Green-age wasteland

May 19, 2011 at 11:09 am (Container gardens, Featured plants, Fruit trees, Gardening - Basics, Seed Saving)
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A lot of people probably don’t realise, or at least don’t stop to consider, that when they buy fresh fruit and vegetables, they are often buying the means to generate more fresh fruit and vegetables. Every time you spit out pips of any fruit you eat, you are probably throwing away the means to grow whatever fruit is your fancy. Of course, most commercial fruit comes from carefully selected varieties, nursery propagated by grafting a well known variety on to disease resistant rootstock to grow in a large plantation which will produce uniform fruit of consistent quality under well known conditions at a predictable time of year. Any seed grown from such fruit will not be exactly the same, due to the wonders of sexual reproduction, and resulting natural genetic recombination. But then, why does that matter?

If you want a well known variety of fruit, and you can grow it in your garden, chances are it will be cheapest in the shops when your tree is laden with fruit. That’s how the market works. But if you have a tree in your garden that has different fruit to any other tree in the world, which is quite conceivable, then nobody else will have it for sale. Sure, it won’t be much different; after all, if you save a seed from an orchard grown fruit which was surrounded by genetically identical trees when it flowered, the gene pool is  small to begin with. But every now and then, random recombination combined with natural variation means something new and unusual will spring forth. It may have a different flavour, or colour, or more disease resistance, or better nutritional content, or prettier flowers, or larger fruit, or any other possible variation. The world renowned Granny Smith apple, for example, came from a seedling out of a compost heap in country New South Wales. And if you do get something worth spreading around, you obviously have the right to immortalise yourself, though I don’t think Maria Anne Smith referred to herself as “Granny”.

Some sorely neglected Citrus seedlings. You know how mechanics' cars are always falling apart?

Some fruit produce seeds that are poly-embryonic, meaning they are capable of growing more than one plant from each seed. In the case of Citrus species, one of the embryos is asexual, meaning it’s a clone of the parent plant, along with one or two “normal” embryos. I used to peel the seed coat off citrus pips and stick them in my mum’s indoor plants. They usually grew, but I never took it further than germinating them as a kid. There’s no way of knowing which of the seedlings is the clone, obviously, until they fruit, or you have a genetics lab handy. And seedling trees take longer to fruit than grafted, nursery propagated fruit trees, possibly up to seven years, as compared to two or three. But seedlings are free, and if after a few years waiting the fruit turns out to be not to your liking, you can always graft on something you do like. Even commercial trees have this done as consumer tastes change.

Sprouting Garlic cloves, ready for planting (pic courtesy of shonky photo, inc.)

Okay, so fruits are all good, but what about vegetables? In some cases, they are fruit anyway. Tomato, Pumpkin, Melon, Capsicum and Chilli seeds are easy to identify for example, and Eggplant too, though the seeds are a little harder to extract. But often we actually buy whole or almost whole plants. The onion family is the best example of this. Onion and garlic bulbs are basically dormant plants. Each individual clove of garlic is capable of producing a whole bulb of garlic if you stick it back in the ground. Just look for clove that are already starting to push out a leaf, and bury them pointy end up, just below the soil surface. Onions will regrow if planted, though not as deeply, and they usually just flower, which gives you a seed supply at least. Onions that have divided into separate bulbs may be able to become multiplier onions, this is where Shallots originally came from.

Look ma! Growing Garlic!

Leeks are also a whole plant, though they are usually trimmed of excess leaves and roots before they arrive at the market. But you can use the leek as normal in the kitchen, and then replant just the base, which will re-grow. Again, you may only end up with a flowering stalk, but they do look attractive, like pink pom-poms, and again, you will be able to collect plenty of seeds. Pretty much anything that comes with a root attached, for example bunched herbs, can be replanted and grown again, though the shock of harvest and transport may mean they simply flower quickly and produce seeds. But you may get some foliage, which is what you want from herbs, and at the very least you will get seeds.

