Privacy Planting in Containers and Savory Herb

PLANT DOCTOR

Plants for Privacy in a Container
What do you do if you want a plant for privacy but there’s either not enough soil in that location or you’re in an apartment?
I’ve talked about big trees in pots with horticulturist, Adrian O’Malley from Plant of the Week, before, but it doesn’t have to be just about trees for privacy.
So what can it be?
Let’s find out .

I'm talking with Steve Falcioni from www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au

Choose as large a pot/container as you can accommodate in the spot where you want to achieve some privacy.

For my Magnolia 'Little Gem,' I have a 60cm terracotta round pot.

The disadvantage with round terracotta or ceramic pots, is that they can be bowled over in strong winds.

Mine has a large crack down one side having been blown to the ground numerous times during strong winds.

Magnolia Little Gem surround by orchids.
Cracked terracotta pot after being knocked over in strong winds.

There is of course the problem of replacing the soil which over a few years, will slump.

Rejuvenating Your Large Potted Plant

• TIP: employ help to push the container gently to the side then ease out the tree or large shrub.
• Use this opportunity to give the plant a root prune, about 10% all over.
• Replace any loose soil with good quality potting mix and only a couple of handfuls of compost, whether homemade or store bought.

If you really want a sure fire winner, then choose Murraya paniculata or commonly called Murraya, for your screening option.
Yes, I know it’s pretty common, but that’s a good choice if you’re prone to forgetting to prune it.
A lesser known and somewhat handsome plant that Steve mentioned is Radermachera “Summer Scent.”
Originating from Southern China, Summerscent has lush, glossy, compact foliage.
Best of all this plant has clusters of white to pale pink scented flowers that flower profusely throughout the warmer months.
A perfect plant for hedging or screens as it responds well to pruning and adds a tropical feel to the garden.
Summerscent grows well in full sun and shade as well as indoors if kept in a well lit position.
If you have any questions of course, why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Savory, The Herb of Love

Winter savory (Satureja montana) is a perennial herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae,) and it’s native to warm temperate regions of southern Europe

• How many times have you heard the phrase "a savory stew?"

Savory is used in herb combinations, such as Herbes de Provence, a French combination of herbs used for seasoning.

• Savory is an annual or perennial herb, Satureja hortenis, for Summer Savory, or Satureja montana being for Winter Savory.

Winter savory is now little used in Australia, but for hundreds of years both winter and summer savory have been grown and used.

• Both have strong spicy flavour.

What do they look like?

They have dark-green, narrow leaves for winter savory and light green narrow leaves for summer savory.

The savories  can be used fresh or  dried and crushed.

History of Savory Herbs

The history of savory goes back about 2000 years and it’s one of the oldest culinary herbs.

 Here’s a surprising fact, the genus or first part of the latin name Satureja is derived from the word satyr, the half-man, half-goat creature in mythology who owned the savories.

It has been associated with love potions for centuries.

Romans used savory as a medicinal and culinary herb long before they discovered pepper.

In medicine they used it for bee stings, and as an aphrodisiac.

When the Romans brought savory to England, it was used there as an herb for chicken stuffing instead of a medicinal herb.

Winter Savory herb

• I have an English friend who says she grew this herb back in England and used it often in her cooking, especially with chicken.

As previously mentioned there are two distinct varieties of savory - summer and winter.

Summer savory is most often used for healing.

Summer savory is said to increase sex drive, while winter savory decreases it.

Make sure you get your savories right!

Medicinal Uses of Savory Herb

• The active ingredients of savory are carvacrol, p-cymene and tannins.It’s an astringent and mild antiseptic.
• A tea made from summer savory is said to control a mild sore throat.
• Rubbing a sprig of savory on an insect bite will bring instant relief.

What does Summer Savory like?

Summer Savory: Satureja hortensis

Well, it’s no different than growing Thyme, it likes full sun with well-draining soil.

Savory prefers to be planted in soil that's slightly alkaline.

Give it a side-dressing of compost or worm castings whenever possible. 

