Episodes
Sunday Nov 07, 2021
Small Space Gardening in the Kitchen Garden
Sunday Nov 07, 2021
Sunday Nov 07, 2021
SMALL SPACE GARDENING-COURTYARD STYLE
Modern day gardens are much smaller than they used to be.
Be inspired
- Corinne has managed to squeeze in over 200 plants into a small paved courtyard-that doesn't even include duplicates of plants.
- A good start is with recycling crates from your local council, to give you an idea of what works for you. Alternatively, plant into lots of containers that can be moved around to follow the sun.Then venture into raised garden beds.
Making the right choice
- Before any planting, determine the movement of the sun in your small space and and note down the hours of sunlight and shade in each part of your small space/courtyard.
- Choose those edibles that like all day full sun for those spots that get 6 hours plus of sunlight such as tomatoes.
- Leafy vegetables such as lettuce, rocket, Swiss chard and kale, don't mind a bit of shade throughout the day if your have only 3-4 hours of sunlight.
- If you only have morning sun then choose vegetables such as carrots, celery, and dwarf beans.
- For those spots with morning shade and afternoon sun, the choice is climbing cucumbers, climbing peas and beans.
Soil prep is key for Corinne.
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The raised garden beds are made up with homemade compost, worm castings and bought in compost and other organic material.Grow cucumbers on a lattice made of string.
Think of vertical spaces
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Think about growing vines like cucumbers and zucchinis and even nasturtiums, vertically.
I'm talking with Corinne Mossati drinks writer and founder of the gourmantic garden website.
Don’t be put off by lack of space you may have because no space is too small to have plants, even if it’s just herbs on the kitchen windowsill.
If you have any feedback email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
Saturday Nov 06, 2021
Murnong Yam is Plant of the Week
Saturday Nov 06, 2021
Saturday Nov 06, 2021
PLANT OF THE WEEK Number 3
Scientific Name: Microseris Lanceolata
Common Name:Murnong Yam
Family:Asteraceae
Yam Daisy |
Native Habitat: found in a wide range of habitats in Australia: these inlcude mallee, slerophyll and sub-alpine communities.
Description:-Strappy, linear green leaves above underground tubers that emerge after rain in Autumn.
Height-Width: 30cm x 30cm
Flowering: yellow daisy flowers in spring-autumn.
Fruiting:fluffy seedheads (known as achenes), similar to dandelion seedhead.
Position: Full sun and part shade.
Attributes: Dry tolerant once established and can grow in sandy soil.
There are many bush tucker plants that are not that well known and this is another one of them.
- Yam daisy plant can be hard to identify in the wild because it looks like a lot of other yellow daisy plants, including dandelions and flatweed, also called cats ears.
- The main differences: flat weed has a rosette of hairy, wavy-edged leaves that sit flat on the ground, while murnong has upright lance-shaped leaves.
- Murnong flower stems have a curved, drooping top as the bud develops, then straighten as it opens, whereas flatweeds and dandelions are upright as the bud is forming. The white tubers are nutritious and sweet tasting They can be eaten raw or baked, mixed with other vegetables or turned into a paste for dessert.
- It is possible to buy the seeds of yam daisy plant online.
- To find out more listen to the podcast. I'm talking with Adrian O'Malley horticulturist
Saturday Nov 06, 2021
Old Man Saltbush in Plant of the Week
Saturday Nov 06, 2021
Saturday Nov 06, 2021
PLANT OF THE WEEK Number 2
Scientific Name: Atriplex nummularia
- The leaves impart a salty flavour if your dry and crumble them and sprinkle on food.
Possibly, listeners would be familiar with the term ‘old man saltbush’ or even have seen this plant growing somewhere.
But I daresay, you would not have heards that parts of this plant are considered bush tucker.
There are many bush tucker plants that are not that well known and this is another one of them.
- The Department of Primary Industries NSW recommends the following for farmland.
"Shrubs are grown in hedgerows as block or alley plantings across the farm to provide high-protein green feed during periods of feed shortage."
Old Man Saltbush: Photo courtesy DPI NSW |
"Shrubs are grown in hedgerows as block or alley plantings across the farm to provide high-protein green feed during periods of feed shortage.Not recommended for areas with less than 300 mm average annual rainfall, or more than 600 mm average annual rainfall."
