1 Potato 2 Potato and Hot Compost

THE GOOD EARTH

Hot Compost

How many of you out there still do not have a composting system of some kind?
There’s no excuse, even if you only have a small balcony, everyone should be composting their kitchen scraps instead of it going to landfill.

• You just need some space for your compost.
• you could have compost bays, compost bins, or any structure that can hold up to 1 cubic metre of compost.

Compost bins at Margaret's House: Photo by Margaret Mossakowska

There’s so many systems out there to accommodate all kinds of limitations that you might have.
You can even make a compost heap without building or buying anything.
I'm talking with Margaret Mossakowska from www.mosshouse.com.au
Let’s find what to do .

Vermin: put Rapid mesh under you bins if you have rodents invading your compost.
Alternatively, put food scraps into a worm farm, and use you compost bins just for green waste.
Worm farm that is smelly:

• Too many food scraps will make the worm farm smelly and anaerobic. Mainly nitrogen rich.

The way to fix it is to add more carbon rich material such as shredded newspaper, coffee chaff or straw.
note: coffee chaff is free by-product of coffee roasting, that is husks of coffee beans. You just need to ask.
Compost Bins/Bays

• To make a hot compost you need to assemble at least 1 cubic metre of material in one go.
• Wait for it to heat up to 55-60 C, usually after 2-3 days, then you can turn it.
• Use a compost thermometer so the compost doesn't get over 60 C. This temperature is enough to kill weed seeds and insect eggs.
• Commercial compost is biologically dead because it is heated to  more than 70 C.
• Ratios are important: 4 buckets of carbon rich material to 1 bucket of green clippings/food scraps.
• Molasses can be added to compost to innoculate it, or use comfrey, nettles, nasturtium soaked in a bucket of water.

Margaret now runs workshops that you can attend without leaving your home because they’re via Zoom, that’s on your computer.
If you have any questions, why not email realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Which Potato Shall You Grow?

Potatoes are scientifically Solanum tuberosum

• Did you know that Potatoes are a vegetable that is one of the most energy-giving foods there is, because of the starch and carbohydrates in them? Farmers in the Andes Mountains of South America first discovered the potato 7,000 years ago

Captain William Bligh planted potatoes on Bruny Island, Tasmania in 1792. In Australia they are now the largest vegetable crop.

• Other than eating ,potatoes are used to brew vodka and Potato starch is used in the food industry as a thickener and binder for soups and sauces and, in the textile industry as an adhesive, and for the manufacturing of papers and boards.

The potato is a member of the nightshade or Solanaceae family and its leaves are poisonous.

TIP Here’s something to think about when storing your potatoes.

• A potato left too long in the light will begin to turn green.The green skin contains a substance called solanine which can cause the potato to taste bitter and green potatoes can upset the stomach, so don’t try them.

How to grow potatoes

• Always grow potatoes from Certified Seed Potatoes from reputable suppliers.

If you use leftovers or buy from supermarkets or green grocers, you might think it’s only a small risk, but once you get potato blight into your soil, it’s their forever. 

No chemical will shift it.

When to plant

Potatoes can be planted now all over Australia, in temperate and sub-tropical districts, August to October is the best time, in arid areas August until December is your best time,

Cranberry Red Potato

In cool temperate zones, September through to January is your best time so cooler areas have a bit of extra time to order some of the more unusual varieties before they grow in the ground.

Some Varieties You May Want to Consider

How about Cranberry Red?

Cranberry Red has red skin and red flesh, great in salads, for boiling and baking.  These stay red, even after cooking.

Or what about Potato Sapphire that has purple skin and purple flesh?

Royal Blue Potato

Purple Sapphire I’m sure is sold also as Purple Congo, is perfect for mashing, boiling and roasting, and yes, it stays purple after cooking.

Purple mash, Yum, and yes, I’ve cooked it.

And for a good all rounder, try growing Royal Blue.

Potato Royal Blue is oblong, with purple skin and dark yellow flesh.

If you’re buying through mail order or online, you have until the end of August to buy them. After that, they’re not available.

But What do they really need?

• They need lots of sunshine because the soil needs to be warm for them to grow their very best.
• They also need loose soil that isn’t too wet or too dry. If the ground is too wet, the potatoes will rot in the ground.
• Potatoes plants are started from the buds or ‘eyes’ of an existing potato. You can cut the potato into pieces and plant them with the bud or ‘eye’ facing up.