Three leeks and a celery. Not pictured: Ted Danson

Whole bunches of celery can also be a source of planting material. I usually pull off the large outside stalks of celery until the pale, tiny leave in the centre are all that’s left attached to the base of the plant. That base can be planted either in the garden or in a pot, and will grow new leaves and roots, which may either be harvested, or left to produce seed for next year.

The pale, sickly looking celery heart. This was indeed a dark day for flash-free photography. Happily, the celery made a miraculous recovery (see above)

These are just a few examples of how your grocery basket can be a way of filling up your food garden as well as your fridge. If something looks like it will grow, give it a try, you never know your luck. I am currently eyeing a pineapple top in my compost bin. I will get back to you…

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Harvest Moon

January 24, 2011 at 12:26 pm (Gardening - Basics, Science)
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A home garden can be very productive, even a small area of only a square metre or two can give you food for a few meals a week, or ingredients for many meals. But the secret that a lot of beginners seem to miss is to actually harvest the food! Growing plants look nice, but most of them will produce better the more they are picked. This may seem counter intuitive, but I will explain why.

Food plants can be roughly divided into shoots, roots and fruits. The shoots covers everything we grow for their leaves, like Silverbeet and herbs; Stems, like Celery and Rhubarb; And flower stalks, like Cauliflower and Broccoli. Roots include things that grow below the ground, like Potatoes (which are actually modified stems), Garlic (really modified leaves) and Carrots. While fruits are everything from Tomatoes and Pumpkins to edible seeds like Coriander.

Most annual plants, like this Basil, will flower and die even if they are not harvested

The range of food we grow in the back yard is relatively limited, but pretty much all edible plants can be slotted into one of these 3 groups, basically because plant parts can be divided into those categories, and humans eat just about any part of a plant that’s non-toxic, as well as a few that are. But while we have selected the tastiest and most productive plants over thousands of years, both consciously and unconsciously, plants don’t actually exist for our benefit. The reason they grow is to reproduce themselves, and carry on their genes.

So, when we come along and chomp on parts of the plant, it’s usually counter to the plants’ goal of reproduction. Sometimes that detrimental effect is minor, sometimes it’s terminal. Eating a Carrot, for example is actually eating pretty much the entire organism. Sure, the little green top is capable of re-growing, and even flowering, but mostly, it ends up cut off and thrown in the compost. In other cases, it’s not so serious, a few leaves here or there will probably not kill the plant, and it can grow and flower and produce seeds for a new generation.

Zucchinis can be harvested any time, even before the flowers have opened, all that happens to them after that is they get bigger, until they are woody and inedible

In cases where we eat the fruit, it can be sometimes a good thing, some seeds, like Tomatoes, can pass through a digestive system relatively unscathed, as long as they are uncooked. They germinate readily after such a journey. Some plants naturally rely on birds or animals to spread seed from one place to another. Other types of seed, for example Beans and Peas, are larger and usually get crushed by our teeth even if they are eaten raw. They also have thin seed coats, and are unable to survive the harsh environment of the digestive tract.

But let’s go back to the growing plant. Unlike animals, plants are capable of regenerating pretty much any organ they lose. Leaves, stems, flowers, roots, even whole limbs can re-grow given enough time, provided some of the plant remains alive. The key to this is in a particular tissue type called “meristem”. The cells in these regions are not specalised as mature cells are, and are capable f division, which creates new cells. Cells created in the meristem become specialised into particular types depending on a number of factors, including where they occur on the plant, as well as hormonal influences, and stress responses to tissue damage.

So, for example, in response to a harvest of leaves, a plant will be stimulated to produce more leaves to take their place. In a similar way, picking fruits, such as Tomatoes, Beans or Zucchini for example, initiates hormonal responses resulting in the production of more flowers to replace the lost seeds. This is especially true when fruit is picked before ripening, as fully ripe fruit means mature seeds. Essentially, harvesting causes stress to the plant, and the stress response is usually to replace the lost parts as quickly as possible. If fruits are fully mature, annual plants have essentially completed their life cycle and will probably decline, having passed on their genes to a new generation in the form of seeds.

