Thanks to some dry weather – at last! – we’ve been able to get outside and add some Florence fennel, more peas, leeks and potatoes to various parts of the garden. The potatoes we planted a while ago are showing foliage now and when this reaches 10cm to 15cm in height we will draw soil up around the stems so that the leaves show just above the raised soil. This will cover any developing tubers and protect them from exposure to the sun. When potatoes are exposed to sunlight they turn green and become toxic – so this helps to prevent that from happening.

Garlic continues to rock and hand weeding is keeping the growing plants free from competition. Keep an eye on watering as the weeks pass and warmer, drier weather becomes a possibility. To check whether your garlic does need watering or not, stick your finger into the soil and if it feels dry a centimeter or so down then give the bed a good dowsing. The same goes for all plants now growing but try to water at the base of potatoes as water on foliage can help to spread blight.

Whilst stuck indoors over recent weeks we have sowed tomatoes in a seed tray which we are keeping on a sunny windowsill. As the seedlings develop we will transplant them to 10cm pots and then - in about 5 to 7 weeks time – plant them outside in a sunny spot. We have also sowed zucchini and pumpkin seeds and will plant them out too when they are large enough.

Our wormery is starting to rock now and we are feeding the hungry tiger worms with some of our kitchen scraps (for step by step on how set one up see photos). Our main compost bin seems to be keeping a family of rats very well fed and, in spite of all their scoffing, there is still some good looking ‘black gold’ mounting up beneath the layers of decomposing garden and kitchen waste.

The rain has slowed development of a new bed which we have nearly got ready but which needs just a little more digging to break up larger clods. Whilst waiting for this to dry out enough for us to be able to complete the task of setting it up for tomatoes, sweet-corn etc. we have been experimenting with fresh composting. Our aim is to boost the number of helpful micro-organisms and invertebrates within the soil in the bed by feeding it directly with fresh kitchen waste. This simply involves scattering peelings, teabags, coffee grounds and so forth over the ground – no meat, cheese, fish etc. or you may invite more dinner guests than you had bargained for. The idea is that worms need fresh food and whereas previously composted material is nutrient rich it also low on foodstuff- so not much to feed your wormies. Micro-organisms in the soil also need energy-filled matter to help build tissue and previously composted material has already given off a significant amount of energy in the process of breaking down so this does not foster the sort of communities we want in our garden soil. --- To cut through all the wordy tosh, just take a look at leaf litter in the bush, you’ll find foliage on the surface and only a couple of centimeters below dark rich humus crawling with wee beasties along with invisible fungal spores and bacteria all engaging in the carbon and nitrogen cycles. Take a handful of good garden soil by comparison and you are more likely to see far fewer signs of invertebrate and mico-organism activity. To build this up you need to ensure that there are some colonizing communities of worms and wee beasties as well as the fungal spores and bacteria that foster healthy soil. Best way to do this is to add some home-grown compost from your heap – or a mates if you don’t have one yet. Put it directly onto the soil and turn gently in, then slowly add kitchen waste and grass clippings in moderate amounts. This can be increased as evidence of renewed activity within the soil becomes apparent until you effectively have a mulching layer of munchable material surrounding your plants.

Catch you in a couple of weeks!

FRESH COMPOST EXCITES LOCAL BIRDLIFE!

STEP BY STEP WORM COMPOSTING

1. INHERITED WHEELIE BIN

2. TRAY WHICH SITS 350MM FROM BASE OF WHEELIE BIN

3. LAYER OF NEWSPAPERS COVERS DRAINAGE HOLES IN TRAY

4. LIGHTLY WET NEWSPAPER

5. 10MM LAYER OF COMPOST ON NEWSPAPER

6.SHREDDED NEWSPAPER LAYER ON TOP OF COMPOST

7.BUY WORMS FROM GARDEN CENTRE, PLACE ON TOP OF NEWSPAPER

8.RECYCLE WORM PACKAGING

9. 1ST LAYER OF KITCHEN SCRAPS ON TOP

10. TRAY AT BASE OF WHEELIE BIN WITH LAYER OF CARDBOARD CARPET TO KEEP OUT LIGHT

GROWING TOMATOES FROM SEED

1. FILL SEED TRAY WITH POTTING COMPOST

2. DIVIDE SEEDS UP INTO TRAY CELLS

3. GENTLY BURY SEEDS JUST BELOW SURFACE

Nandor Tanczos interview part 1

Originally broadcast Tuesday 19th August. Nandor is a passionate and heartfelt speaker. He has plenty to say about life, the environment and how the economy is just like a plane or a helicopter really.