• Summer savory is bushy and low-growing so it makes an excellent edging plant for a kitchen garden, herb bed, or vegetable garden.
• Summer savory likes regular water. I have some growing in a strawberry pot so that it cascades out of one of the holes. It seems to like that spot better than the strawberries. As far as the soil in my container goes, well it’s just potting mix with soil wetter crystals added to it. So you see it's well-suited to container gardening, as well.
• If you know of someone with this plant, now’s the time to take soft-stem cuttings of about 2-3 cm long and put them in some seed raising or propagating mix. You probably don’t even need to cover it, because, just like the herb Thyme, it strikes very easily.
• Savory flowers in mid-January with white or pale pink 5mm flowers grouped in terminal spikes.
• You can begin to take the leaves from your savory plant as soon as it reaches 13cm or about 6 inches in height.
• Keeping the plant pruned means you’ll always have some.

 My plant dies down a bit in winter, but always regrows, so that’s a good reason to get some summer savory for your herb garden.

Tips For The Chef

• Summer savory, Satureja hortensis, is a nice herb to use when you are cutting back on salt-it's flavour is mild, a little bit similar to thyme, but with it's own unique flavour.

To me, it has a slightly peppery flavour, but a piney fragrance when you crush it in your hand.

• You can mince summer savory and combine with bread crumbs for coating fish or vegetables such as squash before sauteeing. Use it in potato dishes, tomato sauces, meatballs or vegetable juices. It's also great in egg dishes such as omelets and frittatas.

Savory is popular in teas, herbed butters, and flavoured vinegars. It complements beef soup and stews, chicken soup, eggs, green beans, peas, rutabagas, asparagus, onions, cabbage, and lentils.

Use savory when cooking liver, fish and game.

• Mince fresh summer savory leaves and combine with garlic, bay and lemon for a good marinade for fish.
• Savory blends well with other herbs such as basil, bay leaf, marjoram, thyme and rosemary. Chefs and cooks say that the taste of savory brings all these herbs together in a unique taste that makes savory an Amalgamating herb.

Why is it good for you?

Savory herb is an excellent source of minerals and vitamins -.

Its leaves and tender shoots are one of the richest sources of potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc and selenium.

This herb also has dietary fibre. Who would believe?

Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.

AND THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE

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Tree Assessment and Grow Florence Fennel

DESIGN ELEMENTS 

Assessing Trees for Failure ( following on from blog on "Why Trees Fail"

 https://realworldgardener.blogspot.com/2020/04/why-trees-fail-and-celery.html

Trees are so beneficial in a garden that I can’t imagine having a garden without them.
For me they provide, an element of height, but often the ones I choose have flowers with sumptuous scent, and in summer, they provide much needed shade.

Arbutus unedo: Strawberry Tree photo: M Cannon

But how to prevent them from failing is the question in this week’s segment.
Let’s find out .
I'm talking with Glenice Buck, consulting arborist and landscape designer  www.glenicebuckdesigns.com.au

Trees fall from time to time and believe it or not, sometimes it’s not predictable, and sometimes it is.
Glenice says "it's totally impossible to predict if and when a tree will fail"

 BUT you can seek professional advice from a consulting arborist to relieve any worry that you have about that particular tree.

Champion tree in Stowe, England.

• The consulting arborist can make recommendation as to how to mitigate and potential problems.

Remember, a tree expert will cut out limbs correctly if they need cutting so the tree will be less likely to get insect attack or decay forming.
Consideration is given to remaining trees, if one needs to be taken out because it exposes them to more natural elements such as wind and changes in hydrology of the soil.

• Trees will overtime adapt if they lose a surrounding buffer.

A qualified arborist will use methods as outlined by QTRA and TRAQ are methods of tree risk assessment.

QTRA-Quantitive Tree Risk Assessment

TRAQ-Tree Risk Assessment Qualification.

From the www.treenet.org site

"The terms ‘hazard’ and ‘risk are not interchangeable.... A tree-failure hazard is present when a tree has potential to cause harm to people or property.  ‘Risk’ is the probability of something adverse happening; the likelihood that the hazard will cause harm.

Assessment of tree-failure hazards requires consideration of the mechanical integrity of the tree and the likelihood that the tree or part of it will fail within a given period."

If you have any questions of course, why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Florence Fennel Foeniculum vulgare dulce and var. azoricum

Did I really mean Florence Fennel?

