Lear Blowers and Vacs: Love 'Em or Hate Them

 TOOL TIME

Blower Vacs: Leaf Blowers: You Know You Hate them.

For many years I resisted buying a blower or blower vac because not only the noise emitted by these devices is deafening, but I felt that sweeping leaves would be more productive, not to mention quiet.

You can just imagine the 'swoosh, swoosh' of the rake as it sweeps up piles of leaves.  
But do you find raking leaves instead of blowing them therapeutic or just a chore?  

On the other hand and let’s face it, you’ve probably seen so many instances of people, not necessarily gardeners, just blowing their leaves out into the street so that there neighbours get the leaves with the next guest of wind.

That kind of behaviour has given leaf blowers a bad rap.

Sure you're exercising more than using an electrical or petrol driven device, but is it really the best way to use up your valuable time instead of the multitude of garden tasks?

Apart from the noise, is that all there is to leaf blowers and blower vacs?
Straight blowers can be hand held or back packs as seen by commercial operators.

• Battery operated leaf blowers can be as light as 2.5kgs which makes them very light to use.
• When buying a leaf blowers, consider how much air volume and air speed you might want for your purchase.
• Perhaps you want a blower vac, that sucks up the leaves and gets mulched by the impeller inside the bag.
• The leaves get chopped up, not always that finely, but still you get a reduction in the amount of leaf matter that gets sucked up.A good average amount of leaf reduction is 5 bags to 1 bag.

Well how things change.
I admit to having used a blower vac to vacuum up leaves on hard surfaces and to some extent in garden beds.

I love the fact that leaves are mulched up and can be put straight onto the compost pile.

PPE and Safety
To use blowers and blower vacs always use right protective:gear-ear muffs or ear plugs, and safety glasses, gloves, strong shoes, full length trousers or overalls and long sleeves.

Listen to the podcast

I'm talkingTony Mattson, general manager of www.cutabovetools.com.au

 

If you have any questions about blower vacs or have some feedback, why not write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com

Tight Topiary and Climbing Spinach

 TOOL TIME

Topiary Shears

During the warmer months of the year, your garden can start looking like a jungle because it’s growing so fast.
More so because of la nina bring welcoming rains to drench the parched soil.
What things can you do in the garden to tame it somewhat other than a short back and sides?
Have you thought of a bit of topiary?

You don't have to go all out and doing something like in this photo, although it is rather nice.

You could just do a few simple balls on a stick instead. 

But what tools help you do the job properly?

Normally you need to do the trimming fairly regularly and you're trimming the newer growth. 

Older wood may need a nip with secateurs.

• The single handed topiary shears are great for small jobs such as perfecting that topiary ball. Topiary shears are similar to sheep sheers. (pictured)

• Two handed topiary shears are a lightweight hedge shear usually weighing less than 1 kg. 
• The blades are straight and vary between 20-25cm (8-10 inches) in length.
• There's also battery operated one handed shears.

Starting your own topiary from scratch like the balls in the photo,  you need to choose the right type of plant that responds well to topiary. 

Think buxus species, lilly pillies, or the common myrtle,  (Myrtus communis) are great starting points to kick off your topiary garden.

Between each trim, step back and look at how you are progressing so it ends up symmetrical

Let’s find out what needs doing.

I'm talking with Tony Mattson general manager of www.cutabovetools.com.au

If you have any questions either for me or for Tony you can email us Realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2rrr, PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

 Malabar spinach

Is your spinach wilting in the heat or succumbing to all sorts of pests and diseases?

• Ever thought of trying Malabar Spinach?

It’s also called Ceylon spinach, Indian spinach, vine spinach, or Malabar nightshade?

Doesn’t matter if you haven’t heard of it before because you’re about to find out.

• The one we’re focussing on is the red stemmed version or Scientifically it’s Basella alba 'Rubra'.
  
  
  

Malabar or Climbing Spinach originates in India but is also found naturally in Africa and other parts of Southeast Asia.

• Did you know that an extract of the fruits of the red stemmed version of -Basella alba ‘Rubra’, have been used for hundreds of years as deep red dye for official seals and a natural form of rouge in cosmetics?The juice from the berries is so intensely purple that it puts beet juice to shame.A bit like Dianella berries I think.
• In some countries, this juice is used as a natural food colorant for agar (vegetable "gelatine") dishes, sweets, and pastries.

Why it’s called Malabar spinach because it was first discovered in the Malabar region-on the south-west coast of India in dense tropical jungles, along coconut and pepper plantations.

• So what does this spinach look like?

For lovers of all things romantic in the garden, you can’t go past another plant with heart shaped leaves even if you want to eat it.

• Malabar spinach is a climbing plant not even related to true spinach (Spinacia oleracea) but grows large succulent heart shaped leaves that are a bit like spinach in taste.
• The leaves are quite a bit more waxy to my way of thinking.I would describe it as crunchy and juicy when raw. The taste is slightly peppery with a bit of a citrusy flavour with hints of earthy spinach to it.
• It’s not bad to eat, some say even delicious to eat, but I can’t say I use it a lot in cooking.More of an attraction in the garden with the leaves and the purple flowers followed by black berries.

