Rosemary
Rosemary is a beautiful aromatic herb which only needs to be brushed by hand to release its fragrance. It is probably the most popular of all herbs. Rosemary originates in the Mediterranean region. It prefers an open, sunny spot with average, well-drained soil. It will not tolerate wet roots. Rosemary is easy to propagate by eight cm tip cuttings or by layering. Simply place several cuttings into a pot, water them well and cover them with a plastic bag until the new roots have formed. Re-pot...
Controlling Fruit fly Organically
It is possible to control fruit fly organically. There are two sorts of fruit fly common in Australia the Queensland fruit fly and the Mediterranean fruit fly. Both have similar life cycles and you are required by law to control them. In areas with cold winters prevention may be all that is required. The fruit fly dies off in winter, and garden and orchard hygiene may prevent them from building up to problem proportions until your summer crops are harvested. Even if you have fruit like citrus...
Propagating fruit trees
Figs, mulberries and blueberries are easy to propagate. Simply take a 30 cm cutting from an established tree during late spring or early summer and plant it in its permanent position. Place the cutting in a mixture of coarse sand and soil. It will quickly grow a root system and become established. Frangipani and monstera deliciosa can also be propagated this way. Cuttings for hibiscus and other similar plants will quickly grow a root system if you place 15 cm cuttings in pots and keep them...
Comfrey
Comfrey is another European herb which is invaluable in the organic garden. It is rich in nitrogen, potassium and many other essential minerals and is valuable as a green manure as well as to add to the compost heap. The best method of propagation is by root division. A small piece of root will quickly grow into a well-established plant. Comfrey is a perennial and will grow into a thick-set, busy plant with large, green, slightly hairy leaves. If comfrey grows near strawberries it will improve...
Popular varieties of Custard Apple
Pink Mammoth produces huge fruit weighing up to 550 g, with an average of 24 seeds per 500 g of fruit. African Pride is a custard apple with fruit which averages 300 g and 36 seeds per 500 g of fruit. Island Gem has fruit which averages 250 g and 31 seeds per 500 g. The custard apple is a semi-deciduous tree, growing to 4.5 metres high, with a spread of six metres. The trees should be spaced approximately nine metres apart when you're planting out a small or large orchard. As the trees develop...
Acerola cherry
Acerola cherry is the amazing vitamin C tree. This relatively small tree two to five metres high is known throughout the Caribbean as the tree of life and is one of the richest sources of vitamin C. Between 1,000 and 4,700 mg of this important vitamin are contained in each 100 g of fruit. The plant is extremely attractive with dark green leaves and pink or white flowers. When the acerola is in fruit the bright red berries are quite eye-catching. It can be pruned to bush size or used as a hedge...
Index 1
Native trees 109 Natural ecology 34 Nitrogen 4 No-dig gardening 10 No-dig gardening in the tropics 44 Okra 66 Onions 66 Orange 94 Organic matter 3 Parsley 22 Passionfruit 81 Pawpaw 101 Peas 53, 67 Pecans 106 Pest Control 28 pH testing 8 Phosphorus 4 Plant propagation 35 Planting young trees 107 Potassium 8 Potassium Permanganate Condy's Crystals 33 Potatoes 67 Propagating fruit trees 76 Pyrethrum 28 Saving seed 37 Seedlings 35 Shallots 69 Silver beet 69 Spinach 52 Spring onions 69 Squash 69...
Planting out lychee trees
You should prepare a large planting hole, at least ten times larger than the container, but do not dig down into the sub-soil. To the soil you've removed add 500 g of rock phosphate, 200 g of lime or dolomite, 15 kg of compost and five kg of fowl manure. Mix this well and plant the tree in the mixture. Do not plant it too deeply, to allow for adequate drainage. Mulch the tree thickly with hay or straw taking care to leave 15 cm clear around the trunk. Water in the trees thoroughly and keep them...
Cover Crops and Green Manures
To prevent or reduce erosion, certain plants can be grown as a cover crop and can be used as green manure. These crops are turned into the soil when they're 75 to 100 cm high. This method is perfect for growers who cannot produce enough compost or have difficulty obtaining large quantities of animal manures. Cover crops also offer protection from plant diseases and insects after seasonal crop rotation. They are excellent for areas of the vegetable garden that are not in use because they bind...