You might think that I’m trying to get you to grow that roadside weed that is found all over Australia.

No, I’m talking about the culinary fennel.

That other fennel was probably the Fennel  mentioned in the seed  inventory list brought out to Australia by the First Fleet in 1788.

• Fennel is a member of the Apiaceae family, which include parsley, caraway, dill, cumin, anise and carrot.

Fennel History

Did you know that in Ancient Greece fennel juice was used as an effective cure for poor eyesight, night blindness and cataract?

In medieval Europe, fennel and St John's wort were used together to ward off evil.

The real fennel (Florence fennel Foeniculum vulgare Azoricum Group;) is a cultivar group with a sort of bulb at the base that you can use in cooking, salads and stir fries.

Also the real fennel or Florence Fennel has a much milder anise-like flavour, than wild Fennel and is more aromatic and sweeter.

• Where  and When to grow it?

This plant is best in hot, dry climates but will grow in practically all climates of Australia.

•  Knowing when to sow the seeds is the key.
• Timing is crucial: if sown too early, cold can cause bolting; if sown too late, plants won't fatten up before the winter.
• Now is ideal, when the temperature is stable, day length is consistent and there's at least 16 weeks for bulbs to develop.

Zones in Australia

In sub-tropical areas, you can plant or sow seeds from March until May.

Temperate zones, from February until May. 

Cool temperate zones, you have from February until about mid- March.

Cold or mountain districts, it was February then not again until November/December unless you have a greenhouse.

Arid areas you have March and April and again in July.

• Should you have a soil thermometer, Fennel is best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 25°C  and as a general rule of thumb, soil temperatures are around a few degrees cooler than the current air temperature.

What is Florence Fennel Really?

Florence Fennel is a perennial that’s rather stocky and really only grows to about 60cm/

It resents disturbance and responds to any shock by bolting: so you’ll only get feathery fronds and flowers, but no swollen stems.

• Because the bulb grows only partially below ground, and mostly above ground it suits those districts with heavy soils. Otherwise, you can grow it in a pot-by itself.
  

Florence Fennel isn’t too fussy with soils as long as the veggie bed, or garden bed is well drained as has compost or decayed animal manure dug in, In cool temperate districts cut back the plant to about 10cm above the ground as winter draws nearer.

Planting/Sowing Seeds

When planting your Florence Fennel seeds –sow them about  5mm deep, and unless you’ve got a lot of space, you don’t need more than 2 or 3 because they need spacing of about 30cm.

TIP:

Never let the soil dry out because water is needed for germination, steady growth and swelling.

If roots become visible or plants seem unsteady, earth them up to stabilise them.

This will help make bulbs white and tender and, later, exclude frost.

How to Make The Base Stay White?

• After about 6 weeks you can hill out the soil around the emerging bulb so that, like Celery, the base stays white and is more tender than if you allow the sunlight to turn it green.Hilling up is just mounding soil or mulch around the base of the plant.
• You can make sleeves out of newspapers or use bottomless milk cartons to keep the hilled soil from getting into the leaves of the Fennel plant.

When Are They Ready?

Plants take several months to mature that’s 3-4 months after sowing.

• When they look big enough to eat use a garden fork to loosen the roots and cut the bulb off about 2.5cm above the ground.

This way you’ll get more feathery shoots that can be used as celery/dill-flavoured seasoning in the kitchen.

 The bulb is best sweet, ripe and fresh (try it raw in salads) but it will also keep for several weeks in a cool, dry place.

You can get root cuttings from plants that have been lifted during spring, so any if you attend a garden club, ask if any members have this plant.

There are plenty of seed suppliers in Australia that have Florence Fennel Seeds.

Why is it good for you?

The fennel bulb is also an excellent source of Vitamin C

Did you know that if you don’t get enough Vitamin C that’s linked to the increase in the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis?

Fennel also has folate (Vitamin B), fibre and potassium.

One cup of fennel has 10.8 per cent of the daily fibre intake, 5.9 per cent of the daily folate and 10.3 per cent of the daily potassium.

 An advantage of growing Florence fennel are that it attracts parasitic wasps and very small Praying Mantises.