Even small partly filled Bean pods should be picked, leaving them on the plant will reduce productivity

The same thing happens with many flowering plants: removing dead flowers will result in more blooms. So harvesting fruits as soon as they are edible will result in more fruit, and grabbing leaves at any time will generally result in more leaves. The inclination to wait until they’re bigger is understandable, but ultimately misinformed. The old saying “treat ‘em mean, keep ‘em keen” is more appropriate here than anywhere else. So, start picking Basil leaves as soon as they appear, they will be replaced. As will Lettuce, Mustard, and all kinds of edible greens and herbs. All the squash, except pumpkins, taste sweeter and are more succulent the earlier they are picked, and peas and beans will reward a picking with more flowers and more pods to eat.

The same goes for Tomatoes, Capsicums, Chilli, and anything else where the fruit is the edible part. The exception to the rule is root crops. Pull up a Parsnip, and it won’t grow back, and it’s the same for many others, with the exception of Potatoes, which can be harvested as soon as they form, usually when the tops begin to flower, without damaging the plant too much.

So, don’t just marvel at your gardening prowess, get in there and start eating! That is, after all, the whole point.

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Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme: Growing Herbs at home

November 8, 2010 at 3:01 pm (Featured plants, Gardening - Basics, Planting calendar)
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According to my own poll from late last year, among the top five plants grown by readers of this blog were herbs. In order of preference, Basil, Parsley, Rosemary and Mint. Also in the top ten were Oregano and Thyme. And Chilli, but that’s a spice, not a herb. Though it may sometimes be regarded as herbaceous.

What’s the difference? My working definition is based on what part of the plant is used for culinary purposes. Some sources may even refer to “culinary herbs” to distinguish plants used in the kitchen from the botanical use of the term “herbaceous” to describe any non-woody plant. But I define a culinary herb as a plant from which foliage (leaves) are gathered and used in cooking, predominantly to add flavour. That includes some woody plants, and even trees like Bay (Laurus nobilis). Some are annual, and have to be replanted every year from seed, some perennial and last for a few years or more before needing replacement. A spice, on the other hand, is a plant product used in cooking that is not foliage. For example, Chilli and Paprika are made from the fruit of the Chilli plant (Capsicum spp.); Cinnamon is the bark of the Cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum spp.), Turmeric is a root (Curcuma longa), and so on. I could keep going, but that would take forever, or at least, the rest of the week.

Fennel can be grown to use as a herb, as a spice or as a vegetable. This Bronze Fennel is ornamental, too.

Now we’re all on the same page (this one, if you’re still reading), let’s move on. Herbs are ideal for small gardens, for urban gardens, for non-gardens and for beginners. The plants themselves can take up relatively little space, and even be grown successfully on window sills, either inside or outside, and balconies in containers if no proper garden is available.  They are also expensive to buy, and difficult to keep fresh once picked, giving added incentive to strike them from the shopping list. Nutritionally, fresh herbs are likely to contain more vitamins and minerals than cut bunches, due to the deterioration of compounds during transport as they are exposed to heat, light and air. Fresh herbs also have a much better flavour than dried herbs, and really that’s the reason we eat them. And there’s always the issue of “food miles”, in how far our dinner travels before it reaches the table.

Now, because of the diversity of plants collectively referred to as herbs, there are no strict rules that apply to all. However, many herbs, especially aromatic herbs like Basil (ocimum basilicum), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and Sage (Salvia officinalis) produce a stronger flavour in full sun, due to higher levels of oils in the leaves. These oils are a kind of defence mechanism for the plants, to make them unpalatable to browsing animals. Trust us humans to be the odd ones out. But other herbs, such as Coriander (Coriandrum sativum), will get stressed with too much sun, and shoot up flowers and produce seeds in a hot location. Parsley, in my experience, will grow just about anywhere, including cracks in the concrete. I prefer the flat leaf variety, it has more flavour, and as a chef friend pointed out recently, the only place you see curly parsley anymore is on raffled meat trays as garnish.

It's weeding Thyme, before the grass grows through. Thyme in flower.