To grow your Potatoes-

Chicken manure or blood and bone should be dug through the bed as potatoes need a lot of phosphorus but not too much nitrogen.  Too much nitrogen will mean lots of leaves rather than potatoes.

Put seedling potatoes into a trench in as deep and rich a soil as you can get.

Plenty of compost and manures please.

And as they grow pile the earth up around them.

• You will need to hill the rows or potato container several times until the potatoes have flowered. You need to do this to stop the greening of tubers and also protect them from potato moth. Also, hilling up the soil and mulch will give you more potatoes as they tend to form on roots near the surface. That means, as you pile up the soil, you get new roots, and more potatoes....
• Keep the water up and but only water moderately as potatoes will rot in soil that is too wet. They can also get a fungus growing inside them if the soil’s too wet.When you cut them open, they’ll have grey patches inside which actually do taste mouldy. Euwwww!
• You can add fish emulsion and seaweed extract when you’re watering too.

How To Grow Potatoes in You Black Compost Bin.

Potatoes can also be grown in your black compost bin if you’re not using it for compost.

• Plant the seed potatoes at the bottom, let them grow to about 50cm,( so with your ruler that’s  almost 2 x ruler heights) then, over the top and add 8cm of soil, let them grow a little more, add some more soil, and so on, in the end a stack of potatoes.
• Pick your potatoes when the vine has died down to the ground, that’s if you want the most potatoes, but they can be harvested from when the first baby potatoes are formed. 
• The lower leaves should be turning yellow – this happens about 3 to 4 weeks after flowering.

If you plan to store your potatoes, cut off the foliage and let the potatoes rest in the ground for 3-4 weeks to allow the skin to 'set', they keep longer this way. Store in a dark, cool, well ventilated spot.

Roasting Potatoes include: Arran, Royal Blue, Cara, Celine, Desiree, Maxine, Picasso, Ruby Lou, Romano, King Edward, Kondor, Maris Piper, Stemster and Valor.

For Chip Potatoes try: Nadine, Kestrel, King Edward, Desiree, Kennebec.

For Boiling Potatoes try: Nadine, Dutch Cream Kestrel, Desiree, King Edward.

For Mashing Potatoes try: Kestrel, Nadine, King Edward, Tasmanian Pinkeye.

For Salad Potatoes try: Nicola, Tasmanian Pinkeye, Ponfine.

Harvesting Potatoes When The Vine Has Died Down

For something different try: Sapphire, with purple flesh it looks great mashed and roasted.

Another method for growing potatoes is underneath straw.  This no dig method is easy and will still provide you with a great crop.  First, prepare the growing area with a layer of manure, dampening it, and then covering it with a thick layer of wet newspaper.  Ensure that each piece of newspaper overlaps the next to stop weeds from getting through.  Put the seed potatoes on the newspaper 50cm apart and cover with a layer of straw.  Add cow manure and blood and bone over the straw.  After this add more straw, and repeat until the straw is 40cm deep.  Water it in well.  Because straw is organic, it will decompose so you will need to add more straw as it does so to prevent sunlight from reaching the potatoes.

Why are potatoes good for you?

The potato is densely packed with nutrients.

A medium potato provides vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6 and trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc.

Potatoes are known as the foods people crave when they are stressed. 

Why? because the carbs in potatoes (about 26%) help make space for tryptophan, this, in turn, boosts the serotonin level in the brain.

High serotonin levels help boost your mood and help you feel calm.

To preserve these nutrients it is important to peel the potato just prior to cooking and not leave

THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY

Edging Around The Garden with Allspice and Potatoes and a Camellia Or Two

A spice that causes confusion in the Spice it Up segment; Something that grows in the dark in Vegetable Heroes the garden path is finished, now to edge it, in Design Elements; and what Camellias make a favourites’ list in Plant of the week.

SPICE IT UP

Allspice: Pimento doica

Have you ever put the wrong ingredient into something you’ve cooked?

Perhaps it was just the wrong spice and the flavour wasn’t so good which left you wondering “what went wrong?”

Allspice can cause confusion, so let’s clear it up now.
I'm talking with Ian Hemphill from www.herbies.com.au

 Now you know not to mix up Allspice with Mixed Spice or even pimento. Allspice is an individual spice whereas mixed spice is a combination of spices mainly for sweet dishes.