http://www.95bfm.com/default,188475.sm

Green Desk Garden Update 4

Seaweed

Packed with essential potassium, seaweed comes free to anyone with access to a beach – preferably after a storm when there’s generally more to be found. Under the Fisheries Act members of the public are entitled to collect as much beach-cast seaweed as they want for domestic use – ie. sticking it into your own garden. The minute anyone sells seaweed that they have collected they become liable to regulations, quotas and other such constraints because under the Fisheries Act this is seen to be a commercial enterprise. Be aware when you are collecting seaweed that is part of the natural environment and many small invertebrates – sand hoppers for instance – feed on it. On Stewart Island Kiwis (feathered ones) come down onto the beaches to feed on invertebrates that in turn are feeding on the seaweed. Seaweed gets blown up onto sand dunes and decomposes to provide nutrients for dunes grasses and other plants. If left to rot down on a beach then seaweed will release its nutrients which are effectively recycled back into the marine system. It is good to be respectful with the quantities you take and try to leave at least as much in any part of the beach as you take away.

You can spread seaweed in coils around the base of established trees and shrubs or chop it into small pieces which are more easily dug into garden beds for new plantings. Some folks like to make a brew with seaweed by first washing it and then stuffing it into a tub or barrel which is then filled with water. The seaweed festers over time (approx 6 months or sooner depending on temperatures) into a gelatinous liquid manure that works wonders when diluted with water. Seaweed is packed with micro-nutrients and natural plant hormones, it is also full of carbohydrates which are all good for plants and the essential micro-organisms that help form a healthy soil.

Storm damage

wind-blown lime tree

Hopefully we have seen the last of it but should you be concerned about potential damage that high winds can cause to delicate seedling plants try recycling plastic bottles. Cut the bottom off and take off the lid, place the bottle over the seedling plant, with its top upright, and hey-presto you have an instant cloche that will protect your developing plant and give it a warm and cosy little microclimate.

cosy little cloches

Use biodegradable garden twine – jute – to tie beans and peas to bamboo canes or whatever support you are using.

very secure peas

Soil is likely to be fairly water-logged so be patient before running out and digging on the first dry day. If you start working soil when it is too wet then you can actually do more harm than good by causing soil layers to compact. Above all don’t walk on your beds but if you absolutely have to try walking on a board laid across the soil to spread your weight.

take the weight off your garden

Cauliflowers and Broccoli.

Kim was wondering why her Cauliflower and Broccoli have not flowered yet. There are a few things that might be relevant here.

Cauliflowers and Broccoli like a sheltered, sunny position in the garden with a previously well-composted soil (ie. loads of well-rotted compost dug in a month or so before planting time. Part of the Brassica family they are hungry feeders and need a fertile, well-limed free draining soil for best results. Ideally soil pH should be between 6.5 and 7.5 (tending towards the alkaline) – you can get soil testing kits form garden centres for around $10 - $20.

Broccoli takes between 50 and 75 days to reach maturity depending on variety, soil type and general conditions as well as how well it is looked after.

There are three main groups of Cauliflowers:

1. Mini or baby cauliflowers which take between 2.5 to 3 months to mature.

2. Early maturing varieties such as ‘Phenomenal Early’ and ‘All Seasons’ which take from 3 to 4 months to mature. You want to avoid year-round varieties producing flower heads in the hotter months of summer as the heat and lack of water can over-stress them and give poor results. So look at maturing time when you plant and co-ordinate for slightly cooler months.

3. Slower maturing varieties like ‘Deepheart’ which can take up to 5 months to mature.

Kim’s Cauliflowers and Broccoli were planted in late May so Broccoli will hopefully be flowering within the next few weeks and Cauliflower in around a month. However the damage from slugs could well have been a factor in slowing the growth of these plants. Best to give a foliar feed of liquid seaweed directly onto the leaves and maybe mix some slow-release fertilliser granules or blood and bone meal with the soil around the base of the plant.

NB. If this extra feed is to work however then Kim has to sort out her slug problem -

How to take down a slug (alternatives to slug pellets)

Mano a mano.

Night patrols with a torch and a bucket to hand pick and dispose of culprits – you may be surprised just how many are feasting on your plants.

