Garden Updates

First Real Frost!

Icy Silverbeet

On Monday I awoke to find the yard carpeted in a shimmer of white, as the first real frost of the season hit. Well, that is to say, the first frost I was up early enough to witness! It was cold enough that as I went to water the garden I spent 5 minutes trying to find the kink in the hose before realising that the hose had frozen solid somewhere.

It was also cold enough to partially defoliate my fig tree that is planted in the ground, although my figs in pots were spared, being up off the ground.

This fig tree hadn't lost any leaves until Monday

Tree Removal

Although currently hit by a nasty flu, I woke up Sunday feeling inspired enough to tackle the Privet trees in my backyard (which I previously had thought were camphor Laurels!). Privets (and Laurels) are a noxious weed in many parts of Australia due to their ability to spread extremely easily via birds, who eat the small berries they produce, and by their vigorous growth, which forms thickets and out-competes native and other plants for sunlight.

Privet Thicket

Privet Leaves and Berries

Each Privet berry contains two small seeds which germinate readily in exposed or disturbed soil. Privet can also regrow via suckers along their roots, so I hope I removed enough so that I don't have another wave of plants come up!

The thicket in my backyard was actually a clump of about 20 trees. A mature privet, according to an Australian Government website, has the ability to produce up to a million seeds per year, and the berries support unnaturally high populations of Currawongs which then displace other native birds. 

The invasiveness of the tree can easily be seen after I chopped off their heads, and it became evident how many trees were growing in the thicket. I have since dug them all up, and planted a brand new persimmon tree in their place.

In Canberra the ACT Government sponsors a weed exchange, where you bring in certain varieties of woody invasive weeds, and they exchange them for a native plant. Privet meets these requirements, although I think I have missed the swap, which usually occurs twice a year in early Autumn and Spring. HERE is a link for those in the ACT with privet trees in their backyard, and who would like some extra encouragement to chop them down!

There Were 21 Individual Trees Here!

Cauliflower Harvest

On Sunday I harvested my first cauliflower. It was a nice size and weighed in at just over 800g. If growing without insecticides, as I am, it is a good idea to soak your newly picked cauliflower in salt and water, as it will drive out any caterpillars that may have taken up residence!

Cauliflower With Beer for Reference

I immediately cooked it up into a delicious Indian curry, which is very tasty and great for those who like curry, but are scared of spicy food. It is very easy to make, and I encourage everyone to try it!

Mild Cauliflower Curry in a Coconut Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tbs oil

1 cauliflower

1 onion

2 tomatoes

2 tsp garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp cumin seeds

1-3 chillies (optional)

1 teaspoon tumeric powder

1.5 teaspoon tamarind paste

3/4 cup of warm water 

400ml coconut milk

Method

1. Cut the cauliflower into small florets, rinse, and set aside. Dice the tomato into medium to small chunks and set aside. Add 1.5 tsp tamarind paste to the warm water, mix well and set aside. 

2. Chop the onion and chillies (if using) and put in a food processor with the garlic and tumeric and blend to a paste.

3. Heat the oil in a wok or pot and add the cumin seeds until they start to splutter. Add the spice mix from the processor and cook on medium for 5 minutes, making sure it doesn't burn.

4. Add the cauliflower florets, and stir to coat with the spice mixture in the pan, and cook for a further 5-10 minutes stirring constantly.

5. Stir in the coconut milk, salt and sugar and cook for 10 minutes before adding the tamarind water mixture. Do not let it boil or the coconut milk might separate. If the mixture is too watery, simmer gently until it reaches your preferred consistency. Finally add the chopped tomato, allow to heat through for 5 more minutes before serving!

  

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Cauliflower and Peas

Cauliflower

I haven't tried growing any brassica crops before this year, and had intended to put down cauliflower, brocolli and brussel sprouts, however this all got turned on its head when I planted way, way too many cauliflower. I had no idea how large these plants would grow, and now have ended up with a veritable sea of cauliflower plants in my garden bed.

Cauliflower plants have huge leaves and take up tonnes of space!

My Field of Cauliflower

The seedlings begin life deceivingly small, however following the seed packet instructions, I planted them at their minimum distance of 50cm. Next time I will give them about 60cm between plants, because their leave are huge, and I feel they are a little cramped. I initially started my seeds in January and planted them into a newly dug garden bed in February. Today most of the plants still do not have cauliflower heads growing except for one. which looks like it will be ready to be picked in a few days.

Cauliflower head

  Cauliflower pests!

White Cabbage Butterfly

By far the most destructive pest to the cauliflower is the caterpillars of the white cabbage butterfly, pictured below source.