Pimento doica

• The actual spice is a berry from the allspice tree.
• Ian tried to grow it on the north coast of NSW but was unsuccessful. Winters were too cold.
• You can try to grow it but I would recommend erecting a 3-sided shelter out of heavy-duty shade cloth, to surround the young tree.

Allspice has a fruity background note, but it has an aroma that is similar to Basil because both have the volatile oil eugenol present in them.

• Basil is the tomato herb, and allspice is the tomato spice.

The leaf has an extract taken from it and used in an astringent called 'bay rum." It has nothing to do with the drink called rum, but is used after shaving in a barber shop.

If you have any questions either for me or for Ian, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES

Potatoes or Solanum tuberosum

Did you know that potatoes were the first vegetable to be grown in space?

The potato is a member of the nightshade or Solanaceae family and its leaves are poisonous.

• Here’s something to think about when storing your potatoes.
• A potato left too long in the light will begin to turn green.
• The green skin contains a substance called solanine which can cause the potato to taste bitter and green potatoes can upset the stomach, so don’t try them.

How to grow potatoes

Always grow potatoes from Certified Seed Potatoes from reputable suppliers.

Yes it is possible to simply buy some from a specialist green grocer and keep them for seed, or use leftover potato peelings.

• What’s wrong with that?
• You run the risk of introducing diseases such as Potato Virus Y, Potato Blight or Potato cyst Nematode.
• If you use leftovers or buy from supermarkets or green grocers.
• You might think it’s only a small risk, but once you get potato blight into your soil, it’s their forever. No chemical will shift it.

When to plant

Potatoes can be planted now all over Australia, in temperate and sub-tropical districts, August to October is the best time, in arid areas August until December is your best time,

In cool temperate zones, September through to January is your best time so cooler areas have a bit of extra time to order some of the more unusual varieties before they grow in the ground.

• How about Cranberry Red?

  

  Purple Congo potato

• Cranberry Red has red skin and red flesh, great in salads, for boiling and baking.  These stay red, even after cooking.
• Potato Sapphire that has purple skin and purple flesh? Purple Sapphire I’m sure is sold also as Purple Congo, is perfect for mashing, boiling and roasting, and yes, it stays purple after cooking.
• Royal Blue. Potato Royal Blue is oblong, with purple skin and dark yellow flesh.

If you’re buying through mail order or online, you have until the end of August to buy them. After that, they’re not available.

How To Grow Your Potatoes?

• To grow your Potatoes-put seedling potatoes into a trench in as deep and rich a soil as you can get.
• Plenty of compost and manures please.
• And as they grow pile the earth up around them.
• You will need to hill the rows or potato container several times until the potatoes have flowered.
• You need to do this to stop the greening of tubers and also protect them from potato moth.
• Also, hilling up the soil and mulch will give you more potatoes as they tend to form on roots near the surface.

Hilling potatoes

• That means, as you pile up the soil, you get new roots, and more potatoes....Chicken manure or blood and bone should be dug through the bed as potatoes need a lot of phosphorus but not too much nitrogen.  Too much nitrogen will mean lots of leaves rather than potatoes.
• Keep the water up and but only water moderately as potatoes will rot in soil that is too wet.
• They can also get a fungus growing inside them if the soil’s too wet. When you cut them open, they’ll have grey patches inside which actually do taste mouldy. Euwwww!
• You can add fish emulsion and seaweed extract when you’re watering too.
• Potatoes can also be grown in your black compost bin if you’re not using it for compost.
• Plant the seed potatoes at the bottom, let them grow to about 50cm,( so with your ruler that’s  almost 2 x ruler heights) then, over the top and add 8cm of soil, let them grow a little more, add some more soil, and so on, in the end a stack of potatoes.

Harvesting

• Pick your potatoes when the vine has died down to the ground, that’s if you want the most potatoes, but they can be harvested from when the first baby potatoes are formed. 
  

The lower leaves should be turning yellow – this happens about 3 to 4 weeks after flowering.

If you plan to store your potatoes, cut off the foliage and let the potatoes rest in the ground for 3-4 weeks to allow the skin to 'set', they keep longer this way. Store in a dark, cool, well ventilated spot.

LIST OF VARIETIES AND THEIR USES:

Roasting Potatoes include: Arran, Royal Blue, Cara, Celine, Desiree, Maxine, Picasso, Ruby Lou, Romano, King Edward, Kondor, Maris Piper, Stemster and Valor.

