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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, Uncategorized Tagged With: #CityFarmNursery, #factsheets, #possums, info

July 14, 2021 by Karen Lavin

Bamboo Cultivation

By Ko Oishi, NSCF Farm Co-ordinator.

One of my favourite annual activities is to harvest and process bamboo as it brings people together, and it is such a great skill sharing session.  It’s a lot of work but it pays off as bamboo yields so many different products.  It’s a relatively untapped resource; too often we see running bamboo spreading to native bushland, on side of the road, in council parks completely unharvested.  Bamboo stakes and poles are often being sold at large hardware stores, imported from south-east Asia, when they are actually growing rampantly on our own roadsides of Brisbane.

It’s important to note that in its natural habitat, and in a balanced ecosystem, most plant species are controlled by herbivores (insects, mammals), disease, competition, etc.  In societies where bamboo has been grown for a long time, the resource is better integrated into day to day living and people know how to utilise it, whether it be for construction or culinary.

At Northey Street, bamboo is generally harvested during the dry season (anytime between May-Sep) and it’s important to choose ones that are at least a few years old because the new growth (1st year growth) is prone to splitting and won’t keep well for construction.  The new growth is indicated by leaf sheaths on the lower nodes, and often have white powdery substance so they’re easily identifiable.   Make sure you use gloves and long sleeves as the hair on the bamboo can irritate your skin, and the bamboo fibre is extremely sharp!

For those that are interested, I encourage you to do your own research on the harvesting season and its reason, most appropriate treatment method, maintenance, etc.

Bamboo is often planted by those that have no intention of harvesting it but planted due to its fast-growing nature (i.e. screening undesirable views, pollution, and noise barrier) and for their aesthetics.  For its various by-products, it’s also often favoured by permaculture practitioners and the like.

It’s important to think of ongoing management if you want to plant bamboo.  When bamboo isn’t harvested annually, it gets harder for ongoing maintenance as the new growth will impede access to the mature ones.  Generally, for clumping bamboo, new growth emerges outwards in a concentric pattern, which means the new growth will often grow on the outside of the perimeter, so without regular pruning and harvesting it can quickly get out of hand.

Once a year, I walk around the farm and spray paint the ones that need to be removed.  The reasons could include for general maintenance, to give more space to new growth, and to use it around the farm for various activities (i.e. Winter Solstice!).

As you can see from the photos, bamboo for construction should be cut as close as possible to the bottom, and flush with the node to prevent water pooling between the nodes.  Harvested bamboo poles are processed by removing lateral branches (for making stakes), and sometimes the internal nodes knocked off using a steel rebar.

In an ideal situation, you’d dry the bamboo poles in a semi-shaded area (never direct sun as it can cause cracking) for a few weeks.

Sometimes these poles are treated using heat (fire in our case) carbohydrate is “cooked” (or crystalise) to make it less palatable to the borers. We’ve also used bees wax mixed with gum turpentine to treat bamboo at the farm after cooking the sugars.

There is also the ‘water leaching’ method where we wash out or ferment the sugars that would otherwise attract the borers.  We haven’t done this method yet but something I’d like to try this year in Breakfast Creek!

We’ve also tried using boric acid and borax to treat the poles, but we have moved away from this method of treatment as we wanted to explore more sustainable products. Strips of bamboo are made using a bamboo splitter.  The splitters can probably be welded together using old steel, but I got mine from Japan.

Whilst there is a bit of maintenance, bamboo offers such an amazing array of products.  It offers beautiful screening, noise, and a pollution barrier.  One study by Leeuwen  (2016) showed that a bamboo barrier of 5 metres in height and a width of 6 metres offers a similar noise-reducing effect of a 3-metre-high solid wall), construction materials, musical instruments, art and craft supplies, food, and so much more!

So, if you’re ever thinking about volunteering at Northey Street,  there’s always a lot to do during this time of the year, including harvesting and processing bamboo!  So come and say g’day.

Check out our current volunteering opportunities here.

Filed Under: Farming Tagged With: #bamboocultivation, #usefulinformation, info, Urban Farming

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 22, 2020 by Ronni Martin

Homemade seed raising mix

By Michael Wardle, NSCF Adult Education Co-ordinator

One of the things when having your own garden is the ability to keep it going through sowing your own seeds. While some seeds benefit from a direct sow into the garden bed, many survive and thrive when they are planted in seedling trays first.

While you can spend a lot of money on seed raising mix, it is much easier and cheaper to be able to do it yourself. Typically, this can be done at home using things that we already have available to us and more so if you have your own compost and worm farm.

Below is a variant of a recipe I was introduced to years ago, which I use today. It is based on what I have in my local community that is readily available

3 parts sifted worm castings

2 parts copra

1 part river sand

Mix well.

First off, I sift my worm castings  (vermicompost) so that they have an excellent tilth and remove any of the large chunks. While worms can have a simple diet and survive, to get the best vermicompost to use for seed raising mix or even in your garden, the more varied and diverse their diet the better.

I do not have a commercial sieve, but I built my own out of an old casement window frame and some fine chicken mesh. I tend to do batches of sieved vermicompost, so I have bins with lids to store it until it is needed.

Copra is the dried ground kernel of the coconut. You can purchase it at most produce stores. It is typically used to supplement the feed of animals, but due to its protein content it is also an excellent supplement for the microbes in the soil (which is fantastic for seed raising mix, which in turn ends up in our gardens). You can use coir instead of copra if you prefer.

I use river sand as it’s grains are large enough to help stop compacting in the mix and it allows the water to flow so that the seedlings do not become waterlogged.

Once the vermicompost is ready I use a large measuring cup and take 3 parts of worm castings, 2 parts copra and 1-part river sand and place them in a large bucket.

Mix well. Then mix well again. Then mix well again.

The idea is that each of the three ingredients is evenly distributed across the mix.

From there it is a simple step of filling the seedling trays, add the seed, and then I  sieve a small amount of the seed raising mix on top to cover the seeds, then it all gets a good misting.

All that’s left to do is to care for the seedlings and plant them out when they are ready.

I have found this mix relatively inexpensive and has excellent results.  So, start where you are, use what you have and get into it!

Filed Under: Permaculture Education Tagged With: Gardening, info, Organic Gardening, Useful Information, Worm Farm

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

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