should have experience in a retail nursery and a passion for customer service, preferably with a practical working knowledge of Permaculture plants and their uses. This role will be responsible for supervising and developing volunteers to assist with the nursery retail and production. The person will ideally be reliable, passionate about plants and customers, an enthusiastic self-starter who is willing to work with our community to meet the financial, social and environmental objectives of the nursery. They will have initiative and be open to sharing their practical skills and experiences with a broad range of people.

Responsibilities

  • Manage the ordering, sales and stocktaking of all retail lines ensuring that stock is always available for sales.
  • Maintain a Point of Sale & inventory management system for the retail operations.
  • Maintain a welcoming retail space with appropriate visual merchandising and to OHS standards.
  • Implement and contribute to the development of a marketing plan for the nursery.
  • Build a loyal customer base, providing outstanding customer service.
  • Supervise and develop nursery volunteers, staff and students to meet the operational needs of the nursery.
  • Develop, implement, and maintain a knowledge base of processes and procedures for the retail Nursery.
  • Liaise with the Farm & Site Manager to produce plants for retail.
  • Provide the Enterprise Manager with financial and operational reports.
  • Monitor the Nursery budget ensuring the financial goals remain on track.
  • Maintain any agreed certifications as directed by the Enterprise Manager.
  • Ensure Nursery resources and equipment are maintained and in good working order.
  • Actively participate in relevant meetings.
  • Work co-operatively with the Enterprise Manager, other enterprises and teams at the Farm.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (Selection Criteria)

Essential

  • Qualifications and training in horticulture.
  • Demonstrated experience in retail nursery operations.
  • A working knowledge of plants and other elements used in permaculture design including their requirements and uses.
  • Experience in customer service, cash handling, stock control and other administrative tasks required in a retail setting.
  • Experience in the use of Point of Sale & inventory management systems
  • Excellent communication and writing skills
  • Demonstrated experience in implementing marketing strategies and plans
  • Problem solving skills as they relate to retail nursery operations
  • Supervisory and leadership skills

Desirable

  • Permaculture Design Certificate
  • Experience in working in community-based organisations.

 Physical Demands

This position may be physically demanding at times and requires a person who is fit, energetic, and flexible.

Working Environment

Northey Street City Farm is a non-profit community project on the banks of Brisbane’s Breakfast Creek in the inner city suburb of Windsor. It has been developed for people to enjoy and participate in using the principles of Permaculture. It is also intended to be a demonstration site where people of all ages can learn through practical, hands on experience.

NSCF Vision: All living sustainably

NSCF Purpose: Our purpose is to be an inspirational working model of a community-based urban permaculture farm which promotes and educates for sustainability.

Applications:

  • Applications must address each of the selection criteria (maximum 100 words each)
  • Please also include a CV with at least two referees
  • Applications are due 4pm Tuesday 22 February 2022.
  • Proposed start date is early March 2022.
  • For further information, please contact the Desi Achilleos on enterprise.mgr@nscf.org.au
  • Please submit application electronically to: info@nscf.org.au

 Hard copies may be sent to: Northey Street City Farm, 16 Victoria St, Windsor, 4030

www.nscf.org.au           Phone: 07-38578775      Email: info@nscf.org.au

Filed Under: Jobs, Nursery Tagged With: #CityFarmNursery, #jobvacancy

July 13, 2021 by Karen Lavin

Vacancy – Nursery Coordinator

Do you have experience in a retail nursery and a passion for customer service, preferably with a practical working knowledge of Permaculture plants and their uses as well as managing people (staff and volunteers)?

Northey Street City Farm             
….. a place for learning about living sustainably in the city

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position:   Nursery Coordinator

Hours:                                22.5 hours per week (required to work weekends – penalty rates paid )

Pay rate:                            NSCF Award Agreement Level 3, $26.49 /hr, plus entitlements

Contract Position:       Permanent part time

Responsible to:              Enterprise Manager

Person

The Nursery Coordinator will be responsible for operating the City Farm Nursery making it a profitable enterprise that provides a service to the community through providing useful plants and other permaculture resources. The Nursery Coordinator should have experience in a retail nursery and a passion for customer service, preferably with a practical working knowledge of Permaculture plants and their uses. This role will be responsible for supervising and developing volunteers to assist with the nursery retail and production. The person will ideally be reliable, passionate about plants and customers, an enthusiastic self-starter who is willing to work with our community to meet the financial, social and environmental objectives of the nursery. They will have initiative and be open to sharing their practical skills and experiences with a broad range of people.