For Chip Potatoes try: Nadine, Kestrel, King Edward, Desiree, Kennebec.

For Boiling Potatoes try: Nadine, Dutch Cream Kestrel, Desiree, King Edward.

For Mashing Potatoes try: Kestrel, Nadine, King Edward, Tasmanian Pinkeye.

For Salad Potatoes try: Nicola, Tasmanian Pinkeye, Ponfine.

Why are potatoes good for you? 😀

The potato is densely packed with nutrients. The Irish couldn’t be wrong could they?

A medium potato provides vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6 and trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc.

Potatoes are known as the foods people crave when they are stressed. 

Why? because the carbs in potatoes (about 26%) help make space for tryptophan with a smooth passage into the brain.

This, in turn, boosts the serotonin level in the brain.

High serotonin levels help boost your mood and help you feel calm.

To preserve these nutrients it is important to peel the potato just prior to cooking and not leave

THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Create a Garden Edge:

How do you create a garden edge for your lovely path that you created to keep those plants from growing into it?
There’s a few different ways it seems and some more labour intensive than others.
Let’s find out..
I'm talking with Landscape Designer, and, Director of Urban Meadows Jason Cornish.

Steel edges look great and are relatively easy to install. Some even interlock and have spikes that anchor them into the ground.
The cheap way is to use those second hand bricks left and dig a trench and put them straight in.

• Of course there’s always a better way of doing that same job and that’s to lay down sand and mortar so that the bricks won’t move if your lawnmower knocks them.

Brick edging can look amateur if not done correctly.

If you have any questions for me or for Jason, write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com

PLANT OF THE WEEK:

Choosing Camellias
Are you a fan of camellias?
Perhaps you’ve never thought of growing them?
You may be surprised to learn that they are a plant that can put up with a lot of neglect and still manage to flower magnificently during winter.
Let’s find out what are some favourites.
I'm talking with Jeremy Critchley of www.thegreengallery.com.au and Karen Smith editor of www.hortjournal.com.au

Camellia 'Lovelight'

Camellias mentioned:
Camellia japonica Lovelight: pure white with boss of yellow stamens.

Camellia japonica WH Davies Descanso: pale pink, anemonoflora type

Camellia Betty Cuthbert: Pink double

Camellia japonica Dona de Freitas de Magales-pale purple
 If you’re wanting to add to camellias in your garden, now’s the time to look around for ones you really like.
Don’t just settle for what’s in one nursery. Go online to see what else can be gotten for that extra special camellia.

Taties, Veggies, and Bottle Brushes

What’s On The Show Today?

We’re preparing for winter in the Good Earth segment, how to choose which potato to grow in Vegetable Heroes, and a shrub that’s everyone’s darling in winter in Plant of the Week, plus a couple of guys come into the studio talk about their favourite Australian plant .

THE GOOD EARTH

Winter Gardening and Crop Rotation

How well do you know your plant families?
Did you know that you shouldn’t plant veggies from the same plant family in the same spot year after year?

That’s all part of crop rotation which means of course you need to know your plant families.
There’s good reasons for practising crop rotation, but what if you only have enough room for a couple of veggie garden beds, what does a gardener do?
Let’s find out.. I'm talking with Margaret Mossakowska, director of www.mosshouse.com.au and Permaculture North Course coordinator.

Soon you’ll be saying things like Brassicas, Solanacea, and Fabaceae with ease and know what veggies belong to these families.

If you don't have much room and only have one area for a veggie bed, you can still divide it into four sections and follow crop rotation.

Otherwise, planting in pots is an alternative especially for the Solanacea family; the recommendation being wait 5 years before replanting any veggie from this family.

Created by Margaret Mossakowska

Brassicas: cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi

Allium: shallots, onions,garlic,

Solanaceae: tomatoes, chillies, capsicums, potatoes

Fabaceae: beans peas, snow peas,
Margaret’s tip to fertilise your garden is to use your homemade compost. and add things like chook poo, or other organic fertilisers.

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

VEGETABLE HEROES

Potatoes or Solanum tubersum

Chipped, fried, sautéed, boiled, baked or mashed, potatoes are one vegetable that we couldn’t be without.
Did you know that potatoes were the first vegetable to be grown in space?

Originally there were about 1,000 varieties, but over the years this number has been reduced to just a few hundred.