White Cabbage Butterfly

These butterflies lay clusters of eggs under the leaves of all brassica plants, as well as some other varieites as well. In Canberra, they are everywhere, at first I would try and chase them down with a hose or stick, but as the relentless armies of butterflies fluttered forward towards my plants I have resigned myself to finding and squishing the caterpillars as I find them.

The butterflies are attracted to the plants by the smell of the plants leaves, and do a characteristic 'double touch' before laying their eggs on the undersides of the leaves. The first touch is to identify the host plant, and the second touch is to lay the eggs once an appropriate food source has been found. 

The butterfly lays small yellow eggs, either in clusters or spread out on the underside of the leaf, and can fairly easily be removed, or squished. After they hatch the caterpillars begin life as tiny green little devils who grow in to fatter green devils as they age.

White Cabbage Butterfly Caterpillars 

   

Leaf Damage Caused by White Cabbage Butterfly Caterpillars 

More Leaf Damage

Aphids

Most every gardener knows of aphids, the small sap sucking insects often farmed by ants, and they seem to love my cauliflowers, although only recently making an appearance. I am currently looking into an organic control method for these suckers, and I have heard a concoction of chilli and dishwashing liquid might do the trick, if anyone has any secret recipes they would like to share, post below!

Aphids hiding in a curled up portion of leaf

Peas!

Well two months ago I posted about my pea seedlings coming up, and today I took my first small harvest of sugar snap peas. 

First Harvest!

I am growing shelling peas, and sugar snap peas, and both are doing well, although the shelling peas have only just begun flowering. The peas are growing both in pots and in ground, and for whatever reason they much prefer the pot environment growing large healthy leaves, and thick stems. The plants in the ground receive a few hours less sun each day and are much wimpier in comparison, although only planted three weeks later.

March 2013

April 2013

 May 2013

May 2013 - Relatively small plants growing in the ground (planted three weeks later)

These peas have been quite simple to grow, however do seem to drain a fair bit of water from the soil, requiring water every 2 days, or else they begin to wilt. They have not been harassed by any pests.. Yet!

The flowers on the pea plants, I find quite attractive as well, although plain and white.

Pea Flower

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Chilean Guava, Columnar Apples and Olives

In the last couple of weeks I have accumulated some new fruit trees for the garden, and for pots. Several of these came from the growers market in orange, however I also had two new varieties of fig trees from South Australia delivered and some Chilean Guava from Diggers.

Chilean Guava (Myrtus Ugni)

I recently came across some another blog that mentioned Chilean Guava, a shrub with small green leaves that reportedly grows one of the best testing berries you can find. Said to be the favourite fruit of Queen Victoria, these berries are small and red and apparently have a taste similar to a cross between strawberries, apples and pineapple, although most people say that it is a difficult taste to describe. The berries reputedly have a beautiful fragrance that wafts around the bushes filling your yard with scent.

Mytus Ugni berries source

They were touted as the next big thing in Australian agriculture in Tasmania, and in Aus are trademarked under the name Tazziberry. This push to grow came in the early 2000s and I have yet to see any in any stores, so perhaps something went wrong! Our New Zealand cousins across the pond are also trying to jump on this train, and have their own name 'New Zealand Cranberry'.

Whether Chilean Guava, or Tazziberry or NZ Cranberries I had to buy some plants immediately!

From all the research I have done into these berries over the last week there seems to be differing reports on how easy or difficult they are to grow. Some say full sun, some say part sun, some say full shade- in fact this is reportedly one of the few fruits that will fruit well in a full shade position.

One thing that is is certain is that they do not like to dry out, with many plant deaths throughout forums attributed to this. Some also say they enjoy a low soil pH similar to blueberries, and do not require much attention, other than being kept damp. They are frost hardy, and heat tolerant.

I decided to buy 7 plants in total, to be spread in different locations throughout the yard, some in part shade, and some in full sun. Five were from Digger's online and one two were from a local Canberra nursery and slightly more mature.

    

Columnar Apples 

Columnar apples grow to a smaller size than regular apple trees and can be considered a dwarf or semi dwarf, and suitable for pots. They grow as a single main trunk, with apples growing off the side, and side branches should be pruned.

For successful pollination it is important to have two varieties of trees. I bought the varieties 'Waltz' and 'Polka' from the Flemings Ballerina series. They were going into dormancy when I bought them, and have continued to lose leaves as colder weather approaches.

   

Olives

I bought an unknown variety of olive whilst in Orange, and once back in Canberra bought a Barnea olive from a local nursery. Olives are evergreen and cold hardy.  

Mystery Olive

Barnea Olive

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