The upside is that if you like your Spinach, this one’s is easy to grow and is much better suited for summer growing than Spinach itself.

When your lettuce and other salad greens are wilting, because Malabar spinach is a twining succulent (stores water in the leaves and stems), you’ll have plenty of greens for your salad.

Where to Grow

Malabar spinach does best in warmer areas from the tropics to warm temperate areas, where it can easily grow a 10cm per day.

In the tropics, Malabar spinach can grow 2-3 metres and wide and has small white-tinged pink to purple flowers in the leaf axils.

• This plant isn’t frost tolerant and in temperate areas doesn’t grow anywhere near as tall as in tropical areas. In cool temperate districts, I would treat this plant as an annual, but yes you can grow it too!
• If you’ve grown this plant before, you would know that the plant seems to die down in winter then re-shoots again in late spring. So don’t go thinking you’ve killed it at the end of autumn.

Why not try planting Malabar spinach on a trellis to make a backdrop for a display of other dark-leafed cultivars like—purple-stemmed sugarcane, black-leafed cotton, aubergine-coloured beets, kale, and Swiss chard.

Straight species Malabar spinach has yellowish stems and green leaves and looks nice enough, but it's the red-stemmed cultivar 'Rubra' that really stands out.

Red and green are opposites on the colour wheel and the combined effect is always a bit dramatic. The red veins in the leaves make it more so.

When the flowers are fertilised, small, attractive, single-seeded purple berries will grow.

It does self seed somewhat and I was able to gift seedlings to many of my friends.

How Does It Grow?

Basella alba grows best a humus-rich, sandy loam in full sun but will produce larger juicier leaves if grown in partial shade..

It grows easily from seed that has been sown in situ or you can start it off in a punnet.

Saving seed is easy too:

Simply dry the entire fruit and use it for planting the following year. Just make sure you store it dry in maybe a paper envelope.

The red-stemmed cultivar of Malabar spinach comes true from seed.

In a pot , it’s much more tame.

• TIP: When you have a plant in season, tip cuttings will root readily in water so you can give other members of your garden club or other friends some plants.
• Use any style of plant support you like: poles, teepees, chain-link fencing—I’m growing it up a trellis but it seems to have attached itself to a few other plants in the veggie bed.

Malabar spinach is insect and disease resistant, and that’s saying a lot; because at the moment, the grasshoppers are eating whopping big holes in my Kale and a bit of my spinach, but not touching the Malabar spinach.!

I am catching and squashing those hoppers!

Where do you get it? Plenty of those big box stores that have garden centres have it as well as your local garden centre or plant nursery.

Why is it good for you?

The succulent leaves and stem tips are rich in vitamins A and C and are a good source of iron and calcium. They may be eaten raw in salads, boiled, steamed, stir-fried, or added to soups, stews, tofu dishes, and curries. Or you can use them as a filling for quiche, omelets, or even a frittata!

Since red-stemmed Malabar spinach can lose a lot of its red colour when cooked, perhaps it is best in raw dishes.

A great way to use it is to plant it thickly in pots in spring, and when it’s growth takes off, pick the young shoots off daily for stir-fries & omelettes. Eventually it will get away from you by climbing or sprawling, but usually can be contained for a couple of months this way. The shoots are delicious & tender!

AND THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY

New Garden Hoses and Springtime Planting

 TOOL TIME 

Garden Hoses: New Hoses on the Market

Watering your garden by hand in the warmer months is usually a relaxing pleasure unless of course you’re fighting with a cranky hose.

Hoses don’t last forever, and when they start to show signs of wear, you may find yourself getting frustrated every time the hose kinks and stops the flow of water.
So what’s new in hoses if you need an update?
Some are made of vinyl, some are made of rubber, some have reinforcement, some are expanding, and others advertise as being kink free and even made of steel
Which one do you choose?
Let’s find out.

I'm talking with Tony Mattson, general manager of www.cutabovetools.com.au

Tony’s tip, is ‘buy what you can afford, and don’t just go for the cheapest.

• You want it to last a minimum of 5 to 10 years

Hoses have a hard life out in the sun, or frost in some cases so don’t expect too much from your hose after 5-10 years.

• Check the distance from the hose to the furthest point you want to water. Longer is not better because it's heavy to move around.
• Consider how long should you have a hose. Tony says most people overestimate how much hose length that they need.
• The diameter is 1/2 inch or 12.5mm. A nursery would traditionally use a 19mm diameter hose.

Materials of hoses: kink ratings are not connected to any standard. A bit of marketing goes into the rating most likely.

A totally kinking hose may be made totally of  rubber.

Then store it in loops not small circles.

• When you first get a hose, lay it out in the sun to straighten it out.

It may just be time for a replacement.
If you have questions about hoses or have information to share, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write to 2rrr PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES

Spring Planting

What vegetable plants, herbs and fruits will grow in your garden this Spring?
Have some or no idea?

It may just jog your memory to remind you to get started on one or two veggies that you had forgotten about.