Responsibilities

  • Manage the ordering, sales and stocktaking of all retail lines ensuring that stock is always available for sales.
  • Monitor the nursery budget ensuring the financial goals remain on track.
  • Maintain a Point of Sale & inventory management system for the retail operations.
  • Provide the Enterprise Manager with financial and operational reports.
  •  Maintain a welcoming retail space with appropriate visual merchandising and to OHS standards.
  • Develop, implement and maintain a knowledge base of processes and procedures for the retail nursery.
  • Implement and contribute to the development of a marketing plan for the nursery.
  • Build a loyal customer base, providing outstanding customer service.
  • Supervise and develop nursery volunteers, staff and students to meet the operational needs of the nursery.
  • Liaise with the Farm & Site Manager to produce plants for retail.
  • Maintain any agreed certifications as directed by the Enterprise Manager.
  • Ensure Nursery resources and equipment are maintained and in good working order.
  • Actively participate in relevant meetings.
  • Work co-operatively with the Enterprise Manager, other enterprises and teams at the farm.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (Selection Criteria)

Essential

  • Qualifications and training in horticulture.
  • Demonstrated experience in retail nursery operations.
  • A working knowledge of plants and other elements used in permaculture design including their requirements and uses.
  • Experience in customer service, cash handling, stock control and other administrative tasks required in a retail setting.
  • Experience in the use of Point of Sale & inventory management systems
  • Excellent communication and writing skills
  • Demonstrated experience in implementing marketing strategies and plans
  • Problem solving skills as they relate to retail nursery operations
  • Supervisory and leadership skills

Desirable

  • Permaculture Design Certificate
  • Experience in working in community – based organisations.

 Physical Demands

This position may be physically demanding at times and requires a person who is fit, energetic, and flexible.

Working Environment

Northey Street City Farm is a non-profit community project on the banks of Brisbane’s Breakfast Creek in the inner city suburb of Windsor. It has been developed for people to enjoy and participate in using the principles of Permaculture. It is also intended to be a demonstration site where people of all ages can learn through practical, hands on experience.

NSCF Vision: All living sustainably

NSCF Purpose: Our purpose is to be an inspirational working model of a community-based urban permaculture farm which promotes and educates for sustainability.

Applications:

  • Applications must address each of the selection criteria (maximum 100 words each)
  • Please also include a CV with at least two referees
  • Applications are due 4pm Thursday 29 July 2021.
  • Proposed start date is early August 2021.
  • For further information, please contact the Desi Achilleos on enterprise.mgr@nscf.org.au
  • Please submit application electronically to: info@nscf.org.au

 Hard copies may be sent to: Northey Street City Farm, 16 Victoria St, Windsor, 4030

www.nscf.org.au           Phone: 07-38578775      Email: info@nscf.org.au

Filed Under: Nursery

May 27, 2020 by Ronni Martin

Edible Flowers

By Ronni Martin. NSCF Education & Support Team Manager

Bring colour and interest to your garden and plate by growing edible flowers. Edible flowers can create a colourful show in your front garden. Or they can be distributed through your vegetable beds or around fruit trees where their other uses in attracting beneficial insects and pollinators will be appreciated.  You can even grow some edible flowers in containers on your deck or balcony where they are close to the kitchen.

Edible flowers can be used to garnish sweet or savoury dishes, as well as in flower butters, oils or liqueurs. They make great decorations on cakes or desserts, either fresh or candied. Zucchini and daylily flowers can be stuffed with tasty fillings and steamed or baked. However, most flowers are served fresh, not cooked, so that they keep their colour and texture.

You are already eating some edible flowers as the common ‘vegetables’ broccoli, cauliflower, and artichokes are all flowers. The spice saffron is the stamen from the crocus flower, while cloves are flower buds. Capers are the unopened flower buds of a bush native in the Mediterranean.

Flowers are part of the traditional cuisine around the world. In the Middle East, Eastern Europe and India, floral waters such as rosewater and orange flower water are used to flavour sweets, meats and beverages. The French mixture known as “Herbes de Provence” has dried lavender flowers in it, while the liqueur Chartreuse contains carnation flowers.