It’s free of pests and it looks great and the Fennel bulb is delicious baked, too. Why not try it grated raw in a salad or baked in lasagne.. Definitely worth a try

Read More

Keep Moving at Home

Para español, haga clic aquí.

Kids and adults need to move each day to be healthy. Many of the things we normally do, like walking to the bus stop or climbing the stairs at work are not possible as we stay at home to be safe.



With a little creativity, your home can be your gym. Moving more helps you cope with stress. Making physical activity and active family games a part of each day creates a fun routine to help you and your family through these challenging days.



Try these ideas for kids and adults:

Kids: Be active for 60 minutes each day.

• Challenge kids to crab walk to every room in the house. Try frog leaps and bear crawls!


• Play hallway soccer with a squishy ball or sock ball.


• Hide some items around the house for kids to find. Set a timer and make it a race.


• Teach kids movements for every letter of the alphabet. Then have them spell words with their body.

For adults: Be active for 30 minutes on most days.

• Use your big muscle groups: squatting, walking the stairs, or any other activity that uses your thigh muscles gets your heart rate up quickly. Add these movements into daily chores and tasks!


• YouTube workouts: Who needs a gym membership? Try these free exercise classes for all fitness levels. Try Fitness Blender, Walk at Home, or Blogilates.


• Buddy up: Ask a friend to commit to being active each day. Check in on one another, and share the ways you are moving!


• Workout with an online coach. Athletes are helping us stay active at home through social media. Here’s one to start with: oliviafitmomof3 on Instagram.

For everyone:

• Spend time outside with members of your household. Keep a safe distance (6 feet) from neighbors.


• Take long walks, play a game of tag, and watch the season’s change. It’s good for the body, mind, and spirit.


• Turn on some music and dance! It’ll lift your heart rate and your mood.


• Take deep breaths. We’ll all get through this together.

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Create A Bird Friendly Garden and Crop Rotation

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Building A Bird Friendly Garden

Wildlife in Australia has taken a massive hit with bushfires, then torrential rain that in some cases resulted in flooding.
Are you wondering where have all the birds gone in your garden ?

Or perhaps you have some of the more aggressive birds like Indian Mynah or Currawongs and want to know how to attract those smaller birds.

How can you help the birdlife in your garden?

Superb Fairy Wren

Perhaps start by thinking about creating an oasis, but there’s some essential steps that need to be observed first.
Let’s find out .
I'm talking with Glenice Buck, consulting arborist and landscape designer www.glenicebuckdesigns.com.au

If you provide your birds in your local area with a source of food, shelter and water, and that should help with not only supporting them, but letting you enjoy more of their presence. 

• Glenice points out that you need to plant in layers.
• This includes the canopy layer or larger trees, the shrub layer, then groundcovers and finally the leaf litter layer.

You may have noticed when you are walking in your district, where the smaller birds congregate.

This will give you some idea of the kind of habitat that they prefer.

You don't necessarily have to plant the same as in the bushland are nature reserves, because some might be weeds.

Grevillea Scarlet Sprite

For example, fairy wrens love to dart in and out of lantana bushes that are growing along a path under the Gladesville bridge in Sydney.

Instead, plant the type of style of bushes that these birds prefer; a shrub with dense foliage to the ground, such as Grevillea 'Scarlet Sprite,' or "Firesprite.' There's also a range of Callistemons or bottlebrushes that attract a variety including fairy wrens.

• Think about plants that flower at different times of the year so that you've got a food source all year round in your garden.

If you have any questions of course, why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Crop Rotation 101

I thought I’d better address the whole crop rotation thing because of an email I received.

It was from a gardener in Auckland who had problems with his corn.

Some of the problems were caused by his planting the same crop twice in a row.

He was totally unaware that this can be a real problem.

• With his corn, the second crop was stunted and tasselled early. He was wondering why?
• I had told him that, early corn tasseling usually results when plants are stressed.
• Corn that is exposed to cold temperatures early in the growing season may develop tassels too early.
• On the flip side, corn tassels too soon, can occur if it is stressed by drought, nutrient deficiencies or hot and dry conditions.
• Perhaps one of those reasons outlined may be the cause?
• He had added compost before planting the second lot but the compost wouldn’t have been enough.
• He would have needed to add a barrow load of decomposed manures, but then waited for a few weeks for that to break down in the soil so that it was available to plants.

