grow | carrots

By MEREDITH KIRTON

Carrots (Daucus carota) may seem to be the most ordinary of vegetables; the stock standard for meat and three veg, but, what most people don’t realize is just how wrong that assumption is.  In fact, carrots come in many shapes and sizes, from round, radish-like shapes to white, purple, yellow and red colours.  They were, in fact, selectively bred to be orange, by the Dutch, in honour of their Royal family, whose colours are such. If one digs a little deeper, and looks at the heirloom or old fashioned types, you can still get seed stock of these fascinating relics
from yesteryear.

Carrots can basically be sown all year round, and the trick is to sow them directly into the ground or in pots where they will be grown, as they don’t transplant at all well.  The seed is only fine, so you can mix it with dry sand if you wish to make spacing the seeds a little easier. Cover them very finely with about 1cm more of sand or fine soil, form them down and keep them moist whilst they germinate.  As you pick, harvest them evenly along the row to allow the remaining carrots to fatten.  It takes carrots about 12 weeks from sowing to be ready.  Staggering your planting, waiting a month between rows will allow for more even production.

Another trick with carrots is to make sure that your soil is well prepared, as rocks and clods will force you carrots to stop their taper and fork.  Another problem can be over fertilising, as too rich a soil can have the same effect.  Generally carrots grown where a high yielding crop like tomatoes have been will be ideal, as these will have stripped some of the excess elements out already and make it perfect for a carrots.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

grow | parsley

By MEREDITH KIRTON

Parsley actually has quite a few forms, from common curled parsley that most people recognize as the garnish from butchers windows of prawn cocktails in the ‘70s right through to the lesser known types like French Parsley, which is also known as Chervil.  All are actually related to the carrot and parsnip, which is no surprise to those of you who know of Hamburg parsley, the cultivar that develops a carrot like white root with a delicate parsley flavour.  All parsleys can actually have both the seed, root, stalk and leaf eaten, so long as they are washed properly.

In vogue today is Continental or Flat leafed parsley, which is also known as Italian parsley.  It features in recipes like tabouleh and has a stronger flavour and leaf less prone to wilting. Coriander, or Chinese parsley, is also very popular, probably because of the increase in Asian food, and it lends an almost citrus-like freshness to foods.

The trick with growing all types is to sow seed directly into position.  None of this family really likes transplanting, and the stress of doing so can trigger plants to prematurely “bolt” or go to seed. To encourage healthy, vigorous growth, plant in full sun in well drained soil, and feed every 3 weeks with a liquid feed like seaweed solution or fish emulsion.

Actually, one of the easiest ways to always have a supply of parsley is actually to let plants mature a seed naturally, that way they will pop up when the climatic situation is perfect.  Also, the flowering heads of this whole family are great at attracting beneficial insects to the garden, which in turn will help keep your plant attacking insects in check.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

grow | broadbeans

By MEREDITH KIRTON

Broad Beans (Vicia faba), are one of the most useful winter vegetables, especially in frosty areas as they as very cold tolerant. Sown directly in rills in the soil 20cm apart, they grow between 60cm and a 1m depending on the variety over a 20 week period and are heavy yielding hardy.  They don’t need staking as such, but a frame on stake cage will give them the support they need, and wind breaks will also help as they can be easily
snapped in two.

Broad beans need a well draining soil, but will produce their own nitrogen, so addding nitrogen based fertiliser is unnecessary.  In fact, at the end of the season you can dig the plants back into the soil as they are a rich green manure and will help build up the soil in your patch.