It’s always interesting to find out where our vegetables started and how they became popular.
Farmers in the Andes Mountains of South America first discovered the potato 7,000 years ago

The potato is a member of the nightshade or Solanaceae family and its leaves are poisonous.

Here’s something to think about when storing your potatoes.

A potato left too long in the light will begin to turn green.

The green skin contains a substance called solanine which can cause the potato to taste bitter and green potatoes can upset the stomach, so don’t try them.

How to grow potatoes

Always grow potatoes from Certified Seed Potatoes from reputable suppliers.
Yes it is possible to simply buy some from a specialist green grocer and keep them for seed, or use leftover potato peelings.

What’s wrong with that?
You run the risk of introducing diseases such as Potato Virus Y, Potato Blight or Potato cyst Nematode.
Potato blight by the way, cause the foliage to collapse and the tubers to rot.
If you use leftovers or buy from supermarkets or green grocers.
You might think it’s only a small risk, but once you get potato blight into your soil, it’s their forever.
No chemical will shift it.

When to plant

Potatoes can be planted now all over Australia, in temperate and sub-tropical districts, August to October is the best time, in arid areas August until December is your best time,
In cool temperate zones, September through to January is your best time so cooler areas have a bit of extra time to order some of the more unusual varieties before they grow in the ground.

So which potato to choose?

The first thing to think about is how you want to use your potatoes.
Different varieties have different amounts of starch, making the flesh of some break down into a fluffy texture while others retain a firmer, waxy texture.
Potatoes that are high in starch are great at absorbing liquids, causing the potato to break apart in cooking.
These types are great for baking, mashing or cutting into wedges.
Waxy potatoes contain less starch and hold together during cooking.
This makes them ideal for cooking in soups and stews, where you want the potatoes to retain their shape.
They’re also the ones to use in salads.
Here are some suggestion of the ones that are mostly available. 

Boil: Desire, Dutch cream, Golden delight, Kipfler, Nicola, Pontiac, Red Rascal, Sebago. Coliban is good for boiling, but breaks down if over-cooked. 

Mash: Chat, Coliban, Desiree, Golden delight, Pontiac, Sebago. Kipfler not recommended to mash. 

Bake: Chat, Coliban, Desiree, King Edward, Pontiac, Red Rascal. 

Roast: Chat, Coliban, Desiree, Golden delight, King Edward, Pontiac, Red Rascal, Sebago. 

Fry: Golden delight, Sebago, Coliban, Desiree. Kipfler and pontiac not recommended to fry. 

Steam: Chat, Coliban, Pontiac, Sebago. 

Salad: Desiree, Kipfler, Pontiac, Red Rascal, Sebago. Coliban not recommended for salad. 

All-purpose: King Edward, Nicola, Pink eye, Pontiac, Sebago.

Some unusual ones for you to try.
How about Cranberry Red?
Cranberry Red has red skin and red flesh, great in salads, for boiling and baking. 

These stay red, even after cooking.

Cranberry Red

Or what about Potato Sapphire that has purple skin and purple flesh?
Purple Sapphire I’m sure is sold also as Purple Congo, is perfect for mashing, boiling and roasting, and yes, it stays purple after cooking.

And for a good all rounder, try growing Royal Blue. Potato Royal Blue is oblong, with purple skin and dark yellow flesh.
If you’re buying through mail order or online, you have until the end of August to buy them. After that, they’re not available.

How to Grow
To grow your Potatoes-put seedling potatoes into a trench in as deep and rich a soil as you can get.
Altlernatively, grow seed potatoes by chitting them first.

That means to start them by leaving them on cardboard or egg cartons in a light position until they have produced short green sprouts. 

When you do plant them add plenty of compost and manures please. 

And as they grow pile the earth up around them.

• You will need to hill the rows or potato container several times until the potatoes have flowered 
• You need to do this to stop the greening of tubers and also protect them from potato moth. 
• Also, hilling up the soil and mulch will give you more potatoes as they tend to form on roots near the surface. 
• That means, as you pile up the soil, you get new roots, and more potatoes.... 
• Chicken manure or blood and bone should be dug through the bed as potatoes need a lot of phosphorus but not too much nitrogen. Too much nitrogen will mean lots of leaves rather than potatoes. 
• Keep the water up and but only water moderately as potatoes will rot in soil that is too wet. 
• They can also get a fungus growing inside them if the soil’s too wet. 
• When you cut them open, they’ll have grey patches inside which actually do taste mouldy. Euwwww! 
• You can add fish emulsion and seaweed extract when you’re watering too.