Intoxication

Saucers of beer (slug pubs) placed level with the soil which attract and deal to boozy gastropods

Fruit hotels

Hollowed-out grapefruit or orange halves placed face down on the ground like mini dome tents. Slugs will slither under these to hide from daylight and keep moist and cool so you can nab them and do what you will to them – maybe turn them out onto a bird table and create your own modern day gladiatorial Roman Ampitheatre as the birds get stuck in. (not for the faint-hearted).

Care of the ecosystem

As always balance your eradication with the needs of other creatures in your garden. Birds do love to eat slugs so, to keep your feathered friends around, makes sure that there are some slugs left behind during and after your short-term eradication program.

Green Desk Update 3 - 10.07.08

Potato facts

When you want to chit or ‘sprout’ your seed potatoes lay them on trays or in egg boxes in a light place avoiding direct sunlight which can wither and stress your seed potatoes. Chitting in shade only produces long brittle white shoots that can break off when planting comes around.

First earlies (that’s what we are currently planting) will be ready for just around Xmas when you can ‘bandicoot’ or rob some new potatoes from around the base of the plant and then continue to earth up until final flowering and die-off.

Seaweed - pre-foetid state

Wilted comfrey leaves

Lining the planting trench with Comfrey or seaweed offers a boost of potassium which you’re your potato off to a good start.

In between the storms and wild weather you may get the opportunity to plant some potatoes in your garden. We have dug out trenches and lined them with goodies ready for potatoes which we will probably plant sometime next week – weather permitting!

The key steps for planting in the garden are:

1. Dig out a trench that is about 15cm deep and line with seaweed and wilted comfrey leaves if you can get them.

Trenches dug out and lined with seaweed, sheep pellets, comfrey leaves and pea straw

1. 2. 2. Pour over enough soil to make trench 10cm deep
2. 3. Plant early (new) potatoes 25cm apart and main crop (planted around springtime) 35cm apart.

4. Place seed potatoes with sprouts facing upwards and mound up with soil.

5. Put a layer of hay two to three inches thick on top. Mulch hard off the mounded soil and wait for the leaves to show in the following weeks.

Trenches backfilled with enough soil to leave a 10cm deep trench ready for taters to be planted

6. When the shoots do show, wait till they are about 3 or 4 inches tall before adding more hay as a mulching layer up to the top of the leaves.

7. Do this three of four times. When the foliage flops over plants can seem to stop growing so if this happens use loads more straw to keep the foliage upright.

8. Allow to flower or wilt then and then harvest.

9. During growing period if you see any blight pull off leaves – if plants appear to recover then keep mulching with straw until normal harvest.

10. You can ‘bandicoot’ a few early potatoes from each plant by gently moving surface soil away from base of plant and picking a few of the tubers. Replace soil then allow plant to continue to grow until maturity. Yum yum!

For heritage varieties of seed potatoes log on to http://www.koanga.co.nz/

If you are not planting into the ground then you can plant into car tyres or plastic bin liners:

1. Open up bin bag and roll down rim until it is about 10cm from base of bag.

2. Make about 10 or 12 small holes for drainage in the bottom of the bag and add a 10cm layer of compost

3. Put your sprouted potato on the soil and then mound up with some additional soil.

4. When shoots show, allow them to get to about 3 or 4 inches and then unroll the side of the bag so you can add straw or soil enough to reach to the top of the leaves on the shoots. Maintain good watering throughout to nourish developing tubers.

5. Repeat this process 3 or 4 times until flowers appear and plants then wilt.

6. Harvest!

You can repeat the above in car tyres by starting with one tyre on the ground and a potato sitting on a 10cm layer of compost inside the tyre. Mound some soil over the potato and wait for shoots to appear. Earth up or add straw as mentioned above and stack additional car tyres to hold soil until the end of the growing cycle is completed. Bon apetit!

GREEN DESK GARDEN UPDATE – 17.06.08

Well we’ve had a busy few weeks and thanks to the weather we have done a bit more planting. Managed to get our hands on some seedlings and so our raised bed now has a couple of silverbeet plants, some Cos lettuces and a row of spinach – all for a only few dollars. Things did get a bit dodgy for a couple of days when the wind blew and the Cos started growing horizontally but thanks to some sun and calmer days they are upright again. Most excitingly of all is that we have several garlic shoots showing above ground already!! Only about 25mm but definitely green above ground. Also we splashed out on three fruit trees – a Lemon Meyer, a Satsuma Mandarin and a Tahitian Lime. They have spent the last two weeks being moved in their bags around the garden and its now time for the Lime to get into the ground. We were out fishing on Saturday and after all the filleting I kept the fish heads, bones, guts and skin in a bag for this very day. I have dug a hole that is just a little bigger all round than the bag the tree came in and I am putting some of the fish bits in the bottom, next I’ll be covering the fish with a layer of compost before putting the tree in the hole – checking that ground level in the bag matches with ground level in the garden. The hole is then backfilled with a 50:50 mix of garden soil and planting compost.

