| |
WINTER GREEN NOTES
GROW YOUR OWN FRUIT!
Permaculture is a design system for creating sustainable human environments. It differs from landscape design in that the main aim is functional rather than ornamental. It aims to create gardens that are ecologically sound and economically viable, which do not exploit or pollute, and are therefore sustainable in the long term. One of its most basic aims is growing food to produce a life-supporting system, a human ecology.
Eating out of your garden is healthy and enjoyable! There are many benefits attached to growing some of your own food, the food is fresher with a higher vitamin content, and free from chemical residues. You get more for your effort, edibles use the same watering, fertilising and weeding as many ornamentals. Best of all there are taste benefits; better flavours and the opportunity to try unusual varieties without paying gourmet prices.
VINE CROPS
Vines can be used to create privacy or for shade:
-
Grapes need excellent air circulation to reduce mildew
problems, good varieties are Pink Iona, Carolina Black
Rose and Marroo Seedless.
-
Kiwifruit needs a cooler, wind sheltered, east facing site, Dexter is a good choice, you will need a male
and female plant.
-
Passionfruit comes in a range of varieties, a personal
favourite is Panama Gold, for cooler areas try a
Banana
Passionfruit.
-
Pitaya, a climbing cactus has attractive flowers and edible fruit.
(The trees listed below are suitable for SE Queensland and northern NSW but many will do well in other areas.)
An extended article on
Fruit
Trees for Small Gardens is available.
Fruit trees and shrubs can be planted in any part of the garden, select plants to be attractive, hardy and pest resistant:
Barbados Cherry Malpighia glabra
Bay Laurel Laurus nobilis, can be planted in a pot
Blueberry Vaccinium spp., particularly tetraploid types such as Gulf Coast
Citrus Citrus spp., every garden should have a lemon tree, Eureka is a good variety, less prone to fruit fly damage than Meyer or Lemonade
More info on citrus
Coffee Coffea arabica, very fragrant flowers but a lot of work to achieve a cup of coffee
Grumichama Eugenia brasiliensis very attractive tree with fruit similar to a cherry
Jaboticaba Myrciaria cauliflora excellent tree for SE Queensland, similar to a large black grape, no fruit fly or bird problems usually
Japanese Raisin Tree Hovenia dulcis
Malabar Chestnut Pachira aquatica small nut tree to 7m
Tea Camellia sinensis
Strawberry Guava Psidium cattleianum,
useful shrub to use as a screen
Mulberry Morus spp Shatoot is a particularly good mulberry for small gardens as the fruit are cream coloured and wont stain clothes
Tamarillo Cyphomandra betacea
A good nursery
for buying your fruit trees is Daley’s, near Kyogle NSW,
www.daleysfruit.com.au
GARDEN CALENDAR
This information mainly applies to northern NSW and Queensland.
MAY
-
This is a good time to sow clover, lucerne or barrel
medic as a ‘living mulch’ or groundcover in your
orchard. Sowing a cool season green manure in the
vegetable garden will build up the soil for spring
planting.
-
Maintain fruit fly traps if you have guava or loquat
trees, destroy any spoiled fruit.
-
Check the lower trunks of your apple trees for woolly
apple aphid; destroy any colonies by painting with
methylated spirits. Remove any corrugated cardboard
bands that have been in place to trap codling moth
caterpillars and burn. Check ladders and fruit boxes
and destroy any cocooned caterpillars. Try to keep
poultry under the trees for a few weeks to clean up
the area. Check stored apples regularly.
-
Plant new citrus trees in May/June, always remove
fruit before planting, or better still select trees
without fruit for more vigour. Do not fertilise young
trees until 3-4 months after planting.
-
Plant dormant fruit trees until August.
-
Cut back the autumn abundance of growth and build a
compost heap. Now is a good time to cut back ‘mulch’
plants such as comfrey or arrowroot and spread the
mulch around fruit trees
-
Test the pH, excessive acidity or alkalinity will
interfere with uptake of nutrients by plants. Remember
never to apply lime at the same time as
fertilisers as this leads to a loss of nitrogen,
caused by it converting to ammonia and off-gassing.