Stuffed nasturtium
Artichoke
Nasturtium, pineapple sage and feijoa salad

Choosing edible flowers

Some flowers are poisonous so always identify flowers accurately before eating them.  And use flowers as a garnish, so you eat them in moderation.

Some common garden flowers to be avoided (but not a complete list) are: arum, azalea, crocus, daffodil, foxglove, hydrangea, iris, oleander, lilies, lily of the valley, lobelia, and wisteria.

Only the petals of composite flowers (daisy-like flowers) are edible. The pollen of composite flowers is allergenic and may cause reactions in sensitive people. Sufferers of asthma and hay-fever should not consume composite flowers, and may have extreme allergies to ingesting any flowers at all. If you have any allergies, consult your doctor before consuming edible flowers.

There are a few cautions to remember before harvesting any flowers:

  • Don’t harvest any flowers that could have been exposed to animal excrement.
  • Don’t harvest any flowers that have had insecticides sprayed on them.
  • Don’t harvest any flowers from the side of roads where they have been exposed to carbon monoxide or other pollutants.
  • Don’t eat any flowers from florists as they may have been sprayed with pesticides.
  • Don’t pick any flowers that show signs of disease or have been eaten by insects.

Common edible flowers for the subtropics

*= Composite flowers.  Only the petals of composite flowers (daisy-like flowers) are edible.


Alyssum

Angelica

Anise Hyssop

Apple Blossom

Artichoke

Banana

Basils

Bergamot

Borage

Burnet

*Calendula

Caper

Carnation

* Chamomile

*Chicory

Chives (garden & garlic)

Cilantro / Coriander

Citrus

Clover

*Cornflower

*Cosmos

*Dandelion

Dahlia

Daylily

Dianthus

Dill

Elderberry

*English Daisy

Fennel

Freesia

Fuchsia

Gardenia

Garlic

Geraniums

Gladiolus

Hibiscus

Honeysuckle

Hollyhock

Hyssop

Iceland Poppy

Impatiens / Busy lizzie

Jasmine (Arabian)

Johnny Jump Up (Heartsease)

Lavender

Lemon Verbena

Lilac

Mallow

Marjoram

Mints

Mustard

Nasturtium

Oregano

Okra

Onion

Pansy

Passionflower

Pea

Peony

Pineapple guava / Feijoa

Pineapple Sage

Primrose

Radish

Red Clover

Rocket

Rose

Rosemary

Rose of Sharon

Runner Bean

Sage

Scented Geranium

Snapdragon

Society Garlic

Squash Blossom

Summer Savory

*Sunflower

Sweet William

Thyme

Viola

Violet

Winter Savory

Zucchini


Pumpkin
Scented Geranium
Hibiscus

 


Using edible flowers

Pick your flowers in the morning when their water content is at its highest. Then wash the flowers gently in salt-water and immediately drop them in cold water for 1 minute. Dry on a tea towel. Then separate the petals, remove the stamens and stems as they are often woody or bitter. Use your flower petals immediately, or store the whole flower in a glass of water in the refrigerator overnight.

 Growing Edible Flowers

The first task when planning to grow flowers is to find out the growing conditions the different types need. Seed packets or plant labels will tell you their soil, light and temperature requirements.

Most flowers thrive in well-drained, fertile soil enriched with compost. However, go easy on high-Nitrogen soil amendments as they will increase leaf growth at the expense of flowering. A layer of mulch around the plants will help to keep the soil cool in summer, retain moisture, and feed soil micro-organisms.

Grow plants with similar light and water requirements together to make it easier to give them the conditions they need. Most plants will flower better in full sun, but in the subtropics they will do just as well in part-shade, especially shade from the summer afternoon sun.

Give plants at least one good watering a week but more often in hot summers. Container grown flowers may need daily watering.

To ensure the edible flowers look their best, give them some shelter from strong winds. Even a few taller plants in the main wind direction will help to shelter smaller plants behind them.

‘Deadheading’, removing flowers once they drop their petals, extends the flowering time by encouraging the plant to create more flowers. However, you can collect your own seed if you leave some flowers on selected plants to set seed.

My ‘Top 10’ edible flowers for the subtropics, in alphabetical order, are:

Borage (Borago officinalis)

Sow seed spring to summer. Sun to part shade.  Grows to 90cm. Bee attracting blue flowers, edible leaves.


Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Sow seed autumn to spring. Sunny position. Fertile soil. Collect seed and deadhead regularly. Orange to yellow flowers.


Cornflower (Centaurea cyanea)

Sow seed autumn to winter. Sun to part shade. Fertile soil. Grows to 60cm. Blue (pink to mauve) flowers.


Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus, C.sulphureus)

Sow seed in late winter to spring. Sun to part shade. Drought tolerant.

C. bipinnatus: pink to red flowers, up to 1.5m tall.

C. sulphurea: orange to yellow flowers, 45 – 50cm tall


Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva and cultivars)

Propagate by division. Full sun. drought tolerant. Strappy leaves form a clump to 50cm. Botanically it is not a Lily, so the flowers are edible. Numerous colours and cultivars.


 

Dianthus (Dianthus spp)

Propagate from cuttings. Biennial. Full sun. Drought tolerant, needs good drainage. In acid soils, add lime. Deadhead regularly. Pinks to reds. 10 to 50cm. Pinks, Carnations and Sweet Williams are all species of Dianthus.


Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, H. acetosella, H.sabdariffa, H. tiliaceus)

Propagate from cuttings or seed. Full sun. There are many species of hibiscus, all with edible flowers.

H. rosa-sinensis – ‘hawaiian hibiscus’ – small trees or shrubs. Many cultivars with flowers from pink to yellow, red and white.

H. acetosella – cranberry hibiscus. –small shrub to 2m. Deep pink flowers and red leaves are edible.

H. sabdariffa – roselle. Swollen calyxes are used to make jam or drinks.

H. tiliaceus -native hibiscus. This tree is too big for most backyards, but the flower is edible if you spot a tree in flower somewhere.


Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

Sow seed direct, in spring to autumn. Sun to part shade Poor soil increases flower production. Drought tolerant. Orange to yellow flowers, edible leaves. Groundcover.


Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans)

Propagate by cuttings. Sun to part shade.. Red flowers and pineapple-scented leaves are edible. Small shrub to 1.5m.


Viola (Viola spp)

Sow seed summer to winter. Fertile soil, mulch to protect surface roots. Keep moist. Deadhead regularly. Purples, yellows, whites. Viola, pansy, heartsease, and Johnny Jump Up are all species of Viola.


 

Filed Under: Farming, Nursery Tagged With: Gardening, info, Organic Gardening, permaculture

April 14, 2020 by Ronni Martin

Growing microgreens at home

By Jody Wall, NSCF Site Co-ordinator.

In recent years microgreens have moved from the fancy plates of high-end restaurants to the garages and greenhouses of gardeners around the world. These little greens have made their way into the hearts, and into the regular diets, of millions of people. They are versatile and relatively easy to grow. With a quick turnaround time and small space requirement, they have become a go to crop for small market growers everywhere. I started growing microgreens to supplement my market garden income. It proved such a great business I made the business decision to cease the market garden and concentrate on just microgreens. Such is their economic potential. However, most people should be able to grow microgreens at home with few problems. With a small amount of practice and patience, the correct seed choice and irrigation techniques,  you will be on your way to enjoying fresh home grown greens.

.

Setting up for growing microgreens

To start with, you need space, somewhere protected from swings in temperature, especially to the hot side. Also, it should be somewhere that you will visit every day. In Permaculture terms, microgreens are a zone 1 type crop. Many people use a garage, or if you have a large enough laundry you can use it. I use my existing Titan Shed. It is uninsulated, and I live in Queensland, so temperature control is a real issue. Gumtree is a great place to find cheap, second-hand, metal shelving to hold the seed trays.

You will need space for twice your estimated the weekly consumption. One area for this week’s crop, one area for those you are growing for next week. Most microgreens will give you a second shoot if you leave them in the soil. This also works to keep them fresher longer. With practise you will learn which varieties grow too much during the second week, and need to be cut at the right time. Leaving some varieties lets them get lanky, and stringy. My lovely partner’s favourite are snow pea shoots. These are a hardy, quick growing type. They come in a few varieties, but all tasted pretty similar to me.

As part of your setup, especially consider ventilation in the space. If it has anything less than a reasonably constant airflow, I would strongly recommend installing pedestal fans to push air across your sprouted microgreens. The density of growth makes microgreens particularly susceptible to stem rot, an evil fungus that will destroy trays of microgreens in a few hours. Maintaining airflow is an almost foolproof method of avoiding this issue. Pedestal fans are cheap and use minimal electricity. So they are a very efficient method of ventilating your growing area. Of course, there is the option of an insulated and climate-controlled room, but that is more in the advanced microgreens production field.