I recommend treating groups of herbs in a similar fashion, based mostly on where they come from. The Mediterranean herbs, Rosemary, Basil, Oregano, Sage and Thyme can be grown together as a group, along with Parsley and Garlic. Not only will they all taste good together, they can all handle similar conditions in the garden: As much sun as they can get, and they usually can handle drying out a bit, and they all need a good dose of fertiliser, especially if they are harvested frequently. They would do well in a suitable section of garden, or a large pot together to save space, but mind that none of them dominate, they can be pretty competitive.

Ground covering herbs can be used to help suppress weeds and confuse potential pests, like Golden Marjoram around this Garlic

Another useful grouping is Coriander with Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum), or Chives (Allium schoenoprasum), Mint (Mentha spp.), Hot Mint (Persicaria odorata) and Lemongrass (Cymobopogon citratus) to make an Asian garden. Stick a Chilli in there too, and South East Asian inspired dishes are easily sorted. Most of these will tolerate a bit less sun, and a lot more water, Vietnamese (Hot) Mint and Lemongrass will even grow IN water most of the time.

There are clever ways to design herb gardens if you have the time and space, the Classic permaculture Herb Spiral design can be used, for example to get more plants in a small space that need different conditions. The other thing is to have them close to the kitchen door, you will use them more often if you see them all the time. If there’s no sun close to the kitchen door, think about having multiple planted portable gardens, old wheelbarrows, or planters on castors, so you can move them in and out of the sun periodically without a team effort.

Some people suggest keeping Mint in a pot, as it tends to run a bit rampant. Unless you REALLY like it. Eau de Cologne Mint.

I think herbs are the best option for beginners, too, because they give almost instant, easily repeated harvests from a small space, with only a little bit of effort. It’s pretty satisfying to be able to say to guests at dinner “I grew it myself”, even if it’s only the garnish. And at this time of year in Melbourne, you can pretty much plant anything. Don’t be afraid to interplant herbs amongst vegies and ornamental plants, too, there are no rules.

All the photos in this post were taken by me in the herb garden at Burnley Gardens which are open to the public every day.

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Growing out through the indoors

February 9, 2010 at 2:02 pm (Consultations: Q&A, Featured plants, Gardening - Basics)
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Mel asked:

My indoor potted Basil plants keep dying. This could be because, a. I don’t live in a warm climate or b. I keep going away and leaving them to die.

Aside from needing to water my Basil plants more do you have any tips for coaxing growth from a cold a and frigid Basil…..

hmmmm

So, as I explained to her, productive indoor plants require as much sun as you can possibly give them. Ideally, they need up to 6 hours per day, or more, in order to produce anything harvestable. Plenty of indoor plants will grow in much lower light conditions than this, but the main difference is they don’t produce anything we’d want to eat (with the possible exception of the awesomely named Monstera deliciosa, but more on that later).

Possibly the first experience growing "vegies" we ever get

Now, probably the first vegetable people ever grow is the Carrot (Daucus carota) who in their life didn’t have a frustrated parent in the school holidays, or an enthusiastic young teacher in primary school, show them the magic of sprouting a cut off carrot top? You put the carrot top on some cotton wool on a window sill, and magically, green sprouts emerge from the remnants of out lunch or dinner! Of course, the plant is growing from stored energy in the tap root, as Carrots are biennial, they store the sun’s energy as starch in a fleshy root over winter, to resprout, flower and produce seeds the following year. If we left the carrot on the window sill it would eventually begin wilting, as the amount of water required by the foliage soon exceeds that provided by contact with the cotton wool, and the energy stored in the cut chunk is not enough to sustain the plant for long.

This indoor experiment highlights some of the problems with indoor growing. Root space is limited in pots indoors, though not to the extent of the carrot. The main issue is one of energy. Plants produce energy from sunlight, converting carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and water taken up by roots (H2O) into sugar (COOH). In order to do this, plants need a reliable constant water supply, which is provided by the gardener, an endless supply of atmosphere, usually not an issue, and energy from the sun.

