We've never had a veggie patch here before and my plan has always been to set up aquaponics in our backyard. However, progress on this project has been somewhat stimied - yet still, slowly, evolving - and I just became tired of looking at all this vacant soil.

So, rather than let another winter pass by without anything to show for it, little M. (my youngest daughter) and I have been planting some seeds and seedlings hope to cash in on this wonderful rain we've been getting.

The soil is completely ordinary, at best, and previously we've done nothing to nurture it - the aquaponics setup doesn't require soil. So, in some small spots I've amended it with the small amount of compost that I had left hoping to improve the nutrient levels at least a little.

In this small bed we've planted half a dozen brussell sprouts and broccoli seedlings which have now doubled in size. However, one or two have become the "taste sensation of the month" for a few voracious snails.

In the area where the soil is not good and I didn't have any compost spare I planted broad beans and sugar snap peas. Both of these should contribute some nitrogen back into the soil and with a little amending make it a good plot for my spring solanums.

The peas and beans are humming along nicely and with fortnightly feeds of fish emulsion should produce quite well.

The great thing about this project is that little M. doesn't realise that these veggies will become part of her staple diet in the spring: broad beans, broccoli and brussel sprouts - not usually on a 6 year olds menu of choice. ;-)

Posted in Herbs & Vegetables at 6:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Growing potatoes in tyres, or tires as you may spell it, is not as bizarre as it may initially seem. While farmers have been growing them in mounded dirt for aeons it's a relatively new trend to grow spuds in your vehicle refuse.

But, on so many levels it makes sense. Firstly there's the recycling component: you will need at least 4 tyres to grow potatoes in which accounts for at least 2-3 years of driving value. Then, there's the space issue: you can grow far more potatoes per square metre than growing them in the soil. Plus, vertical gardening is always an added bonus because it makes use of the space above the ground which is often wasted.

Finally, when it comes time to harvest your spuds it's just a matter of pulling off the tyres and letting the potatoes fall out - much easier than breaking your back digging them up.

So, how do you grow potatoes in a tyre stack?

The first step is to source some old tyres. One option is to head to your local refuse site and pick up a few that are already taking up landfill. However, these are usually quite dirty and can often have spiders or other creepy-crawlies inhabiting them. Instead, I prefer to visit a local tyre dealership and request some of their waste tyres. These have come off vehicles and are waiting to go the refuse site but are usually quite clean and much easier to deal with. Plus, the tyre store will be very happy to part with them because they save dump fees.

When picking your tyres try and source ones that are the same size. This will make it easier for stacking and keep your stack in a uniform shape.

Step One

The first step in starting this process is to cut out the inner width of the tube (marked by the yellow crayon line). This allows more growing space but won't damage the strength of the tyre wall. The tyre that will be positioned at the bottom will only need this performed on one side with the full tyre wall facing the soil.

Don't throw out those inner rings as they can be very useful too. One single cut from inside to outside can turn this surplus rubber into a great mulch collar for new trees and shrubs and they can easily be stored hanging flat in your garden shed when not in use.

Step Two

Start by laying the base tyre on the ground in the position that you want it to stay - remember, once these are stacked you won't be able to move them. Fill the first one with some growing medium: you can use half soil/half compost, straw (hay) or even potting mix. Then spread the seed potatoes across the surface and water in and place the next tyre on top. TIP: don't use potatoes that you bought from the grocers. These have usually been chemically treated or processed in such a way that they will become infertile in the soil. You can usually source these from your local nursery or rural services stores and expect to pay about $5-10 per kilo. Note: some can be kept from this harvest for next season's planting.

Step Three

This is the final stage of the process and involves covering the potatoes with more growing medium. You may be tempted to continue building the stack immediately and then leaving it to its own devices. While this sounds nice and almost maintenance free, growing potatoes this way isn't that simple. Instead, once the vine protrudes through the medium and continues to grow then you are able to add more tyres and more medium.

The one trick here is not to cover the vine totally but to always leave a few leaves sticking out. If you do cover it, the vine will begin to rot and you will lose your spuds. It's time to harvest your potatoes when the vine begins to brown and die down. Then you can start pulling the stack apart and gleaning your fresh potatoes.

Remember to keep some for next years planting and store these in a dry, dark spot. The rest can be washed and then stored in your pantry to impress, and feed, your family.

Posted in Gardening Herbs & Vegetables at 7:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

It's a deliberate choice that I make to not use pesticides in any form - organic or chemical. And, while this choice comes at a cost (it rules out growing many exotic plants) it offers some decent rewards as well. The main reward being that I have very few pests that visit my garden.

Most gardeners tend to find plants that they want to grow and then add them to their garden. Then, an assortment of pests seem to turn up as though someone's put on a buffet and the only way they leave is when they're carried out in the garbage - after a decent spray.

Year after year the problems occur and the gardener just looks for ways to better manage the pests. They start with chemical sprays but then realise that this can't be doing the environment any benefit, so they turn to organic pesticides as an alternative. Needless to say, many organic pesticides contain chemicals anyway - detergents, soap flakes, bi-carb soda and a plethora of other acids or alkalis.

Did we ever stop to think that maybe these things weren't good for our garden whether we made them ourselves or bought them already pre-mixed in a convenient spray? Probably not. In fact, we possibly thought we were doing the environment a good turn.

But, when we stop and think about what we're doing we realise that any type of pesticide, organic or chemical, is harmful - it just depends how harmful!

It's a philosophical paradigm really. On the one hand you get to grow anything you want but have to deal with the pests that those plants attract. While on the other your plant choices are a little more limited but you don't lose precious gardening time trying to combat the little critters. Yet the permaculturalist will argue that there's a third option - companion planting.

To be honest, my garden's not completely pest-free - but it is pretty close. I still have a few roses that the aphids love but the ladybugs keep them under control. Then there's the sowbugs that like to feast on my new seedlings and the snails are never far from their bromeliad habitat. But moths, caterpillars, grasshoppers and crickets are kept at bay from the birds that I try to attract.

So, before you go mixing up a batch of organic pesticide take a moment to consider why you need it all. If it's because you can't find an alternative to keep the pests at bay then find some other plants to grow instead. It will be far more beneficial for your garden environment and the world's environment at large.

Posted in Organic Gardening Pests & Plant Diseases at 6:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)