Gouldian Finch and Growing Mushrooms

WILDLIFE IN FOCUS

Common Name: Gouldian Finch

Scientific Name: Erytrura gouldiae

Named after renowned British ornothological artist John Gould.

This next bird is one of the prettiest Australian birds but it is endangered.
It’s very small and would fit into your hand weighing only 14 grams.
As with most birds of this type (finches, the Gouldian) it’s a quiet enough bird that peeps and sings a little.

They make a pleasant sound that is doubtful to wake you up or create a problem with neighbours, though it is persistent. 
I'm talking with Dr Holly Parsons of www.birdsinbackyards.net.au
.Let’s find out about it.

Gouldian finch are also known as Goulds, Lady Gouldian and rainbow finch in other parts of the world are Holly’s opinion, one of the most beautiful birds in Australia.

Most one known as a pet for aviaries. 

Beautifully coloured birds with a green back, purple chest and yellow side feathers, but

25% of the population has a red face, 74% have a black face and about 1% have a yellow face.

Young birds are surprisingly  dull brown coloured and become vibrantly coloured as they mature.
In the wild they are found along creek lines, and mangroves. 

Partially migratory, and usually quiet. 

Outside the breeding season, they move closer to the coast, but once breeding starts they move inland.

They nest in hollows in trees and termite mounds.

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

What was grown in the Paris Catacombs before the Paris Metro?

The answer was of course mushrooms.

• Not strictly a vegetable or a fruit, and not even a plant, but a fungi.

They also seem to have very different botanical or scientific name.

• Button mushrooms are Agaricus bisporus, various oyster mushrooms belong to the genus Pleurotus and shitake mushrooms are Lentinula edodes.

Botanical Bite:

Did you know that the body of the mushroom is mycelium which is microscopic, lives underground, in wood or another food source?

It’s when this mycelium has stored enough nutrients to give fruits, that we get those mushrooms that we see and we like to eat.

A Bit of History

4,600 years ago, Egyptians believed that eating mushrooms gave you immortality so commoners weren’t allowed to eat mushrooms, only royalty.

How thing’s have changed?

In some countries like Russia, many people thought that eating mushrooms gave you super-human strength and help in finding lost objects.

Now there’s a combination?

Some say that Louis XIV of France was the first mushroom grower in Europe but it’s more likely that it was a French botanist named Merchant, who in 1678 showed to the Academie des Sciences how mushrooms could be grown in a controlled way by transplanting their mycelia. (filaments which spread through the soil underneath them like fine roots)."

Mittagong mushroom farm

• Speaking of tunnels, the first mushrooms grown commercially in Australia were grown in disused railway tunnels in Sydney in the 1930’s. Later the mushrooms were grown in fields only covered with straw and hessian bags.

Listeners might remember buying mushrooms in cans from the supermarket because you couldn’t always get them fresh all year round like you can now.

Remember those cans of Champignons?

Today, Australians eat mostly fresh mushrooms because they’re available all year.

• You can grow quite a lot more varieties at home, than just the plain white mushrooms. There’s White Button, Chestnut button, Swiss Brown, Pearl Oyster, Pink Oyster. Golden Oyster, and Shitake to name a few.

I have grown white button Mushrooms in the past, and having seen different varieties being grown in Europe so I thought I’d explore some other varieties that can also be grown at home.

Growing Mushrooms

You may already know that the standard white button kit comes in a cardboard box with compost and casing material that you have to wet and put on top of the compost in the box.

The same goes for Chestnut button mushrooms.

Then there’s grow bags available from some garden centres and large retail outlets that sell Mushroom grow bags.

Growing Mushrooms (Agaricus species) is easy if you stick to a few basic guidelines.

So how do you grow mushrooms from a kit?

• Find somewhere indoors where there’s no wind or direct sunlight, better still if it’s a bit humid like your laundry.Some people may have a big enough bathroom to put the kit in there!
• A good idea is to keep your mushroom kit off the ground and out of the way of the family pet.
• It’s not a good idea to grow your mushrooms deep inside a cupboard or pantry because the air is pretty dry, plus if you can’t see them, you might forget about them.
• The standard kits contain a casing with mushroom spores that you spread over your mushroom compost.

