Episodes
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
Tuesday Oct 05, 2021
Hidden Talents of Nasturtiums on Real World Gardener
Tuesday Oct 05, 2021
Tuesday Oct 05, 2021
Nasturtiums
with Corinne Mossati
Quite often we gardener have flowering plants in the garden but never think about bringing them into the kitchen to make something.
They may be just fillers or self-seeders, but in this case, the nasturtium, has so many extra uses other than ornamental, you’ll be inspired to do something.
Corrine find it takes between 14-21 days.
Eating Nasturtiums-Corinnes'tips:
and Cocktails & Bars: //www.cocktailsandbars.com
If you have any feedback email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Success with Coriander in the Kitchen Garden
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
THE KITCHEN GARDEN
SUCCESS WITH CORIANDER
Coriander leaves |
Coriander is easy enough to grow but being in the carrot family,(Apiaceae) its green leafy tops can look not only like other herbs, but other vegetables!
- My guest, Toni Salter in the podcast, calls it the 'primadonna' of herbs.
- Soil is too dry
- Too little water at the right time.
- Poor or impoverished soil.
- Poor drainage in your herb garden.
- Temperatures too warm for it's liking.
- Temperatures too cold for it's liking
- Transplanting-the worst sin.
- TIP: Always sow the seeds directly into the position where it will grow.
Coriander seedlings |
When to Sow in Australia
For sub-tropical and arid zones, you have August to September;Temperate districts, sow the seeds from September until the end of November,
In cool temperate zones, October to November,
- Sow your seeds about 1 cm deep, cover them and keep them moist.
Coriander seeds drying on plant |
In fact the whole herb, including the roots can be ground up to make a Thai Green Curry paste.
Let’s find out more
I'm talking with Toni Salter www.theveggielady.com.au
PLAY: Success with Coriander_8th September 2021
If you have any feedback email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Winter Savoryvs Thyme in Spice it Up
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
Saturday Sep 18, 2021
SPICE IT UP
SAVORY VS THYME
Often there’s a couple of herbs that look alike and even have similar flavour profiles.
If you had them growing together in the herb garden, you may even confuse the two because of how closely they look to each other.
If you rubbed both herbs without knowing which was which, you would most likely think they both were the same herb.
- Winter savory, unlike thyme, is not sold as a cut herb in the produce aisle of your supermarket.
- Confusingly there is a 'summer savory' which tends to die off in winter and usually not come back.
- I've never seen the seeds of savory being sold however if you have a pot of winter savory that's overgrown and become leggy, follow these tips to refresh it.
- Dividing the roots in spring, will rejuvenate the plant.
- Start off by trimming about a third of any wrapped or circling roots.
- Divide the root ball into thirds or quarters, making sure that each section has a healthy piece of root and stems with green leaves attached.
- Remove one-third of the top growth, and trim away any dead or damaged stems and leaves.
- Re-pot into new containers and gift some to your friends.
But can you substitute one for the other?
Wild thyme growing amongst a rocky outcrop |
- Did you know there are over 100 varieties of thyme?
- The wild thyme of Provence is known for its strength of flavour. Think 'herbs de Provence' is a blend with this wild thyme.
- You will find winter savory, Satureja (sat-you-rea) montana, as a plant sold in most garden centres.
- So time to get some of your own.
I'm talking with Ian Hemphill from www.herbies.com.au
If you have any feedback email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675
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)