It’s not ideal to plant the same crop twice in the same garden bed. 

Crop rotation does a couple of things. The purpose is to prevent a build up of pathogens in the soil which can infect and re-infect particular families of plants.

Another purpose is that plants absorb different quantities of soil nutrients, and repeated plantings will quickly deplete the soil.

Crop rotation allows for more balanced soil fertility and microbial balance.

• Here’s the outline of a basic 4 bed rotation system that I call Crop Rotation 101.

I will outline one of the beds.Let’s call it bed 1.

Say you start with Legumes which includes beans, peas, broadbeans.

You will have to adjust to the seasons yourself.

• Because winter is approaching the legume could possible be planted with peas or broadbeans in most areas.

If you were starting this rotation in spring/summer, then beans and okra would be sown here.

When that crop has finished, in that same bed, the alliums will follow.

• So alliums follow legumes.
• You can choose from onions, shallots, leeks and Garlic.

Following on from Alliums, you would go to root and fruiting crops.

• Root  and fruiting crops follow alliums or the onion family.

There’s quite a choice here, but in winter it might be potatoes, parsnips, carrots, beetroot and in spring or summer, sweet corn, tomatoes and capsicums.

Still in bed 1. There’s one more rotation before you can plant the legumes again.

The last thing to go in this bed is from the brassicas.

• Brassicas are then following root and fruiting crops.

Hopefully you know the brassica family really well.

They include in autumn/winter cabbages, English spinach, broccoli, turnips and parsnips, depending on your district of course.

• In spring/summer you may want to plant silverbeet, radishes, mustard greens and pack choi.

If you don’t have enough room for 4 beds, even 4 little vegetable beds, then you need to just stick to one crop.

You’re probably wondering what do I plant in the other beds?

Stay with me, because it can seem complicated.

Remember I started off with legumes in bed 1.

• At the same time, and in bed 2, I would be on to Brassicas.
• Also at the same time and bed 3, I would plant out something from the root and fruiting crops.
• And, at the same time, I would plant something from the onion or allium family in bed 4.

So if you were in a warm temperate area right now, this is what you could have in your veggie garden, assuming the beds aren’t that big.

Bed 1, climbing peas-yes they are legumes

Bed 2 sprouting broccoli, from the brassica family

Bed 3 carrots, root crops of course

Bed 4 garlic and leeks. From the onion family or alliums.

That wasn’t so hard was it?

AND THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY!

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New Ways to Use Canned Beans

Beans aren’t boring! There are many ways to use canned beans. Think outside the baked beans can!



Beans can be part of a meal, a side dish, or made into a tasty snack. They can be served hot or cold. Add to soups, stews, or casseroles because they soak up flavors. Beans are also a lean protein that can be used in place of meat in a recipe. Check out more ways to use canned beans below.



Preparing canned beans. Remember to drain and rinse the beans to remove additional salt. Store leftover beans in a covered plastic dish and refrigerate. Do not store leftover beans in the can.



Here are some recipes to try!



Breakfast:
Eggs Mexicali
Breakfast Tacos



Lunch:
Chicken Power Wrap
Half-Veggie Burgers
Fresh Spinach and Cilantro Salad



Dinner:
3 Can Chili
Greens and Beans
Pasta with Greens, Beans, and Chicken



Snack:
Walnut Hummus Dip with Apples
Roasted chickpeas (or garbanzos)
Confetti Bean Salsa

Beans have different flavors. If you want to get creative, these flavor descriptions can help you find the right bean to add to your recipe:

• Great Northern Beans- nutty flavor, and good for soups and purees


• Fava Beans- sweet and buttery flavor


• Navy Beans - is what the baked bean is without its sauce - creamy flavor


• Black Beans- sweet and creamy flavor


• Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans)- buttery and nutty flavor

Canned beans have a long shelf life and can be a go-to in your pantry. Stock up when there is a store sale or deal. You can also cook dried beans and use them instead of canned. Each can equals about 1 ½ cups cooked beans.