BROAD BEANS

We’ve got a batch of good-looking broad beans that need to go into the ground - spaced about 6 to 9 inches apart and at the back of the bed where they won’t shade smaller growing stuff such as broccoli and kale.

A few tips on planting seedling plants:

Because it’s mostly mild in the Auckland area we can plant seedlings out now. But these delicate young plants need the right care and attention if they are to get off to a good start in the ground.

Buying – look for a tray that has good, strong growing seedlings and avoid those whose contents are spindly, hanging or laying about.

Caring – until you get round to planting them, keep your seedlings sheltered and well watered. Don’t leave them out of the ground for too long or else they will put on loads of root and the plant with begin to struggle for nutrients and become weak.

Planting – make sure the ground is well prepared and take note of the planting distance. This info is usually on the back of the plastic label that should come with the tray. Your tray should have a number of cells each with a seedling in it. To get your seedling out of the tray push up gently from underneath so that seedling and its roots loosen and come away together. Avoid lifting the seedling by its leaves but let it sit in your cupped fingers. Make a hole that is as deep as the root block of the seedling and pop it in. Fold the soil back nice and gently and don’t firm around it too hard. As the plant grows it will gain a firmer hold on the ground with its developing roots.

Watering – even though it says its winter on the label that doesn’t mean it’s raining all the time so keep an eye on your seedlings and keep them well watered. Best to use a watering can with a rose (one of those heads with loads of holes in them) to reduce the amount of flow hitting your delicate young plants. If you have to use a hose make sure that you use a gentle spray and not a jet which will only blow your seedlings over and possibly out of the ground.

WATER CONSERVATION

With rain around and about you may want to look at setting up a form of water collection for your garden. We have a largish corrugated iron drum connected up to the garage roof that stand close enough to part of our vegetable garden that gets fairly dry in the summer. You can hook up a recycled wine barrel or two to your shed or garage or even divert some of the run-off from your main roof into a water butt – these come in a bunch of different shapes and sizes and the exercise can be as easy or as complicated as you want it to be. A few helpful links on the subject are:

http://www.sustainablehouseholds.org.nz/actionpdfs/save_water_action.pdf

http://www.bb.net.nz/barrels_plastic_steel.htm

http://www.sustainability.govt.nz/water/rain-barrels

SOIL MIX

Jose asked about the ingredients in our soil mix – the three biggies are seaweed from the beach, sheep pellets and pea straw. We chop the lengths of seaweed up into rough credit card-sized pieces by putting a whole load into a wheel barrow and then attacking it with the garden shears. We shuck about tow spades-full of the small pieces on every square metre of garden bed along with a couple of hands full of sheep pellets and a light dusting of pea straw. On top of this we put about a spade full of our own home-made compost and turn the whole lot into the soil. Ideally you should then leave it all for about four weeks - whilst the worms, bugs and micro-organisms do their stuff and break everything down – before you plant into it…

GET READY FOR SPUDS

Which just gives you enough time to get your garden prepared – if you haven’t already done so for the great potato planting in our next show. It is time to buy or order up some seed potatoes which, if you get them in the ground in the next month, you will be harvesting and munching your way through in time for Christmas. We will be getting some of the heirloom varieties from Koanga Gardens www.koanga.co.nz as well as some other mainstream varieties from local garden centers. If you want to plant your’s with us then in about 2 weeks’ time hopefully you will have your seed potatoes and can get on with sprouting or ‘chitting’ them. Place them your seed potatoes on a tray in a sunny place for about 7 to 10 days, you will notice shoots appearing from some of the ‘eyes’ on the surface of the potato, these are delicate so inspect them with care. Ideally they should get to about 1 to 2 inches in length before planting time. Whilst the sprouting is going on you can pop outside to make sure that your soil is deeply dug – at least a spade’s depth so that roots will easily find their way through it. If you are not too flash in the soil department then never fear because on the show we will be telling you how to plant potatoes in stacks of car tyres, bin bags and also in piles of mulch. Catch you on the next show!