• In temperate areas the soil is still pretty cold.

For some of us the late frosts can pop up after a run of warm days and rain might be in scarce supply, depending on where you live.

• There’s no rush to get summer crops in the ground.

If you’re desperate to get warm season crops in like tomatoes, your best bet is to start them indoors where they are protected or use a heated propagating mat/tray.
Be prepared to protect them on cold nights, and plant seedlings out in the open  when the risk of frost has passed.

• The kind of veg you can grow in September is "shoulder" season stuff like spinach, peas, turnips, kale, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, Asian greens, mustard, silverbeet, carrots, beetroot and radishes.
• Depending on where you are, you could also grow beans, rosella, eggplant, sweetcorn, sweet potato and zucchini.
• It’s also a good time to plant herbs such as coriander, dill, mint, rosemary, thyme and parsley, and perennials such as rhubarb and globe artichokes.
• And of course spring onions.They're the easiest onions to grow and are absolutely made for planting in September!
  
  
  

In arid and semi arid zones it's getting warm enough to plant early summer veggies such as bush and climbing beans, corn, tomatoes, tomatillos, basil, beetroot, silverbeet, lettuce, potatoes, carrots, parsnips and zucchini.

• Hold off on capsicums, eggplants, and cucurbits like watermelons, cucumbers and pumpkins until next month.
• The herbs you could sow are pretty much all types of herbs.
• Watch out for fruit fly and control spray lawn weeds.

In the frost-free subtropics you can get stuck into planting heat lovers such as capsicums, eggplants, tomatillos, pumpkins, and watermelons.

• You could also get in a fresh sowing of sweetcorn, basil and okra, along with perennials such as sweet potato, yam, taro, cape gooseberry, lemongrass and passionfruit.
• These all need warm soil to germinate, and tend to grow well in the spring dry season with extra watering if needed.
• It’s also a great time to plant citrus trees, guavas and other subtropical fruiting evergreens.

For the topics or sub-tropics, it’s a good time to sow some herbs too.

• The herbs you could sow or  plant are  basil, chives, coriander, dill, mint, oregano, parsley, sage and thyme.
• In the tropics, it’s a good time to get in a fresh sowing of sweetcorn, basil and okra, along with perennials such as sweet potato, yam, taro, cape gooseberry, lemongrass and passionfruit.

Cool Temperate& Southern Tablelands and Tasmania

• Sow broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, beetroot, cucumber, leek, endive,  lettuce, silver beet, snow pea, spinach, strawberry, sweet corn, zucchini and tomato.
• Traditionally, you don't plant your tomatoes in Tasmania until late October, but you can make an early start and hopefully get fruit by Christmas - if you give your plants a bit of protection."
• "Don't use high-nitrogen fertilisers with tomatoes or you'll get lots of leaves and less fruit. Use compost and lower-nitrogen manures like sheep or cow.
• HERBS – sow basil, chives, coriander, dill, mint, oregano, parsley, sage and thyme.

For those of you without a veggie garden, perhaps it’s time to start one now in a sunny spot.
If you are limited by space and are planting in pots, make sure you choose the sunniest part of your balcony or courtyard.

Begin your veggie garden by digging over the soil, then adding two kilograms of compost or cow manure per square metre and then mix in well.

• By also adding two handfuls of dolomite every square metre, you’ll  prevent blossom end rot happening in tomatoes and will also add essential calcium to the soil.
• Dig compost into the garden beds four weeks before planting any seedlings.
• But that’s OK, because you can start your veggies off in punnets or trays first and they should be ready to plant out by then.

If you’re a bit forgetful and are handy with the mobile phone or ipad, you can actually download apps if you put in the words “garden planner.”
There’s a few available so just pick one that suits your area.
THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY

Pruning Saws and Blueberries

We start with a look at pruning saws and why you might need two in Tool Time,, growing your own super fruit in Vegetable Heroes; part two of a new series “pruning 101” with landscape designer Jason Cornish, in Design elements and a blue flowers in talking flowers.

TOOL TIME

PRUNING SAWS 
There comes a point in your pruning when secateurs, and loppers just won’t do the job.
Do you strain, grit your teeth and pull faces when cutting large branches in your garden that your garden loppers can’t handle?
Let’s face it, the size of the branch is too big but not big enough to call an arborist, so what do you do?   
Get a pruning saw and here’s why.
Let’s find out. 

I'm talking with Tony Mattson General Manager of www.cutabovetools.com.au

There are two main types of pruning saws and both have different purposes for different types of cutting.

• Folding saw is typically straight and limited in length of blade-usually up to 200mm
• Fix pruning saw is curved and used for branches that are greater in diameter than 200mm.

 The pruning saw blade is made as a metal blank and the teeth are then machined into the metal.

The metal is then hardened so they don't wear and chrome plated so they don't rust.

Chrome plating will wear off eventually, ( faster on cheaper blades,) so it's important to clean the blade after use and oil the blade with light machine oil.

Tony prefers not to use vegetable oil because it leaves a sticky residue.