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Black Bean Tree in Plant of the Week

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Common Name: Black Bean Tree: 

Scientific name: Castanospermum australe
Family: Fabaceae

Native distribution: east coast of Australia in Queensland and New South Wales, and to the Pacific islands of Vanuatu, New Caledonia

Over the last few weeks in this segment, we’ve been talking about big, big trees, and today’s offering is no exception, but perhaps not as big as the Kauri Pine.
This tree, although very range with amazing huge boat like seed pods, is in the same family as peas, beans and broadbeans.

Castanospermum australe

The Black Bean tree makes an interesting pot specimen. 

Lovely red and yellow pea like flowers, typical of the legume family.
I'm talking with Adrian O”Malley, horticulturist and native plant expert.
So let’s find out more.

• Black bean tree is an attractive Australian rainforest tree with dark glossy leaves and masses of yellow and red flowers during summer. 
• Flowers attract lorikeets and other nectar feeders.

Sometimes used as street trees as long as they’re not under power lines. 

DO NOT plant in the garden, because it has invasive roots.
Certainly bird attracting when in flower and has a spreading canopy when it matures.

If you want to grow it from the large bean like seed, sow the seed so that half of it is inserted into the seed raising mix.

Attractive pea like flowers of Castanospermum australe

Sometimes sold as a novelty plant with 6-10 seeds in a small pot, sort of like a bonsai plant but with many stems.
Unless you have a large garden, we recommend that you can plant this one successfully in a pot for many years.

• The beans of Castanospermum austral or black bean tree or toxic to everyone. 

Sydney Botanic gardens have a couple of these trees and various suburbs such as Hunters Hill, have the occasional Black Bean tree as a street tree.

seed pods of Black Bean tree.

If you have any questions either for me or for Adrian, why not write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com

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Deter Mosquitos with Plants and Grow Chicory

• DESIGN ELEMENTS

Planting to Deter Mosquitos

The warmer months of the year can become the bane of a gardeners life, or in fact anyone who likes the outdoors, if hordes of insects invade your personal space. 

I’m talking mainly mosquitos,  because they bite, but flies can just be just as annoying if your relaxing in your garden, or having friends and family over for a bbq.
So what can we do to deter them?

Pelargonium graveolens: scented geranium

I'm talking with Glenice Buck, consulting arborist and landscape designer www.glenicebuckdesigns.com.au
Let’s find out more.

There are plenty of foliage plants that have a particular fragrance which deter insects, but you have to plant a lot of them, not just one or two.

Brushing the foliage releases the scents, so plant them close to where you entertain.

Most successful plants are what you think of as herbs: mint, basil, lemon scented verbena, sage.

Catnip, lavenders, scented geraniums, bee balm (Monarda spp.)
The biggest tip is not to expect the lone rosemary shrub or Tea tree Mozzie Blocker (Leptospermum liversidgei) , to do that heavy lifting in terms of fragrance.

Mozzie Blocker tea tree.

Plant them right around the area where you sit and enjoy your garden so they act as a buffer zone between you and the insects.

• You need an armarment of plants between you and the invading hordes.

If you want to know more or if you have any questions about plants to deter mosquitos, why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Chicory! Cichorium intybus

Have you ever eaten chicory?

• What do you do with it other than give it to your chooks? Apparently the leaf chicory is very good for them?

Did you know that there’s actually two types of chicory, both of which are considered a vegetable?

There’s the leafy type and the one where the tap root is used more.

But let’s begin with some interesting facts.

• Chicory comes from the daisy or Asteraceae family, and like dandelion, chicory has been grown since ancient times as a pot herb.
• A pot herb is one you put in a pot along with your meats and vegetables and cook together for a while-usually a long while.

Chicory is most likely native to the Mediterranean region and it’s an interesting plant because it’s been used in coffee substitutes and additives where the roots were baked and ground.

You probably didn’t realise that Chicory used as a coffee substitute during the Great Depression in the 1930s and during World War II in Continental Europe.

• Do you realise that if you’ve ever drunk a coffee substitute, like Caro, then you’ve drunk roasted chicory root?

Some beer brewers even use roasted chicory to add flavour to stouts.Some other beer brewers have added it to strong blond Belgian-style ales, to add flavour to the hops, making a "witlofbier", from the Dutch name for the plant.