The Green Desk Garden - update 1

So we’re out at sunny bFM acres on the wild West Coast in Piha. There’re a variety of different parts to the ‘estate’ but for now we’ll concentrate on a handy little section that’s ready for some action. We are looking at a raised bed full of lush loose soil, composted, dug over several times in the past few weeks and ready to receive!

Before we get onto the planting side of things here’re some facts about raised beds:

Dimensions:

Width - Ideally you should be able to reach into the middle of the bed from either side without walking on the soil. A good way of working out what dimension might be right for you is to lie on the ground and stretch out your arms. Notice where your finger tips are and use the distance between them as the width of your bed. In my case its 2 metres. As for length – well that’s generally a personal matter but the bed we will be working on is 3 metres long.

Height – The minimum soil depth for lettuces, silverbeet, onions, radishes and spinach is about 20cm whereas the likes of beans, cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes and carrots need 45cm. The great thing about beds that are 45cm tall (standard seat height) is that you can perch your bum on them whilst you are weeding, watering and feeding.

Materials – Avoid treated timber which leaches chromium and arsenic into the soil - although there are those who do use this stuff and line it with heavy duty polythene to keep chemicals away from vegetable roots; far better to use macrocarpa which has natural oils that preserve it in and on the ground without any adverse effects on your veggies. Loads of folks use macrocarpa sleepers which are usually 20cm x 15cm x 2.1m but they can be a bit pricey. In the bFM garden we are using macrocarpa boards 20cm x 5cm bolted to 15cm x 10cm corner posts. Alternatives to macrocarpa are concrete blocks and bricks, old native timber weather boards (with the painted side facing out) – you can even use wine bottles filled with sand and buried neck-down to put some curves onto your veggie patch!

Weed prevention - When you decide where your bed is going to go just cut off any grass and dig up any weeds that are in the way before you put in any soil or compost. If there are persistent weeds in the ground like kikuyu or couch grass and bindweed it can be handy to lay some weed-proof membrane (buy it by the metre from garden centres) - or if you can get your hands on some – old wool carpet in the bottom of the raised bed. This should stop weeds coming up through things and causing hassles.

We will be talking about how to get a good growing medium going in the next show so watch this space…

PLANTING NOW.

Even in the grip of Winter (what Winter?) you can be planting stuff. Right now you can be sowing broad beans, kale, mizuna (mustard greens), peas and radishes as well as planting onions and GARLIC.

GARLIC

I just love this stuff, it is so easy to plant and harvest and it’s almost worth its weight in gold. A kilo –about 8 to 10 fists - of organic garlic is going for around $25 to $27 at the moment so what better incentive to grow your own and save some dough! As a general rule they say that garlic is planted on the shortest day (June 21st) and harvested on the longest day (December 21st) but here in warmish Auckland we can plant garlic any time from now until the end of June.

The right stuff – You need to get your hands on good quality seed garlic from a garden centre or alternatively buy NZ-grown organic garlic. Much of the puny white stuff that many of the supermarkets peddle comes from China and has been chemically treated to stop it from sprouting, it’s not a patch on good fat juicy organic cloves anyway. Plant the biggest, fattest juiciest cloves and in six months’ time you should be rewarded with similarly large, fat, juicy produce.

Action stations – As long as your soil has been dug through so that it runs through your fingers like crumbly chocolate and it has plenty of well-rotted, rich organic matter in it then you are probably ready to take your first step towards the garlic hall of fame. Using a dibber, piece of kindling or – if your soil is really well-dug through – your hand with fingers pointed kung-fu blade style, push down into the soil to make a hole around 10cm deep. The individual garlic cloves should be buried so that the fat rooty bottom bit goes to the bottom of the hole with the pointy bit looking at the sky. There should be about 6cm between the pointy top of the clove and the level of soil in the garden around it. If all is okay and you are happy then gently fold soil back over the clove and move on. There should be 15cm between each clove in the row and 15cm between each row. There you go!

What is also fairly handy is that you can plant garlic in buckets or containers that are bucket-sized or bigger. Make sure there are holes in the bottom for drainage and fill with a good quality potting mix. Plant your garlic as directed above and be sure to monitor watering closely as soil in buckets and pots dries out much quicker than in beds.

Catch you soon – have fun!

Paul

Listen to the Green Desk for 27 May 2008 here