Did you know that pruning saws have less teeth than most woodsaws?
The other difference is that the teeth on pruning saws are larger and sharper, making the job of cutting tree branches easier.

Tony’s Rule: the length of the pruning saw blade determines how big a branch you can cut. Half the length of the blade, is the maximum size of branch that you can cut.
Tony also recommends that , if the chrome coating has worn off, oil your blade after you have used and cleaned it.
If you have any questions for me or for Tony, why not write in to Realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2rrr, PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE (FRUIT)  HEROES

Blueberries

Would you have thought that the second most popular berry after Strawberries are Blueberries?

Blueberries are the fruit of a shrub that belongs to the heath family which includes cranberries, azaleas and rhododendrons.

• Did you know that Blueberries are one of the only natural foods that are really true blue in colour?
• They’re sort of a bluey purple colour and have what’s called a waxy ‘bloom’ that protects the surface of the blueberry.
• This bloom you can rub off with your finger if you’re curious to see what the true colour of blueberries are.

WE all know what blueberries look like from the punnets that are sold in the supermarket, but what do they look like when they’re growing on the plant?

Blueberry bushes, Floriade Venlo

Blueberries grow in clusters and come in sizes from a pea to a small marble.

Did you know that blueberries are one of the only fruits native to North America, but it wasn’t until the early 1950’s that blueberries were first brought to Australia.

Why’s that?

A couple of guys- Messrs Karel Kroon and Ralph Proctor from the Victorian Department of Agriculture trialled growing them.

But, Australia was out of luck there because these guys couldn’t get past the disease problems.

Twenty years later, the Victorian Department of Agriculture tried again.

This time, a chap called David Jones carefully planted and tended to his blueberry seeds and eventually successfully grew several blueberry plants.

Still, it wasn’t until the 1980’s that Blueberries were commercially available.

Where to Grow?

Blueberries like a sunny position but will also get by in some shade (but not too much, otherwise you won’t get too many flowers.

Blueberry flowers

The best time for planting is between late autumn and spring, when plants are sold bare-rooted and are less likely to suffer from transplant shock than at other times of the year.

You can buy containerised blueberry plants all year-round though.

What They Need?

Blueberries need moist soil, good drainage and lots of organic material.

Blueberries are acid loving plants that do best in soils with a pH between 4.5 to 5.5

If you can grow Camellias and Azaleas, you can grow Blueberries.

If you don’t have that ph you will have to add either elemental sulphur (where the pH is too alkaline) or lime / dolomite (where the pH is too acid). If the soil pH is higher the plants may show signs of iron deficiency.

If that sounds too hard, grow you blueberry plant in a pot.

Tip:Very important when growing blueberries. they have a very fine fibrousy root system, just like Azaleas, and this root system needs a porous medium in which to grow, a bit like coarse sand from where they came from.

If you have poor drainage, then grow them in a raised bed or at the very least, on a mound of soil and use lots of mulch.

Or, like me, grow them in a pot, but grow a couple to increase pollination.

So, a little bit fussy there.

When to Grow

Not all blueberry plants are alike, so choose the variety for your region carefully.

Did you know that there are three varieties of blueberry species?

•  Highbush, Lowbush (wild) and Rabbiteye.

Highbush varieties can be broken down into either Southern Highbush or Northern Highbush.

Gardeners in the know about chill factor will now know, that means a certain amount of hours below 7⁰C.

The highbush variety, grows to 1.5–3 metres, and has many different cultivars.

In Victoria, Tasmania and Southern New South Wales, you are more likely to find the Northern Highbush, high chill variety for sale in your nursery.

Winter chilling  is quite high -(over 1000 hours below 2°C) but they can still tolerate high summer temperatures.

• The fruit of the Northern Highbush is harvested later in the season, from December to April.
• For temperate areas which don’t get too cold in winter, you need to grow the warmer climate Southern Highbush and Rabbiteye varieties (originally grown in the southern states of America)
• These do well on the NSW North Coast and produce high value, early season fruit. These varieties are harvested from June to February.
• For Northern NSW and Queensland, you can grow a variety called Rabbiteye
• The rabbiteye is a low chill, late season variety that’s best at coping with warm and humid summers

Rabiteyes can also cope with dry conditions, making it right at home in Arid climates too.

And where does the name come from?

Rabbiteye Blueberries

Supposedly during the ripening stage when the blueberry is pink, if you look closely you will notice the calyx appears to be little rabbit eyes looking right back at you.

• IMPORTANT TIP: Blueberries fruit on the tips of the previous season’s growth.

I spoke to a blueberry grower last year and was told to let the shrub establish first.

That means, you must pluck off the flowers in spring so it doesn't set fruit, but the 3rd year you can let it flower.

If you let them establish for the first two years apparently the plants will last a lifetime!

 Once your Blueberry shrub is established new stems will come up and fruit for up to four years initially from the tip to down the whole branch.

From the third winter onwards, cut back old, dry stems every winter.

Cut them back either down to ground level or to a vigorous new shoot near the ground.

They first produce sideshoots from the base of the plant soon after flowering in spring. Then in early to midsummer, vigorous growths push up from the base of the bush.