After you have set up the growing space you will need trays. I have found the standard nursery seedling trays work best. Around 200mm x 300mm is best as any larger and the tray becomes too large to handle, and the microgreens too difficult to cut. I would start with four trays: two for this week and two for next week. Wash the trays the same as you would for new seedlings.

Most green vegetable seed can be used to produce microgreens. Also popular are alfalfa, amaranth, beetroot, chinese cabbage,cress, dill, barleygass and oatgrass, peas, radish and sunflower.

 

Growing instructions

This is the the fun part. It is a fairly simple process and will be familiar to those that have grown seedlings before.

  1. Fill the trays using a seed raising mix, or a finely sieved potting mix. Some of the trays have a mesh patterned bottom to allow water drainage. I lay down a sheet of chux to keep the potting mix from falling through. You can also buy riggy didge microgreen trays. In my experience, they are expensive, and unnecessary. I use solid floor trays as well, just remember to drill holes in their bases to allow water to drain.
  2. Many microgreens seeds are pinhead size. Using too coarse a potting mix causes the seed to fall into areas of the mix that do not allow them to grow. This is a waste of seed, and of the area in your tray. I use a combination of worm farm tailings and a cheap seedling mix. The important thing to remember is that the seeds will not be drawing on any nutrients in the soil. They will only live long enough to use the nutrient that comes packaged in the seed itself. I use worm tailings because my next use of the growing medium is to fertilise my second-year trees that I transplanted. This is an important consideration. You do not really get to reuse the growing medium, the soil. It will be matted with root structure from cut microgreens. It is far too time consuming to remove all the roots in it. Either compost the soil or reuse it on a larger plant that will not be bothered by the decomposing roots.
  3. Scrape any excess soil off, then tamp down the soil in the trays until it is firm but not compacted.
  4. Pre-water the soil before placing seeds in the trays. I sit my trays in water for 5 mins before seeding. If the trays have good drainage, this will help to ensure an even watering across the tray. As I will discuss later, this is also the method I use to water my microgreens with daily.
  5. Sprinkle seeds liberally over the surface of the seedling mix. Remember the point is to have dense, compact growth. This goes against the instincts of a seedling grower, but it produces the results you want. I use a tablespoon. I have found my hands just do not do the same job. Just imagine you are sprinkling sugar on your breakfast cereal. The seed should be a single layer thick, with seeds almost touching.
  6. Softly moisten the seeds. I use a new pump poison sprayer, or a small spray bottle also works. Obviously new or very, very clean.
  7. Cover the seeds with a light sprinkle of soil. Or for many of the bigger seeds, I use boards cut to the size of the tray. These have the advantage of ensuring darkness, keeping vermin off, and trapping a small amount of moisture.
  8. Important. I know it’s difficult. It’s new life. It’s a new project. You will do this every week. So, enjoy the anticipation.
  9. After a couple of days, literally, the boards will start to rise up as the mass of seedlings pushes against them. Now is the time to uncover the trays.
  10. Mist water the seedlings, or use an ebb and flow irrigation technique. The real danger for microgreens is root stem fungus infection. They can be perfect one day but dead the next morning. To combat this, you will need constant airflow . Easy to do with a pedestal fan rotating over the trays, and irrigating from the soil up, rather than constantly wetting the leaves and stems with overhead watering.
  11. To harvest your microgreens, trim off desired quantity using a very sharp long blade. Grasp the microgreens firmly around the stems and cut as close to the soil as possible. Try to avoid scissors, as the crossing of the blades bruises the stems, and starts the plant rotting immediately. I keep them in the fridge. I’ve found they stay fresh for up to a week.

Filed Under: Farming, Nursery Tagged With: info, Organic farming, Organic Gardening, Useful Information

April 1, 2020 by Karen Lavin

Seed Saving

By Krystelle Ellaby

I always start my seed saving class outlining the many great reasons to seed save. I tell participants:

  • Seed saving is fun.
  • It’s a radical political act.
  • It saves you money.
  • You’ll have loads to sow, with plenty left over to share.
  • Seed saving preserves genetic variety and species diversity.
  • Over time, your plants will become adapted to your microclimate.