Allow 3 weeks between liming and fertiliser
applications. Never add lime to a compost heap as this
also leads to a large loss of nutrient into the
atmosphere.More info on pH
-
In cooler areas plant seed or seedlings of broccoli, parsley, celery, Asian vegetables, cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, peas, spinach , onions. Plant carrot, parsnips and turnips from seed only, root vegetables should not be transplanted. In warmer frost-free areas beans, capsicum, eggplant, okra, zucchini, potatoes and tomatoes can also be planted.
Browse the Organic Seed Shop
JUNE
-
Winter is the time when the old saying an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure certainly applies. Give your garden a good cleanup; collect fallen fruit, rake leaves and collect weeds for compost, clean out old piles of wood or wire (dont forget to wear your gumboots and garden gloves). Reducing over-wintering sites for pests and diseases in this way will have benefits later.
-
Deciduous fruit trees should be pruned. Remove loose bark with a wire brush; this will help destroy over-wintering two-spotted mite and codling moth grubs. Check for borer damage and destroy borers with a fine wire.
-
Cut the old stems of asparagus down; top-dress with well-rotted manure or compost and mulch.
-
Cut back and transplant deciduous trees and shrubs.
-
Spray stone fruit for peach leaf curl (lumpy pinkish blisters), shot hole (gumming of fruit buds), rust, brown rot and freckle at early bud swell with lime sulphur. Collect mummified fruit.
-
Check under cabbage and broccoli leaves for the small yellow eggs of white cabbage butterfly. Rubbing the eggs off with your fingers works but is only for the Zen-minded. Spray with Dipel to protect young seedlings.
-
In late winter check citrus trees for any sign of bronze orange bug, spray with potassium soap spray or
Pest
Oil. These bugs can squirt an extremely caustic solution so wear protective gear, especially for the eyes.
- Gall wasps attack citrus trees and cause swellings in the stems. Prune out any affected wood and burn, if possible.
- Watch for aphids on soft shoots of citrus and roses, check for beneficial insects such as hoverflies and ladybeetle larvae before controlling them. If some of the aphids look like little brown balloons, they have been parasitised by a micro-wasp. Spray
Natrasoap potassium soap spray as a least toxic control in the absence of predators.
- After rose pruning, spray with lime sulphur to control two-spotted mite and powdery mildew.
- Plant a
green manure
specifically for soil diseases such as nematode and fungal root rot in beds that have had
problems over the summer. A good choice is rapeseed (syn. canola) or Indian mustard.
- Control
scale by spraying with
Pest
Oil
or
Eco Oil
.
JULY
- After all danger of frost has passed, prune passionfruit vines of unwanted growth, mulch and water well. Prune the passion fruit by cutting all laterals (shoots coming from the main stem) back to two buds.
- Control scale by spraying with
Pest
Oil, band trees with grease or
sticky barriers to stop ants.
- Top up the mulch around fruit trees.
WINTER FRUIT TREE PRUNING AND
MAINTENANCE
Traditionally deciduous fruit trees
(pear, apple etc) were pruned during winter. Early summer
pruning has become common and has improved benefits for
training young trees as it allows for smaller cuts with less
stress to the tree. This is only commonsense, if you allow
an undesirable branch to grow all summer, cutting it off in
winter will mean a much greater wound for the tree to heal.
Summer pruning can often be done just by ‘rubbing off’ an
unwanted bud with your fingers. Always avoid pruning on
rainy days, as dry weather aids in healing the cuts.
Winter is still a good time to do fruit
tree maintenance, such as removing deadwood or crossing
branches. Begin by preparing your tools,
sharpening secateurs
and loppers and apply linseed oil to any wooden handles.