Parsley
There are two varieties of parsley curled, and Italian or plain-leaf parsley. To propagate sow seed in spring in temperate areas, and autumn in warmer climates. Curled parsley is the most difficult to grow. Seeds sometimes take two weeks to germinate, during which time the bed must never be allowed to dry out or the seeds will cease germinating. Plain-leaf or Italian parsley will germinate in four to five days and has a slightly stronger flavour than the curled variety. Parsley is a biennial...
Broccoli
At the top of the list of highly nutritional vegetables is broccoli. This green giant scores in the top ten for every single one of the vitamins and minerals included in the Californian study. Broccoli boasts more than twice as much vitamin C as an equal amount of orange. It is also a very rich source of vitamin A, both the major B vitamins, riboflavin, and the vital mineral calcium it contains as much as whole milk . Broccoli also has plenty of iron, potassium, niacin and thiamin quite a...
Beetroot
Beetroot grows best in soil that has been well manured for a previous crop. Plant the seeds from March to October. A beetroot seed is actually a cluster of seeds, so several seedlings will grow from one seed. Sow them in rows about 15 cm apart. Thin them when they're 10 cm high, removing any weak plants. Beetroot transplant easily, so any strongly growing seedlings can be planted elsewhere in the garden. Pull them by hand when the globe-shaped roots have reached a reasonable size. If they're...
Chamomile
Chamomile originates in Europe and has been used in folk medicine in Britain for centuries. The fragrance of chamomile has been likened to fresh apples. The most popular variety is the German chamomile for use as a herbal tea. Chamomile grows quickly into a small bush and bears flowers profusely for quite some time. It can be raised from seed or by root-division. The flowers that are used for tea should be harvested by midday if possible, before the sun has drawn the valuable essences from the...
Mulching In Warmer Areas
In hot climates, weeds can grow incredibly quickly almost overnight in fact This can make a lot of hard, back-breaking work for the organic gardener. You should place a thick mulch at least 20 cm deep around fruit trees, ornamental gardens and particularly in the vegetable garden. If the weather is dry and hot, the mulch should be pulled back before you water. If you do this you'll conserve water and keep the ground cool and moist Some strong growing weeds will push through even the thickest...
Fast Plant Propagation
Many plants can be propagated very easily in warmer climates. At certain times of the year seeds germinate and little plants pop out of the ground practically while you watch Warm soil and moist conditions are perfect for sowing some types of seed and seeds should germinate quickly and easily if they're planted at the correct time. Most home gardeners will have noticed how pumpkin vines 'appear' in the garden or in the compost heap in mid-summer, together with other herbs and vegetables. Seeds...
Potatoes
Potatoes should be grown in the ground in warm climates. Mulching is satisfactory only in cooler areas because warmth heats up the mulch and rots the potato stems. For the best results, tubers seed potatoes should be encouraged to sprout before you plant them. Buy your tubers early to allow six weeks for good sprouting. Used egg cartons are good for this. Place the tubers in them with the 'eyes' of the potatoes at the top. Place the boxes in the light, but not in the sun. When the shoots are...
Organic Gardening 1
From the publishers of EARTH GARDEN magazine ORGANIC GARDENING in tropical climates EARTH GARDEN BOOKS Trentham, Victoria Trentham, Victoria, 3458. Facsimile 054 241743. First published 1993 by EARTH GARDEN Books. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publishers. This book is printed on...
Pecan
Pecan trees grow q uite tall up to 18 metres with a 12 metre spread. They are deciduous and prefer cool winter conditions. Pecans make a lovely shade tree in summer, and a small orchard of pecan nut trees would enhance any property. There are at least 160 varieties of pecan nuts grown, but only a limited number are available commercially. Check with your nursery for the variety best suited to your area. Pecan trees do best in a heavy soil. They don't even mind clay soils. Plant young trees...
How to make liquid manure
You can make liquid manures quite economically in the home garden. The best container is a large drum which can be placed close to the vegetable garden. Place into the drum approximately two buckets of either cow, chicken or horse manure. Add a few handfuls of comfrey and some leaves of stinging nettles, if they're available. Wear gloves to handle these. Top up the drum with water and mix it all well. Leave the mixture for four to six weeks before using it. The mixture will smell quite...