All of these are true. I have never once said to my class, “We need to save our seeds because one day, there will be no seeds on the shelf to buy.” It never occurred to me it would ever be true in my lifetime.

Today, (March 26, 2020,) the big green box is sold out of herb and vegetable seeds. My favourite online seed store has closed temporarily.

Seed saving has never been so imperative or been such a moral obligation.

Now that I’ve laid the heavy on you, let’s get down to the fun stuff.

The basic steps of seed saving are Select ~ Collect ~ Process (wet or dry method) ~ Store.

Select:

The best types of plants to start seed saving from are tomatoes, capsicums, chillis, beans, and peas. These plants are unlikely to cross-pollinate with other varieties. You will get seeds that produce plants very similar to the parent plant.

To save seeds from other plants, you will need to prevent cross-pollination. To avoid crossing, you need to seperate plants with distance, time, or physical barriers. Distance is a little tricky for backyard gardeners, as pollinators such as bees can travel 5 km. A combination of time and physical barriers works best.

Choose the variety you want to seed save from and only plant one variety from that family at a time. Use a fruit fly net, or bag, to reduce pollinator’s access to flowers. Excluding pollinators means you will need to hand pollinate the flowers. Don’t worry too much about it, use a soft paintbrush or a feather, and brush the insides of each flower, daily. Wrap the brush in a paper bag, keeping the pollen on it and use it again the next day. This way, you’ll be covered if male and female flowers are open on different days.

Only save seeds from open-pollinated, heirloom plants. Heirlooms will produce plants that are very similar to the parent plant. Hybrids, or F1 varieties, may produce seeds, but they may be sterile, the resulting plant may be different from what you expected, or the plant may be less healthy and less productive.

“Save the best, Eat the rest” Always pick the healthiest plant, with the best fruit.

Choose the plant that gives you the traits you need. For example, do you want fruit that ripens earlier, or later? It’s also an excellent idea to select individual fruit that stored well. Storage is a great trait to look for in pumpkins and onions, for example.

Collect:

With fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and capsicums, let the fruit ripen on the plant. You want it past table ready, a little wrinkly, a little bit squishy. Leave flowers, grains, or pods on the plant until they are very dry. Leave beans and pea pods on the vines or bush until they are dry and rattle when you shake them. Only collect seeds on a dry, sunny day, after the dew has dried.

Be sure of the identity of the plant before collecting the seed. I’ve had “basil” seeds given to me that were weeds, and “parsley” that was Queen Anne’s lace.

Process:

Wet method:

This method is for fleshy or watery fruits and vegetables. Pick the fruit and remove the seeds. The flesh of fruit that has a coating on the seeds, like tomatoes, passion fruit, and cucumbers, can be left in a jar of water for a couple of days to ferment. Pop the jar on top of the fridge. Warn your housemates/partner not to touch your gross science experiment. This fermentation step is optional, but it is said to help remove fungus and bacteria from the seeds. It helps break down that slimy coating.

Rinse the gross slop from the seeds using a sieve under running water. Push the seeds around with your hands to remove the goop.

Once you have removed the flesh, spread the damp seeds onto newspaper or paper towels to dry out. Keep the drying seeds somewhere safe, like the top of the fridge. Label the paper so people know not to throw it out on you. Draw a skull and crossbones to drive the message home.

Dry method:

Use this method for flowering plants, grains/grasses, and legumes.

  • Thresh: Take the flower heads, or bean pods and give them a bit of a bash. Use a rolled-up newspaper for hard seeds. Gently rub softer flowers between your fingers.
  • Winnow: Put the bashed up pods, or flower-heads, into a shallow dish, or an old casserole tray, something with a lip. Go outside. Stand in a cross breeze, or in front of a fan on low speed. Face away from the source of the breeze. Gently toss the seeds into the air and allow the little petals and bits of leaves to blow away. The heavier seeds will sink to the bottom. You are now separating the seeds from the chaff, very biblical of you. It’s essential to do this because the chaff may be harbouring bug eggs, or mould spores.

 Store:

Once the seeds are completely dry, store them in an airtight container. You can pop in a silica sachet, to ensure it stays safe from humidity. Bay leaves and DE, or diatomaceous earth, may help protect the seed from bugs.

LABEL the container with the date, and the seed variety. And I mean it, label it! Do not be like me and have to guess what that grungy old baggy is holding.