The correct tools make the job easier, the basics you need
are: secateurs for small, precise cuts, loppers for removing
suckers, especially thorny ones and a good quality pruning
saw for the bigger branches.
The only really safe ladder for outside work is a 3-legged
orchard ladder, with foot pegs that push into the ground.
Safer still is keeping fruit trees pruned low, as the fruit
will be within easy reach for foliar feeding and harvesting
and there is less risk of a fall.
Remember your aim in pruning in a home garden is different to
that of a commercial grower. It is essential you keep the
tree small and manageable, so it can be covered easily to
protect the fruit from birds, bats and possums; and in many
areas, from fruit fly.
How to begin:
-
Step back from the tree and try to see the main branch
structure that you need to develop. It is a good idea if
you are new to pruning to make a habit of regularly
stepping back as you work, to see the tree as a whole.
Your aim is primarily thinning the branch structure rather
than just shortening every branch.
-
Begin by removing all dead
or damaged wood, as well as suckers from below the graft.
Clear away soil around the suckers and cut as low as
possible to prevent a re-appearance.
-
Next remove branches
growing towards the centre of the tree. These are
generally not fruitful and tend to harbour pests and
disease. Over-crowding also prevents entry to the centre
of the tree by insect eating birds. Always remove branches
that are rubbing together. Step back and take another
look.
-
Aim to prune out
narrow-angled branch crotches, as these harbour pests such
as borers and can break under the weight of fruit; a 60°
angle where any branch joins the main trunk is
best.
-
Shorten back last season's growth; my
general rule is “if I can’t reach it, I cut it off”. Tall
fruit trees usually just end up feeding the birds. Most
fruit trees can be kept under 3m in height.
-
Finish
up by removing loose bark with a wire brush; this will
help destroy over-wintering two-spotted mite and codling
moth grubs.
Check for borer damage, particularly in citrus shoots. The first sign you notice may be a shoot wilting. Bend the shoot gently, it will bend at the point that the borer is hiding. Cut the shoot at this point and find the borer and destroy it. A narrow piece of wire is useful for pushing down borer holes to kill borer. Check the crotches of stone fruits for Fruit Tree Moth Borer larvae hiding in sawdust.

Sharpening
- All You Need to Know
WINTER CITRUS CARE Take the following steps to keep your trees in top
condition: Citrus trees are very hungry feeders with high requirements
for trace elements, so regularly spray with Natrakelp
seaweed fertiliser. Fertilise citrus trees in April/May and
remember to water well after fertilising. Spread the
fertiliser as evenly as possible to just past the drip-line
of the tree. Compost or animal manures can be used starting
with about 4 kg for a 1-year-old tree to 20 kg for a mature
8-year-old tree. Blood and bone contains mainly nitrogen and
phosphorus, boost it into a more ‘complete’ fertiliser by
adding a ¼ cup of sulphate of potash to every kilo of blood
and bone. Remember to regularly water from flower bud
formation through to fruit set to retain a good crop. Prune
in June or July before the spring bud burst in frost-free
areas. In frost-affected areas delay pruning until after the
last frost. Remove dead or damaged branches, branches
growing inwards and very low branches to improve air
circulation. After pruning, the lower edge of the canopy
should be 60 cm clear of the ground. Always remove shoots
from below the graft as soon as possible, as they steal
vigour from the tree and if left too long, leave large
wounds for disease to enter when they are cut. Gall wasps
attack citrus trees and cause swellings in the stems; prune
and burn galls before September. If citrus fruit had fruit
fly damage the previous year then a regular application of
the organically certified fruit fly control Eco Naturalure
is needed. For more detailed information on
Organic Citrus Care
COPING WITH AN ABUNDANT HARVEST OF LEMONS OR
LIMES
Citrus are easily the most
commonly grown fruit tree in Australian backyards, probably
because they simply can’t be beaten for usefulness and
ornamental appearance. Every garden should have at least one
citrus tree, for the fragrance of the blossoms alone. There
is a cultivar of citrus for every climate zone; in warmer
areas Tahitian limes are a better choice than lemons if
there is only room for one tree. A lime tree would always be
my first choice of a fruit tree to plant. Lime trees
are smaller than other citrus trees, crop over a longer
period, are seedless and less thorny than lemons and the
fruit can be used in a similar way. Of the lemons ‘Eureka’
is a good choice for the home garden, it is thornless, has
few seeds, is ever-bearing and less prone to fruit fly
damage than a ’Meyer’ or ‘Lemonade’.