Indoor plants are often selected from species that naturally occur in low light areas, such as forest the floor. Plants naturally adapted to low light levels or filtered light adapt easily to indoor growth, and ferns are good example of these. In the 1970s, advances in tissue culture and micropropagation technology allowed for cheaper plants for indoor gardens from species that had been previously too difficult to propagate efficiently. Tissue culture is the process by which whole plants may be regenerated from single cells or small parts of existing plants. In effect it is a small scale version of the cloning used in plant propagation generally, allowing greater control of the environment on a very small scale, including temperature, humidity and light levels, as well as hormone manipulation to trigger various growth responses in the tiny plantlets.

However, most plants we consume as food are not adapted to low light conditions or the filtered light they might receive indoors. They require much higher light levels to produce the edible parts from which we in turn derive our energy. As I mentioned, preferably up to six hours a day are required, in a north* or east facing window. Less than this, and the plants will be less productive, and often become spindly as they respond to low light by stretching their stems in order to grow “out of the shade”. West facing windows are less preferable, due to the increased danger of the plants becoming too hot in the afternoon sun. (* In the northern hemisphere, a south facing window is best).

Some older style houses may be blessed with a sun room, or sleep out facing the sun, and these are often used by enthusiastic green thumbs to grow any number of plants. Many people choose to grow herbs, though most of these are suited to a full sun, garden position, many can be grown and harvested from a window sill, especially handy if it is in the kitchen. They are also a good choice, as many of them are “cut and come-again”, meaning they can be harvested several times, and will grow back after each haircut. Oregano and Marjoram (Origanum spp.) are good examples of these, as are

If you get enough sun, you could try growing herbs in a North or East facing sunny window

  • Thyme (Thymus spp.)
  • Rosemary (R. officinalis)
  • Sage (Salvia spp.)
  • Certain Basil varieties (Ocimum spp.)
  • Chives & Garlic Chives (Allium spp.)

Most of these will have a less robust flavour if grown indoors because the volatile oils that make them taste good are produced in higher quantities in full sun. They also have a tendency toward becoming spindly, though regular harvesting will reduce the incidence of this.

Mint will tolerate much lower light than many of the other herbs, even in the garden. It’s one of the few things you can successfully plant in the shade and eat. There are a number of edible plants, for example Coffee (Coffea arabica) and Pineapple (Ananas comosus) that may be grown indoors for a period of time for aesthetic purposes, but ultimately must be moved outdoors in order to produce anything remotely comestible. The one exception I can think of is the exotic looking Monster Plant, or Fruit Salad Plant from Mexico, as mentioned above. A bizarre looking monocot related to Arum Lilies, and producing a fruit annually, indoors or out, with distinctive hexagonal sections. The only plant we know of in the world that has naturally occurring holes in the leaves, it really tends to look like something from another world, though as it has often been used in films for other worldly location setting, the association may have been made for me in the depths of my childhood subconscious.

A very large (outdoor) Monstera deliciosa

While the fruit is delicious, and the plant easily grown (if very slow to mature) it must be noted that it will not live inside forever, as it has a maximum height of about 20 metres, though if the top section is removed, the plant will continue to grow. The fruit itself also contains a nasty surprise in the form of tiny black oxalic acid crystals which can sting the tongue of the unwary gourmet. I used to routinely give these plants as house warming gifts, my 70s upbringing leading me to believe a house without one was not a home.

Growing plants indoors is possible, and there are probably benefits to having tough, tolerant plants in living areas to help clean the air we’re breathing, but just remember they don’t like the same conditions as us all the time, and keep an eye on them for signs they are not coping, especially as seasons change. A stint outside in the sun may change their fortunes, if only during the day. For better or worse. Good Luck!

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The Basil brush up

February 4, 2010 at 2:28 pm (Featured plants, Recipes)
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Having taken the top position in the Garden Doctor poll, I thought I should write a little post about Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum). Though it is the most commonly grown species of basil, it is not alone in its genus for culinary herbs. There is also Sacred or Holy Basil (O. tenuiflorum), Greek Basil (O. obovatum) and a perennial species (O. americanum) along with a number of hybrids and varieties of Sweet Basil. Most are edible, and used in various cuisine around the world from South East Asia to the Americas and all over Europe. Some are used for their supposed medicinal properties, especially in the Ayurvedic tradition, and also may have ceremonial associations.