Lemon grass
Lemon grass is an unusual herb which resembles the flax plant family in appearance and habit of growth. The leaves are long straps of fresh bright green which grow from a fleshy base. The plant is quite decorative and in one growing season should make a clump about 15 cm across the base and 60 cm high. It will thrive in the hottest position if it's given plenty of water. Lemon grass is propagated by lifting a clump and pulling away rooted pieces from its outside edges. Simply plant the pieces...
Planting out the mango seedlings
When you're planting them out, be sure the soil is rich in compost and manure. Dig a large hole to accommodate the new tree and mulch it well with hay or straw. Irrigate the new planting at least twice a week in dry areas. For practical purposes trees should be kept pruned back to three metres high, with a similar spread. A spacing of five metres between trees is quite adequate. When the seedlings are one metre tall, pinch out the terminal bud. Two or three shoots will develop and these should...
Crop Rotation
The logic behind the idea of crop rotation is that different plants extract nutrients in different combinations from the soil. By rotating the types of plants the soil is allowed to rebuild while still producing. No hard or fast rules can be offered for the rotation of crops. So much depends on the suitability of particular crops to the area this will obviously limit the selection. However, there are five different groups of annual vegetable plants and these should be rotated and intercropped....
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Absolute cleanliness in the garden is essential to minimise the many pests and diseases which will attack vegetables at every opportunity Remove spent crops or discarded leaves from the vegetable garden because these will attract 'pests'. Rotting vegetation gives off large amounts of both ethanol and ammonia, attracting many insects. Mould and mildews can spring up, almost overnight, in warm humid weather. Check the garden every day or so many diseases can be treated in the early stages. You...
Horseradish
Horseradish has large, dark-green leaves resembling spinach. Under ideal conditions it can grow up to 60 cm high. The root system comprises a main tap root with several smaller roots branching out from it at different angles. It is white, and rather like a radish but more wrinkled and hairy. Horseradish is propagated by root cuttings, and prefers a shady position and rich, moist soil. Place cuttings in a large hole in the garden and pour a little sand around the sides of the root before...
Carambola or fivecorner fruit
The carambola is an evergreen tree native to south-east Asia, with pink flowers and fruit which is a fleshy berry acutely five angled and star-shaped in cross-section. It is yellow when ripe and contains ten to 12 seeds. Carambolas are a very decorative tree, growing five to 12 metres high. They require tropical or warm sub-tropical conditions to thrive. Young trees are extremely frost sensitive but although older trees can tolerate light frosts they can withstand low temperatures for only...
Organic Gardening
From the publishers of EARTH GARDEN magazine This book is a step-by-step guide to establishing and maintaining an organic fruit and vegetable garden. It is written specifically for Australians in warmer climates not adapted from cool climate organic growing information. Liz Sinnamon is one of Australia's leading writers on tropical organics. She has written and lectured on organic gardening for nearly 10 years. Liz's passionate concern for planet Earth is clear this book demonstrates the...
In The Vegetable Garden 1
If you've bought vegetable seedlings they have most probably been grown under shade cloth. Many gardeners find that these seedlings wilt and die within a day or two of planting out into the garden, not realising that the tiny plants are not able to stand the hot sun. A temporary shaded area should be constructed over the transplanted seedlings for seven to ten days until they are well established. The best time for transplanting is during late afternoon. Before removing them from their...
Chapter Growing Fruit And Nut Trees In Tropical Climates
Planting out blueberry bushes CITRUS Planting citrus tree seedlings Custard apples Popular varieties of Custard Apple Lychees Planting out the mango seedlings Pawpaws OTHER FRUITS SUITED TO WARM CLIMATES
Controlling pests on pawpaw trees
Most pests can be controlled by creating a micro-climate which will encourage many predators to breed and live in the pawpaw plantation. If the trees are planted as closely as is recommended, the leaves of the plants will form a shady canopy over the ground. Tiny tree frogs and a good population of spiders will soon develop in this cool, moist micro-climate. Spiders are well known as great predators and will attack many insect pests, including the fruit fly. The most serious disease affecting...