 
Potatoes can also be grown in your black compost bin if you’re not using it for compost.
Plant the seed potatoes at the bottom, let them grow to about 50cm,( so with your ruler that’s almost 2 x ruler heights) then, over the top and add 8cm of soil, let them grow a little more, add some more soil, and so on, in the end a stack of potatoes.
Pick your potatoes when the vine has died down to the ground, that’s if you want the most potatoes, but they can be harvested from when the first baby potatoes are formed.
The lower leaves should be turning yellow – this happens about 3 to 4 weeks after flowering.
If you plan to store your potatoes, cut off the foliage and let the potatoes rest in the ground for 3-4 weeks to allow the skin to 'set', they keep longer this way. Store in a dark, cool, well ventilated spot.
For a great article on growing potatoes visit DPIW Tasmania

Why are potatoes good for you?

The potato is densely packed with nutrients. The Irish couldn’t be wrong could they?
A medium potato provides vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6 and trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc.
Potatoes are known as the foods people crave when they are stressed.
Why? because the carbs in potatoes (about 26%) help make space for tryptophan with a smooth passage into the brain.
This, in turn, boosts the serotonin level in the brain.
High serotonin levels help boost your mood and help you feel calm.
To preserve these nutrients it is important to peel the potato just prior to cooking and not leave them in a bowl of water.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Choosing a Focal Point

Today RWG’s garden designer Peter Nixon is taking a look at focal points in the garden.

Natal Flame Bush

Plumeria Pudica

At this time of year, when trees are looking bare, and perhaps there’s not much to look at in the garden, it’s a good time to assess what you have and what you could improve.

Focal points are some plant, whether it’s a tree or a shrub a water feature or a statue, that draws the eye and gives the garden some sense of design. 

How do you know what to choose, especially these days when we have smaller gardens?

I'm talking with Peter Nixon, Director of Paradisus Garden Design.
Let’s find out.
PLAY: Best Fit Gardening_Focal Points_28th October 2015

The small trees mentioned were Plumeria pudica-the evergreen Frangipani, Synadenium grantii rubra or red south African mild bush; Alberta magna-the Natal Flame Bush for cool temperate to warm temperate regions or don’t go past the double flowering Crabapple-Malus ionensis plena. 

If you have any questions about growing small trees for focal points or have a suggestion why not write in or email me atwww.realworldgardener.com

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Callistemon x citrinus "Red Rocket"

Bottlebrush "Red Rocket"

Segment produced and presented by Lewis Beere and Hugh Mandalidis.

Callistemon Red Rocket has bright red new growth and only grows to 1.5 metres high and 1.5 metres wide.

Perfect for pots and low borders. Like all Callistemons, they suit sun or part shade and cope with all types of soils.

Once established, (give it at least a year), it will tolerate dry conditions and light frost.

Bottlebrushes are also not bothered by too many pests and diseases.

If you are after low maintenance then this is one of those plants.

Start of fertilising it with a slow release low phosphorus fertiliser to help first establish the plant. 

Although it can cope without too much fertiliser, if you want lush foliage, it's best to follow up with the occasional reapplication of fertiliser.

Mulching around the base of the plant will help retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Plant Breeder: Ian Shimmen.

Listen to Hugh and Lewi talk about Red Rocket Callistemon

Green Colours But Not On Potatoes

PLANT DOCTOR

How many pot plants do you have in the garden?
Are you always saying, ‘I’ve got to get rid of all those pot plants, I’ve got too many?”
Perhaps you’ve only got a couple of pot plants.

Either way, there’ll be a time when your plant in your pot starts to look unwell.

You plants could have anything from yellowing leaves, to semi-circular holes taken out the leaves.

So what can you do about this
problem and how can you be sure you’re treating the right problem?
Let’s find out, talking with Steve Falcioni, General Manager www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au



 

Firstly, those semi-circular holes taken out of leaves, mainly rose leaves, are caused by a native bee called the leaf cutter bee.
Leaf cutter bees are solitary native bees that nest inside cavities and build their egg cells with pieces of leaves.
They build multiple egg chambers per nest hole and in every one of them they lay an egg with a little bit of pollen, nectar and saliva so that the larvae can grow and develop.

leaf cutter bee photo. theangryblender

Before you get cranky at these bees taking the clean circular bites out of your plants’ leaves, did you know that the leaf cutter bee are very important pollinators of crops like clover, alfalfa, fruits, some vegetables — such as onions and carrots — and wildflowers?
 