• So how come chicory can be used as a coffee substitute?

Chicory contains two polysaccharide, inulin and fructose.

When these are roasted, inulin is converted to something called oxymethylfurfurol, OXY-METH-OL-FUR-FUR-OL and this gives off that coffee-like aroma.

• Did you know that the first person to grow and process chicory in Australasia was Edwin William Trent (1839 - 1883)?

Eddy or Edwin, operated a steam coffee mill in Nelson in New Zealand, and later moved to Christchurch where he established the first steam coffee mill in Australasia in1863.

Did you also know that Chicory, or Cichorium intybus, was grown as a crop on Phillip Island for nearly 100 years from the 1870s?

• If you’ve visited Philip Island you’ll see some unusual small brick towers dotted about the island.These are chicory kilns, once used in drying chicory dock – a parsnip-like underground root of the Chicory plant that was grown widely in Phillip Island’s rich volcanic soil.

Are you thinking, I’m not going to bother drying and roasting the chicory root, what on earth do I need to grow this ahem, vegetable?

Here’s the reason: Chicory is actually a nutritious food.

The leaves of the chicory plant can be eaten in salads to add flavour and crunch.

They can also be lightly roasted in olive oil.

You can buy seeds of Chicory “Red Dandelion: this plant has red stems with deeply cut frilly deep green leaves.

As a microgreen or ‘baby leaf’ this variety adds great flavour to salads and it’s a colourful addition to any mesclun mix.

If you get the red variety, it’s one of the few red leafy vegetables that keeps the crimson colour when cooked.

Chicory ‘Red Palla Rossa’ is a small heading chicory, 8 - 10 cm across .

The bright red, very tight heads have prominent white midribs. It has a slightly bitter, tart taste.

As a ‘baby leaf’ they add great flavour to salads.

There’s also the coffee chicory plant or Chicory Coffee 'Magdeburg' which also has the same botanical name of Cichorium intybus.

So What Is Chicory Plant?

This chicory is also a frost hardy plant but with a long taproot topped by a whorl of oblong, broadly toothed, milky-sapped leaves.

The flowers are on top of 1 ½ metre tall, zig-zagging flowering stems with a few sparsely placed leaves and lots of sky-blue to purple flowers.

Flowering is mostly in summer and the 50 cent-sized flowers open at the beginning of the day but close as the heat becomes intense.

Chicory plants flower for several months and the flower looks quite a lot like a purply-blue dandelion flower.

Like dandelion, the seeds are spread by wind.

Also, like dandelion, the leaves are concentrated in a whorl, just above the soil surface.

If you really wanted to you could dry and roast the roots, then grind them for a coffee substitute.

The leaves and young roots can also be cooked as vegetables.

The roots can grow up to 30 cm long and weigh as much as 1 kg.

The one I have in my garden has been there for over a year so I’m guessing that it’s going to have a heavy large underground root.

Chicory is a hardy vegetable and frost tolerant but does wilt a bit on hot days.

It’s a useful cool season crop to add interest to winter salads.

• When To Grow?

To grow the leafy Chicory, for sub-tropical areas, April to June is the time to sow, in Temperate areas March until May, for Arid areas June to August, and Cool temperate districts, sow late summer to mid-autumn.

• In all cases sow the seeds directly where they are to grow.

So to grow Chicory you need a well- drained, deep soil.

Chicory will also grow on heavier soils as long as they’re not likely to get waterlogged for extended periods.

• Are you wondering if Chicory is just as weedy as Dandelions?

It’s unlikely to become a weed since plants tend be short lived.

If you’re growing the coffee chicory, the fleshy taproot of the first year’s growth is dug up in winter, dried, ground and roasted.

(Roast the roots on low heat (around 250 C) until crisp, then grind with a little roasted barley (around 400F or so) for a wholesome coffee substitute.

It contains no caffeine and just adds bulk to coffee, although its bitter flavour can give bland coffee a bit more "bite".)

• Here’s an interesting fact: Coffee is readily available now in all types of strengths but until the 1960s, before instant coffee was invented, coffee and chicory essence was a popular alternative to using roasted coffee beans.
• Do you remember that thick black liquid with a very distinctive attractive aroma and sold in squarish bottles with a blue label? It was often drunk with sweetened condensed milk.