Hard pruning in winter will encourage this renewed growth and result in larger, earlier fruit.

SHARPEBLUE

Generally a tough bush that needs constant picking of the ripe fruit or they’ll get too soft.

MISTY another tough evergreen variety.. It is an early fruiting variety, with light blue, medium to large fruit of excellent flavour.

Blueberries are pest free apart from caterpillars and birds, and if you prune the shrub so its open in the middle it reduces fungal disease.

Selecting and Storing Blueberries –

Pick or buy blueberries that are firm and have an even colour with a whitish bloom.

Important:Blueberries are another fruit that don’t ripen off the bush.

Blueberries should be eaten within a few days of picking or buying.

Ripe berries should be stored in a covered container in the fridge where they will keep for about 1 week.

Bees are needed to pollinate blueberry flowers

Don't wash blueberries until right before eating as you’ll remove the bloom that protects the berries' skin from going bad.

If kept a room temperature for more than an hour, the berries will start to spoil.

Blueberries can be frozen.

Why are they good for you?

Blueberries have large amounts of anthocyanins,- antioxidant compounds that give blue, purple and red colour to fruit and vegetables.

Not sure what all the fuss is about? Antioxidants are very well known for their health benefits, especially their ability to reduce damage to our cells and Blueberries contain more antioxidants than most other fruits or vegetables

Blueberries are also a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, manganese and both soluble and insoluble fibre like pectin.

A cup of blueberries will give you 30% of your RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of Vitamin C.

Plus they’re low in calories.

If you think they’re too fussy to grow,  for the same price as a cup of coffee, treat yourself to a punnet of Blueberries, eat them straight out of the punnet (wash them of course) and enjoy the health benefits.

AND THAT WAS OUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT

Expert Hedging, Rosella Tea and Tropical Flowers

What’s on the show today?

Expert hedging tips in Tool Time, sharp and tart, sweetness you can grow in Vegetable Heroes. Part 2 of gardening in tight spaces in Design Elements, and flowers that hate the cool-room in the Talking Flowers segment with Mercedes.

TOOL TIME

Expert Hedging

Chances are you have a hedge in your garden, maybe to hide the back fence or just for show.
Hedges come in sizes and shapes and even vary in the colour of their leaves.

Chosen carefully hedges don’t need that much maintenance in the form of pruning or clipping or even disease control.
Perhaps you’ve let it go over the years, and now it’s that bit too high to manage easily making you dread having to tackle it.
Let’s find out how to get the hedge back into shape.
I'm talking with Tony Mattson General Manager of www.cutabovetools.com.au

Today’s episode was all about bringing that 3-4 metre high hedge back to a more manageable height, starting with the top first and only lightly pruning the front.

Tony's expert hedger, Simon was tackling a lilly pilly, Acmena smithii minor "Goodbye Neighbour," and Murraya.

Plumbago and Muehlenbeckia hedge

Recommendation:Simon's recommendation was to hard prune hedges only in March-April, and August-September.

Each time you
You will need to use long handled (1.2m shears) as well as normal sized hedge shears.

Also, a pair of secateurs to cuts some of the thicker stems that are too hard for the hedge shears.

BIG TIP: cut or trim the hedge back, do it in stages, that is , a bit deeper each prune, otherwise you risk losing the hedge or getting a lot of dieback. 

You might start off with cutting the top back 1/2 metre in the first stage, wait a month, then come back and cut a bit deeper .

At this point, only lightly prune the front of the hedge 5-8 cm leaving lots of new growth.

If you have any questions about hedge pruning either for me or for Tony why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Rosella (or sometimes known as Roselle plant.)

Botanically-Hibiscus sabdariffa.

Being a hibiscus it belongs to the Malvaceae family of plants that mostly come from tropical Africa.

Did you know that in 1892, there were 2 factories producing rosella jam in Queensland, Australia, and they were even exporting big quantities to Europe? Didn’t last though finishing up around the early 1900’s

Where does it grow in Australia?

Rosella grows in a wide variety of climates because it’s very adaptable, possibly weedy even.

It grows especially well in dry climates right through to tropical climates.

The only drawback is that the growing season is 5 months, so you need to start this weekend.

Why grow Rosella plants?

Well the Rosella plant looks nice with its green leaves that have red stems and red veins and the flowers are deep pink hibiscus like; but the fleshy red calyx-about the size of a shot glass is the part underneath the flower.

Rosella calyx

This calyx is excellent in making jams, sauces, cordials, in fact it’s the main ingredient in a herbal tea called Red Zinger.

Botanical Bite:If you were wondering what a calyx is (calyces-plural),  its just the collection of sepals behind the petals of a flower.
Sepals in most flowering plants are leafy and green, that make up the outer protective covering of a flower bud. Think of a rosebud as an example.

Germinating Rosella Seeds

Rosella seed is a little hard to find unless you look in seed saver networks, or organic growers, certainly you’ll find them at organic markets where there is a seed stand.

Nurseries will have seedlings in late spring early summer if they carry unusual plants.

