Growing Organic Super Greens and other Edibles

[kaz]

Hi All.
This is something I have become quite interested in recently especially with my third case of Glandular Fever recently and my brother's 6 year affair with Organics and Supergreens post heart transplant.

I have ordered seeds online of 2 types of Kale, Spinach and Broccoli. I have staked out a section of yard for an above ground vege patch 2m x 1m x 0.5m deep. And have ordered Certified organic soil from my local supplies company.

I already source organic chook manure from my own chooks who are fed organic feed and are free range.

Working in a supermarket I understand how hard it is to get Organic/non organic foods and that they are already 4 days old before making it to the shelf. Especially with Kale which is best when the leaves are young and freshly picked.

I really dont want this thread to turn into a Organic v. Non-organic shit fight thread.
But interested in experiences with organics whether your own grown, growers markets, or health experiences.

I'll be logging my growing experiences here which should be in full swing by the time I get back!

 

[Big Mick]

Good timing. Keep us posted on how it goes.

I have just started a herb garden at home about two weeks ago in clay pots only, mainly out of neccessety as it is hard to get herbs out here for cooking, and I love fresh parsley, coriander, chives, mint etc, going to put a few chilli plants in as well shortly big fan of chilli, will have some mild and some hot chillis growing.

Post up where you got the seeds and throw some photos up, I would be keen to do something similar.

 

[Timeah]

need to get a garden going myself...might go start that excavation ive been putting off all year.

 

[Bazza20]

Had thought of growing some veggies a few years ago. When you look at how cheap it is to buy veggies at the supermarket it's just ends up being an expensive, time consuming way of getting food but if you enjoy doing it its fine.

 

[kaz]

Im not going to purchase "Organic Seed" as I haven't heard/read anything that proves non-organic seeds are any different to organic seeds, the difference is how they are grown. I'd rather buy proven disease resistant. Plus for $1 you get 100 seeds. If I were to be "Certified" Organic as to sell at a Market, then the seed would need to be Organic. I will have to do some research on how to take seed from my own organic produce.

Big Mick, I'll get the herbs growing shortly after I get back, but they will most likely stay in my greenhouse through winter. But organic soil and fertilizers all the same!

 

[spartacus]

Have finished back garden and have 3 times 2.4m beds at back to grow vegetables. Some things so far have proven cheaper, some have not grown (due to heat), but having fun and will enjoy growing own stuff.

We have strawberries, onions, garlic, a lot of herns, peas, spinach.

Looking forward to trying to grow potatoes, my favorite food (along with meat).

 

[kaz]

Im going to pinch my neighbours vege patch, its been vacant for a year at least. I want to put potatoes in it, she doesnt have bioseptic like I do. Plus I love Taters too!

 

[spartacus]

I am going to try and grow them in tyres, as suggested by a few.

We also haved a fig tree growing, and are going to add a few fruit trees, although my area is prone to fruit flys.

I think gardening is a great hobby. I have always enjoyed watching gardening shows.

I might even grow some flowers since i hardly ever buy them for my mrs.

 

[kaz]

I love gardening too! I could do it full time!

I currently have:
Nectarine, apricot, peach trees
Granny smith & Pinklady apple trees
Williams & Nashi pear, 2 x Lemon/Navel Orange tree, Guava & Feijoa trees, Cherry, Mango, Macadamia, red current and 2 huge blueberry bushes. All are organically grown except the Peach tree.

All the stone fruits yeild a good crop, all the others are still quite young and Im pulling most the fruit off as it begins to grow, all except a few peices. I did manage to grow a Nashi Pear to ripe and waiting now on citris season. Ive got 8 Williams Pears at golf ball size.

The Edible Garden at its best! Ive always failed at Veges...

 

[spartacus]

Sounds great, cherry treeand pink lady apples on list for us.

Do you net trees? Any tips for growing fruit trees, we have clay soil.

 

[kaz]

Sounds great, cherry treeand pink lady apples on list for us.

Do you net trees? Any tips for growing fruit trees, we have clay soil.

Good selections of trees!

Yes I definately net trees. The birds eat everything otherwise lol!

We are on clay also but I dig out as much soil as possible and fill the hole with purchased soil (potting mixes or organic soils). My trees are also mounded halfway above the surface and all I do is keep adding organic matter (usually sugar cane or organic compost) to keep the continual cycle of material breaking down into the soil. Alot of deciduous fruit trees are root ball and if you give them a big enough hole, they will flourish with the soil you give them. I just ensure that the drip circle around the base of the tree has consistant organic materials or mulch to keep feeding the soil.