Start your kit.

1. Open the box and remove the bag of dry peat moss called casing.
2. Leave the large bag of compost inside the box. The compost may appear brown if newly inoculated with spawn, or if it is mature, it will look frosty white or mouldy, as the mushroom mycelium grows through it. If the compost is brown and newly inoculated, close the kit up and keep it at 18-22 degrees for 7-10 days, before adding the peat moss casing layer.
3. You will notice that the bag of compost is not sealed closed this is to allow the mushroom fungus to breathe.
4. If you do not plan on starting the kit immediately, simply fold the plastic bag back down on to itself and close up the box the way it was before you opened it. This kit is designed to be started immediately, a short delay of a week or two is OK, a delay of a month or more is to long and not a good idea. It may still grow, but fewer mushrooms will be produced the longer you wait.If you wish to delay, starting your kit for a few weeks, store the kit below in a cool as location as possible.

Set up your kit and applying the casing.

• Inside the box is a small bag of dry peat moss mixed with a little lime, this is called casing. Casing is used as a covering to hold water and protect the mushroom mycelium growing in the compost.

Open large plastic bag.

• Now spread the casing evenly over the entire surface of the compost.  Do not pack the casing down, leave it loose and fluffy.
• The casing should cover all the compost, and be approximately 2cm deep. After applying the casing to the compost, mist or sprinkle the casing with an additional one-cup of water.
• Wait about 5 minutes and then scratch or ruffle the entire surface of the peat moss to a depth of  2cm. A nail or fork can be used to ruffle the casing. The roughness of the casing creates a microclimate where the young mushrooms can form. This completes setting up your kit. It is a good idea to write the date you start your kit on the box and on these instructions for later reference.

Water & Maintenance.

Once you have placed your kit somewhere to grow, make sure you keep the surface of the casing moist. A moderate spray misting or sprinkling of water on the casing surface once a day is adequate.

• Do not let the casing dry out, as it is very hard to remoisten it and mushrooms will not grow in dry casing. Keep your kit out of drafts and away from heat sources, which will dry out your kit.
• Do not cover the top of the kit to prevent the kit from drying out, as this causes air circulation problems and high levels of carbon dioxide.High levels of carbon dioxide will prevent mushrooms from growing or produce long stringy undesirable mushrooms.

When are they ready?

A mushroom is mature and ready to be picked, when the thin veil covering the gills under the mushroom begins to tear open no matter what the size of that mushroom is.

Why are they good for You?

Even though they’re in the vegetable aisle in the supermarket, mushrooms could be in with meat, beans or grains.

That’s because mushrooms contain 3.3g of protein for every 100g of mushrooms. About three button or one flat mushroom.

Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free and very low in sodium.

One serve of mushrooms has 20% of your RDI of some of the important B group vitamins, as well as selenium, nearly as much potassium as in a banana, and vitamin D.

Yes you heard right, they’re the only source of vitamin D in the produce aisle and one of the few non-fortified food sources.

Mushrooms are also valuable source of dietary fibre: a 100g serving of mushrooms contains more dietary fibre (2.5g) than 100g of celery (1.8g) or a slice of wholemeal bread (2.0g

AND THAT WAS OUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY!

Rosemary, Hibiscus and Fungus but not Thyme

SPICE IT UP

Rosmarinus officinalis

Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis
The culinary Rosemary plant is often used for remembrance but did you know that the tradition of laying sprigs of this herb(rosemary) across the coffin or upon a tombstone dates back to ancient Egypt?

Rosemary is a lovely evergreen perennial herb with culinary, aromatic, and medicinal uses, and one of the favorites in herb gardening around the world.

So let’s not linger any longer and find out all about it. I'm talking with Ian Hemphill owner of Herbies Spices. www.herbies.com.au

You might be surprised to learn that Rosemary is in the mint family, but unlike mint, likes much drier conditions.
Rosemary balances very will with carbohydrates and is good with pork and duck dishes.

Rosemary bush

Ian gave us a great tip about how to strip the leaves off the rosemary stem without getting that heel of bark by tearing in an upward motion.

when using dried rosemary either chop it very finely or grind the leaves to a powder.