Seeds remain viable for a good long time but soak the small hard triangular seeds in warm water to help speed up germination.

Don’t drown them, just a saucer of water overnight will do.

Rosellas need a very warm soil to germinate, preferably over 25°C.

In tropical areas, they sow the Rosella seed in early spring.

In the Northern Territory the seed is sown during the early wet season as Rosella is a long day-length plant and needs 12–12 ½ hours of daylight to flower.

In NSW areas and more southern areas of Australia this would be as late as October early November outside.

Some years the soil might take even longer to warm up.

So gardeners in cooler areas need to start seed indoors using a small bottom-heat unit, or the top of the water heater.

Cover the seed with 12mm of fine soil or seed raising mix.

Rosella plants begin to crop when they’re 3 months old.

I’ve read that 3-4 plants will give you enough fruit to make jam or tea, but I’m not sure how much jam and tea that might be, so you could trial it with just a couple of plants because they take a bit of room.

Where to Put It?

Too much for the veggie garden so go for the flower bed or flower pot.

Now it grows to 1 ½  metres so a big pot will be good.

There is more than one flush of seed pods, but the trick is to remove the first flush because the second is much bigger and better..

When to harvest?

You’ll know the Rosella bud is ready when it easily come away from the bush, usually 3 weeks after the flowers have finished when the pod is 2-3 cms across.

Keep them well watered but it must drain away reasonably quickly because

Tip: Rosella plants are prone to root rot

Roselle plants are weedy in the Northern Territory and Western Australia-but aren’t a problem anywhere else.

If you are going to go for growing this plant, here’s a tip:

When the fruits are about the size of a walnut, about 20 days after flowering, you need to separate the seeds from the inflated and ripened outer fleshy casings or the calyces- or fleshy part.

The best way to prepare Rosella fruit is firstly by washing it, then making an incision around the tough base of the calyx below the bracts to free and remove it with the seed capsule attached.

The calyces are then ready to be used in jams or teas or whatever.

 They may even be chopped and added to fruit salads.

Use an apple corer-from kitchen shops.

By the way the young shoots and leaves can be eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable.

To make Rosella tea-

The dried red calyx is used for tea and it is an important ingredient in the commercial Red Zinger, Hibiscus and Fruit teas.

The tea is very similar in flavour to rose hips and high in vitamin C.

To make it, strip off the red calyx (the fleshy cover surrounding the seed pod) and dry it in a solar drier or a slow oven until crisp.

Only two small pieces are needed per cup.

Try mixing it with dried lemongrass or lemon verbena and dried organic orange peel  for a wonderful herb tea that is also good chilled.

If you want to make Roselle jam or cordial, go to my website for the link to the recipes.

Why is it good for you?

Rosella hips contain a very good source of Vitamin C, and is rich in Calcium and Magnesium. vitamin A, and amino acids.

Also Rosella is rich in anthocyanins , essential minerals and vitamins.

Roselle is very low in Cholesterol and Sodium, and is a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamins B1 and B2, Niacin, Iron and Potassium.

Anthocyanins are water-soluble flavonoid pigments, which are responsible for the red, blue and purple colours in many fruits and vegetables.

If you have any questions about Roselle, JUST EMAIL ME

THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Gardening in Tight Spaces part 2:

Eco Pillows, grow baskets, and vertical gardens turned on their side.

https://greenwall.com.au

Tired of hearing about green walls because
a) you think they’re too expensive,

b) sounds too hard to maintain or

c) you’re just not into green walls.

So what else can you have that’s much cheaper, easier to put up and more of what you want?

I'm talking with Peter Nixon, garden designer and director of Paradisus garden design.



Let’s find out more.

https://greenwall.com.au If you want a more relaxed style of vertical planting then go for these vertical grow baskets.

In them you can put in plants with pendulous foliage such as:

• rhipsalis, 
• aeschynanthus, anything from the 
• gesneriad family, such as
• nematanthus, 
• columnias, and gloxinia sylvatica or whatever you like really.

Nematanthus: Goldfish plant

Of course we did mention that green wall again but this time put it on its side then there’s those eco-pillows.If you have any questions about gardening in tight spaces or have a suggestion either for me or for Peter why not write in or email me at www.realworldgardener.com  

TALKING FLOWERS

How to care for Tropical and Exotic flowers.

So, what does your florist do to keep their flowers in such fantastic shape?

For every florist, no matter where they are in the world, keeping flowers at just the right temperature is essential. 

Frangipani flowers photo M Cannon

That’s what makes their refrigerator(s) the most important piece of equipment. 

A small flower shop might have just one fridge in the back of the shop whereas larger florists will have larger, walk in fridges and their premises might resemble more of a warehouse design. 

Small flower shops usually place just a few bouquets on display in the front on the shop while the rest of their flowers are safely stored in temperatures ranging from 5⁰ to 12⁰ C.

This is what a commercial cut flower grower in FNQ recommends. 