 

[spartacus]

Thanks Kaz, sounds like you kow your stuff so may hit you with further questions in future.

 

[kaz]

Thanks Kaz, sounds like you kow your stuff so may hit you with further questions in future.

You're more than welcome!

 

[Big Mick]

One thing that has always confused me about growing vegetables is the timing.

For example I eat lettuce almost every other day same with cauliflower. If I was going to grow cauliflower I would still have to buy cauliflower weekly while it grows, then when it is ready to harvest I have crap loads of cauliflower, probably more than what I can eat, and then there is none again for ages

Or do you stagger them so that you have some ready to harvest every other week? Are they seasonal?

Have always wondered about this.

With he herbs we just trim a bit off when we need it, and I am thinking I could probably freeze fresh herbs, they should still be good for cooking.

 

[DKD]

Vegetables suck woolly mammoth nuts.

So we're all agreed on that.

I planted a mandarin tree, about a year ago.

For the first few months it looked like one of those Mexican Hairless dogs.

And then something happened, and now it's all lush and leafy.

Haven't seen a mandarin yet though.

Wish I had a kebab tree.

 

[Bazza20]

One thing that has always confused me about growing vegetables is the timing.

For example I eat lettuce almost every other day same with cauliflower. If I was going to grow cauliflower I would still have to buy cauliflower weekly while it grows, then when it is ready to harvest I have crap loads of cauliflower, probably more than what I can eat, and then there is none again for ages

Or do you stagger them so that you have some ready to harvest every other week? Are they seasonal?

Have always wondered about this.

With he herbs we just trim a bit off when we need it, and I am thinking I could probably freeze fresh herbs, they should still be good for cooking.

Exactly. Have family that love growing veggies and they have a bucket load for 2 - 4 weeks of the year. They usually have to give most of it away before it goes rotten and then most of the year have to buy it anyway.

 

[kaz]

For veges like cauliflower, you never really know what you are going to require but best to work it out from a) start of the sowing season, to b) end of sowing season... break it down by how many harvests you want. If you want 6, divide the 3 months into 6 then you plant every 2 weeks.
A week apart is too soon, but planting seeds 2 weeks apart is a starting point.
If you can sow May/June/July, and want to use 4 cauli's a week, plant 8 seedlings every fortnight - just as a guide. Once you start growing them and work out how they grow in your area, you can perfect timing a bit better. You might need to sow every 8 days.
If you are going to need more than what can be sowed in the time slot, greenhouses might need to get used.

For tomatoes, I have a patch where I just keep them growing, when there is excess tomatoes I crack open the tomato and throw it on the patch where they grow spreading the seeds. When it rains the seedlings pop up everywhere. I pull some plants out but leave the best looking strong seedlings.

I freeze some excess veges where I can if there is a bumper crop, or I exchange with neighbours.

Fuck I hope that made sense!

 

[Big Mick]

For veges like cauliflower, you never really know what you are going to require but best to work it out from a) start of the sowing season, to b) end of sowing season... break it down by how many harvests you want. If you want 6, divide the 3 months into 6 then you plant every 2 weeks.
A week apart is too soon, but planting seeds 2 weeks apart is a starting point.
If you can sow May/June/July, and want to use 4 cauli's a week, plant 8 seedlings every fortnight - just as a guide. Once you start growing them and work out how they grow in your area, you can perfect timing a bit better. You might need to sow every 8 days.
If you are going to need more than what can be sowed in the time slot, greenhouses might need to get used.

For tomatoes, I have a patch where I just keep them growing, when there is excess tomatoes I crack open the tomato and throw it on the patch where they grow spreading the seeds. When it rains the seedlings pop up everywhere. I pull some plants out but leave the best looking strong seedlings.

I freeze some excess veges where I can if there is a bumper crop, or I exchange with neighbours.

Fuck I hope that made sense!

Yeah makes sense, so not so easy

 

[kaz]

Yeah makes sense, so not so easy

Trial and error

 

[lex]

pumpkins are very easy (keeping them under control is more of a challenge).
At my mums (Brisbane) place pumpkin and paw paw have grown out of the compost heap. Last year they got rock melons growing from the compost