The Sweet Basil we most commonly encounter is, along with its cousins, a member of the Mint family (Lamiaceae), which is easily deduced from the square stems of the plants. It is an annual, and is grown for its pungent foliage, which is reminiscent of aniseed in flavour. It is commonly grown until it flowers before harvest, as the aromatic oils are at their peak during this period. While it may be tempting to allow the plant to grow back after cutting, I personally think it best to remove the plants and start another crop in their place. If you have, as I consistently advise, planted successive crops a couple of weeks apart throughout the growing season, you should have no shortage of Basil.

Basil will not tolerate frost, and storing cut Basil in the fridge is a surefire way to test its dislike of the cold. I find it best to treat the stems as cut flowers if they are not to be used immediately, and stick them in a jug of water until you want them. But the soft leaves will not last long, and I have included a couple of recipes for pesto (including a vegan version for non-dairy fans) which will allow for longer term storage of the herb. It can also be dried for use in the cooler months, however there is a significant loss of flavour over time. To dry the herb either hang whole stems upside down or place individual leaves in a cloth or paper bag and keep in a cool dry place. When the leaves are crispy to touch, store them in an air tight container in a cool dark place until required.

Cultivation of Sweet basil is relatively easy as long as you follow these simple rules:

  1. Keep away the snails, they love the stuff
  2. Keep them well watered, they will not tolerate drought
  3. Feed fortnightly with liquid fertiliser, they are very hungry oh, and
  4. Keep sowing every couple of weeks for a continuous supply

Basil can be easily grown from seed where they are to grow, and germination will occur after a week, when the distinctive cotyledons will appear. Some gourmet restaurant serve these alone as garnish, and you could easily do so, if you are very hungry, but the plants will not recover after removing the “seed leaves”. Punnets of seedlings are usually pretty cheap, I tend toward the “massed sowing” punnets, which have about fifty or more seedlings each,  rather than the advanced plants some nurseries sell, just for value.

I sowed some seed in to a small planter box, 20 cm x 60 cm. This was to allow better flexibility, as I can move the box around to avoid really hot days, as well as putting it close to the kitchen when it’s ready for picking. I have done the same this year with a mesclun mix of salad leaves, and Rocket (Eruca sativa).

Basil planter before harvest

I have been getting by just eating the thinnings, as the plants are growing so close together, a meal’s harvest barely makes a hole in the coverage, as you can see:

After harvest. The gaps will be gone in a couple of days

So, basil is really easy to grow. Full sun, lots of water, fed regularly, and you should have enough pesto to feed la familia. Buon appetito.

Vegan Pesto (dairy free)

Ingredients:

  • 1 large bunch of basil (about 3 cups, loosely packed)
  • 2-3 large cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup raw pine nuts
  • 3/4 – 1 tsp salt, or to taste
  • 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Preparation:

Place all ingredients except the olive oil and nutritional yeast into a food processor. Process to a finely ground consistency. Add olive oil and process again, until smooth and creamy. If desired, add nutritional yeast and process again until creamy. Serve immediately/store in fridge for up to 5 days/freeze up to 6 months.

Pesto Alla Genovese

Ingredients

  • 250-500g basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup flat Parsley leaves
  • 100g pine kernels
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tsp granular sea salt
  • 50g freshly grated Parmesan
  • 50g freshly grated Pecorino/Romano
  • 100-200ml extra virgin olive oil

Method

  1. Wash & dry basil. Heat fry pan on medium heat and toast the pine kernels 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
  2. If using a mortar, pound garlic & salt to soft mush.
  3. Pound in pine nuts & work in the basil leaves, 2-3 at a time, with a circular movement of the pestle, until all is reduced to a silky paste (Can freeze at this point for up to 6 months)
  4. Work in cheeses, then beat in olive oil with wooden spoon until you have a thick, dense sauce. Add more or less oil depending on the texture you like

OR

  1. If you’re using a processor, drop all the ingredients in the same order and process until smooth
  2. To store the pesto, pour into a jar, float a layer of olive oil on top, cover and refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze at this point for a month or two at most. Ice cube trays are good for small portions to add to cooking.

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