Cut Flower Care

Chandelier Orchid photo: M Cannon

• Never refrigerate tropical’ s they should NOT be stored below 13 degrees.
• Tropical’ s like tempered conditions.
• Keep Tropical’ s away from direct heating and air-conditioners units.
• Drastic changes in temperature burns fresh cut flowers.
• When handling exotic tropical flowers keep in mind that cold weather can affect them, keep your exotic tropical flowers in a relative warm area.
• To get the best out of your Tropical flowers after you unpack them you can submerse them in a bath tub or a large bucket/bin for 20 mins with tempered water NOT ice cold tap water to re hydrate them from travelling.
• Re-cut stems at least 2 to 4 cm with sharp secateurs.
• Preservative is optional.
• Replace water every day – these large flowers are thirsty.
• Misting is recommended once or twice a day as they like high humidity.

I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini from www.flowersbymercedes.com.au

Recorded live during the studio broadcast of Real World Gardener Show on 2rrr, 88.5 fm Sydney.

Water The Garden, Grow the Plant from Mexico

TOOL TIME

Hand watering is often necessary to top up natural rainfall or irrigation.
Except you’re sick of continually buying watering nozzles for your garden because they keep breaking down and just not working.

So you go down to the garden centre or big box store to see what is on offer because those cheap supermarket ones don’t seem to last.
There are three main types:(1)-hand held jet nozzle and (2) pattern or dial nozzle that can have up to 8 patterns  that include jet, mist, shower and soaker.(3)watering wand or elongated nozzle.
So which one should you get and is it money well spent?
This next segment answers all those questions.
Let’s find out .I'm talking with Tony Mattson general manager of www.cutabovetools.com.au

It would seem the plastic watering nozzles are not an investment unless you want to buy one every few months.
Then you have to decide if you’re the sort of gardener that likes that dial with lots of different patterns or is quite happy with that sturdy jet nozzle that fans out to do the garden bed.
The blokes seems to go for the jet nozzle so they can hose down the path, wash the car and maybe fan out the water so it does a bit of the garden.
The ladies on the other hand prefer the dial type of nozzle with a variety of patterns.
Tony mentioned that often these nozzles clog up and either don't turn off or stop working properly because of either calcium build up or dirt.
Look for ones that you can clean out, such as pictured below from the Cut Above Tools RangeMade of sturdy metal, the back can be removed and cleaned out.

You can catch up that segment by listening to the podcast www.realworldgardener.com
If you have any questions about watering nozzles or have some advice to share, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

This weeks Vegetable Hero is ZUCCHINI or Cucurbita pepo.
Did you know that Archaeologists have traced their origins of squashes to Mexico, dating back from 7,000 to 5,500 BCE, ?
So What Do They Look Like?
It wasn’t that long ago I talked about zucchinis, but today it’s a zucchini with a difference.
Ever heard of Zucchini tromboncino?
If you’re a lover of zucchinis, you’ll love this one because it fruits for months.
Zucchini Tromboncino is an heirloom vegetable common throughout Italy.
It was developed in Liguria, in northern Italy and the Italians love the taste of its fruit.
So what does it look like?
For starters, the fruit has a very pale green skin which can also have faint white stripes. 
The really nice thing about this variety is that all the seeds form in the bulbous part at the end.
That means you’ve got a whole long length of stem with no seeds.
Tromboncino is a highly vigorous, growing easily to a height and width of 1.5m and possibly more depending on where it is situated in the garden.
The good news is that it’s a vining plant, which means it can be trained up a trellis to make great use of vertical spaces and so the zucchini hangs straight.
Another reason to grow Tromboncino is this zucchini has an outstanding flavour and doesn't get too big if you turn your back too long.
Although this zucchini’s fruit can grow to a 1m long it’s best picked at 25cms long.
Regular zucchinis have a similar shape to cucumbers and can be dark or light green.
You can also get golden zucchinis that are a deep yellow or orange colour.
The best times to sow Zucchinis for those who haven’t this season are;
In temperate areas, from September through to January, in Cool temperate areas, you have been October and January, in arid areas, yes that’s you in Alice Springs and Broken Hill, you have a bigger window, September through to March, sub-tropical zones, August to February, but for tropical areas, now’s too hot.
Your Zucchini planting time is April to August.
Very different from the rest of Australia!
Having said all that Zucchinis are great for the beginner gardener because they are quick and easy to grow.
Prepare your soil with the usual digging in some compost or cow manure.
Zucchinis are light feeders so won’t need much more than an occasional feed with some liquid fish fertiliser.
Sow your zucchini seed where you want them to grow.
Mound up the soil  about 30cm long by about  and then make a indent up to your first knuckle, or even 7 cm deep, and drop in 3 seeds.
When they shoot up pick the strongest one and discard the others. It will get too crowed otherwise.
TIP: Planting your seeds deeply will make your plant more drought tolerant.
Just like cucumbers, zucchinis take up a lot of space so maybe try growing them vertically.
That way there’s also improved air circulation so the fungal problems are a lot less.
If you have heavy soil or only have a balcony garden, you could grow them in pot which would need to be about 30cm diameter.
TIP:The important tip with growing them vertically is have lots of soft ties, like old panty hose cut into strips, so you can tie up the stems as they grow.
That way they won’t flop all over the place and probably break their stems.
If you don't get many bees or pollinating insects around your way you might need to pollinate the zucchini flowers yourself.
Get a cotton wool bud and take some pollen from the male flower. Male flowers tend to be on the end of a long narrow stalk. Female flowers are a lot closer to the main stem and have a swelling behind the petals. Just like female flowers on pumpkins. Look inside the female flower. There should be a golden formation. Dab the male pollen all over this female part. Hopefully in a few weeks that swelling behind the female flower will grow into a zucchini.

