Snippets!

• Animal Manure: Be careful when sourcing cow manure, make sure that it is not from feedlot cows, as it is generally very high in sodium. They give them extra salt for marbling the meat. It will really kill the soil. Horse manure should generally be okay, but the old way of worm drenching horses, which may still be in use, will kill all worms in the manure for up to 30 days. The new drenches are supposed to do it in the gut. Better to ask questions first!
• Banana Plants: Residential growers may plant a maximum of 10 plants (total) of one or more of several varieties, but only after obtaining an inspector's written approval. The only permitted varieties are Ladyfinger, Blue Java, Ducasse, Goldfinger, Bluggoe (plantain or cooking banana), and Kluai Namwa Khom (Dwarf Ducasse) and Pisang Ceylan.
• Bean Fly: Don't use chemical sprays. Try making your own from wormwood and chilli. Recipes for organic sprays are regularly printed in our newsletters. A word of caution. Any of these should be treated with care, do not allow liquids to come in contact with your eyes or skin. Just because they are biodegradable, doesn't mean they are totally harmless to humans. Neither are chemicals. If your garden is really working well, you should have less insect attack as you will have more biodiversity. That is, more beneficial insects and a large population of birds, frogs and lizards that will keep nature in balance.
• Broad Beans: Some males of Mediterranean descent are allergic to broad beans, and should be wary when eating them for the first time. Persons taking antidepressants with monoamine inhibitors should avoid them at all costs. [From Edible Asian gardens by Rosalind Creasy]
• Chickens: Stop chickens (snakes and dogs) from scratching out under small trees and bushes by putting Bunya Pine tree branches around them. The fronds are very sharp and they work wonderfully!
• Cocoa is one of the most highly sprayed food crops on the planet because it is very susceptible to pests. Organic cocoa beans are grown using no chemical pesticides or fertilizers within their natural ecosystem. These beans are then organically processed to the highest standards and techniques giving the product the rich, smooth texture quality chocolate is known for. [From Organic Times (Aust) Pty Ltd].
• Green Manure - One of the things I have wanted to try at "The Plot" was to plant a green manure crop. It is by all accounts an excellent way to rejuvenate your soil whereby you turn the lush green crop over and into the soil in which it has been growing. You do this just before the crop starts to flower in order to get the maximum benefits for the soil. Extract - "Stories from the One Acre Plot" by BOGI member Phil Ryan, September 2006 BOGI newsletter. This regular column appears in each edition of our newsletter. Phil shares his experiences, successes and experiments in his urban acreage plot.
• Hydrangeas: August is the optimum time to prune your hydrangeas. Cut those with old wood back to one node just above the ground. This will encourage new shoots. The new wood on the plant, should be cut back to the first bud only, from the growing end leaving a long stem. At this time of the year, any remaining foliage may have a reddish appearance due to cold weather, or because of the dryness can also be attacked by or have evidence of mites. Whatever the problem, hydrangeas need to be in moist ground, in a semi-shade position and at this time of the year, have a weekly dose of seaweed extract, (there are several available on the market). Use as directed on the pack. The addition of mulch, in the form of sugar cane, straw or pea straw around them will be a big help. Old lawn clippings are not recommended as they tend to pack down and become waterproof. In particular, never consider green clippings as they will heat up too much and burn the plants. If you have no other option than old clippings, be prepared to 'tickle' them up regularly to allow your ' tender loving care' to reach the roots.
• Lichen: You shouldn't be worried about lichen appearing on trees or in your garden. This is actually a sign of a healthy environment. There are 1650 species of lichen in Queensland and 3250 all over Australia.
• Mushrooms, toadstools and fungi that you can see above ground are actually the 'fruit' which contains the spores for regeneration. The Fungus organism itself lives permanently underground, just waiting for the right conditions to emerge. These are know as macro fungi.
• Mangoes & Flying Foxes: Flying Foxes re commonly referred to as fruit bats. They are in fact, nectar-eating bats, (as different to insectivorous bats in general that are small and also described as microbats). If there are enough flowering nectar-bearing trees, fruit will be untouched by flying foxes. This of course is a very wide statement, and doesn't always ring true as normally flying foxes just don't have enough nectar to feed on in our urban environments. Many Brisbane people find that in their own suburban backyards, flowering ornamental grevilleas, and silky oaks and as well as palms when in flower, are attractive to these animals. (Contary to this theory about nectar, fruiting palms obviously are a delicacy, because flying foxes go crazy about the large quantity of fruit that comes after flowering, especially those on the weedy Queen Palm). Whether you can ovoid problems also depends on how many flying foxes target a backyard or are in the local area. If you are under a 'flight path' you may be more at risk. They only feed on their way out from their home base, never on the return journey. People in direct lines from roosting areas, have learnt not to leave their washing out in flying fox season, for obvious reasons. Apart from all this, it may be that you have to be prepared to share your garden with the local wildlife. Flying foxes play an important part as natural pollinators. They were here before people and exotic fruit trees, so this is the philosophical way of looking at the question.
• Nasturtiums: So much of the Nasturtium plant is edible, flowers and leaves are used in salads, and the pickled seeds taste like capers. Nasturtiums are an important part of an organic garden. They deter aphids, attract birds or other pest-eating predators, and also add micro nutrients to compost, they also give a lovely splash of colour to the garden beds.
• Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside. There are about 200 seeds on a medium strawberry. If you want to grow a variety and you cannot obtain its runners, it is possible to grow them from the seeds of the strawberry you like.
• Tomatoes: Plant seedlings deep - about 2/3 of the stem below the soil.
• Truffles live and grow underground. Yes we do have them in Australia, but although edible, are not very pleasant tasting unlike their counterparts in Europe which are much prized as gourmet food.