Normally grinding herbs is not recommended, but unless you're doing a long slow cook, the hard leaves are best treated this way. 

After all, Rosemary has a very strong flavour and can withstand being used this way.

Ian's mother's scone recipe.

• 2 cups of self raising flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter (cold)
• 3/4 cup of milk
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh Rosemary. 
• Rub the butter into the flower then gradually add the milk to get a stiff dough. Don't overmix. 
• Rest for 10 minutes.
• Pat down or roll out the mixture  so it's 2 cm high then using a scone cutter,(one with a deep edge. a small baked bean tin is a good alternative.)
• Place them onto a tray close together.
• Brush with milk and place in the oven at one level above the centre.
• Bake for 15 - 20 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius.

Growing and propagating Rosemary plants is pretty easy and every garden should have at least one plant, even if it’s in a pot.
The leaves and flowers can also be used to make a tea, said to be good for headaches, colic, colds as well as depression.
If you have any questions about growing and using rosemary in your cooking or have some information to share, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES

Growing Mushrooms

The answer to the question, what was grown in the Paris Catacombs before the Paris Metro was of course the Mushroom.
Not strictly a vegetable or a fruit, and not even a plant, but a fungi.
They also seem to have very different botanical or scientific names.
Button mushrooms are Agaricus bisporus, various oyster mushrooms belong to the genus Pleurotus and shiitake mushrooms are Lentinula edodes.
Did you know that the body of the mushroom is mycelium which is microscopic, lives underground, in wood or another food source?
It’s when this mycelium has stored enough nutrients to give fruits, that we get those mushrooms that we see and we like to eat.
4,600 years ago, Egyptians believed that eating mushrooms gave you immortality so commoners weren’t allowed to eat mushrooms, only royalty.
How thing’s have changed?
In some countries like Russia, many people thought that eating mushrooms gave you super-human strength and help in finding lost objects.
Now there’s a combination?
Growing Mushrooms in Tunnels
Speaking of tunnels, the first mushrooms grown commercially in Australia were grown in disused railway tunnels in Sydney in the 1930’s.
Later the mushrooms were grown in fields only covered with straw and hessian bags.

Mittagong Mushroom farm uses disused railway tunnels still today.

Listeners might remember buying mushrooms in cans from the supermarket because you couldn’t always get them fresh all year round like you can now.
Remember those cans of Champignons?
Today, Australians eat mostly fresh mushrooms because they’re available all year.
You can grow quite a lot more varieties at home, than just the plain white mushrooms.
There’s White Button, Chestnut button, Swiss Brown, Pearl Oyster, Pink Oyster. Golden Oyster, and Shitake to name a few.
I have grown white button Mushrooms in the past, and having seen different varieties being grown in Europe so I thought I’d explore some other varieties that can also be grown at home.
You may already know that the standard white button kit comes in a cardboard box with compost and casing material that you have to wet and put on top of the compost in the box.
The same goes for Chestnut button mushrooms.
Then there’s grow bags available from some garden centres and large retail outlets that sell Mushroom grow bags.
Mr Fothergills has released another way of growing the other types of mushrooms in kit form this.

Mushrooms spore kits

Growing Mushrooms (Agaricus species) is easy if you stick to a few basic guidelines.
So how do you grow mushrooms from a kit?
Find somewhere indoors where there’s no wind or direct sunlight, better still if it’s a bit humid like your laundry.
Some people may have a big enough bathroom to put the kit in there!
A good idea is to keep your mushroom kit off the ground and out of the way of the family pet.
It’s not a good idea to grow deep your mushrooms deep inside a cupboard or pantry because the air is pretty dry, plus if you can’t see them, you might forget about them.
The standard kits contain a casing with mushroom spores that you spread over your mushroom compost.
For this you need a spray bottle of water to keep the kit moist.