Zucchini leaves photo M Cannon

Fully grown zucchini leaves tend to look a motley silvery grey colour which looks like the fungal problem powdery mildew.
Unless you’re watering the leaves this shouldn’t happen.
Powdery mildew grows on wet zucchini leaves or on any veggie leaves that are wet.
By watering where it’s needed most, the roots, not the leaves you shouldn’t get this problem.
In summer you'll need to keep your zucchini's water levels high,because they dehydrate very quickly on hot days so mulch them heavily (but remember to keep the mulch away from the main stem).
Zucchini problems
There are two main problems that gardeners have when growing zucchinis.
When the fruits are 5cm long, they rot and drop off.

This is a pollination problem.
You might have to pollinate them yourself.
Next year grow a whole lot of flowers nearby like Borage, nasturtiums or marigolds.
The second problem sounds like blossom end rot where fruit almost ready to harvest starts rotting from the top.
If this happens you need to add dolomite lime to the soil at the time of planting.
Too late this season. Otherwise it can be caused by irregular watering, that means, too much drying out in between waterings.
If your plants have many days of no water and then a glut of it, blossom end rot can develop, ruining the fruit.
By picking your Zucchinis regularly, usually when they’re about 20cm long; this helps the plant keep on cropping. If you let Zucchinis grow too big-like a metre long, they’re not much good as a vegetable to eat because they become too tough and contain mostly seeds.
The flowers are also edible - they can be used in salads, as garnish, and even fried.
Why is it good for us?
The zucchini vegetable is low in calories, about 15 calories per 100 g fresh zucchini.
1/2 cup of zucchini also contains 19% of the recommended daily amount of Manganese
As well as Zucchini containing large amounts of folate and potassium, the rind contains the nutrient beta-carotene, so to get the most out of your zucchini, you should also eat the rind.
If you want some unusual varieties, go online to buy the seeds of Goldfinger Hybrid, or Costata Romanesco-speckled with light coloured ribbing.
Storing Zucchini-Store zucchini fresh and unwashed in a cold dry place, like the fridge, for about 3-5 days.
After that they start to get soft and wrinkly, and nobody wants that. Makes you wonder about the zucchinis that you buy in supermarkets. How has their shelf life been increased? Better to grow you own.
THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY.

DESIGN ELEMENTS
Contemporary Style Gardens part 2
Last week we explored what makes up a contemporary style of garden.
It’s probably not a style that too many gardeners are familiar with so today we’re going with a second part but in more detail about what you can plant in this style of garden.

Contemporary Gardens photo M Cannon

Let’s find out. I'm talking with Landscape Designer and consulting arborist Glenice Buck

Contemporary gardens are really just present day gardens that don’t hark back to historical designs.
The contemporary garden palette doesn’t have a collection of plants but just a limited palette of plants with repeat plantings.
Choose from architectural plants such as Draceanas, Cannas, Allocasias, NZ Flax, Mexican lilies and Yuccas.
Alcantarea imperialis-  (Imperial Bromeliad) There are many different varieties of bromeliad, this is one of the larger growing species known for its grey green leaves.  It will reach approximately one metre in height.
There is also a variety known as “Rubra” which has deep red leaves.
Dracaena marginata – One of the hardiest plants you could grow in your garden. 


Dragon's Blood Tree photo M Cannon

It has rigid slender stems which hold its terminal heads of narrow leaves normally with a red margin.  This plant can be used in a range of conditions from a hot exposed site with little water to lower levels of light outdoors or even indoors in good light.
Agave attenuata – A succulent leaved plant known for its silvery green rosettes of foliage and its drought tolerance.   It will multiply easily and works well in mass plantings or as a potted specimen.
Cycad revoluta (Sago Palm) – Originating from Japan this species has palm like leaves which grow out in a radial pattern from the trunk forming a circular head of foliage.  These leaves are spiky to touch.
 

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Mecican Lily Beschorneria yuccoides

Fitting right into the modern garden or providing a backdrop for the perennial or cottage garden, this plant is a true standout.




So 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


Yes, who wouldn’t want contrasting grey-green foliage with a magnificent display of large, pink, bell shaped flower spikes held up high during Spring and Summer?
The Mexican Lily prefers full sun, but just as much success in a part shade position. Provided it is planted in a well-drained fertile soil and given room to grow.
Although one thing to be said for this plant is that it possess few of the annoying habits that spiky plants seem to possess, such as: Stabbing you.; Dying after flowering; Rotting in winter; Slow growth'