Store the container in a dry place with a stable temperature. It’s often recommended to store seeds in the fridge. I don’t tend to do this as I know my fridge gets quite humid. A cupboard in a room that stays cool and dry is perfect. Avoid large daily temperature swings, and keep the temp above freezing and below 25C.

Assume that the seeds have a shelf life of 1 year. Most seeds have a shelf life of 2 to 5 years if stored correctly. Legumes and grains store for much longer. If you have out of date seed, it is still worth sowing, however, sow extra to compensate for the lower germination rate.

Notes on seed saving tropical fruits:

Some tropical fruits, for example, avocados, or mangoes, have seeds that don’t store very well. Plant these seeds straight away. Eat the fruit, remove the seed, and pop it straight into some good quality seed raising mix. Keep the pot in a warm shady spot and water it every day.

Resources:

The Seed Saver’s Handbook, Michel and Jude Fanton, ISBN 0 646 10226 5. Available soon at City Farm Nursery.

Seed collecting guide, Stefan Mager, Aracaria Guides

Filed Under: Farming, Nursery Tagged With: info, Organic Gardening, Useful Information

March 27, 2020 by Desi Achilleos

City Farm Nursery

We are open again, 6 mornings a week!

City Farm Nursery products, plants, and useful information can be found here.

 

Filed Under: Nursery Tagged With: City Farm Nursery, Container Gardening, ethical gifts, Leafy Greens, permaculture

August 30, 2018 by Desi Achilleos

NSCF September E-News

Northey Street City Farm publish a free newsletter every month.

To subscribe to our monthly free newsletter CLICK HERE.

To read this month’s E-News CLICK HERE

Filed Under: eNews, Events, Nursery

May 31, 2018 by Desi Achilleos

City Farm Nursery on Composting

This month it’s all about compost in the Nursery! Composting is a wonderful way to transform our waste into a precious resource in the garden. And with autumn now in full swing, some of our favorite composting plants are available in the nursery, including Comfrey, Yarrow and Borage. All three of these species accumulate nutrients from the soil and consequently contain high levels of essential plant nutrients, including nitrogen. They also have many other functions in the garden including attracting beneficial insects and pollinators.

The nursery has been buzzing with activity lately, including a Brisbane City Council composting workshop that our very own Krystelle ran, where she introduced some of our favorite compost innovations that we have available from the nursery. These included Composta, a veggie patch, worm farm and composter all in one small unit. Bokashi, a compact unit that efficiently converts kitchen scraps to a nutrient rich soil additive, restoring microbial life of your soil. Compot, an underground compost bucket that leaches nutrients into your soil as your kitchen scraps decompose. Reln Can-O-Worms worm farms, 3-tier system with worms who work through your kitchen scraps and convert them to rich worm castings and worm juice. The castings can be added to your soil like compost and the juice can be used as liquid fertiliser. And remember, Brisbane City Council free compost caddies can be collected from our nursery if you register for the compost hub program on BCC website.

Did you know, we love getting market waste each Sunday when it comes to composting?! Three of our favorite compost ingredients from the markets right now are eggshells, banana peels and coffee grounds. Eggshells and banana peels can be added to your compost pile, soaked in water to make a liquid fertiliser or dried and ground into powder to spread on the garden. Eggshells are calcium rich and help plants to grow healthy strong roots, shoots and leaves. Banana peels are rich in potassium, phosphorous and other essential plant nutrients. Used coffee grounds are high in nitrogen and help to heat up your compost pile. They are best added to your compost and mixed with other ingredients. Alternatively, mix used coffee grounds through your soil before planting out your garden.

Happy gardening and we’ll see you in the nursery soon!

Filed Under: Nursery

May 3, 2018 by Desi Achilleos

Learn How to Compost at Home

Sat 12 May 2018 • 9:00am – 12:00pm at Northey Street City Farm

Free

Celebrate International Compost Awareness Week at this interactive workshop.

This workshop will cover the basics of composting, worm farming and the Bokashi fermentation composting system including; setting up, managing and maintaining different compost systems, how to choose the best system for your home and options for using second hand materials to set up your system.

This event is facilitated by Krystelle Ellaby from Northey Street City Farm.

To book CLICK HERE

Filed Under: Farming, Nursery, Organic Farmers Market, Permaculture Education Tagged With: NSCF, Organic Gardening, Useful Information

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