Once your
tree is full size you will have an abundance of fruit to
deal with or give away. We preserve our harvest in a variety
of ways, probably our favourite being lime/lemon cordial for
refreshing summer drinks and lime/lemon butter for toast and
pancakes. All the following recipes use lemons or limes
interchangeably.
BASIC
INSTRUCTIONS:
-
Have more
clean, dry jars & bottles on hand than you think you will
need.
-
Always use
heavy-based, stainless steel saucepans for your
preserving.
-
Organic
white sugar dissolves much faster than raw sugar, with
only a tiny difference in nutritional value, so we
generally use white sugar, particularly for preserves like
lemon/lime butter.
-
Sugar,
vinegar or salt are the main traditional preservatives;
reducing the quantity within a recipe of any of them may
greatly affect the keeping qualities of the finished
product.
-
Never fill
a pot more than 2/3 full (half full for jam or marmalade)
as during the cooking process the fruit mixture will froth
up and can easily boil over, making a big clean-up job.
-
Always
bottle jam immediately into a hot, oven-heated jar (do not
heat the lids!) and screw the lid down tightly.
-
Label with
the name and the date and store in a cool place.
LEMON/LIME
CORDIAL
-
2.5 kg
sugar
-
2
litres of water
-
3
litres of lemon/lime juice
-
25g
citric acid (optional)
-
thinly
sliced rind (optional)
Wash at
least 8 glass cordial or juice bottles. Dissolve the sugar
in the water over a low heat until completely dissolved and
the mixture gently simmers. Add the citric acid and stir
until it dissolves and add the lemon/lime juice and rind (if
using) and bring to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes and remove
from the heat. Bottle immediately into bottles that have
been rinsed with boiling water to sterilise and turned
upside down to drain; they do not need to be dry inside,
just hot. Seal filled bottles immediately.
LEMON/LIME
BUTTER
Most recipes
for lemon butter only make a cupful or two. I prefer to make
a big batch if I'm going to be standing there stirring for a
while.
Place all
ingredients in a double saucepan over gently simmering
water. Cook, whisking gently, until the butter has melted &
the sugar completely dissolved. Pour the mixture through a
strainer & discard the rind. Return the mixture to the
double saucepan, cook, stirring frequently for 30-40 minutes
or until mixture thickens (it should coat a metal spoon
thickly & if you draw your finger across, does not run back
together). Pour immediately into jars & seal. Once open,
refrigerate. Lemon butter does not keep as well as jam, and
should be used within 3-4 months.
TANGY LIME
MARMALADE
This is a
tart version of marmalade, if you prefer your marmalade
quite sweet, increase the sugar to 2kg.
-
1 kg
limes
-
1 ½
litres water
-
1 ½ kg
sugar
Wash and
slice the unpeeled limes thinly, discard any seeds. Soak the
limes in a large bowl with the water overnight. Transfer the
mixture to a large saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer
gently, covered for about 1 hour or until the rind is soft.
Take the pan off the heat and add the sugar, stir over the
heat until the sugar is dissolved. Do not allow it to boil
before the sugar is dissolved or large sugar crystals will
form. Once the sugar is dissolved, bring it to the boil,
uncovered, for about 20 minutes. The jam will froth high in
the pot, so make sure the saucepan is not too full to begin
with. When the jam stops frothing and settles to a hard
boil, start testing for setting. To do this, chill a saucer
in the freezer at the beginning of the cooking time. Place a
spoonful of the hot jam on the cold saucer, put it back into
the freezer for a minute, take it out and push your finger
across the top of the jam. If it crinkles then it is set.