Now there’s a kit you can buy where the spores come in packets.
Some part of each mature mushroom produces microscopic spores that are similar to pollen or seeds.
You can either buy the mushroom boards that need to be soaked first in water, or you can spread the spores on your own board.
Another way is to use logs from almost any hardwood tree as long as it’s not a pine tree.
Two 15 x 40 cm logs are all you need.
What you need to do next is spread the spores over the wetted surface of one log, then place another log on top and tie them together to make a sort of mushroom spore sandwich.
Next, put the logs into a loosely tied plastic bag-so there’s some air circulation, and put this in a warm place.
Somewhere where the temperature doesn’t get below 16⁰ C and above 25⁰ C.
In the house sounds best.
Leave this to incubate for 6-8 weeks.
According to Mr Fothergills instructions, the white mushroom mycelium should spread through the wood.
What does it look like?
Have you ever had a loaf of bread get the white woolly flour like mould grow on it before it turns green?
A bit like that, but woolly flour like mould should appear all over the logs or boards. Shitake mushrooms mould looks more of a reddish brown colour.
That actually makes sense, because if you’ve ever had a dead tree in your garden, have you ever noticed the fungus that grows out from the dead trunk as the wood decomposes?

Bracket fungi on decomposing wood. photo M Cannon

The next step is take the logs out of the plastic bags and bury three-quarters of the boards vertically, in the garden where it’s cold and damp.
The logs or boards aren’t that big so don’t worry, you don’t have to dig that big a hole.
That’ll kickstart the process of mushroom growing.
TIP:Water the logs regularly or else the mycelium will dry out.
Don’t panic if you haven’t got a spot in the garden, you can actually keep the boards in the bag but cut some holes in the bag and spray a couple of times a day.
Also keep a little bit of water in the bottom of the bag.
One more thing, to kickstart mushroom production, put the bag in the fridge for two days.
Why are they good for You?
Even though they’re in the vegetable aisle in the supermarket, mushrooms could be in with meat, beans or grains.
That’s because mushrooms contain 3.3g of protein for every 100g of mushrooms.
About three button or one flat mushroom.
Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free and very low in sodium.
One serve of mushrooms has 20% of your recommended daily intake of some B group vitamins, as well as selenium, nearly as much potassium as in a banana, and vitamin D.
Yes you heard right, they’re the only source of vitamin D in the produce aisle and one of the few non-fortified food sources.
Mushrooms are also valuable source of dietary fibre: a 100g serving of mushrooms contains more dietary fibre (2.5g) than 100g of celery (1.8g) or a slice of wholemeal bread (2.0g

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Hibiscus acetosella "Little Zin."

Seems like plants with burgundy or purple foliage are the in thing with new releases of Crepe Myrtle ”Diamonds in the Dark” and Loropetalum Plum Gorgeous.Plants with coloured leaves other than green are a must in any garden to break up all that greenness and act as a standout plant or a focal point in your garden.

Hibiscus acetosella "Little Zin." photo M Cannon

Not only that, according to Monty Don, purple leaves, as well as being attractive in their own right, make red and yellow flowers seem more intense, and add more depth to a border than green leaves ever can. 
What is new purple leaved plant? Let’s find out.. 
I'm talking with the plant panel :Karen Smith, editor of Hort Journal www.hortjournal.com.au  and Jeremy Critchley, The Green Gallery wholesale nursery owner. www.thegreengallery.com.au

Hibiscus Little Zin has dark burgundy or maroon foliage, that look similar to maple leaves but about 10 cm in length. Growing to 45 – 60 cm  x 45 – 60 cm. with an upright habit.

Little Zin has a typical hibiscus flower with flower buds starting off as deep maroon then opening to a pale to mid pink with a maroon centre.

Flowers appear in late Autumn to early Winter around midday, that’s late in the season when days are getting shorter. 

 Hibiscus Little Zin prefers slight acidic soils to around pH 6.0 - 6.5 and soil that's kept moist but not boggy.

Originally growing in forest areas, marshes and open areas in Africa.
This plant branches reasonably well because it's a compact form, however you can tip prune to make it even more bush, but the leaves will be slightly smaller if you do this.

Hibiscus acetosella "Little Zin." photo M Cannon

By the way, don’t try to get Crepe Myrtle Diamonds in the Dark because the demand was so high the grower is no longer able to supply demand until January of next year.
But you should be able to buy Hibiscus Little Zin from your garden centre or contact Jeremy's nursery for distributors.
If you have any questions about growing Hibiscus Little Zin why not write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com