How can you recognize leaf cutter bees?
These bees look like your regular honey bee and to the untrained eye they might be mistaken for one.
But here is the tip: while honey bees carry pollen in their corbicula (special structures in the tibia of the hind leg), leaf cutter bees carry the pollen that they collect on their scopa (elongated hairs on the abdomen).
Also, many times you will see these bees carrying parts of leaves back to their nest and honey bees don’t do this at all.
If you have any questions about problems with your plants in pots, why not write in to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

Vegetable Heroes

Potatoes or Solanum tubersoum
It’s always interesting to find out where our vegetables started and how they became popular.

Did you know that potatoes were the first vegetable to be grown in space?

Did you know that farmers in the Andes Mountains of South America first discovered the potato 7,000 years ago?
Then in the1500’s when th
e Spanish Conquistadors invaded Peru the potato arrived in Spain.
The Spanish thought of potatoes for the underclasses, or feeding hospital inmates.
The status of the potato didn’t improve until around 1780 when the people of Ireland adopted the potato as a food crop.
You might be surprised to learn that potatoes contain most of the vitamins you need to survive?
So what is a potato really?
The potato is a tuber and member of the nightshade or Solanaceae family so its leaves are poisonous.

Have you ever wonder why a potato left too long in the light begins to turn green?
That’s because of chlorophyll in the plant.
Underground the chlorophyll can't develop, but exposed to sunlight for long enough and the potatoes start going green.
The green skin contains a substance called solanine which can cause the potato to taste bitter and green potatoes can also upset the stomach, so don’t try them.

Another tip: Always grow potatoes from Certified Seed Potatoes from reputable suppliers.
Yes it is possible to simply buy some from a specialist green grocer and keep them for seed, or use leftover potato peelings.
What’s wrong with that? You run the risk of introducing diseases such as Potato Virus Y, Potato Blight or Potato cyst Nematode, if you use leftovers or buy from supermarkets or green grocers.
You might think it’s only a small risk, but once you get potato blight into your soil, it’s their forever. No chemical will shift it.
When to SowPotatoes can be planted pretty soon all over Australia.
I’m giving you this information so that you can order all those really great varieties you don’t see in the shops.
In temperate and sub-tropical districts, August to October is the best time, in arid areas August until December is your best time.in cool temperate zones, and September through to January.
Cooler areas have a bit of extra time to order some of the more unusual varieties before they grow in the ground.
How about Cranberry Red?
Cranberry Red has red skin and red flesh, great in salads, for boiling and baking.  These stay red, even after cooking.


Cranberry Red Potatoes

Or what about Potato Sapphire? That has purple skin and purple flesh.


Blue sapphire

Purple Sapphire I’m sure is sold also as Purple Congo, is perfect for mashing, boiling and roasting, and yes, it stays purple after cooking.
Purple mash, Yum, and yes, I’ve cooked it.
And for a good all rounder, try growing Royal Blue.
Potato Royal Blue is oblong, with purple skin and dark yellow flesh.
If you’re buying through mail order or online, you have until the end of August to buy them. After that, they’re not available.
Growing PotatoesTo grow your Potatoes-put seedling potatoes into a trench in as deep and rich a soil as you can get.
Plenty of compost and manures please.
And as they grow pile the earth up around them.
You will need to hill the rows or potato container several times until the potatoes have flowered
You need to do this to stop the greening of tubers and also protect them from potato moth.
Also, hilling up the soil and mulch will give you more potatoes as they tend to form on roots near the surface.
That means, as you pile up the soil, you get new roots, and more potatoes....
Chicken manure or blood and bone should be dug through the bed because potatoes need a lot of phosphorus but not too much nitrogen. 
Too much nitrogen will mean lots of leaves rather than potatoes.
Keep the water up and but only water moderately as potatoes will rot in soil that is too wet.
They can also get a fungus growing inside them if the soil’s too wet.
When you cut them open, they’ll have grey patches inside which actually do taste mouldy. Ewwww!

You can add fish emulsion and seaweed extract when you’re watering too.
Potatoes can also be grown in your black compost bin if you’re not using it for compost. Plant the seed potatoes at the bottom, let them grow to about 50cm, (so with your ruler that’s  almost 2 x ruler heights) then, over the top and add 8cm of soil, let them grow a little more, add some more soil, and so on, in the end a stack of potatoes.
When are they ready?Pick your potatoes when the vine has died down to the ground, that’s if you want the most potatoes, but they can be harvested from when the first baby potatoes are formed. 
The lower leaves should be turning yellow – this happens about 3 to 4 weeks after flowering.
Keeping Potatoes
If you plan to store your potatoes, cut off the foliage and let the potatoes rest in the ground for 3-4 weeks to allow the skin to 'set', they keep longer this way. Store in a dark, cool, well ventilated spot.
For a great article on growing potatoes visit DPIW Tasmania
Roasting Potatoes include: Arran, Royal Blue, Cara, Celine, Desiree, Maxine, Picasso, Ruby Lou, Romano, King Edward, Kondor, Maris Piper, Stemster and Valor.
For Chip Potatoes try: Nadine, Kestrel, King Edward, Desiree, Kennebec.
For Boiling Potatoes try: Nadine, Dutch Cream Kestrel, Desiree, King Edward.
For Mashing Potatoes try: Kestrel, Nadine, King Edward, Tasmanian Pinkeye.
For Salad Potatoes try: Nicola, Tasmanian Pinkeye, Ponfine.
Why are potatoes good for you?The potato is densely packed with nutrients.
The Irish couldn’t be wrong could they?
A medium potato provides vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6 and trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc.
Potatoes are known as the foods people crave when they are stressed. 
Why? because the carbs in potatoes (about 26%) help make space for tryptophan with a smooth passage into the brain.
This, in turn, boosts the serotonin level (the feel good hormone)  in the brain.
High serotonin levels help boost your mood and help you feel calm.
To preserve these nutrients it is important to peel the potato just prior to cooking and not leave it exposed to the air or standing in water any longer than necessary.
AND THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY!

DESIGN ELEMENTS

with garden designer Lesley Simpson
This series is all about colour in the garden.

Do you ever think about the colour of the leaves and grass in your garden as being part of your colour scheme?
Of course, green’s a colour and it’s in your garden. So unless you’re making the effort to only use grey or silver leaved plants in your garden, you will have some amount of green there. Possibly too much green.
Let’s find out about using green colours in your garden.

Did you know that the first colour wheel has been attributed to Sir Isaac Newton?
Newton in 1706 arranged red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet into a natural progression on a rotating disk.
But it was in 1810  that a Mr Goethe Farbkreis introduced the first systematically organized colour wheel?
His observations on the effect of opposed colours led him to a symmetric arrangement of his colour wheel, where he wrote "for the colours diametrically opposed to each other… are those which reciprocally evoke each other in the eye."

PLANT OF THE WEEK

with Karen Smith  editor www.hortjournal.com.au and Jeremy Critchley nursery owner www.thegreengallery.com.au

Yellow Cottonwood Tree
Talipariti tiliaceum syn Hibiscus tiliaceus .

Would you like a small tree in your garden with beautiful heart shaped leaves and lemony yellow hibiscus like flowers with a maroon centre?
Better still, if you like butterflies, the leaves are the food plant for the larval stages of the Common Oakblue Butterfly.
What is this plant? Let’s find out …

                     

Gnarly trunk of mature Talipariti tiliaceum syn. Hibiscus tiliaceus

Commonly found growing on beaches, by rivers and in mangrove swamps. Sea Hibiscus is well adapted to grow in coastal environment in that it tolerates salt and waterlogging and can grow in quartz sand, coral sand, marl, limestone, and crushed basalt.

Like some other plants in the Malvaceae or mallow family, the flowers change colour as they age, turning dull orange or reddish by the time they fall.

 

In winter there may be few or no flowers in mild-tropical or subtropical climates, but the flowers may remain on the tree for more than a single day

Talipariti tiliaceum Rubra

Yellow Cottonwood  or Hibiscus tiliaceus is a fast-growing tree which is best suited to landscaping, although it can be kept in containers if properly pruned and potted up as necessary. It can be also grown successfully as a bonsai.

This plant prefers full sun but can be grown indoors if placed by a window where it can get as much sun as possible, preferably in the morning, although it may be very difficult to get flowers indoors.
For something different why not tree  Bronze cottonwood that has the same yellow flowers but deep red foliage.
If you have any questions about growing