Immediately remove the jam from the heat and bottle and
seal. Marmalade sets as it cools so just crinkling well is
the best guide to setting point. If you continue to cook it,
the pectin responsible for the 'jelly' effect will start to
break down and the jam will become syrupy in texture.
MOROCCAN
PRESERVED LEMONS/LIMES
-
20
lemons/limes
-
1 cup
of coarse sea salt
-
extra
lemon/lime juice
This is very
easy to make and can be used to add a delicious flavour to
many savoury dishes. Wash and dry each fruit, cut each fruit
into quarters, nearly all the way to the base but keep the
fruit intact. Pack each fruit with 1 heaped tablespoon of
sea salt. Pack by pushing fruit down hard, until the juice
runs, into a large sterilised jar with a plastic lid. Then
cover the fruit with extra juice and sprinkle some extra
salt. Make sure you choose a jar that your hand fits into
easily. Seal the jar and leave for at least 6 weeks. The
lemons/limes are ready for use when the skin is tender.
Moroccan lemon/limes will keep at least 6 months but should
be refrigerated after opening. To use, remove a fruit from
the brine, discard any seeds or pith, finely chop the rind.
One or two pieces of preserved chopped fruit
stirred into yogurt makes a great sauce for fish or lamb.
Added to a beef, lamb or chicken casserole it gives a great
flavour.
Do not add extra salt to a dish without
checking for taste, as the brined fruit adds saltiness.
GLOBAL WARMING – A BACK YARD
PERSPECTIVE It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the
problem but at least organic gardeners and farmers have
always been part of the solution. Organic strategies such as
composting, worm farms, green manuring and mulching are
designed to keep carbon in the soil where it belongs, rather
than in the atmosphere. The Rodale Institute in the USA
says, “If only 10,000 medium sized farms in the U.S.
converted to organic production, they would store so much
carbon in the soil that it would be equivalent to taking
1,174,400 cars off the road.” 58% of humus is carbon so as we build a healthy, fertile,
biologically active soil we are also storing carbon. When
green waste, lawn clippings, food scraps etc are thrown out
with the rubbish and taken to landfill, it doesn’t usually
decompose to form compost but instead becomes a rotting mess
that gives off methane, a greenhouse gas. Healthy organic soils offer many benefits to the gardener
including increased root development and improved soil
aeration, moisture and nutrient retention. They stay warmer
in winter due to the heat given off by the abundant living
organisms found in organic matter. These soils also have a
‘disease suppressive’ effect. Plant diseases that may be
common in stressed, low humus, conventionally farmed soils
are often absent in organic soils. The amazing array of
living organisms that reside in a healthy organic soil are
responsible for the ‘disease suppression effect’.
Soil microbial life includes fungi, bacteria, actinomycetes,
predatory nematodes, mites, algae and amoeba. These mainly
reside in the top 10 cm of soil. It is not unusual for a
healthy soil, high in organic matter, to contain up to 2
tonnes live weight of bacteria per hectare. Even a gram of
soil (1/5 of a tsp) can contain 1000 million bacteria, 1
million actinomycetes and 100,000 fungi with hyphae up to 5m
long. This abundant life is responsible for processing any raw
organic material into humus and releasing nutrients from
rock minerals. Fungi and micro-algae help the soil particles
to clump together which improves the soil structure and
increases the ‘space’ in the soil. Space is where the action
is, without the all-important space there is nowhere for
plant roots, soil life, air or water to occupy. Good soil
can feel ‘spongy’ to walk on and contain up to 50% space.
Soil without space is compacted and lifeless. Without the
‘glue’ produced by the micro-organisms the soil loses
structure and becomes ‘dust’, able to be lifted by the wind
into a dust storm. |
|