September 2015 - SpadeRunner

Dandelion chicory, a pick anytime vegetable

September 28, 2015December 27, 2015 Stephen Carlin

I have been really impressed with dandelion chicory in the garden. I knew it as a vegetable from the greengrocers; a few big bunches always up the back of the greens stand, a little forlorn and unloved, mainly just providing a striking backdrop to the more bought (and known) greens. I got the seeds thinking I’d use it as a salad vegetable, a few of the dark green leaves adding interest to a lettuce plate, but all that has changed. Now I know it’s the leaf stems that are the…

Setting up an aquaponics system

September 25, 2015December 27, 2015 Stephen Carlin

Our new aquaponics system is up and running, and supporting some healthy tomato seedlings. It is a gravity recirculating system driven by a solar pump. Here I’ll outline the basic system, with reasons and tips for starting one, and plans for the future.

Growing Dendrobium nobile

September 22, 2015December 27, 2015 Stephen Carlin

This has been the runaway success of the orchids I have planted in trees here. Dendrobium nobile takes care of itself high in the fork of a tree above our house, and is making a lovely show on the driveway for Spring.

Heritage breed chickens for eggs

September 16, 2015December 18, 2015 Stephen Carlin

In your home flock you can choose from a wide variety of chicken breeds. The easiest to buy are the standard layer types, but if as you probably aren’t keeping them just for maximum egg production, you might find heritage breed chickens are more attractive and interesting option.

Growing watercress; green goodness

September 14, 2015December 29, 2015 Stephen Carlin

Whether you treat it like a herb or a vegetable, growing watercress is rewarding for the home gardener. In the cities you’re likely to find a reliable if costly supply, but I haven’t seen it for sale out here, and it’s very handy to have to pick at anytime for a garnish, or to liven up a sandwich, or on the larger scale to use as the main vegetable in a soup or frittata. A problem with bought watercress is that it tends to be all stem with yellow leaves low down,…

No-dig beds; are they any good?

September 10, 2015December 27, 2015 Stephen Carlin

I was keen to try no-dig beds, as they seem an ideal solution for opening up new garden areas without the considerable effort of hoeing and digging over new soil. My first efforts have not been entirely successful, although I’m still working at finding a method that works for me. Here are a few tips if you’re thinking of giving this method a try.

Growing strawberries over black plastic

September 9, 2015October 12, 2017 Stephen Carlin

This really works! As a kid we went to strawberry farms which had huge rows of black plastic with strawberries planted along them, and it always seemed a bit mean to the plants to have them almost smothered, but it really works for growing strawberries in the home garden too.

Growing onions in the subtropics

September 8, 2015December 28, 2015 Stephen Carlin

With our mild frost free Winters and warm wet Summers, onions generally don’t do well in the subtropics. They are cool-weather growers, and need a bit of chill to form bulbs. I have tried about six different varieties from seed, plus leeks and chives, and have had good results only from white bunching onions, meaning that these might be the subtropical onions for me.

Wheat, linseed, and other chicken forage.

September 7, 2015December 18, 2015 Stephen Carlin

I’ve just opened the fence to let the chickens in to one of the chicken forage yards. There are three fenced yards next to the chicken run, one has the beginnings of a citrus orchard and grass for grazing, but the other two I have been using to experiment with chicken forage crops. My first Winter crops have been rewarding; particularly the linseed (flaxseed) and wheat. Fenugreek hasn’t done well with any of my sowings over a full year now, and the mustard I sowed there was also a fizzer this season,…

Growing turmeric, a warmly rewarding crop

September 1, 2015December 28, 2015 Stephen Carlin

Turmeric has turned out to be a great crop for us here. If you have a warm climate or even just a warm spot over Summer, I’d encourage you to give it a try. I’ve just dug mine up, and was astounded by the amount there was, and by how densely it grows. It is a warm season plant, with attractive ginger type leaves through the Summer which slowly yellow off through Winter here, so that the top is only completely dead by the end of Winter, which is when…