Why is Chicory, good for you?

One of the major functions of chicory is to increase the body’s ability to absorb calcium.

The leafy greens of chicory are a good source of calcium and vitamin K;

They also contain folate and like other green vegetables chicory contains good  amounts of potassium.

Chicory is also good for the digestion, and the circulatory system.

From an agricultural point of view, Chicory is used as a short and medium term forage, and is an alternative to lucerne in areas where soils may be too acid for lucerne. Tolerates a pH down to 4.2

AND THAT WAS OUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY

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Spotlight on Radishes

Watch this video on how to buy, store and prepare radishes

Recipes for Radishes:

Broccoli Salad (with radishes)

Roasted Radishes

Spring Vegetable Sauté

Up, Down, and Around Salad 



Radishes are brightly-colored root vegetables with many health benefits. Naturally low in calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol, radishes are high in Vitamin C and contain many health-promoting vitamins and minerals. There are many varieties, and the most commonly-found variety in the United States are red and similar in size and shape to a ping pong ball. You may even find them with green, leafy tops. Separate radishes from tops and store separately in the refrigerator.  The greens are also edible (see tips below).

Try some of these fun radish ideas:

• Use as a colorful topping – Slice, grate, or finely chop and use to add a dash of color       and crunch to salads, soups, tacos, and sandwiches.


• Roast – Let kids help spread radishes on a baking sheet. Then add oil and seasonings to roast in the oven.


• Toss into stir fries or with other sautéed vegetables. Cooked radishes become milder in flavor for youngsters who might find them to be a little on the spicy side when served raw.


• Wash bright green, leafy tops and add to a salad or chop and sauté in a pan with nonstick spray and a favorite seasoning such as garlic or onion powder. You can also use chopped greens in soups for a little burst of color that packs in vitamins and minerals. 


• Try a different variety, such as daikon radishes, and then check out these 10 easy ways to use them

Because they grow quickly, radishes are also great for teaching children about growing your own food. Plant seeds in clear, plastic recycled containers and watch the entire plant grow, roots and all.  Then you can make this Up, Down, and Around salad to sample your harvest and discuss how plants grow!

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3D African Daisies and Others

PLANT OF THE WEEK

African Daisy: Osteospermum sp

The daisy plant family (Asteraceae) is one of the biggest in the world.
In fact it includes 32,000 species and 1,900 genera and 13 sub-families.
The seeds of the osteospermums are quite hard. 

All are classified as sub-shrubs with green leaves and 90% of Osteospermums that you see for sale are from the same species.

Botanical Bite:

The daisy flower contains outer sterile ray florets (what look like petals) and the inner part of the daisy, or the 'eye' contains hundreds of tube like flowers and are referred to as disc florets.

Osteospermum sp.

We all know what daisy flowers look like, but what are modern day breeders doing with the colours and shapes?

Is the centre of Osteospermums always a blue eye?
So let’s find out .
I'm talking with Jeremy Critchley, horticulturist and owner of the Green Gallery nursery.

• What about those daisies that have no centre?

With the fully double flowers, the disc florets that contain the sexual organs, have been genetically replaced  with petals making the flower fully double. These varieties cannot close at night, unlike the singles. 

• Most Osteospermum's have a blue 'eye.' Any other colour?

There are two cultivars that Jeremy grows with different coloured centres:

Voltage Yellow has a yellow centre.

Osteospermum 3

White Lightning, creamy white with a cream white centre.

The doubles cannot close at night because of the amount of petals in the centre.

There's a range called the 3D's which include yellows, reds, oranges and many shades of pink.

3D's have names like Violet  Berry, Banana Shake-usually with two tone colours.Jeremy mentioned that he used to grow 80 different colours of African daisies. Can you think of 80 different colours?

• Jeremy'sTop Tip:

Osteo's love food, or fertiliser. The more food, the more flowers.

• Can you think of 80 different colours?Nope? 

Well, Jeremy now only grows 30 different colours and I bet you would be hard pressed to think of more than 7.

• Funnily enough the classic white petals with blue centres are still the best sellers.

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