In the home garden, if you’re first planting out old man saltbush, don’t expect it to survive without any water at the start. After the first warm season, then it’s good to go on just what falls out of the sky in rainfall.
Let’s find out more by listening to the podcast with Adrian O' Malley horticulturist and native plant expert.
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
Australian Native Raspberry in Plant of the Week
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
PLANT OF THE WEEK
Scientific Name: Rubus parvifolia
Rubus parvifolia |
Not all fruiting vines or canes come from the northern hemisphere, Australia has quite a lot of its own.
These plants have similar fruits and are easier to grow than there northern counterparts so why are we growing them more?
My experience is observing one such plant in Sydney Botanic gardens, scrambling on a stream bank near the Palm House. This plant is part of the native garden along with banksias, grass trees, lomandras, carpobrotus and many others, including a peppermint gum.
The habit of rubus species is to keep suckering and spreading, much like the non-native blackberry bushes, so take care where exactly you plant it in your garden.
Listen to the podcast to find out more.
I'm talking with horticulturist and native plant afficionado, Adrian O’Malley
PLAY : Rubus parvifolius_25th August 2021
Wednesday Sep 08, 2021
Spotting Plant Deficiencies in Plant Doctor
Wednesday Sep 08, 2021
Wednesday Sep 08, 2021
PLANT DEFICIENCIES:
But still the plants look sickly, or perhaps a bit yellow, or they’re just not putting on any growth.
Does that sound familiar?
- So what’s the problem?
Basic pH test kit |
- Ideally the ideal pH range that gardeners should strive for is pH 6 - 7.5
- This is the range that the major nutrients of NPK are available to the plant the most.
- Some plants such as rhododenrons and azaleas like a like a low of pH6.
A good tip when taking soil samples from your soil is to get a sample from just below the surface for an accurate reading.
I'm talking with Kylie Last, horticulturist and TAFE teacher.
If you have any feedback email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
Wednesday Sep 08, 2021
Plant Nutrition: What Plants Really Want in Plant Doctor
Wednesday Sep 08, 2021
Wednesday Sep 08, 2021
PLANT NUTRITION UNPACKED
Major Nutrients
Have you ever asked yourself "how do plants take up nutrients when you spread fertiliser around them on the ground or dilute it into liquid ?"
- What went wrong?
- So What Are These Nutrients?
- Nitrogen:Phosphorus:Potassium or NPK:
A selection of fertilisers - Kylie's main mantra is NPK refers to shoots:roots;fruit
Without the major nutrients, your plants may not grow and develop roots, stems leaves and flowers properly.
If you know what and how much to give your plants, the plants will be healthier and more productive.
Just remember to read the NPK amounts on the bag or packet of fertiliser.
Let’s find out more about what plants really need.
I'm talking with Kylie Last, horticulturist and TAFE teacher.
PLAY: Major Nutrients_21stJuly 2021
If you have any feedback email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Woolly Tea Tree in Plant of the Week
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Scientific name: Leptospermum lanigerum
lanigerum, is named using the Latin word for wool-bearing, describing the silky hairy leaves and hairy buds, shoots and young capsules.
- Not all tea trees have green leaves, and this one has pewter grey or silver tiny leaves with typical 5 petalled tea tree flowers.
- May be limbed into a small tree. Light summer water though very drought adapted. Excellent background shrub or screen or large informal hedge.
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Aussie Blue Devil in Plant of the Week
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Monday Aug 30, 2021
- When heavily if flower, the plant, not just the flowers turn blue. "By mid summer the flowering stems extend to 60 cm and a mass of crowded bright blue flowers is produced with long, spiky bracts to 2.5 cm in globular, thistle-like heads on rigid branched stems. " (from anbg.gov.au)
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Aussie Coastal Rosemary is Plant of the Week
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Westringia 'Grey Box' |
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Aussie Salt Bush is Plant of the Week
Monday Aug 30, 2021
Monday Aug 30, 2021
pt 2 Silver leafed plants
Scientific name:Rhagodia spinescens
Common Name: Aussie flat bush; spiny saltbush
Ozbreed has a compact form makes a great ground cover and performs better if it is pruned annually or more often if a manicured look is desired. 30-50cm x 1m wide