There are a few types with pods available with either white or green seeds, and Windsors, which have round pods, are sweeter again, white or green.  There is also a red flowered broad bean called ‘Crimson’ which still produces beans.  The tender young pods are best, and older beans may
need to be double shelled (second time after blanching in boiling water) to be palatable.  New shoots also are edible and have a delicate broad bean flavour perfect for tossing through pasta, adding to salads or garnishing.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

grow | celery

By MEREDITH KIRTON

Celery is a relative of celeriac, parsley and fennel and is originally from Europe.  It’s basically a coo season crop in all but the coldest climes, where year round production is possible.  For most of us however planting should be limited to autumn, winter and early spring.
To prepare your bed you’ll probably need to add some organic matter, and lime or gypsum to provide the calcium it loves so much, especially if your soil is very acid or low naturally in these elements.  The soil will also need to be well draining and friable, but still able to hold in moisture as the best celery will need lots of water to not taste stringy and fibrous or bolt too early.  Mulching will help stop drying out between drinks as is also essential.
Once you have planted out your seedlings about 20-30 cm apart, keep up the water and regular organic fertiliser; something like worm wee or fish emulsion diluted and applied every 2-3 weeks is ideal.  Celery does take many weeks (11-18 weeks depending on the season) to become sizeable.  At this stage you can blanch the stems, turning them from bright green to pale green by blocking out the light.  This is normally done by tying the stalks together and then earthing up with soil about 1/3 of their height for a few weeks, then gradually build up the soil to the base of the leaves.  In another week they will be ready to eat after a thorough wash!

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community | Balmain High

By MEREDITH KIRTON

Recently Mark Morrison, owner of online plant supplier, Morrison’s Garden Centre, which sells plants and products and delivers to the Sydney Metropolitan Area, has been working not in cyber space but in reality, doing great work with disabled children from Sydney’s Inner West.

Like many people, Mark has become interested in home grown produce and now sells and installs corrugated tank veggie gardens. (pic attached of example).  He was also instrumental in developing a veggie garden at Balmain High and provide ongoing support there for the staff of the Support Unit for disabled children.  A few images of the delight these kids are feeling from their interaction with their crops are attached.

Mark Morrison is a member of the  Australian Institute of Horticulture and is a Certified Nursery Practitioner.

His contact details are:

Morrison’s Garden Centre
Phone: 0409 201 063
Email: info@morrisonsgardencentre.com.au
Web: www.morrisonsgardencentre.com.au

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harvest | fennel

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Storage:
Always store fennel with feathery tops attached. Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

What to do with glut

• Freeze

Trim fennel then halve or leave whole. Blanch in a large pan of boiling water for 5 mins. Drain and refresh under cold water. Drain very well and pat dry with a clean tea towel. Pack fennel in clip lock bags and freeze for up to 1 month.

• Preserve
  

Fennel Oil

2 fennel bulbs, ends trimmed, bulb chopped
2 cups extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 120C or 100C fan. Place fennel in a large baking dish. Pour over oil. Bake for 2hrs, until fennel has collapsed and very soft. Cool.
2. Strain oil, discarding solids. Pour oil into a sterilized jar or bottle.

Use when cooking fish, brushed on pizzas or tossed through pasta.

Pickled fennel

Combine 3 cups white vinegar, 1½ cups white sugar and 2 tbsp salt in a pan on medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil for 5 mins. Add 2 trimmed and chopped bulbs of fennel. Cover and remove from heat. Stand for 10 mins. Pack fennel into sterlised jars and cover with vinegar mixture. Seal and tore in a cool dark place for 1 week before using.

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grow | caulifower

By MEREDITH KIRTON

Cauliflower is one of those cold hardy vegetables that come into their own at winter when choices from the garden start to diminish.  It’s actually the flower head in bud that is eaten traditionally, but the stalks are also edible and can be peeled and then sliced up and added to stir fries and the like. Cauliflower is not a repeat harvesting plant, so the best way to ensure continuous cropping is to stagger planting times.  The first row could go into the ground in early March and then every fortnight plant another half dozen plants right up until May so that they all mature at different times and you have a continuous succession to nibble on.

Cauliflowers need a well dug over patch with added lime to “sweeten” the soil and stop it getting a condition where the stem and heart rots and turns black, which is a result of lack of available calcium caused by overly acid soils.  Many people also mix sage intro their rows of cauliflowers to try and repel white cabbage moth, which can also attach the outer leaves of the cauliflower.  Try mixing in other crops to distract them from their targets too, and even try the green-headed type as a novelty.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS