SlideShare a Scribd company logo
1 of 35
Download to read offline
!"#$%&'()#*+'&,%+#%&+!)-%*&$./(!*#.*
     !"#$%&'(()"*(+",+(-.%,"*((&".%"
           $+.&"!/01+$2.$
We acknowledge the traditional owners and people of this land.

Big Thanks
This revised second edition of the Alice
Springs Vegie Garden Companion would
not have been possible without the efforts
of all those who contributed to the first edi-
tion. Thank you.

Editor, Katrina Patton, has gone way
beyond the call of duty to share her love of
gardening and commitment to local food
                                                 Contents
growing. Katrina has edited, written sec-        3    Getting Started
tions, designed and produced this version.
Her vision and skills have taken it to a new     10   Water
level.
                                                 14   Soils
Geoff Miers has generously contributed
years of experience to these pages, hours        17   Compost
to the editing process and ongoing support
for the project. Thanks also to Chris Brock      22   Chickens
for his dedication to the cause and tireless
contributions, and to Tim Collins for his        24   Pests
help on the Bush Foods section.
                                                 29   Integrated Pest Management
Big love to Fiona Rogers, Lucy Scott and              & Companion planting
Grace Pullen for the beautiful artwork.
                                                 32   Seedsaving
Finally ALEC acknowledges the support
of the Northern Territory Government. In         35   Planting by the Moon
2009, ALEC Coordinator Jimmy Cocking,
applied successfully for an Environment          37   Vegetables
Grant towards a Gardens For Food project
as a practical community adaptation to           42   Fruit: the big four
climate change.
                                                 46   Other Fruit
This precious resource, the Alice Springs
Vegie Garden Companion, has been created         50   Herbs
through a community effort. It will assist
local food production throughout arid Aus-       52   Bush Foods
tralia for many years to come.
                                                 54   Garden Directory
Ruth Apelt
Arid Lands Environment Centre
Spring 2010

                                                                                   1
Welcome to the second edition of the Alice Springs Vegie Garden
                         Companion: A handbook for growing food in arid Australia. This
                                                                                                  Getting Started
                           edition has been produced as part of our Gardens For Food Project
                                                                                                  A variety of vegetables, fruits and herbs can be grown in and around Alice
                           - to inspire, encourage and assist people to grow their own food.
                                                                                                  Springs, some are easier than others, and all will do better with a little bit of
                Today, the home vegie patch is making a comeback as people adapt to climate       planning and preparation. The following are some general tips for the less
    change and the environmental impacts of how food is produced. There are hundreds of           experienced gardener.
    bountiful back yards in and around Alice Springs, and plenty of space for more.
                                                                                                  Planning
    The 2006-2007 Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion has indeed become a companion              Choosing the location for your garden is the most important factor in ensuring a successful
    for many gardeners in Alice Springs. The community has celebrated this resource as peo-       and abundant garden with minimal effort. Select a site that gets some sun all year round, par-
                                                                                                  ticularly winter sun, that is when the sun is low to the north. Patchy shade in summer is great
    In this revised and expanded edition we have added sections on fruit trees, bush foods,       however if shade is provided by trees, consider that their roots can take water and nutrients
    chickens, more on compost, a section for people with less experience and more.                away from your vegetables. Most trees have extensive root systems, which may or may not
                                                                                                  compete for water and nutrients with your vegetables. An area that doesn’t have shade or trees
    Before colonisation, Arrernte people sustained themselves for thousands of years, gather-     on the northern boundary is great and some shade or trees on the southern boundary is okay.
    ing food and medicine from this arid landscape. In the early colonial days people culti-
    vated the land here and grew most of the food they needed to sustain themselves.              Once you have a couple of positions in mind take time to sit in your garden and observe it:
    Until the 1970’s Alice Springs grew most of its own veggies. Since then, the complexities
    and conveniences of modern life have taken over. But these days the language of climate
                                                                                                  build better soil. You can also test soil from your garden with a home pH testing kit or take
    change includes concerns for food security, community resilience, and the need to reduce
                                                                                                  some samples into a nursery for testing.
    food miles and carbon footprints.

    Growing food is an empowering action that individuals and communities can take to             or dig trenches to bring it to your fruit trees and vegetable garden.
    address ALL these challenges! And the taste of freshly picked produce is always beyond
    compare, without the need for pesticides and packaging. The higher nutritional value is                                                                                                    -
    confirmed by research.                                                                        ally). If you find you have a garden that receives more sun at one end than the other, you could
                                                                                                  plan for winter crops in full sun and summer crops with more shade. You can also put up
    In a nutshell, home grown is cheap, good for you and good for the environment. And it’s       shade cloth if the summer sun is too strong.
    fun. It is our hope that this little book can accompany you along the journey that is grow-
    ing food in arid Australia.
                                                                                                  Paths and compaction
                                                                                                  Compaction occurs when the garden soil is walked upon. It is bad as it prevents water, air and
                                                                                                  essential nutrients from penetrating the soil. Include paths and stepping stones in your plan to
    There is lots happening in and around Alice Springs. You might want to…                       avoid it.


    them on facebook.                                                                             Soil preparation
                                                                                                  It is very important to prepare the soil, as rarely in arid conditions will it be deliciously rich
                      sharing seed and knowledge locally.                                         and ready to be planted into. See the Soils section for information on how to identify your soil
                                             an eye out for gardening workshops. Check            type and prepare it for growing food.
                                        notice boards at nurseries or ask around the com-
                                            munity garden and DesertSMART COOLMob
                                              networks.
                                             Email gardensforfood@gmail.com for more infor-
                                             mation
2
                                                                                                                                                                                                       3
No-dig garden beds
    Pots and Container Gardens                        Getting rid of weeds & Couch                     A no-dig garden creates a garden bed on
    You also might consider gardening in pots,        Most grasses and weeds around Alice
                                                                                                       top of the existing soil by layering organic
    tubs and boxes if you have limited space,         Springs can be easily pulled from your
                                                                                                       matter which will break down to form your
    sunlight or really bad soil. Generally the        garden. If you are making a no-dig raised
                                                                                                       garden bed. The layers will shrink as they
    bigger the tub/pot the better. Large con-         garden bed you may not need to remove
                                                                                                       break down and will need regular additions
    tainers retain moisture longer, heat up and       most weeds, simply cut it and leave it on the
                                                                                                       of compost and mulch. It’s like building a flat
    cool down more slowly and can require less        ground, to get smothered by your garden.
                                                                                                       compost pile but with a lot more carbon and
    frequent watering.
                                                      Couch grass however is a different story. It
    Foam boxes, big pots, old baths or tubs can       will grow right through. Couch grass is hard     This method is a solution to poor quality
    be used to grow vegetables successfully.          to take out of a growing garden so it is best    ground soil. Weed management is much
                                                      to eradicate it and take measures to prevent     easier because they are off the ground which
                                                      it re-entering before creating your new          also makes it harder for dogs to get into the
                                                      garden.                                          garden.
                                                      Couch spreads by put-
                                                      ting out runners so it is                        Make a no-dig garden bed
                                                      essential that all roots
                                                      must be dug up and                                               You will need:
                                                      removed from your                                                                                                                               -
                                                      garden.

                                                      If the runner breaks up,
    Fill them with a mix of good soil, slow                                                                              castings)
                                                      try to find all pieces,
    release fertiliser, potting mix, compost, sand,
    worm castings or composted manure. Mulch          each piece can sprout
    as you would any other garden bed. Renew          into new grass.                                                                                    should do it.
    with compost and fertiliser between each                                                              keeping weeds out and garden soil in)          4. Top it off with a thick layer of mulch/
    major crop.                                       If you do this well, it is much easier to keep
                                                      couch from re-entering your garden by                 you want to plant out straight away
    Pots may need to be watered daily in sum-         digging a trench around your garden bed
    mer and less in winter. Placing a deep tray       and burying a short fence corrugated iron
    of water beneath the pot allows the plant to                                                       1. Trample or mow the grass leaving the clip-
                                                      to prevent runners. If your soil is too heavy,
    suck up water as it requires. Put some twigs                                                       pings there. If you have couch grass, remove
                                                      following and pulling up roots may not be
    or gravel in the bottom for drainage. Keep        an option.
    an eye on the water level here, if the tray                                                        Other grasses and weeds will be smothered.        straw/hay and water well.
    stays full for days then there is perhaps too     A spray of Glyphosate works well on couch
    much water or the roots of the plant are too                                                       2. Lay down a double layer of cardboard           5. Cover with hessian to keep moist, check
                                                      grass as a one off application then protect
    shallow. Change the water every few days if                                                        or ten layers of newspaper, overlapping by
                                                      the borders to prevent re-infestation. Get-
    it starts to attract mosquitoes.                                                                   about a third. Dip each in a bucket of water      ready to be planted.
                                                      ting rid of it while the vegie garden is in
                                                                                                       before laying out.
    Some things will just grow better than oth-                                                                                                          6. OR to cheat a little and use your no-dig
                                                      a minimum by regular pulling, and then                                                             garden bed straight away, make holes in the
    ers in pots. Herbs and salad greens are great
    places to start but experiment and see what                                                                                                          bed and fill them with soil and compost or a
                                                      replanting.                                                                                        cheap potting mix. Plant seedlings or seeds
    works for you.

4
                                                                                                                                                                                                          5
Wicking Garden Beds                                                                                 Wicking Garden Beds Need:
    A wicking bed is a garden bed that is sealed underneath and uses capillary action to ‘wick’
    water up into the roots of the plants. It is possible for water to ‘wick’ 30 cm up through the                                                       You may choose to make a large wicking
    soil.                                                                                               1. Space for water to be stored. Wicking
                                                                                                        garden beds are built inside a plastic liner     design). It might have timber or corrugated
    Simple but effective, they are very suited to arid conditions and areas with erratic rainfall. In   or water proof container. Water can also be      iron sides or might just be mounded up a lit-
    this regard they are considered an adaptation tool for the impacts of climate change on food        trapped in recycled cut open drink bottles       tle. It might be dug into the ground or built
    production.                                                                                         buried under the soil or amongst gravel/sand     up above it entirely.
                                                                                                        at the bottom of the liner/container.
    Why a wicking bed?
                                                                                                                                                         the plastic out around the bed to catch more
                                                                                                        2. An overflow point 20-30cms below the
                                                                                                                                                         water run-off into the wicking bed.
                                                                                                        a pipe with holes in is used to distribute the
                                                                                                        water underneath the soil.

                                                                                                        To learn a lot more about the wicking garden
                                                                                                                       principles go to
                                                                                                                   www.waterright.com.au

                                                                                                        Understanding the basic principals of a
                                                                                                        wicking garden bed enables us to go on and
                                                                                                        experiment with all kinds of variations.

                                                                                                        You may choose to use the wicking bed
                                                                                                        principles on a small and cheap scale, using
                                                                                                        recycled materials.




                                                                                                                                                         Big wicking garden beds work extremely
                                                                                                                                                         well with a worm farm situated inside them.
                                                                                                                                                         A bucket with several inch-holes drilled in it
                                                                                                                                                         is enough.



                                                                                                        For garden bed ideas and how to make a
                                                                                                        polystyrene box garden with wicking princi-
                                                                                                        ples see www.easygrowvegetables.com


6
                                                                                                                                                                                                          7
How to Hand Pollinate

Seeds and seedlings                                                                                                                          and squash need bees to pollinate them.
                                                                                                                                                        If there aren’t many bees
                                                                                                                                                        around and your baby
of tender shoots. You may choose to sow seeds in pots in a sheltered area or nursery that gets                        pumpkins
daily water. If you decide to buy punnets from the nursery, make sure they are not too old
and root-bound otherwise they will fail. If planting punnets straight into the garden, you will              dropping off with-                            out developing, you may need
need to water daily, so another strategy is to plant these into large pots in your nursery area            to hand polinate.
until their roots have reached the bottom of the pots.                                                   It just takes three easy steps:

Hardening off is the process of slowly introducing young seedlings to the harsh realities            1. Identify the female and the male flowers.
of garden bed life. Going straight from the protected nursery to the garden can be a bit of
shock, so about a week before you want to plant your seedlings out, start hardening them off.                                                  8'(#$%()*#+2$0#.5$0)$9)&#$%,+20$
Gradually restrict the amount and frequency of water. Move seedlings outside to expose them                                                    2)$*',0$4.0,($/)4$"'-#$%()*#+2$
to sunlight, start with just an hour or two and gradually increase this time every day over the                                                *,0"$(,00(#$)-'+,#27$
hardening off week.
                                                                                                                      !!"#$%#&'(#$%()*#+$*,(($"'-#$
Transplanting
evening. Prepare the soil and water the area thoroughly. Water seedlings a couple
                                                                                                                     '.$)-'+/$)+$*"'0$())12$(,1#$'$
of hours before planting them out in prepared garden beds. If planting out                                           3455,.6$%+4,0$3#()*$,07
in hot weather, seedlings can be covered for a few days with shade cloth. Be
gentle! Try to handle them as little as possible and do them one at a time
so they aren’t lying around exposed. Don’t plant the stem deeper than it                                 2. Pick the male flower and pull back the petals to
originally was, it may rot.                                                                              expose the stamen which can be used like a little ‘brush’.

Pruning fruit trees is important to have healthy trees and increasing the quality and quan-          3. Brush the pollen off the male flower stamen onto the stigma on the
tity of fruit. Prune in winter. Prune young trees to promote growth by being a little ruthless
and removing at least half of last seasons growth. Cut right back to an outward facing bud
                                                                                                  fertilised and will continue to grow.
to encourage the tree to grow out from the centre, not into itself. For trees over 3 years old,
prune trees to encourage fruiting. Remove old, dead or diseased wood. Light thinning may be
necessary, the tree will now put its energy into fewer bigger and better fruit instead of many
                                                                                                  Planting times
                                                                                                  The key factor to a successful garden, particularly in Alice Springs, is planting each thing at
not so good fruit. For more information, see the pruning section under the specific fruit tree
                                                                                                  the right time. Refer to the planting chart.

                                                                                                          You can also subscribe to weekly,
Root pruning may be necessary if they have become root bound from be-
                                                                                                        fortnightly or monthly free planting
ing in a pot for too long. When planting out root bound plants trim roots
just enough that they can be gently teased out a little with your hands. Cut
                                                                                                                www.gardenate.com.
foliage a little too to balance it out.




                                                                                                                                                                                                    9
Water
 Alice Springs’ main water supply is ground water. More than two thirds of water                    Summer vegetable watering
 in Alice Springs goes on our gardens, and much of that is due to unnecessary                       With adequate mulch and well developed organic soil, established gardens should be able to
 over-watering. It is essential that over watering is reduced, not only to preserve                 cope with 3 waterings a week. This infrequent heavy watering encourages plants to develop
                                                                                                    deep roots while mulch reduces evaporation. Watering time will vary with your type of sys-
 our precious resource but also to reduce potential build up of salts in the soil
                                                                                                    dig a hole to see how far water is penetrating. New plants and seedlings will still need daily
                                                                                                    watering until their root systems develop. Daily light watering encourages shallow rooting
 mulch.                                                                                             and is mostly unnecessary for summer crops, except in really sandy soils where water drains
                                                                                                    too quickly. In the peak of summer, a supplementary daily watering may be necessary if plants
                                                                                                    seem to be drying up and not coping with the heat.
 The key to effective watering is in the soil. Sandy soils hold little water and
 require small amounts of water frequently while soils with more clay hold and                      Winter vegetable watering
 spread more water, requiring more water less frequently. Introducing lots of                       Winter gardens require much less water but you should still irrigate at a similar frequency
 organic matter into the soil and applying mulch will drastically reduce water-
 consumption in sandy soils particularly.                                                           and the soil. You will need to observe how long you need to water and how fast your soil dries
                                                                                                    out. Seedlings will still need daily watering in sunny weather but otherwise may cope with a
 Watering systems                                                                                   twice-weekly regime.
 A watering system is essential to grow food at home in Alice Springs as rainfall is unreliable.
 There are a range of irrigation systems that are best suited for differing situations and garden   Watering fruit trees               Fruit section for specific info on each tree)
 types.                                                                                             Below is a guide for citrus tree and grape vine watering. Newly planted citrus may need
                                                                                                    to be watered daily for the first few weeks during establishment and then slowly space the
 When planning your gardens try to place plants with similar water needs together. Vegetable        waterings out more over time. You will also notice that over time the need for watering will
 gardens, citrus and fruit tree orchards, exotic gardens and native gardens have very different     increase as the tree grows. Use the drip line of the tree to guide your watering and move out
 water requirements. Each section of the garden should have its own separate watering system so     and expand your drippers as the tree grows. Do make sure that the trunk of the tree is free
 that volumes and durations can be tailored to meet the plant needs.                                of mulch and dirt as this will encourage termites, ants and collar rot, a fungal disease that
                                                                                                    will ring-bark and kill the tree over time.
 Whatever system you do decide on, consider running a separate line to each bed. This way you
 can turn off sections that don’t need watering avoiding unnecessary waste of water.


                                                      References and more information

                                         Water Wise by DesertSMART COOLmob & Power
                                       and Water is a new free booklet on how to save water
                                            in your home and garden, packed with detailed
                                                        information and lots of helpful tips.
                                                              www.desertsmartcoolmob.org

                                        The Alice Springs Library has lots of books with tips
                                                                              Good Gardens
                                                       With Less Water by Kevin Handreck
                                                                                                    * Watering regime is based on using eight adjustable drippers per tree each producing 25
                                                                                                    litres per hour. Watering time required equals one hour for 200 litres.
10
                                                                                                                                                                                                     11
Automated timers                                   Octaflow, Shrublers,                             Overhead watering/ Sprinklers
     Timers are great. They automatically apply         Octamitters                                                                                       Choose biodegradable detergents with low
     water throughout the week at a specified time      Whatever you call them, they                     that doesn’t need it and through evaporation.    amounts of sodium and phosphorus. Don’t
     of day and for a specified length of time. They    are essentially just emitters which              50% of water applied in Summer via micro-        use greywater that has bleach, fabric bright-
     allow you to moderate and experiment to see        let out a greater volume of water to             sprays and misters is lost through evapora-      eners or other strong chemicals in it. For your
     the most effective combinations of watering        meet plant needs. These are great un-            tion. Misters may be of benefit in the nurs-     health, it is best not to use greywater on root
     times and amounts. They also let you go away       der fruit trees where a large volume             ery where fine sprays of water are required to   vegetables or let it come into contact with the
     for a while knowing your garden will get wa-       of water is required in a short period           carefully water seed trays germinating seed-     parts of plants you are going to eat.
     tered. Automatic controllers ideally need to       of time. These high volume emitters              lings.
     be reprogrammed four times a year reflecting       should not be installed on lines that                                                             Water Harvesting
     the seasonal variations. Many timers have a                                                         Flood irrigation                                 Rainwater, unlike the tap water here, is low
                                                        manage plant water needs.                        This traditional method uses a fast release of   in salt and not alkaline. Whilst rainfall in Al-
     rain has fallen to save water.                                                                      water to flood and thoroughly wet the soil.      ice Springs is not going to sustain a vegetable
                                                                                                         For deep rooted crops flood irrigation can be    garden, it makes sense to make the most of it.
                                                        Dripper tube/ Weeping hose / Sub-                                                                 Check out what rebates are being offered by
     Drippers                                                                                            most appropriate however for shallow rooted
                                                        surface dripline                                 crops it can be wasteful. This method is best    the Federal Government and Northern Ter-
     Drippers are the most ef-                          This method has slightly different names for
     ficient watering method                                                                             recommended for citrus and other high wa-        ritory Government on rainwater tanks instal-
                                                        slightly different products but essentially a    ter usage fruit trees, in which case a mound     lation costs.
     if planned and installed                           length of hose or poly
     well. They can be posi-                                                                             around the tree needs to be formed to hold
                                                        pipe that has holes                              the water in a ‘saucer’ preventing it from       Making the most of rainwater doesn’t require
     tioned at appropriate distances                    in it which slowly
     along poly pipe and vegetables                                                                      spreading.                                       a water tank. By observing where the water
                                                        release water that                                                                                naturally gathers and flows in your yard, you
     can be planted next to them, so the water is       lies slightly under
     only supplied where it is needed ensuring                                                           Twice a year throughout the garden a deep        can then build trenches, swales and diversions
                                                        ground or under                                  watering, once in late November and again        to redirect the water to your fruit trees. Run-
     good root growth. Individual drippers of cer-      mulch in your garden.
     tain types can be turned off so only the parts                                                      in late January has the benefit of giving deep   off water from roofs, driveways and paved ar-
                                                        Dripper tube with inline emitters can be pur-    rooted trees a good water while at the same      eas also can be diverted. In heavy rain, water
     of your garden that are planted out get wa-        chased with differing spacings, or in the case
     tered and the flow rate can also be adjusted                                                        time flushing surface salts back down into the   could flood the vegetable patch. Avoid this
                                                        of weeping hose the entire length is porous      subsoil.                                         by creating sumps where water can pool and
     according to plant needs. Installing an irriga-    and slowly releases water. These methods are
     tion system with drippers requires a commit-                                                                                                         soak into the ground. Paths and lawn areas
                                                        ideal for vegetable gardens as watage and loss                                                    can function as these low points. Catch rain-
     ment in installation time and set up costs but     through evaporation is significantly reduced.    Greywater
     will save time and water in the long run.                                                                                                            water in containers for pot plants and indoor
                                                        As with all irrigation systems an inline fil-    Using household greywater on fruit trees will
                                                                                                                                                          plants.
                                                        ter should be installed to prevent blockages.    help further reduce water consumption. You
     Bury pipes under soil or mulch as exposure         Weeping hoses are quite prone to blockages       could:
     to sun causes quite rapid pipe deterioration.      with calcium and should perhaps be covered
     Drippers and other emitters should be con-         in mulch at all times to reduce evaporation.
     nected to 4mm feeder line that connects with
     the main irrigation line. This allows for the
     emitters to be moved away from the base of                                                          Established citrus and mulberries can usually
     the plant as it grows. Extra emitters may need                                                      cope with up to 3 washing machine loads a
     to be added as the plant grows. Installing and                                                      week. Citrus and fruit trees solely irrigated
     regularly cleaning an inline filter is essential                 Calcium                            with grey water will, in the longer term, de-
     to keep it free from blockages.                                                                     teriorate in health. Grey water should be used
                                                                    build up can
                                                                    be dissolved                         in conjunction with mains water.
                                                                    with vinegar
12
                                                                                                                                                                                                         13
Soils
     Working organic matter into Central Australian soils is your basic challenge. Soils in Alice
     Springs are typically low in organic content and nutrients due to the arid climate, past high        Salt
     rates of erosion and their ancient age. Part of any vegetable gardener’s seasonal routine
     should include regular work on replacing nutrients used by the past crops, adding compost           plants become more drought sensitive. In some areas of Alice Springs irrigation water has
     material and mulching. Over time, vegie gardeners become familiar with the characteristics
     of their patch and can quickly recognise when soils are low in organic matter, waterlogged                                                       of plants. The soil’s surface develops a crust and
     or dry, or full of life ready to bear a bumper crop. Increasing the water holding capacity of            833+9-*-#.63-+*.$&-"0+)"+               the white salt deposits are visible. Rainfall helps
     sandy soils is a matter of increasing and consistently adding organic matter. Clay and sandy          83)(-+:2$)"*0+(%'3&+),2$%9-+               reduce salinity problems by flushing salt deposits
                                                                                                         ;)#1+#1-+.&&)#)%"+%<+%$*.")(+,.#=            deeper into the soil, away from the plant root-
     composting), worm castings and aged manure. Clay soils benefit from gypsum, coarse sand             #-$>+(%,2%0#/+1','0/+;%$,+(.0#=                                                                    -
     and organic matter being incorporated into the soil.                                                       )"*0/+.*-&+,."'$-7+                   lems by managed watering and heavy mulching.

     Soil Type
     A general appreciation of the soil characteristics of your vegie patch will greatly assist in the
                                                                                                         Preparing Soil
                                                                                                         Organic manures and fertilisers are preferred as they add nutrients as well as much needed
     management and improvement of the soil. You can determine your soil type by feeling its
                                                                                                         humus, which increases water-holding capacity, and improves soil structure. Preparing soil
     texture and observing its clay content. Soil textures in Alice Springs vary widely.
                                                                                                         properly takes time and beds should be prepared well in advance to planting.
     Soil type test
     Start by moistening a handful of soil with        Watch how long your ribbons are:
                                                       Ribbon length = Type of soil                      Breaker” should be added at the recommended rates to help break up the clay clods. On high
                                                       5mm to 25mm = Sandy soils: low fertility.         pH soils sulphur should be added.
     one or two drops out as you clench it tightly
     in your fist. Once you have the soil mois-        Organic matter rapidly breaks down and
                                                       leaches away. Quick draining.
                                                                                                         Quick safe method
                                                                                                         Clear the site and dig in a commercial organic fertiliser with a good blend of well-composted
     with your thumb to push the soil over the
                                                                                                         organic matter. A blend of compost and potting mix will give you a soil condition you can
     index finger and out of your hand in a thin       point between extremes, favoured by gar-
     ribbon. As the ribbon lengthens, continue         deners.
                                                                                                         Rare animal manures can sometimes be hot or too concentrated and cause root burn. If using
                                                                                                         fresh animal or bird manures you need to blend into the soil and irrigated weekly for up to
     of moist soil. Sand grains can be felt easily     nutrients but prone to water logging.
                                                                                                         10-12 weeks before planting.
     amongst the smooth and slippery silt and
     clay.                                                                                               Slower Method
     Soil pH                                                                                             Gradually building up the soil with good compost is best. Worm castings and properly made
     The pH of a soil is a measure of the degree of acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Measured over
     a scale of fourteen points with pH 7 being neutral, less than 7 is acid and more than 7 is          p.17). Composted animal manures and com-
                                                                                                                                                               !"#$%&'()"*+,%$-+%$*.")(+
     alkaline. Most vegetables prefer a slightly acid soil, pH 6.5. Alice Springs town water supply      posted kitchen scraps are the most common
                                                                                                         materials used to increase the organic content       ,.##-$/+0'(1+.0+(%,2%0#+(."+
     is slightly alkaline and is high in dissolved calcium salts. Over time, irrigated soils tend to
                                                                                                     -   of vegetable garden beds. Adding compost to           1-32+$-&'(-+.34.3)")#5+."&+
                                                                                                         soil improves the soil nutrition, structure and       0.3)")#5+2$%63-,0+)"+0%)307
     to the plant roots and nutrient deficiencies may become apparent, with yellowing of leaves          water holding and drainage capabilities. To
     or stunting a common symptom. Cheap pH test kits can be purchased from nurseries to                 achieve optimum growth compost needs to be
     determine what the pH of your soil is; some nurseries will even check a sample for you.             added to the soil for at least every second crop. There are heavy feeding crops such as toma-
     Prevention of alkalinity can be achieved by regular applications of compost and sulphur and         toes, corn, cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli that require more nutrients and these can be fol-
     by avoiding excessive irrigation, over-fertilising and any use of lime or dolomite.                 lowed by light feeders such as carrots, beetroots, swedes, radish, turnips, parsnips, and rocket.


14
                                                                                                                                                                                                            15
Green Manure crops are planted for the sole purpose of being dug back into the
     ground in order to increase the amount of organic matter in the soil. Examples include:-
     clover, beans, oats, wheat, sorghum and mustard. They are fast growing and should be dug

     composting). Green manures are vigorous and keep down weeds as well as fixing nitrogen
     in the soil in the case of legumes.

     Liquid Fertilisers/ Soil Conditioners
     Liquid fertilisers can provide a useful adjunct to other sources of nutrients in the garden.
     They can be commercial mixtures such as Fish emulsion, Nitrosol or seaweed extracts,
     or can be homemade. Homemade fertilisers can be made using various manures, worm
     castings,weeds or even prawn heads. Whether your preference is for organic or inorganic
     sources of plant nutrients, or a combination of both, regular application of fertiliser is
     necessary to replace the nutrients used by the previous crop. Make sure the recommended
     rates are not exceeded. Although they do encourage fast growth there are also downsides to
     consider. You may be force-feeding plants rather than letting them take the nutrients they
     need from compost.
     Seaweed extracts, unlike other fertilisers, are low on nutrients and can be given to plants at
     all stages of growth. They are biostimulants containing various growth promoting substanc-
     es. Benefits include longer flowering, increased root growth, increased yields, increased
     microbacterial activity, increased nutrient content in foods and increased drought and frost
     resistance. All are particularly relevant to Central Australia. Compost teas that are sprayed
     onto plants leaves have also proven to be beneficial due to their bacterial content which ap-
     parently enables nutrients to be taken up.

     Worm Farms and Vermicomposting
     Worm castings are one of the best fertilisers known. Worm farms are ideal
     for the home garden as they require very little effort and are capable of
     turning a household’s waste into rich worm castings and fantastic liquid fer- tiliser.
     Commercially available worm farms are compact, clean and convenient. They easily
     allow ‘worm juice’ liquid fertiliser to be tapped off and diluted with a little water and used to
     feed plants. Worm farms can easily be made at home, look online for designs or experiment
     with buckets, foam boxes or old baths make their home cool, dark and moist.

     With cold winter temperatures in Alice Springs your worms will slow down and hibernate in
     the winter. They are not dead, and they have laid eggs so come the warmer months they will


     heat in. If possible move your worm farm to a more sheltered position. If you have an active
     hot compost pile you could put some worms in it during winter, although worms in your
     compost during summer might die. In summer pay particular attention to keeping your
     worm farm constantly moist, cool and out of direct sun. Ensure garden beds are moist and
     mulched before adding worms or they will dry out and die.

16
Compost
Good compost is essential to sustainable food production in arid conditions. Composting
at home is also a great way to reduce the amount of household waste sent to landfill whilst
creating nutrient-rich fertiliser that will greatly benefit your garden, costing only your time
and energy. Soils that receive regular doses of healthy compost can generally hold oxygen,
nutrients and water better, have good drainage and encourage an environment of helpful
micro-organisms. Making good compost takes persistence, patience and observation of trials
and errors. Effective compost making also requires a bit of time, energy and attention. If you
don’t have plenty of space, time and energy, perhaps a worm farm is a better option.

Compost bins are a great option for the home garden. There are numerous different

and error and learning from your mistakes. The location of your compost bin, the blend of
ingredients used and turning it are all key elements to successful composting.

The secret to successful composting is layering and adding small quantities
of different materials as you build up your compost bin. Add layers of both
                                                                        -
pings, cow manure, sand, food scraps, vacuum contents and hair will make
for a good blend.

Bokashi buckets allow you to compost your daily food scraps and make
liquid fertiliser reasonably quickly, with minimal space, mess, time and
                   energy. They’re relatively expensive, however if ease of use makes the differ-
                      ence between having a readily available supply of compostable material
                      or not, it’s definitely worth it.

                  The contents of the Bokashi Bucket are usually added to the garden and
                 disappear within weeks. The contents of the Bokashi Bucket can however be
                 added to the compost bin. When for example placed in a tumbler com-

                decomposition.

A Compost Pile
                                                                                          -
ume of material, from 1 to 2 cubic metres. Once you have started the heap avoid adding new
material to it unless you suspect a shortage of a particular component. Ongoing food scraps
can be composted in a worm farm or compost bin/bucket.

There are lots of books, websites and workshops on composting and all the different ways of
doing it. It is also something you will get better at with practice. A combination of tech-
niques is ideal.




                                                                                                    17
How to Make a Healthy Compost Pile
Select a shady, well-draining posistion for the pile, you may want to build a three-sided box                Carbon – Woody, brown, dry
to stop contain it a little.
                                                                                                                                                     It takes careful observation and practice to
                                                        Putting your compost pile inside your                                                        get the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and water
                                                        chicken coop means when you turn it                                                             in the right proportions so keep at it!!
                                                             bugs that will be uncovered.                                                                 Don’t put meat, fish, bones, dairy,
A diverse mix of ingredients will help get the de-
sired amounts of approximately 3 parts carbon to                                                             Nitrogen- Fresh, green, wet                  pet faeces or oils in your compost.
1 part nitrogen. This is not the only ratio to follow for success, but both are needed as micro-                                                          Meat, fish and dairy may be com-
organisms need nitrogen to break down carbon.                                                                                                              posted in a Bokashi bucket. Also
                                                                                                                                                           try to limit the amount of bread
You will also need water and a garden fork.                                                                                                                 you put in or just give it to the
                                                                                                                 coffee grounds, tea)                             chickens or worms.
Start with coarse twigs or straw to allow for some breathing, then add a layer of green/nitro-
                                                                                                 -
als. The soil adds micro-organisms to get the heap started quicker but is not essential. Water
each layer as you go. Example quantities are given in the illustration below.
                                                                                                     Turning compost is hard work, but vitally important to the aerobic process. Turning your
Finish up with shredded newspaper on top or cover with a tarp or someother material to               compost pile every few days is great, once a week is essential. If you don’t turn it, you might
keep the pile from drying out.                                                                       have to wait a year or more for your compost. Check moisture levels and add water whilst
                                                                                                     turning.
Protecting your compost pile from larger animals such as dogs can be done by fencing off the
compost pile with an simple chicken wire and star-picket fence.                                      Moisture
                                                                                                     Especially in Central Australia it is important to keep an eye on your compost moisture
                                                                                                     levels. You want your compost moist but not saturated. Cover with moist hessian sacks to
                                                                                                     keep the pile from drying out.

                                                                                                     Temperature
                                                                     Soil layer                                                                                                                      -
                                                                                                     posting process and will kill pathogens and weed seeds. If the pile doesn’t heat up, it might
                                                                                                     be too small or might need turning or watering.


                                                                      Nitrogen layer                 The end result - Humus
                                                                                                     Compost should take between 6 weeks to 4 months to mature, the length of time taken is
                                                                                                     dependant on the method used and how vigilant you are in turning the pile. Its ready to put
                                                                                                     on the garden when it is dark brown and crumbly but still moist, and most of the original
                                                                      Carbon layer                   material is unrecognisable. This earthy smelling material is called humus and is full of ben-
                                                                                                     eficial nutrients and micro-organisms for your garden.



                                                                      Sticks & carbon for


                                                                                                                                                                                                         19
Compost pile Troubleshooting
      !"#$%&#           '()*+                           ,-".
                        !"#$%&"'()$*%+*#,"&-$
                                                        6'+&,&($,#0$*77$5'89/$4*+5"&$:*#%+,*82
      !#+//*01(2        "./(%&0$1%+)*12$#""$3%#
                                                        2'4)$*2$8%*;%20$2#+*30$3""74),12<
                        !"#$%&"'()$4*+5"&
                        !"#$%&"'()$&,#+"(%&             =77$8*3&$48,11,&(20$>""7$24+*12$"+$
      3&%456705*0                                       :*&'+%
      4($$+6567         !"#$%&"'()$"./(%&               6'+&$,#$
                        !"#$%&"'()$3*#%+                ?*#%+$,#
                                                        6'+&$,#$*&7$*77$:"+%$5'898/$7+/$
                                                        4*+5"&$:*#%+,*82$2'4)$*2$8%*;%20$2#+*30$
                                                        3""74),12<$@+"#%4#$4":1"2#$>+":$+*,&$
      ,&&08+%0          !"#$%&"'()$*%+*#,"&-"./(%&
                                                        A,>$/"'$*+%$%.1%+,%&4,&($*$8"#$">$+*,&B$
                                                        5'#$*88"3$,#$#"$C5+%*#)%D$5/$&"#$18*4,&($
                                                        18*2#,4$'1$*(*,&2#$#)%$)%*1EE<$
                        !"#$5,($%&"'()                  F*9%$#)%$4":1"2#$1,8%$5,((%+$&%.#$#,:%
      3&%04&%0+6&)74    !"#$%&"'()$"./(%&               6'+&$#)%$1,8%
                        ?%*#)%+                         G&2'8*#%$#)%$1,8%$>+":$4"87$3%*#)%+
                                                        6'+&$#)%$1,8%$*&7$#+/$#"$9%%1$,#$+%*88/$
                                                        )"#<$I%&4,&($,#$">>$,2$*82"$*&$"1#,"&$*&7$
      95:+;-(%*0&-0     H,##8%$4+%*#'+%2$3*&#$#"$%*#$   4";%+,&($%*4)$8*/%+$">$>""7$24+*12$3,#)$
      &%4+-0(65#(/*0    #)%$>""7$24+*12                 &%321*1%+$"+$(+*22$48,11,&(2<$J%7'4%$
                                                        *:"'&#$">$5+%*7$*&7$7"&D#$1'#$:%*#$"+$
                                                        ",82$,&$/"'+$4":1"2#<$
      </5+*;0#(77&%*0
                                                        =77$7+/$:*#%+,*82$2'4)$*2$8%*;%20$
      =0(::&#$(65+20    G2$#""$3%#$"+$&"#$)"#$%&"'()
                                                        &%321*1%+0$2#+*3$*&7$#'+&$,#<$
      1"01(20*#+//*
      >6%*;0?-+"0
                        K"'87$5%$#""$7+/                K)%49$:",2#'+%$*&7$*77$3*#%+$,>$&%%7%7<$
      #&)/2


     The Alice Springs library has:
       Recycle Your Garden and The ultimate organic guide both by Tim Marshall
       The Healthy Soil Handbook published by Earth Garden Books
       Worm Farm Management by Eric Wilson
       Organic Growing with Worms by David Murphy

     www.bokashi.com.au has more information on Bokashi bucket composting

     www.wormfarmguide.com has lots of information on composting and worm farming in-


     The DesertSMART CoolMob information sheet Composting in an Arid Environment
     www.desertsmartcoolmob.org
20
Mulch
Mulch is an essential part of any arid garden as it drastically reduces the amount of water
wasted whilst protecting plants and soil from weeds and extremes in soil temperature.
Mulching:                                       More on Mulch:
                                                Avoid putting mulch right up to the plant
evaporation                                     stems and tree trunks to prevent ‘collar rot’
   dds nutrients to the soil as the mulch       damage. Loosen regularly if it gets com-
slowly breaks down                              pacted to ensure free movement of water
                                                and air.
                                            -
gal soil borne diseases                         Mulch should be applied thickly at a depth
                                                of at least 7-10cm.
warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot
reducing stress for plants                      Organic mulch can be made of straw, hay,
                                                dry grass, woodchips, sawdust, native
by reducing runoff                              grasses, even shredded paper. You can col-

encouraging deep rooting in plants              as pea-straw) by the bale from nurseries
                                                and garden supplies. For best results apply
                                                a slow release nitrogen fertiliser prior to
alkalinity problems                             spreading the mulch as raw organic material
                                                will draw nitrogen from the soil away from
                                                the plants.

                                                                       Different types of
                                                                    beneficial invertebrates
                                                                     will also benefit from
                                                                      a protective layer of
                                                                    mulch. These bugs aer-
                                                                    ate the soil and convert
                                                                    mulch and compost into
                                                                    organic material plants
  Buffel grass grows wild around Alice Springs. It consti-                   can use.
  tutes a serious fire hazard and needs to be cut regularly.
  In conjunction with LandCare, local gardeners have had               More Information
  great success collecting cut Buffel grass and using it as          The Alice Springs Library
  mulch. Try cutting it yourself using a whipper snipper            has The Magic of Mulch by
  with a metal blade.                                                Michael J. Roads and The
                                                                    Miracle of Mulch by Mary
                                                                             Horsfall.




                                                                                                21
Chickens                                                                                             Chook health
                                                                                                             Prevention is the best medicine for chook health. If your chooks get regular green
                                                                                                             feed, clean food and water then you are most of the way there. You could also plant a
     a vegie garden. They provide chicken manure, recycle kitchen scraps, lay eggs and                       ‘chook garden’ near the chook pen where you can grow herbs such as comfrey, net-
     can provide hours of entertainment for old and young alike. There are also wider                        tle, tansy, wormwood and kale which all have medicinal properties to keep chooks
     benefits to the community- with scraps going to chickens instead of landfill you are                    healthy.
     reducing the production of tonnes of
                                             Chooks make a great family pet                                  Green feed can be weeds from your garden or specially grown for the chooks, various
     methane, a potent greenhouse gas.                                                                       types of kale, chicory or raddicio are good. Local weeds growing on the streets and
                                                                                                             parks like Sow thistle, Dandelion, wild lettuce and clover are all common in Alice Springs,
     In summer, ensure chickens always have                                                                  especially during the winter and they are full of good stuff that will make the chickens’ eggs
     ample water to avoid dehydration and                                                                    dark orange, taste great and be healthier for you. Chickens like many animals are a pretty
     death. Water feeders are available that
                                                                                                             they need more of that item.
     designed to be heavy or hard for them                                                                                                                                                 www.poultryone.
     to knock over. Alternatively, make the                                                                  Chicken Manure                                                              com has lots of great
     container large enough to be too heavy to “Everyone I know has times when their chooks go off the lay   Fresh chicken manure is too ‘hot’ for young plants and can burn them,
     move when it is full. You may also want to   but it never seems to be the same time for everyone.”      due to its high nitrogen content. An easy way round this is just to wait with advertising boxes
     hook the chickens’ water into the irrigation                    - Bron Grieves                          until you clean out the whole coop and add the manure and hay to your dispersed throughout)
                                                                                                             compost which will break it down quickly. Keeping the compost pile in about raising chick-
     in the shade to minimise evaporation. When chickens pant like a dog with their wings held               the chook pen also attracts bugs for the chickens to eat, however if you  ens, building coops,
     out from their body, they are hot but should be fine as long as they have water and shade               have lots of chickens they may spread the pile out too much; allowing      tips on feed, wing
     throughout the day. It is also normal for your chickens to eat less during summer because                                                                                         clipping and general
     they are not burning energy to keep warm.                                                               If you have the space and the time you could also add manure to the soil    care for chickens.
                                                                                                             and allow it to break down over 10-12 weeks before planting into that
     In winter, as the days get shorter chickens may lay less and eat slightly more. They are hardy          soil. Alternatively you can bury lines of chook poo 30cm away from your seedlings when
     to most winter conditions, although winter rain may test them so see if you can provide
     some shelter from this. Make sure all perches are wooden and not metal. Keeping the coop

     chooks warm in winter. The coop should be situated so that they get some direct sunny spots                                            Varieties
     some time during the day. They also need a dry spot with dirt so they can dust bathe. During                                             There are a variety of chicken breeds to choose from, some
     the first year of laying they may lay well all through the winter.                                                                        are better with children and don’t mind being held, others
                                                                                                                                                are great layers and they all have their own personalities.
                                                                                                                                                 Ask around for what other people have and then look
                                                                                                                                                 in the classified section in the local newspapers and
                                                                                                                                                  check notice boards to find some. As most people are
              When building a chook coop consider:                                                                                                looking for egg layers - Isabrown chickens are easy to
                                                                                                                                                  get for this purpose. They lay very well and have lovely
                    out                                                                                                                           big eggs but only for a couple of years. As they begin to

                                 Protect them with a layer of brick, rocks or tiles.                                                              misshapen eggs. Heritage breeds will lay longer and

                                  as they are deciduous providing shade in summer and warm                                                        Bantam) are especially good with children.
                sun in the       winter

               of 12 meters from a house
22
                                                                                                                                                                                                              23
Pests                                                                                                 Aphids
 A variety of pests and diseases are common in Alice Springs but                                       a particular set of plants. They reproduce very quickly, reach large numbers and make many
 fortunately most can be controlled easily. If you are unsure what                                     vegetables seem unappetising. Their sap sucking can also drastically reduce seed production
 your pest is, ask your local nursery if they provide free pest identifica-                            on flowering and fruiting plants.
                                                                                                       Control
 Caterpillars & Loopers
 There seems to be an infinite variety of caterpillars in Alice Springs. The proximity of our          to avoid using them. Soapy water smothers and suffocates aphid while not harming preda-
 diverse native bush means a diverse moth and butterfly fauna are always ready to make                 tors. Pyrethrins are effective but will also kill predators and sometimes the oils they contain
                                                                                                       can burn plants in warmer weather. Aphids take a while to breed up in the warmer weather of
                                                                                                       spring but it is usually inevitable. If you are planning on saving seed from plants like broc-
 a major problem.
                                                                                                       before aphids have reached large numbers. The key to successfully controlling aphids is to
 Control
                                                                                                       maintain a stable population of predators. This also means maintaining some aphid popu-
 Derris dust is the powdered root extract of a tropical vine. When caterpillars eat leaves with
                                                                                                       lations throughout the year. The exception to this is the grey cabbage aphid. Try to have a
 derris on them, they die quickly. It is only effective for one day and needs to be reapplied if
                                                                                                       period in the summer when you have no brassicas that will support these so you do not have
 problems persist. It is however toxic to fish and care must be taken if using it on windy days.
                                                                                                       to deal with an early outbreak of grey cabbage aphids in late winter/ spring.
 Dipel bacterial culture comes in a powder. The powder is mixed with water and sprayed on
 plants. Caterpillars that eat the bacteria die as the bacteria multiplies inside them.                Slaters
                                                                                                       Although not normally recognised as a major pest, certain garden practices can encourage
 Grasshoppers/ locusts
                                                                                                       slaters in plague proportions. When in these large numbers they can cause significant damage
                                                                                -
                                                                                                       to certain vegetables and almost all seedlings. Part of the reason they can be a pest in Alice
 ing or chooks. Most grasshoppers come from the bush and will come by
                                                                                                       Springs and not in other places is that we have no introduced blackbirds, which are a major
 hopping so good fencing can keep a lot of them at bay in the early stages of       an out-   break.
                                                                                                       predator of slaters in other capital cities.
 Control                                                                                               Control
 Covering young fruit trees with fly screen or shade cloth is a good idea. As is netting off young     You can also make decoy areas that are more attractive to the slaters than your garden. Make a
 plants and seedlings. Greenguard fungal spray is an alternative that will remain effective until
 washed off. It does work well but currently is only sold in large batches that have to be mixed       chickens eat a certain number of slaters but they may need to be supervised so that they don’t
 up all at once resulting in hundreds of litres.

 Slugs and snails
                                                                                                                                                                                                        -
 In Alice Springs our dry environment limits their population and most of the time it would
                                                                                                       carb”.
 be too dry for them to move large distances. Drip irrigation probably also limits their activity
 while spray irrigation would encourage them. Snails are most problematic with new seedlings.          Red Spider Mite
 Control
 Beer traps attract snails, which eat their fill and then                                              Autumn. Their presence is indicated by white spotting on the leaf ’s surface and silk webs on
 drown. Iron-based snail baits are harmful only to                                                     the underside of the leaf. They are particularly fond of tomatoes, capsicum and chili plants but
 slugs and snails and break down to harmless sub-                                                      will feed on other plants as well. They are more likely to infest plants in sheltered areas near
 stances in the soil. Some baits contain metalaldehyde                                                 houses or in hot houses where humidity levels are slightly higher.
 and although harmless in their breakdown products,                                                    Control
 they can be harmful to a range of helpful garden crea-                                                                                                                          Or use non-toxic
 tures as well as pets.                                                                                                                                                          commercial sprays
                                                                                                                          suffocate them.)” - Geoff Miers
                                                                                                                                                                                 pest oil).
24
                                                                                                                                                                                                         25
Fruit fly                                                                                            Nematodes or Eelworms
     Fruit fly affects many fruit trees but also tomatoes, capsicums, chillies and eggplants. These       These microscopic unsegmented worms feed on the roots of a wide range of plant species,
     flies breed up over the summer months using successive fruit crops. They pupate in the               which in turn reduces the amount of nutrients taken up by the plant. Affected plants appear
     ground beneath fruit trees so cleaning up and disposing of fallen fruit breaks their life cycle.     to have large knots or nodes or have variously deformed root systems with few fine roots.
     Unfortunately fruit fly are very mobile so their numbers will depend on your neighbourhood’s         As a consequence the growth of plants is retarded and their growth can be drastically af-
     cleanliness practices. Stung fruit can be drowned for a week in water or placed in a plastic bag     fected. The most favoured soils for nematodes are moist, warm, sandy soils. Most gardens
     in the sun for the same period. If you live in the rural area, you may be isolated enough for        with nematodes have had them introduced from contaminated soil, which can occur on
     frut fly to be less of a problem.
     Control                                                                                              Control
     Home made fruit fly traps only catch male flies but importantly they indicate when fruit flies       There are various ways to minimise the impact nematodes have. Some plants are more sus-
     are present in your garden. On noting their presence you need to initiate other actions. Sticky      ceptible to nematodes than others. The worst effected include tomatoes, okra, cucumbers,
     traps also indicate the presence of fruit fly attracting both male and female flies. You may want
     to use fine netting to keep fruit fly off your fruit trees and tomatoes, or put a cloth or netting   weather vegetables may be affected, they will still do quite well.
     bag around each fruit. Be careful you aren’t unintentionally breeding fruit fly in your compost
                                                                                                          Soil solarisation: Use a large sheet of black plastic ensuring you secure the edges. The tem-
                                                                                                          perature build up under the plastic simply cooks the soil killing the nematodes in the top
     it and die. This product may work better in more humid climates where it is less likely to dry
     out. It can also be used as a bait to put in traps.                                                  Green manure: It is most desirable to grow a green manure crop that is totally resistant to
     Certain fruit trees are more likely to be affected by fruit fly due to the fruiting time. Anything   nematodes, such as Velvet Bean, French marigold, sorghum, some crotolaria species, white
     that fruits in mid to late summer may be quite susceptible such as late fruiting citrus, decidu-     mustard, oats, wheat and others. Each crop adds rich organic matter to the soil and it is
     ous fruiting trees and some exotic fruits.                                                           known that nematodes dislike organic matter in the soil so by adding compost and manure,
                                                                                                          populations will also fall. A well composted organic soil will reduce the nematode popula-
     White Cabbage Caterpillars and Moths                                                                 tion by up to 90%
     It’s the blue-green caterpillar of the white winged moth that does the damage by
                                                                                                          Beware mulberries and figs: They are very popular with nematodes. If these tree roots
     eating large holes in leaves. They like other vegetables such as broccoli, brussel
                                                                                                          invade your vegetable garden, your efforts to reduce nematode populations may be nullified
     sprouts and salad greens as well as cabbage.
                                                                                                          as their roots can support a constant population and allow crops to be re-infested.
     Control
                                                                                                                          : Nematodes are not very mobile so it is possible that you only have an
     Scatter washed half white egg shells or place white golf balls around your garden to deter
                                                                                                          isolated occurrence. Moving your vegetable garden can be a solution.
     them. Pick them off when you have them. See pp.29-31 for companions and integrated pest
     management ideas. Spray weekly with Dipel, a safe environmentally-friendly biological con-           Resistant crops: These following vegies may still have nematodes but they can produce a
     trol, it only affects caterpillars and grubs. For severe outbreaks spray with pyrethrum for an       reasonable crop despite this:
     instant kill.                                                                                         Asparagus               Sage                     Chives                Mustard
                                                                                                           Broccoli                Basil                    Cress                 Onion
     Mealy Bug                                                                                             Brussel sprouts         Chinese greens           Garlic                Radish
     These funny little creatures are commonly seen on branches and fruits of citrus.                      Cabbage                 Cape gooseberry          Globe artichoke       Rhubarb
                                                                                   -                       Sweet corn              Chicory/Raddiccio        Horseradish           Shallots
     tended by ants which harvest nectar that is excreted.                                                 Parsley                 Celery                   Jerusalem artichoke   Snake beans
     Control                                                                                               Coriander               Chillies                 Leek                  Sweet potato
     Physically squash them with your fingers, pick them off, cut-off small branches severely af-
     fected, spray with an oil or soap spray covering the insects to smother them. A soap spray with
     garlic/chili can be most effective. Confidor is an environmentally sound systemic spray that is
     absorbed into the plants sap stream and is consumed by insects that feeds on the plant.

26
                                                                                                                                                                                                          27
What to do?
@+*%*0          !"#$%&#*0                   '&6%-&/09+%4&2*             @-&2):%*0
                (+%%&0$/%88"30$"+*&(%0$                                 L"*1/$
                58*49$,&2%4#2$48'2#%+%7$    J%:";%$1*+#2$">$18*&#2$     3*#%+0$
=1),72$
                '&7%+$8%*;%2$*&7$"&$&%3$                                ",8$
                (+"3#)                      "'#5+%*92                   21+*/

                larve eating fruit from
                the inside, possible dark                               M4"N
I+',#$I8/
                patches visible on fruit                                &*#'+*8'+%$
                                            ";%+$%*4)$>+',#<
                skin

K*#%+1,88*+2$                               P*&7$+%:";%$*#$&,()#$"+$    Q,1%8$"+$
                )"8%2$4)%3%7$,&$8%*;%2
O$H""1%+2                                   %*+8/$:"+&,&(               Q%++,2$7'2#

                                            P*&7$+%:";%$*#$&,()#$"+$
R+*22)"11%+2$ )"8%2$4)%3%7$,&$8%*;%2$                                   R+%%&('*+7$
                                            %*+8/$:"+&,&(<$!%#->%&4%$
O$$H"4'2#2    O$2#%:2                                                   >'&(*8$21+*/
                                            ">>$/"'&($#+%%2<

                2#'&#%7$"+$&"$(+"3#)0$      !"$S',49$2"8'#,"&20$L%%$
!%:*#"7%2$$
                7,2#"+#%7$5'85"'2$+""#2$    *5";%$"+$K":1*,"&$
M%83"+:2                                    @8*&#,&(<$

J%7$L1,7%+$                                 Spray milk and water on
                white spotting on leaves                                Confidor
F,#%                                        both sides of leaves
                4)%3%7$2%%78,&(2$"+$        18*4%$5*++,%+2$*+"'&7$
L8*#%+2$O$                                                             F%#),"4*+5$
                8%*;%2$#"'4),&($#)%$        2%%78,&(2$"+$+%:";%$:'84)$
F,88,1%7%2                                                             1%88%#2<
                (+"'&7                      >+":$*+"'&7$2%%78,&(2
L8'(2$*&7$      )"8%2$,&$8%*;%20$%*#%&$     P*&7$+%:";%<$Q+,1$          G+"&N5*2%7$
2&*,82$         2%%78,&(2                   ,++,(*#%<$T%%+$#+*12<       1%88%#2

                7,2#"+#%7$*&7$2)+,;%88%7$
6)+,12                                                                  $@%2#$",8$
                8%*;%2

?),#%$          P"8%2$,&$8%*;%2$*&7$8"#2$
                                                                        L1+*/$3,#)$
K*55*(%$                                    @,49$#)%:$">><$
                                                                        Q,1%8
K*#%+1,88*+     *5"'#
Integrated Pest Management & Companion Planting

 using chemicals in the garden by utilising a range of tools including observation, ben-
 eficial predators, companion planting, crop rotation and good garden hygiene. IPM is
 about managing pest’s numbers, not eliminating them. Does it really matter that a lettuce leaf

          diverse, balanced garden ecology where nature introduces its own control tools such
            as predators like the ladybird that will feed on pesty aphids. The most
             important thing to consider during pest outbreaks is to look closely before spraying

                              method that will preserve the predators.

                                Healthy soil full of organic mat-
                               ter grows healthy plants which are
                              naturally more resistant to pests and
                                            diseases.
Observation
A lot can be learnt from experimenting and observing what happens in your garden. Keeping
a record of your observations is good practice and can prepare you in advance to likely major
outbreaks giving you time to plan and initiate preventative measures such as building physical

to pests it’s ok. Share your observations with your friends, neighbours, community garden-
ers so everybody can learn from each other. Planting at just the right time also encourages
healthy plants which are more resistant; keeping notes of when you planted last year can help
with this too.

Garden hygiene
Prune fruit trees to open up and allow air flow as well as promptly removing dead and dis-
eased parts. Remove diseased plants and infested fruit from the garden immediately. Break
the fruit fly cycle by placing infected fruit in a sealed bag
                                                               Planting natives and adding ponds,
in the sun or submerged in a bucket of water for a weeks
                                                                water features, rocks and logs will
or so.
                                                              provide habitat and attract birds and
                                                                wildlife into your garden that will
Beneficial predators                                          help eat a range of insects, grasshop-
There are a host of tiny garden predators in all gardens.
                                                                           pers and pests.
These are the good guys. They might be small, but their
effect can be profound. The aim of organic gardening is to increase the populations and
varieties of beneficial predators so that they are present throughout the year. There are many
flowering plants that are recommended to assist in maintaining predator populations. These
plants flower early in the spring or throughout winter and so keep predators around ready for
when pests begin to build up in spring. Letting your vegetables go to seed is also a great way
to attract and breed up predators, especially coriander, carrots, Chinese greens and broccoli.
Chinese greens are especially good as they will readily flower during the winter if they are up
to that stage in their growth. Mulch can also provide a habitat for beneficial predators.

                                                                                                  29
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.
Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.

More Related Content

What's hot

Why do genres change over time
Why do genres change over timeWhy do genres change over time
Why do genres change over timeellymellish
 
World War Z Analysis
World War Z AnalysisWorld War Z Analysis
World War Z Analysisphoebe29184
 
City of god
City of godCity of god
City of godppermaul
 
Presentation on music video's and their importance
Presentation on music video's and their importancePresentation on music video's and their importance
Presentation on music video's and their importancemattwako
 
Richard dyer’s star theory
Richard dyer’s star theoryRichard dyer’s star theory
Richard dyer’s star theoryconmann2997
 
Textual analysis of taylor swift's bad blood
Textual analysis of taylor swift's bad bloodTextual analysis of taylor swift's bad blood
Textual analysis of taylor swift's bad bloodvenusproductions
 
Lady gaga -bad romance analysis
Lady gaga  -bad romance analysisLady gaga  -bad romance analysis
Lady gaga -bad romance analysisNatalie
 
Single camera techniques
Single camera techniquesSingle camera techniques
Single camera techniquesellispars
 
Micro and Macro elements in film
Micro and Macro elements in film Micro and Macro elements in film
Micro and Macro elements in film Girish Jeebodhun
 
Andrew Goodwin - Music Video Theory
Andrew Goodwin - Music Video TheoryAndrew Goodwin - Music Video Theory
Andrew Goodwin - Music Video TheoryCoreyGB
 
G324 Analysis: Beyoncé - Formation
G324 Analysis: Beyoncé - FormationG324 Analysis: Beyoncé - Formation
G324 Analysis: Beyoncé - FormationDylan Koolman
 
Music video analysis beyonce
Music video analysis beyonceMusic video analysis beyonce
Music video analysis beyoncevheeckay123
 
Codes and conventions of a teen drama film
Codes and conventions of a teen drama filmCodes and conventions of a teen drama film
Codes and conventions of a teen drama filmdeepalinhmedia
 
Conventions of alternative rock music videos
Conventions of alternative rock music videosConventions of alternative rock music videos
Conventions of alternative rock music videoscozer100
 
Donnie Darko Opening Scene Analysis
Donnie Darko Opening Scene AnalysisDonnie Darko Opening Scene Analysis
Donnie Darko Opening Scene AnalysisIlkley Grammar
 
Science fiction conventions
Science fiction conventionsScience fiction conventions
Science fiction conventionsNikky Bain
 
To what extend do postmodern text challenge...
To what extend do postmodern text challenge...To what extend do postmodern text challenge...
To what extend do postmodern text challenge...Naamah Hill
 
Mise en-scene of 'The Woman in Black' and 'The Conjuring'
Mise en-scene of 'The Woman in Black' and 'The Conjuring'Mise en-scene of 'The Woman in Black' and 'The Conjuring'
Mise en-scene of 'The Woman in Black' and 'The Conjuring'Alicemartinxo
 
The Style Of Music Videos
The Style Of Music VideosThe Style Of Music Videos
The Style Of Music Videosjackbrooks17
 

What's hot (20)

Why do genres change over time
Why do genres change over timeWhy do genres change over time
Why do genres change over time
 
World War Z Analysis
World War Z AnalysisWorld War Z Analysis
World War Z Analysis
 
City of god
City of godCity of god
City of god
 
Presentation on music video's and their importance
Presentation on music video's and their importancePresentation on music video's and their importance
Presentation on music video's and their importance
 
Richard dyer’s star theory
Richard dyer’s star theoryRichard dyer’s star theory
Richard dyer’s star theory
 
Western Genre Essay
Western Genre EssayWestern Genre Essay
Western Genre Essay
 
Textual analysis of taylor swift's bad blood
Textual analysis of taylor swift's bad bloodTextual analysis of taylor swift's bad blood
Textual analysis of taylor swift's bad blood
 
Lady gaga -bad romance analysis
Lady gaga  -bad romance analysisLady gaga  -bad romance analysis
Lady gaga -bad romance analysis
 
Single camera techniques
Single camera techniquesSingle camera techniques
Single camera techniques
 
Micro and Macro elements in film
Micro and Macro elements in film Micro and Macro elements in film
Micro and Macro elements in film
 
Andrew Goodwin - Music Video Theory
Andrew Goodwin - Music Video TheoryAndrew Goodwin - Music Video Theory
Andrew Goodwin - Music Video Theory
 
G324 Analysis: Beyoncé - Formation
G324 Analysis: Beyoncé - FormationG324 Analysis: Beyoncé - Formation
G324 Analysis: Beyoncé - Formation
 
Music video analysis beyonce
Music video analysis beyonceMusic video analysis beyonce
Music video analysis beyonce
 
Codes and conventions of a teen drama film
Codes and conventions of a teen drama filmCodes and conventions of a teen drama film
Codes and conventions of a teen drama film
 
Conventions of alternative rock music videos
Conventions of alternative rock music videosConventions of alternative rock music videos
Conventions of alternative rock music videos
 
Donnie Darko Opening Scene Analysis
Donnie Darko Opening Scene AnalysisDonnie Darko Opening Scene Analysis
Donnie Darko Opening Scene Analysis
 
Science fiction conventions
Science fiction conventionsScience fiction conventions
Science fiction conventions
 
To what extend do postmodern text challenge...
To what extend do postmodern text challenge...To what extend do postmodern text challenge...
To what extend do postmodern text challenge...
 
Mise en-scene of 'The Woman in Black' and 'The Conjuring'
Mise en-scene of 'The Woman in Black' and 'The Conjuring'Mise en-scene of 'The Woman in Black' and 'The Conjuring'
Mise en-scene of 'The Woman in Black' and 'The Conjuring'
 
The Style Of Music Videos
The Style Of Music VideosThe Style Of Music Videos
The Style Of Music Videos
 

Viewers also liked

Agricultural Integration Systems in Action - the University of Maine
Agricultural Integration Systems in Action - the University of MaineAgricultural Integration Systems in Action - the University of Maine
Agricultural Integration Systems in Action - the University of MaineAliki85w
 
A List of Common Garden Vegetables and Their Companions
A List of Common Garden Vegetables and Their CompanionsA List of Common Garden Vegetables and Their Companions
A List of Common Garden Vegetables and Their CompanionsAliki85w
 
Alley Cropping: An Agroforestry Practice
Alley Cropping: An Agroforestry PracticeAlley Cropping: An Agroforestry Practice
Alley Cropping: An Agroforestry PracticeAliki85w
 
A Companion Planting Chart
A Companion Planting ChartA Companion Planting Chart
A Companion Planting ChartAliki85w
 
A Review of Suitable Companion Crops for Black Walnut
A Review of Suitable Companion Crops for Black WalnutA Review of Suitable Companion Crops for Black Walnut
A Review of Suitable Companion Crops for Black WalnutAliki85w
 
Biodiversity in Community Gardens, Orchards and Allotments - Dundee, Scotland
Biodiversity in Community Gardens, Orchards and Allotments - Dundee, ScotlandBiodiversity in Community Gardens, Orchards and Allotments - Dundee, Scotland
Biodiversity in Community Gardens, Orchards and Allotments - Dundee, ScotlandAliki85w
 
Vegetables Companion Planting Guide
Vegetables Companion Planting GuideVegetables Companion Planting Guide
Vegetables Companion Planting GuideAliki85w
 
A How to Guide for Creating Your Own Easy Care Garden - Clarence City, Tasmania
A How to Guide for Creating Your Own Easy Care Garden - Clarence City, TasmaniaA How to Guide for Creating Your Own Easy Care Garden - Clarence City, Tasmania
A How to Guide for Creating Your Own Easy Care Garden - Clarence City, TasmaniaAliki85w
 

Viewers also liked (8)

Agricultural Integration Systems in Action - the University of Maine
Agricultural Integration Systems in Action - the University of MaineAgricultural Integration Systems in Action - the University of Maine
Agricultural Integration Systems in Action - the University of Maine
 
A List of Common Garden Vegetables and Their Companions
A List of Common Garden Vegetables and Their CompanionsA List of Common Garden Vegetables and Their Companions
A List of Common Garden Vegetables and Their Companions
 
Alley Cropping: An Agroforestry Practice
Alley Cropping: An Agroforestry PracticeAlley Cropping: An Agroforestry Practice
Alley Cropping: An Agroforestry Practice
 
A Companion Planting Chart
A Companion Planting ChartA Companion Planting Chart
A Companion Planting Chart
 
A Review of Suitable Companion Crops for Black Walnut
A Review of Suitable Companion Crops for Black WalnutA Review of Suitable Companion Crops for Black Walnut
A Review of Suitable Companion Crops for Black Walnut
 
Biodiversity in Community Gardens, Orchards and Allotments - Dundee, Scotland
Biodiversity in Community Gardens, Orchards and Allotments - Dundee, ScotlandBiodiversity in Community Gardens, Orchards and Allotments - Dundee, Scotland
Biodiversity in Community Gardens, Orchards and Allotments - Dundee, Scotland
 
Vegetables Companion Planting Guide
Vegetables Companion Planting GuideVegetables Companion Planting Guide
Vegetables Companion Planting Guide
 
A How to Guide for Creating Your Own Easy Care Garden - Clarence City, Tasmania
A How to Guide for Creating Your Own Easy Care Garden - Clarence City, TasmaniaA How to Guide for Creating Your Own Easy Care Garden - Clarence City, Tasmania
A How to Guide for Creating Your Own Easy Care Garden - Clarence City, Tasmania
 

Similar to Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.

A Manual for Growing Food in Arid Lands & Summer Droughts
A Manual for Growing Food in Arid Lands & Summer DroughtsA Manual for Growing Food in Arid Lands & Summer Droughts
A Manual for Growing Food in Arid Lands & Summer DroughtsSeeds
 
Sustainable Gardening Manual - Whittlesea, Australia
Sustainable Gardening Manual - Whittlesea, AustraliaSustainable Gardening Manual - Whittlesea, Australia
Sustainable Gardening Manual - Whittlesea, AustraliaDanousis85z
 
Greenbelt Food Forest Phase II Photo Journal
Greenbelt Food Forest Phase II Photo JournalGreenbelt Food Forest Phase II Photo Journal
Greenbelt Food Forest Phase II Photo JournalCHEARS
 
Vegetable Gardens: Grow Food, Save Water - City of Aurora
Vegetable Gardens: Grow Food, Save Water - City of AuroraVegetable Gardens: Grow Food, Save Water - City of Aurora
Vegetable Gardens: Grow Food, Save Water - City of Aurorasodj49v
 
Welcome to Sunfield Community Garden: The Intro Brochure
Welcome to Sunfield Community Garden: The Intro BrochureWelcome to Sunfield Community Garden: The Intro Brochure
Welcome to Sunfield Community Garden: The Intro BrochureSunfield TX
 
Conservation Gardening: Sustainable Practices for a Healthy Landscape - Unive...
Conservation Gardening: Sustainable Practices for a Healthy Landscape - Unive...Conservation Gardening: Sustainable Practices for a Healthy Landscape - Unive...
Conservation Gardening: Sustainable Practices for a Healthy Landscape - Unive...Kardatou54a
 
Sustainable Gardening Helps to Ensure Health
Sustainable Gardening Helps to Ensure HealthSustainable Gardening Helps to Ensure Health
Sustainable Gardening Helps to Ensure HealthBenBeckers
 
LANSCAPE EDIBLE GARDEN.pptx
LANSCAPE EDIBLE GARDEN.pptxLANSCAPE EDIBLE GARDEN.pptx
LANSCAPE EDIBLE GARDEN.pptxJabeer13
 
My Smart Garden - Victoria, Australia
My Smart Garden - Victoria, AustraliaMy Smart Garden - Victoria, Australia
My Smart Garden - Victoria, AustraliaFaizah68w
 
E Ho'ohuli I Ka Lima I Lalo
E Ho'ohuli I Ka Lima I LaloE Ho'ohuli I Ka Lima I Lalo
E Ho'ohuli I Ka Lima I LaloAmyDeSa
 
Soil Health STEWARD_January 2015
Soil Health STEWARD_January 2015Soil Health STEWARD_January 2015
Soil Health STEWARD_January 2015Laurie Fritsch
 
Smart Gardening Information Sheet, Water Wise Gardening - Los Angeles, Califo...
Smart Gardening Information Sheet, Water Wise Gardening - Los Angeles, Califo...Smart Gardening Information Sheet, Water Wise Gardening - Los Angeles, Califo...
Smart Gardening Information Sheet, Water Wise Gardening - Los Angeles, Califo...Finola87v
 
The Gardener's Guide to Global Warming: Challenges and Solutions
The Gardener's Guide to Global Warming: Challenges and SolutionsThe Gardener's Guide to Global Warming: Challenges and Solutions
The Gardener's Guide to Global Warming: Challenges and SolutionsDanousis85z
 
The Gardener’s Guide to Global Warming
The Gardener’s Guide to Global WarmingThe Gardener’s Guide to Global Warming
The Gardener’s Guide to Global WarmingSotirakou964
 
Grazing for Soil Health: Considerations for Grass Finishing
Grazing for Soil Health: Considerations for Grass Finishing Grazing for Soil Health: Considerations for Grass Finishing
Grazing for Soil Health: Considerations for Grass Finishing SWGLA
 

Similar to Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia. (20)

A Manual for Growing Food in Arid Lands & Summer Droughts
A Manual for Growing Food in Arid Lands & Summer DroughtsA Manual for Growing Food in Arid Lands & Summer Droughts
A Manual for Growing Food in Arid Lands & Summer Droughts
 
A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia
A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid AustraliaA Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia
A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia
 
Vegie Garden Companion: Gardening in Desert
Vegie Garden Companion: Gardening in DesertVegie Garden Companion: Gardening in Desert
Vegie Garden Companion: Gardening in Desert
 
Sustainable Gardening Manual - Whittlesea, Australia
Sustainable Gardening Manual - Whittlesea, AustraliaSustainable Gardening Manual - Whittlesea, Australia
Sustainable Gardening Manual - Whittlesea, Australia
 
Your Garden and Global Warming
Your Garden and Global WarmingYour Garden and Global Warming
Your Garden and Global Warming
 
Greenbelt Food Forest Phase II Photo Journal
Greenbelt Food Forest Phase II Photo JournalGreenbelt Food Forest Phase II Photo Journal
Greenbelt Food Forest Phase II Photo Journal
 
Vegetable Gardens: Grow Food, Save Water - City of Aurora
Vegetable Gardens: Grow Food, Save Water - City of AuroraVegetable Gardens: Grow Food, Save Water - City of Aurora
Vegetable Gardens: Grow Food, Save Water - City of Aurora
 
Florida Native Plants
Florida Native PlantsFlorida Native Plants
Florida Native Plants
 
Welcome to Sunfield Community Garden: The Intro Brochure
Welcome to Sunfield Community Garden: The Intro BrochureWelcome to Sunfield Community Garden: The Intro Brochure
Welcome to Sunfield Community Garden: The Intro Brochure
 
Conservation Gardening: Sustainable Practices for a Healthy Landscape - Unive...
Conservation Gardening: Sustainable Practices for a Healthy Landscape - Unive...Conservation Gardening: Sustainable Practices for a Healthy Landscape - Unive...
Conservation Gardening: Sustainable Practices for a Healthy Landscape - Unive...
 
Sustainable Gardening Helps to Ensure Health
Sustainable Gardening Helps to Ensure HealthSustainable Gardening Helps to Ensure Health
Sustainable Gardening Helps to Ensure Health
 
LANSCAPE EDIBLE GARDEN.pptx
LANSCAPE EDIBLE GARDEN.pptxLANSCAPE EDIBLE GARDEN.pptx
LANSCAPE EDIBLE GARDEN.pptx
 
Illawarra Edible School Garden Guide
Illawarra Edible School Garden GuideIllawarra Edible School Garden Guide
Illawarra Edible School Garden Guide
 
My Smart Garden - Victoria, Australia
My Smart Garden - Victoria, AustraliaMy Smart Garden - Victoria, Australia
My Smart Garden - Victoria, Australia
 
E Ho'ohuli I Ka Lima I Lalo
E Ho'ohuli I Ka Lima I LaloE Ho'ohuli I Ka Lima I Lalo
E Ho'ohuli I Ka Lima I Lalo
 
Soil Health STEWARD_January 2015
Soil Health STEWARD_January 2015Soil Health STEWARD_January 2015
Soil Health STEWARD_January 2015
 
Smart Gardening Information Sheet, Water Wise Gardening - Los Angeles, Califo...
Smart Gardening Information Sheet, Water Wise Gardening - Los Angeles, Califo...Smart Gardening Information Sheet, Water Wise Gardening - Los Angeles, Califo...
Smart Gardening Information Sheet, Water Wise Gardening - Los Angeles, Califo...
 
The Gardener's Guide to Global Warming: Challenges and Solutions
The Gardener's Guide to Global Warming: Challenges and SolutionsThe Gardener's Guide to Global Warming: Challenges and Solutions
The Gardener's Guide to Global Warming: Challenges and Solutions
 
The Gardener’s Guide to Global Warming
The Gardener’s Guide to Global WarmingThe Gardener’s Guide to Global Warming
The Gardener’s Guide to Global Warming
 
Grazing for Soil Health: Considerations for Grass Finishing
Grazing for Soil Health: Considerations for Grass Finishing Grazing for Soil Health: Considerations for Grass Finishing
Grazing for Soil Health: Considerations for Grass Finishing
 

More from Aliki85w

Alley Cropping in Agro Forestry - University of Missouri
Alley Cropping in Agro Forestry - University of MissouriAlley Cropping in Agro Forestry - University of Missouri
Alley Cropping in Agro Forestry - University of MissouriAliki85w
 
Alternatives to Pesticides - Urban and Community Horticulture
Alternatives to Pesticides - Urban and Community HorticultureAlternatives to Pesticides - Urban and Community Horticulture
Alternatives to Pesticides - Urban and Community HorticultureAliki85w
 
Barker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Rare Seeds
Barker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Rare SeedsBarker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Rare Seeds
Barker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Rare SeedsAliki85w
 
Basic List of Companion Plants - Chico, California
Basic List of Companion Plants - Chico, CaliforniaBasic List of Companion Plants - Chico, California
Basic List of Companion Plants - Chico, CaliforniaAliki85w
 
Benefits of Companion Planting Explained - Boston Natural Areas Network
Benefits of Companion Planting Explained - Boston Natural Areas NetworkBenefits of Companion Planting Explained - Boston Natural Areas Network
Benefits of Companion Planting Explained - Boston Natural Areas NetworkAliki85w
 
Biointensive Mixed Plantings - Kentucky State University
Biointensive Mixed Plantings - Kentucky State UniversityBiointensive Mixed Plantings - Kentucky State University
Biointensive Mixed Plantings - Kentucky State UniversityAliki85w
 
Biological Control and Natural Enemies
Biological Control and Natural EnemiesBiological Control and Natural Enemies
Biological Control and Natural EnemiesAliki85w
 
Breast Cancer and Pesticides - Sierra Club
Breast Cancer and Pesticides - Sierra ClubBreast Cancer and Pesticides - Sierra Club
Breast Cancer and Pesticides - Sierra ClubAliki85w
 
Brother Nature Organic Seeds and Companion Planting - Victoria, Canada
Brother Nature Organic Seeds and Companion Planting - Victoria, CanadaBrother Nature Organic Seeds and Companion Planting - Victoria, Canada
Brother Nature Organic Seeds and Companion Planting - Victoria, CanadaAliki85w
 
Carrots Love Tomatoes: Companion Planting for the Home Gardener - Master Gard...
Carrots Love Tomatoes: Companion Planting for the Home Gardener - Master Gard...Carrots Love Tomatoes: Companion Planting for the Home Gardener - Master Gard...
Carrots Love Tomatoes: Companion Planting for the Home Gardener - Master Gard...Aliki85w
 
CCAT Companion Planting
CCAT Companion PlantingCCAT Companion Planting
CCAT Companion PlantingAliki85w
 
Central Texas Community Gardening Manual - World Hunger Relief
Central Texas Community Gardening Manual - World Hunger ReliefCentral Texas Community Gardening Manual - World Hunger Relief
Central Texas Community Gardening Manual - World Hunger ReliefAliki85w
 
Community Gardens: Themes and Ideas
Community Gardens: Themes and IdeasCommunity Gardens: Themes and Ideas
Community Gardens: Themes and IdeasAliki85w
 
Community Seeds: Building Community Through Gardening - University of Michigan
Community Seeds: Building Community Through Gardening - University of MichiganCommunity Seeds: Building Community Through Gardening - University of Michigan
Community Seeds: Building Community Through Gardening - University of MichiganAliki85w
 
Companion Crop Recommendations for Planting with Black Walnuts
Companion Crop Recommendations for Planting with Black WalnutsCompanion Crop Recommendations for Planting with Black Walnuts
Companion Crop Recommendations for Planting with Black WalnutsAliki85w
 
Companion Crops for Organic Alfalfa Establishment
Companion Crops for Organic Alfalfa EstablishmentCompanion Crops for Organic Alfalfa Establishment
Companion Crops for Organic Alfalfa EstablishmentAliki85w
 
Companion Gardening - North Central Ohio
Companion Gardening - North Central OhioCompanion Gardening - North Central Ohio
Companion Gardening - North Central OhioAliki85w
 
Companion Gardening - Travis County Master Gardeners, Austin, Texas
Companion Gardening - Travis County Master Gardeners, Austin, TexasCompanion Gardening - Travis County Master Gardeners, Austin, Texas
Companion Gardening - Travis County Master Gardeners, Austin, TexasAliki85w
 
Companion Gardening and Insect Control - Master Gardeners, Iowa
Companion Gardening and Insect Control - Master Gardeners, IowaCompanion Gardening and Insect Control - Master Gardeners, Iowa
Companion Gardening and Insect Control - Master Gardeners, IowaAliki85w
 
Companion Gardening: Basic Vegetable Gardening, Designing Your Garden
Companion Gardening: Basic Vegetable Gardening, Designing Your GardenCompanion Gardening: Basic Vegetable Gardening, Designing Your Garden
Companion Gardening: Basic Vegetable Gardening, Designing Your GardenAliki85w
 

More from Aliki85w (20)

Alley Cropping in Agro Forestry - University of Missouri
Alley Cropping in Agro Forestry - University of MissouriAlley Cropping in Agro Forestry - University of Missouri
Alley Cropping in Agro Forestry - University of Missouri
 
Alternatives to Pesticides - Urban and Community Horticulture
Alternatives to Pesticides - Urban and Community HorticultureAlternatives to Pesticides - Urban and Community Horticulture
Alternatives to Pesticides - Urban and Community Horticulture
 
Barker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Rare Seeds
Barker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Rare SeedsBarker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Rare Seeds
Barker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Rare Seeds
 
Basic List of Companion Plants - Chico, California
Basic List of Companion Plants - Chico, CaliforniaBasic List of Companion Plants - Chico, California
Basic List of Companion Plants - Chico, California
 
Benefits of Companion Planting Explained - Boston Natural Areas Network
Benefits of Companion Planting Explained - Boston Natural Areas NetworkBenefits of Companion Planting Explained - Boston Natural Areas Network
Benefits of Companion Planting Explained - Boston Natural Areas Network
 
Biointensive Mixed Plantings - Kentucky State University
Biointensive Mixed Plantings - Kentucky State UniversityBiointensive Mixed Plantings - Kentucky State University
Biointensive Mixed Plantings - Kentucky State University
 
Biological Control and Natural Enemies
Biological Control and Natural EnemiesBiological Control and Natural Enemies
Biological Control and Natural Enemies
 
Breast Cancer and Pesticides - Sierra Club
Breast Cancer and Pesticides - Sierra ClubBreast Cancer and Pesticides - Sierra Club
Breast Cancer and Pesticides - Sierra Club
 
Brother Nature Organic Seeds and Companion Planting - Victoria, Canada
Brother Nature Organic Seeds and Companion Planting - Victoria, CanadaBrother Nature Organic Seeds and Companion Planting - Victoria, Canada
Brother Nature Organic Seeds and Companion Planting - Victoria, Canada
 
Carrots Love Tomatoes: Companion Planting for the Home Gardener - Master Gard...
Carrots Love Tomatoes: Companion Planting for the Home Gardener - Master Gard...Carrots Love Tomatoes: Companion Planting for the Home Gardener - Master Gard...
Carrots Love Tomatoes: Companion Planting for the Home Gardener - Master Gard...
 
CCAT Companion Planting
CCAT Companion PlantingCCAT Companion Planting
CCAT Companion Planting
 
Central Texas Community Gardening Manual - World Hunger Relief
Central Texas Community Gardening Manual - World Hunger ReliefCentral Texas Community Gardening Manual - World Hunger Relief
Central Texas Community Gardening Manual - World Hunger Relief
 
Community Gardens: Themes and Ideas
Community Gardens: Themes and IdeasCommunity Gardens: Themes and Ideas
Community Gardens: Themes and Ideas
 
Community Seeds: Building Community Through Gardening - University of Michigan
Community Seeds: Building Community Through Gardening - University of MichiganCommunity Seeds: Building Community Through Gardening - University of Michigan
Community Seeds: Building Community Through Gardening - University of Michigan
 
Companion Crop Recommendations for Planting with Black Walnuts
Companion Crop Recommendations for Planting with Black WalnutsCompanion Crop Recommendations for Planting with Black Walnuts
Companion Crop Recommendations for Planting with Black Walnuts
 
Companion Crops for Organic Alfalfa Establishment
Companion Crops for Organic Alfalfa EstablishmentCompanion Crops for Organic Alfalfa Establishment
Companion Crops for Organic Alfalfa Establishment
 
Companion Gardening - North Central Ohio
Companion Gardening - North Central OhioCompanion Gardening - North Central Ohio
Companion Gardening - North Central Ohio
 
Companion Gardening - Travis County Master Gardeners, Austin, Texas
Companion Gardening - Travis County Master Gardeners, Austin, TexasCompanion Gardening - Travis County Master Gardeners, Austin, Texas
Companion Gardening - Travis County Master Gardeners, Austin, Texas
 
Companion Gardening and Insect Control - Master Gardeners, Iowa
Companion Gardening and Insect Control - Master Gardeners, IowaCompanion Gardening and Insect Control - Master Gardeners, Iowa
Companion Gardening and Insect Control - Master Gardeners, Iowa
 
Companion Gardening: Basic Vegetable Gardening, Designing Your Garden
Companion Gardening: Basic Vegetable Gardening, Designing Your GardenCompanion Gardening: Basic Vegetable Gardening, Designing Your Garden
Companion Gardening: Basic Vegetable Gardening, Designing Your Garden
 

Recently uploaded

ASTRINGENTS.pdf Pharmacognosy chapter 5 diploma in Pharmacy
ASTRINGENTS.pdf Pharmacognosy chapter 5 diploma in PharmacyASTRINGENTS.pdf Pharmacognosy chapter 5 diploma in Pharmacy
ASTRINGENTS.pdf Pharmacognosy chapter 5 diploma in PharmacySumit Tiwari
 
DLL Catch Up Friday March 22.docx CATCH UP FRIDAYS
DLL Catch Up Friday March 22.docx CATCH UP FRIDAYSDLL Catch Up Friday March 22.docx CATCH UP FRIDAYS
DLL Catch Up Friday March 22.docx CATCH UP FRIDAYSTeacherNicaPrintable
 
BÀI TẬP BỔ TRỢ TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO ĐƠN VỊ BÀI HỌC - CẢ NĂM - CÓ FILE NGHE (GLOB...
BÀI TẬP BỔ TRỢ TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO ĐƠN VỊ BÀI HỌC - CẢ NĂM - CÓ FILE NGHE (GLOB...BÀI TẬP BỔ TRỢ TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO ĐƠN VỊ BÀI HỌC - CẢ NĂM - CÓ FILE NGHE (GLOB...
BÀI TẬP BỔ TRỢ TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO ĐƠN VỊ BÀI HỌC - CẢ NĂM - CÓ FILE NGHE (GLOB...Nguyen Thanh Tu Collection
 
EDD8524 The Future of Educational Leader
EDD8524 The Future of Educational LeaderEDD8524 The Future of Educational Leader
EDD8524 The Future of Educational LeaderDr. Bruce A. Johnson
 
Plant Tissue culture., Plasticity, Totipotency, pptx
Plant Tissue culture., Plasticity, Totipotency, pptxPlant Tissue culture., Plasticity, Totipotency, pptx
Plant Tissue culture., Plasticity, Totipotency, pptxHimansu10
 
Auchitya Theory by Kshemendra Indian Poetics
Auchitya Theory by Kshemendra Indian PoeticsAuchitya Theory by Kshemendra Indian Poetics
Auchitya Theory by Kshemendra Indian PoeticsDhatriParmar
 
Research Methodology and Tips on Better Research
Research Methodology and Tips on Better ResearchResearch Methodology and Tips on Better Research
Research Methodology and Tips on Better ResearchRushdi Shams
 
Dhavni Theory by Anandvardhana Indian Poetics
Dhavni Theory by Anandvardhana Indian PoeticsDhavni Theory by Anandvardhana Indian Poetics
Dhavni Theory by Anandvardhana Indian PoeticsDhatriParmar
 
3.14.24 Gender Discrimination and Gender Inequity.pptx
3.14.24 Gender Discrimination and Gender Inequity.pptx3.14.24 Gender Discrimination and Gender Inequity.pptx
3.14.24 Gender Discrimination and Gender Inequity.pptxmary850239
 
Metabolism of lipoproteins & its disorders(Chylomicron & VLDL & LDL).pptx
Metabolism of  lipoproteins & its disorders(Chylomicron & VLDL & LDL).pptxMetabolism of  lipoproteins & its disorders(Chylomicron & VLDL & LDL).pptx
Metabolism of lipoproteins & its disorders(Chylomicron & VLDL & LDL).pptxDr. Santhosh Kumar. N
 
The First National K12 TUG March 6 2024.pdf
The First National K12 TUG March 6 2024.pdfThe First National K12 TUG March 6 2024.pdf
The First National K12 TUG March 6 2024.pdfdogden2
 
Metabolism , Metabolic Fate& disorders of cholesterol.pptx
Metabolism , Metabolic Fate& disorders of cholesterol.pptxMetabolism , Metabolic Fate& disorders of cholesterol.pptx
Metabolism , Metabolic Fate& disorders of cholesterol.pptxDr. Santhosh Kumar. N
 
30-de-thi-vao-lop-10-mon-tieng-anh-co-dap-an.doc
30-de-thi-vao-lop-10-mon-tieng-anh-co-dap-an.doc30-de-thi-vao-lop-10-mon-tieng-anh-co-dap-an.doc
30-de-thi-vao-lop-10-mon-tieng-anh-co-dap-an.docdieu18
 
VIT336 – Recommender System - Unit 3.pdf
VIT336 – Recommender System - Unit 3.pdfVIT336 – Recommender System - Unit 3.pdf
VIT336 – Recommender System - Unit 3.pdfArthyR3
 
BBA 205 BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT UNIT I.pptx
BBA 205 BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT UNIT I.pptxBBA 205 BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT UNIT I.pptx
BBA 205 BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT UNIT I.pptxProf. Kanchan Kumari
 
Awards Presentation 2024 - March 12 2024
Awards Presentation 2024 - March 12 2024Awards Presentation 2024 - March 12 2024
Awards Presentation 2024 - March 12 2024bsellato
 
HỌC TỐT TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO CHƯƠNG TRÌNH GLOBAL SUCCESS ĐÁP ÁN CHI TIẾT - HK2 (...
HỌC TỐT TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO CHƯƠNG TRÌNH GLOBAL SUCCESS ĐÁP ÁN CHI TIẾT - HK2 (...HỌC TỐT TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO CHƯƠNG TRÌNH GLOBAL SUCCESS ĐÁP ÁN CHI TIẾT - HK2 (...
HỌC TỐT TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO CHƯƠNG TRÌNH GLOBAL SUCCESS ĐÁP ÁN CHI TIẾT - HK2 (...Nguyen Thanh Tu Collection
 
DNA and RNA , Structure, Functions, Types, difference, Similarities, Protein ...
DNA and RNA , Structure, Functions, Types, difference, Similarities, Protein ...DNA and RNA , Structure, Functions, Types, difference, Similarities, Protein ...
DNA and RNA , Structure, Functions, Types, difference, Similarities, Protein ...AKSHAYMAGAR17
 
3.14.24 The Selma March and the Voting Rights Act.pptx
3.14.24 The Selma March and the Voting Rights Act.pptx3.14.24 The Selma March and the Voting Rights Act.pptx
3.14.24 The Selma March and the Voting Rights Act.pptxmary850239
 

Recently uploaded (20)

ASTRINGENTS.pdf Pharmacognosy chapter 5 diploma in Pharmacy
ASTRINGENTS.pdf Pharmacognosy chapter 5 diploma in PharmacyASTRINGENTS.pdf Pharmacognosy chapter 5 diploma in Pharmacy
ASTRINGENTS.pdf Pharmacognosy chapter 5 diploma in Pharmacy
 
DLL Catch Up Friday March 22.docx CATCH UP FRIDAYS
DLL Catch Up Friday March 22.docx CATCH UP FRIDAYSDLL Catch Up Friday March 22.docx CATCH UP FRIDAYS
DLL Catch Up Friday March 22.docx CATCH UP FRIDAYS
 
ANOVA Parametric test: Biostatics and Research Methodology
ANOVA Parametric test: Biostatics and Research MethodologyANOVA Parametric test: Biostatics and Research Methodology
ANOVA Parametric test: Biostatics and Research Methodology
 
BÀI TẬP BỔ TRỢ TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO ĐƠN VỊ BÀI HỌC - CẢ NĂM - CÓ FILE NGHE (GLOB...
BÀI TẬP BỔ TRỢ TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO ĐƠN VỊ BÀI HỌC - CẢ NĂM - CÓ FILE NGHE (GLOB...BÀI TẬP BỔ TRỢ TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO ĐƠN VỊ BÀI HỌC - CẢ NĂM - CÓ FILE NGHE (GLOB...
BÀI TẬP BỔ TRỢ TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO ĐƠN VỊ BÀI HỌC - CẢ NĂM - CÓ FILE NGHE (GLOB...
 
EDD8524 The Future of Educational Leader
EDD8524 The Future of Educational LeaderEDD8524 The Future of Educational Leader
EDD8524 The Future of Educational Leader
 
Plant Tissue culture., Plasticity, Totipotency, pptx
Plant Tissue culture., Plasticity, Totipotency, pptxPlant Tissue culture., Plasticity, Totipotency, pptx
Plant Tissue culture., Plasticity, Totipotency, pptx
 
Auchitya Theory by Kshemendra Indian Poetics
Auchitya Theory by Kshemendra Indian PoeticsAuchitya Theory by Kshemendra Indian Poetics
Auchitya Theory by Kshemendra Indian Poetics
 
Research Methodology and Tips on Better Research
Research Methodology and Tips on Better ResearchResearch Methodology and Tips on Better Research
Research Methodology and Tips on Better Research
 
Dhavni Theory by Anandvardhana Indian Poetics
Dhavni Theory by Anandvardhana Indian PoeticsDhavni Theory by Anandvardhana Indian Poetics
Dhavni Theory by Anandvardhana Indian Poetics
 
3.14.24 Gender Discrimination and Gender Inequity.pptx
3.14.24 Gender Discrimination and Gender Inequity.pptx3.14.24 Gender Discrimination and Gender Inequity.pptx
3.14.24 Gender Discrimination and Gender Inequity.pptx
 
Metabolism of lipoproteins & its disorders(Chylomicron & VLDL & LDL).pptx
Metabolism of  lipoproteins & its disorders(Chylomicron & VLDL & LDL).pptxMetabolism of  lipoproteins & its disorders(Chylomicron & VLDL & LDL).pptx
Metabolism of lipoproteins & its disorders(Chylomicron & VLDL & LDL).pptx
 
The First National K12 TUG March 6 2024.pdf
The First National K12 TUG March 6 2024.pdfThe First National K12 TUG March 6 2024.pdf
The First National K12 TUG March 6 2024.pdf
 
Metabolism , Metabolic Fate& disorders of cholesterol.pptx
Metabolism , Metabolic Fate& disorders of cholesterol.pptxMetabolism , Metabolic Fate& disorders of cholesterol.pptx
Metabolism , Metabolic Fate& disorders of cholesterol.pptx
 
30-de-thi-vao-lop-10-mon-tieng-anh-co-dap-an.doc
30-de-thi-vao-lop-10-mon-tieng-anh-co-dap-an.doc30-de-thi-vao-lop-10-mon-tieng-anh-co-dap-an.doc
30-de-thi-vao-lop-10-mon-tieng-anh-co-dap-an.doc
 
VIT336 – Recommender System - Unit 3.pdf
VIT336 – Recommender System - Unit 3.pdfVIT336 – Recommender System - Unit 3.pdf
VIT336 – Recommender System - Unit 3.pdf
 
BBA 205 BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT UNIT I.pptx
BBA 205 BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT UNIT I.pptxBBA 205 BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT UNIT I.pptx
BBA 205 BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT UNIT I.pptx
 
Awards Presentation 2024 - March 12 2024
Awards Presentation 2024 - March 12 2024Awards Presentation 2024 - March 12 2024
Awards Presentation 2024 - March 12 2024
 
HỌC TỐT TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO CHƯƠNG TRÌNH GLOBAL SUCCESS ĐÁP ÁN CHI TIẾT - HK2 (...
HỌC TỐT TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO CHƯƠNG TRÌNH GLOBAL SUCCESS ĐÁP ÁN CHI TIẾT - HK2 (...HỌC TỐT TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO CHƯƠNG TRÌNH GLOBAL SUCCESS ĐÁP ÁN CHI TIẾT - HK2 (...
HỌC TỐT TIẾNG ANH 11 THEO CHƯƠNG TRÌNH GLOBAL SUCCESS ĐÁP ÁN CHI TIẾT - HK2 (...
 
DNA and RNA , Structure, Functions, Types, difference, Similarities, Protein ...
DNA and RNA , Structure, Functions, Types, difference, Similarities, Protein ...DNA and RNA , Structure, Functions, Types, difference, Similarities, Protein ...
DNA and RNA , Structure, Functions, Types, difference, Similarities, Protein ...
 
3.14.24 The Selma March and the Voting Rights Act.pptx
3.14.24 The Selma March and the Voting Rights Act.pptx3.14.24 The Selma March and the Voting Rights Act.pptx
3.14.24 The Selma March and the Voting Rights Act.pptx
 

Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A Handbook for Growing Food in Arid Australia.

  • 1. !"#$%&'()#*+'&,%+#%&+!)-%*&$./(!*#.* !"#$%&'(()"*(+",+(-.%,"*((&".%" $+.&"!/01+$2.$
  • 2. We acknowledge the traditional owners and people of this land. Big Thanks This revised second edition of the Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion would not have been possible without the efforts of all those who contributed to the first edi- tion. Thank you. Editor, Katrina Patton, has gone way beyond the call of duty to share her love of gardening and commitment to local food Contents growing. Katrina has edited, written sec- 3 Getting Started tions, designed and produced this version. Her vision and skills have taken it to a new 10 Water level. 14 Soils Geoff Miers has generously contributed years of experience to these pages, hours 17 Compost to the editing process and ongoing support for the project. Thanks also to Chris Brock 22 Chickens for his dedication to the cause and tireless contributions, and to Tim Collins for his 24 Pests help on the Bush Foods section. 29 Integrated Pest Management Big love to Fiona Rogers, Lucy Scott and & Companion planting Grace Pullen for the beautiful artwork. 32 Seedsaving Finally ALEC acknowledges the support of the Northern Territory Government. In 35 Planting by the Moon 2009, ALEC Coordinator Jimmy Cocking, applied successfully for an Environment 37 Vegetables Grant towards a Gardens For Food project as a practical community adaptation to 42 Fruit: the big four climate change. 46 Other Fruit This precious resource, the Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion, has been created 50 Herbs through a community effort. It will assist local food production throughout arid Aus- 52 Bush Foods tralia for many years to come. 54 Garden Directory Ruth Apelt Arid Lands Environment Centre Spring 2010 1
  • 3. Welcome to the second edition of the Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion: A handbook for growing food in arid Australia. This Getting Started edition has been produced as part of our Gardens For Food Project A variety of vegetables, fruits and herbs can be grown in and around Alice - to inspire, encourage and assist people to grow their own food. Springs, some are easier than others, and all will do better with a little bit of Today, the home vegie patch is making a comeback as people adapt to climate planning and preparation. The following are some general tips for the less change and the environmental impacts of how food is produced. There are hundreds of experienced gardener. bountiful back yards in and around Alice Springs, and plenty of space for more. Planning The 2006-2007 Alice Springs Vegie Garden Companion has indeed become a companion Choosing the location for your garden is the most important factor in ensuring a successful for many gardeners in Alice Springs. The community has celebrated this resource as peo- and abundant garden with minimal effort. Select a site that gets some sun all year round, par- ticularly winter sun, that is when the sun is low to the north. Patchy shade in summer is great In this revised and expanded edition we have added sections on fruit trees, bush foods, however if shade is provided by trees, consider that their roots can take water and nutrients chickens, more on compost, a section for people with less experience and more. away from your vegetables. Most trees have extensive root systems, which may or may not compete for water and nutrients with your vegetables. An area that doesn’t have shade or trees Before colonisation, Arrernte people sustained themselves for thousands of years, gather- on the northern boundary is great and some shade or trees on the southern boundary is okay. ing food and medicine from this arid landscape. In the early colonial days people culti- vated the land here and grew most of the food they needed to sustain themselves. Once you have a couple of positions in mind take time to sit in your garden and observe it: Until the 1970’s Alice Springs grew most of its own veggies. Since then, the complexities and conveniences of modern life have taken over. But these days the language of climate build better soil. You can also test soil from your garden with a home pH testing kit or take change includes concerns for food security, community resilience, and the need to reduce some samples into a nursery for testing. food miles and carbon footprints. Growing food is an empowering action that individuals and communities can take to or dig trenches to bring it to your fruit trees and vegetable garden. address ALL these challenges! And the taste of freshly picked produce is always beyond compare, without the need for pesticides and packaging. The higher nutritional value is - confirmed by research. ally). If you find you have a garden that receives more sun at one end than the other, you could plan for winter crops in full sun and summer crops with more shade. You can also put up In a nutshell, home grown is cheap, good for you and good for the environment. And it’s shade cloth if the summer sun is too strong. fun. It is our hope that this little book can accompany you along the journey that is grow- ing food in arid Australia. Paths and compaction Compaction occurs when the garden soil is walked upon. It is bad as it prevents water, air and essential nutrients from penetrating the soil. Include paths and stepping stones in your plan to There is lots happening in and around Alice Springs. You might want to… avoid it. them on facebook. Soil preparation It is very important to prepare the soil, as rarely in arid conditions will it be deliciously rich sharing seed and knowledge locally. and ready to be planted into. See the Soils section for information on how to identify your soil an eye out for gardening workshops. Check type and prepare it for growing food. notice boards at nurseries or ask around the com- munity garden and DesertSMART COOLMob networks. Email gardensforfood@gmail.com for more infor- mation 2 3
  • 4. No-dig garden beds Pots and Container Gardens Getting rid of weeds & Couch A no-dig garden creates a garden bed on You also might consider gardening in pots, Most grasses and weeds around Alice top of the existing soil by layering organic tubs and boxes if you have limited space, Springs can be easily pulled from your matter which will break down to form your sunlight or really bad soil. Generally the garden. If you are making a no-dig raised garden bed. The layers will shrink as they bigger the tub/pot the better. Large con- garden bed you may not need to remove break down and will need regular additions tainers retain moisture longer, heat up and most weeds, simply cut it and leave it on the of compost and mulch. It’s like building a flat cool down more slowly and can require less ground, to get smothered by your garden. compost pile but with a lot more carbon and frequent watering. Couch grass however is a different story. It Foam boxes, big pots, old baths or tubs can will grow right through. Couch grass is hard This method is a solution to poor quality be used to grow vegetables successfully. to take out of a growing garden so it is best ground soil. Weed management is much to eradicate it and take measures to prevent easier because they are off the ground which it re-entering before creating your new also makes it harder for dogs to get into the garden. garden. Couch spreads by put- ting out runners so it is Make a no-dig garden bed essential that all roots must be dug up and You will need: removed from your - garden. If the runner breaks up, Fill them with a mix of good soil, slow castings) try to find all pieces, release fertiliser, potting mix, compost, sand, worm castings or composted manure. Mulch each piece can sprout as you would any other garden bed. Renew into new grass. should do it. with compost and fertiliser between each keeping weeds out and garden soil in) 4. Top it off with a thick layer of mulch/ major crop. If you do this well, it is much easier to keep couch from re-entering your garden by you want to plant out straight away Pots may need to be watered daily in sum- digging a trench around your garden bed mer and less in winter. Placing a deep tray and burying a short fence corrugated iron of water beneath the pot allows the plant to 1. Trample or mow the grass leaving the clip- to prevent runners. If your soil is too heavy, suck up water as it requires. Put some twigs pings there. If you have couch grass, remove following and pulling up roots may not be or gravel in the bottom for drainage. Keep an option. an eye on the water level here, if the tray Other grasses and weeds will be smothered. straw/hay and water well. stays full for days then there is perhaps too A spray of Glyphosate works well on couch much water or the roots of the plant are too 2. Lay down a double layer of cardboard 5. Cover with hessian to keep moist, check grass as a one off application then protect shallow. Change the water every few days if or ten layers of newspaper, overlapping by the borders to prevent re-infestation. Get- it starts to attract mosquitoes. about a third. Dip each in a bucket of water ready to be planted. ting rid of it while the vegie garden is in before laying out. Some things will just grow better than oth- 6. OR to cheat a little and use your no-dig a minimum by regular pulling, and then garden bed straight away, make holes in the ers in pots. Herbs and salad greens are great places to start but experiment and see what bed and fill them with soil and compost or a replanting. cheap potting mix. Plant seedlings or seeds works for you. 4 5
  • 5. Wicking Garden Beds Wicking Garden Beds Need: A wicking bed is a garden bed that is sealed underneath and uses capillary action to ‘wick’ water up into the roots of the plants. It is possible for water to ‘wick’ 30 cm up through the You may choose to make a large wicking soil. 1. Space for water to be stored. Wicking garden beds are built inside a plastic liner design). It might have timber or corrugated Simple but effective, they are very suited to arid conditions and areas with erratic rainfall. In or water proof container. Water can also be iron sides or might just be mounded up a lit- this regard they are considered an adaptation tool for the impacts of climate change on food trapped in recycled cut open drink bottles tle. It might be dug into the ground or built production. buried under the soil or amongst gravel/sand up above it entirely. at the bottom of the liner/container. Why a wicking bed? the plastic out around the bed to catch more 2. An overflow point 20-30cms below the water run-off into the wicking bed. a pipe with holes in is used to distribute the water underneath the soil. To learn a lot more about the wicking garden principles go to www.waterright.com.au Understanding the basic principals of a wicking garden bed enables us to go on and experiment with all kinds of variations. You may choose to use the wicking bed principles on a small and cheap scale, using recycled materials. Big wicking garden beds work extremely well with a worm farm situated inside them. A bucket with several inch-holes drilled in it is enough. For garden bed ideas and how to make a polystyrene box garden with wicking princi- ples see www.easygrowvegetables.com 6 7
  • 6. How to Hand Pollinate Seeds and seedlings and squash need bees to pollinate them. If there aren’t many bees around and your baby of tender shoots. You may choose to sow seeds in pots in a sheltered area or nursery that gets pumpkins daily water. If you decide to buy punnets from the nursery, make sure they are not too old and root-bound otherwise they will fail. If planting punnets straight into the garden, you will dropping off with- out developing, you may need need to water daily, so another strategy is to plant these into large pots in your nursery area to hand polinate. until their roots have reached the bottom of the pots. It just takes three easy steps: Hardening off is the process of slowly introducing young seedlings to the harsh realities 1. Identify the female and the male flowers. of garden bed life. Going straight from the protected nursery to the garden can be a bit of shock, so about a week before you want to plant your seedlings out, start hardening them off. 8'(#$%()*#+2$0#.5$0)$9)&#$%,+20$ Gradually restrict the amount and frequency of water. Move seedlings outside to expose them 2)$*',0$4.0,($/)4$"'-#$%()*#+2$ to sunlight, start with just an hour or two and gradually increase this time every day over the *,0"$(,00(#$)-'+,#27$ hardening off week. !!"#$%#&'(#$%()*#+$*,(($"'-#$ Transplanting evening. Prepare the soil and water the area thoroughly. Water seedlings a couple '.$)-'+/$)+$*"'0$())12$(,1#$'$ of hours before planting them out in prepared garden beds. If planting out 3455,.6$%+4,0$3#()*$,07 in hot weather, seedlings can be covered for a few days with shade cloth. Be gentle! Try to handle them as little as possible and do them one at a time so they aren’t lying around exposed. Don’t plant the stem deeper than it 2. Pick the male flower and pull back the petals to originally was, it may rot. expose the stamen which can be used like a little ‘brush’. Pruning fruit trees is important to have healthy trees and increasing the quality and quan- 3. Brush the pollen off the male flower stamen onto the stigma on the tity of fruit. Prune in winter. Prune young trees to promote growth by being a little ruthless and removing at least half of last seasons growth. Cut right back to an outward facing bud fertilised and will continue to grow. to encourage the tree to grow out from the centre, not into itself. For trees over 3 years old, prune trees to encourage fruiting. Remove old, dead or diseased wood. Light thinning may be necessary, the tree will now put its energy into fewer bigger and better fruit instead of many Planting times The key factor to a successful garden, particularly in Alice Springs, is planting each thing at not so good fruit. For more information, see the pruning section under the specific fruit tree the right time. Refer to the planting chart. You can also subscribe to weekly, Root pruning may be necessary if they have become root bound from be- fortnightly or monthly free planting ing in a pot for too long. When planting out root bound plants trim roots just enough that they can be gently teased out a little with your hands. Cut www.gardenate.com. foliage a little too to balance it out. 9
  • 7. Water Alice Springs’ main water supply is ground water. More than two thirds of water Summer vegetable watering in Alice Springs goes on our gardens, and much of that is due to unnecessary With adequate mulch and well developed organic soil, established gardens should be able to over-watering. It is essential that over watering is reduced, not only to preserve cope with 3 waterings a week. This infrequent heavy watering encourages plants to develop deep roots while mulch reduces evaporation. Watering time will vary with your type of sys- our precious resource but also to reduce potential build up of salts in the soil dig a hole to see how far water is penetrating. New plants and seedlings will still need daily watering until their root systems develop. Daily light watering encourages shallow rooting mulch. and is mostly unnecessary for summer crops, except in really sandy soils where water drains too quickly. In the peak of summer, a supplementary daily watering may be necessary if plants seem to be drying up and not coping with the heat. The key to effective watering is in the soil. Sandy soils hold little water and require small amounts of water frequently while soils with more clay hold and Winter vegetable watering spread more water, requiring more water less frequently. Introducing lots of Winter gardens require much less water but you should still irrigate at a similar frequency organic matter into the soil and applying mulch will drastically reduce water- consumption in sandy soils particularly. and the soil. You will need to observe how long you need to water and how fast your soil dries out. Seedlings will still need daily watering in sunny weather but otherwise may cope with a Watering systems twice-weekly regime. A watering system is essential to grow food at home in Alice Springs as rainfall is unreliable. There are a range of irrigation systems that are best suited for differing situations and garden Watering fruit trees Fruit section for specific info on each tree) types. Below is a guide for citrus tree and grape vine watering. Newly planted citrus may need to be watered daily for the first few weeks during establishment and then slowly space the When planning your gardens try to place plants with similar water needs together. Vegetable waterings out more over time. You will also notice that over time the need for watering will gardens, citrus and fruit tree orchards, exotic gardens and native gardens have very different increase as the tree grows. Use the drip line of the tree to guide your watering and move out water requirements. Each section of the garden should have its own separate watering system so and expand your drippers as the tree grows. Do make sure that the trunk of the tree is free that volumes and durations can be tailored to meet the plant needs. of mulch and dirt as this will encourage termites, ants and collar rot, a fungal disease that will ring-bark and kill the tree over time. Whatever system you do decide on, consider running a separate line to each bed. This way you can turn off sections that don’t need watering avoiding unnecessary waste of water. References and more information Water Wise by DesertSMART COOLmob & Power and Water is a new free booklet on how to save water in your home and garden, packed with detailed information and lots of helpful tips. www.desertsmartcoolmob.org The Alice Springs Library has lots of books with tips Good Gardens With Less Water by Kevin Handreck * Watering regime is based on using eight adjustable drippers per tree each producing 25 litres per hour. Watering time required equals one hour for 200 litres. 10 11
  • 8. Automated timers Octaflow, Shrublers, Overhead watering/ Sprinklers Timers are great. They automatically apply Octamitters Choose biodegradable detergents with low water throughout the week at a specified time Whatever you call them, they that doesn’t need it and through evaporation. amounts of sodium and phosphorus. Don’t of day and for a specified length of time. They are essentially just emitters which 50% of water applied in Summer via micro- use greywater that has bleach, fabric bright- allow you to moderate and experiment to see let out a greater volume of water to sprays and misters is lost through evapora- eners or other strong chemicals in it. For your the most effective combinations of watering meet plant needs. These are great un- tion. Misters may be of benefit in the nurs- health, it is best not to use greywater on root times and amounts. They also let you go away der fruit trees where a large volume ery where fine sprays of water are required to vegetables or let it come into contact with the for a while knowing your garden will get wa- of water is required in a short period carefully water seed trays germinating seed- parts of plants you are going to eat. tered. Automatic controllers ideally need to of time. These high volume emitters lings. be reprogrammed four times a year reflecting should not be installed on lines that Water Harvesting the seasonal variations. Many timers have a Flood irrigation Rainwater, unlike the tap water here, is low manage plant water needs. This traditional method uses a fast release of in salt and not alkaline. Whilst rainfall in Al- rain has fallen to save water. water to flood and thoroughly wet the soil. ice Springs is not going to sustain a vegetable For deep rooted crops flood irrigation can be garden, it makes sense to make the most of it. Dripper tube/ Weeping hose / Sub- Check out what rebates are being offered by Drippers most appropriate however for shallow rooted surface dripline crops it can be wasteful. This method is best the Federal Government and Northern Ter- Drippers are the most ef- This method has slightly different names for ficient watering method recommended for citrus and other high wa- ritory Government on rainwater tanks instal- slightly different products but essentially a ter usage fruit trees, in which case a mound lation costs. if planned and installed length of hose or poly well. They can be posi- around the tree needs to be formed to hold pipe that has holes the water in a ‘saucer’ preventing it from Making the most of rainwater doesn’t require tioned at appropriate distances in it which slowly along poly pipe and vegetables spreading. a water tank. By observing where the water release water that naturally gathers and flows in your yard, you can be planted next to them, so the water is lies slightly under only supplied where it is needed ensuring Twice a year throughout the garden a deep can then build trenches, swales and diversions ground or under watering, once in late November and again to redirect the water to your fruit trees. Run- good root growth. Individual drippers of cer- mulch in your garden. tain types can be turned off so only the parts in late January has the benefit of giving deep off water from roofs, driveways and paved ar- Dripper tube with inline emitters can be pur- rooted trees a good water while at the same eas also can be diverted. In heavy rain, water of your garden that are planted out get wa- chased with differing spacings, or in the case tered and the flow rate can also be adjusted time flushing surface salts back down into the could flood the vegetable patch. Avoid this of weeping hose the entire length is porous subsoil. by creating sumps where water can pool and according to plant needs. Installing an irriga- and slowly releases water. These methods are tion system with drippers requires a commit- soak into the ground. Paths and lawn areas ideal for vegetable gardens as watage and loss can function as these low points. Catch rain- ment in installation time and set up costs but through evaporation is significantly reduced. Greywater will save time and water in the long run. water in containers for pot plants and indoor As with all irrigation systems an inline fil- Using household greywater on fruit trees will plants. ter should be installed to prevent blockages. help further reduce water consumption. You Bury pipes under soil or mulch as exposure Weeping hoses are quite prone to blockages could: to sun causes quite rapid pipe deterioration. with calcium and should perhaps be covered Drippers and other emitters should be con- in mulch at all times to reduce evaporation. nected to 4mm feeder line that connects with the main irrigation line. This allows for the emitters to be moved away from the base of Established citrus and mulberries can usually the plant as it grows. Extra emitters may need cope with up to 3 washing machine loads a to be added as the plant grows. Installing and week. Citrus and fruit trees solely irrigated regularly cleaning an inline filter is essential Calcium with grey water will, in the longer term, de- to keep it free from blockages. teriorate in health. Grey water should be used build up can be dissolved in conjunction with mains water. with vinegar 12 13
  • 9. Soils Working organic matter into Central Australian soils is your basic challenge. Soils in Alice Springs are typically low in organic content and nutrients due to the arid climate, past high Salt rates of erosion and their ancient age. Part of any vegetable gardener’s seasonal routine should include regular work on replacing nutrients used by the past crops, adding compost plants become more drought sensitive. In some areas of Alice Springs irrigation water has material and mulching. Over time, vegie gardeners become familiar with the characteristics of their patch and can quickly recognise when soils are low in organic matter, waterlogged of plants. The soil’s surface develops a crust and or dry, or full of life ready to bear a bumper crop. Increasing the water holding capacity of 833+9-*-#.63-+*.$&-"0+)"+ the white salt deposits are visible. Rainfall helps sandy soils is a matter of increasing and consistently adding organic matter. Clay and sandy 83)(-+:2$)"*0+(%'3&+),2$%9-+ reduce salinity problems by flushing salt deposits ;)#1+#1-+.&&)#)%"+%<+%$*.")(+,.#= deeper into the soil, away from the plant root- composting), worm castings and aged manure. Clay soils benefit from gypsum, coarse sand #-$>+(%,2%0#/+1','0/+;%$,+(.0#= - and organic matter being incorporated into the soil. )"*0/+.*-&+,."'$-7+ lems by managed watering and heavy mulching. Soil Type A general appreciation of the soil characteristics of your vegie patch will greatly assist in the Preparing Soil Organic manures and fertilisers are preferred as they add nutrients as well as much needed management and improvement of the soil. You can determine your soil type by feeling its humus, which increases water-holding capacity, and improves soil structure. Preparing soil texture and observing its clay content. Soil textures in Alice Springs vary widely. properly takes time and beds should be prepared well in advance to planting. Soil type test Start by moistening a handful of soil with Watch how long your ribbons are: Ribbon length = Type of soil Breaker” should be added at the recommended rates to help break up the clay clods. On high 5mm to 25mm = Sandy soils: low fertility. pH soils sulphur should be added. one or two drops out as you clench it tightly in your fist. Once you have the soil mois- Organic matter rapidly breaks down and leaches away. Quick draining. Quick safe method Clear the site and dig in a commercial organic fertiliser with a good blend of well-composted with your thumb to push the soil over the organic matter. A blend of compost and potting mix will give you a soil condition you can index finger and out of your hand in a thin point between extremes, favoured by gar- ribbon. As the ribbon lengthens, continue deners. Rare animal manures can sometimes be hot or too concentrated and cause root burn. If using fresh animal or bird manures you need to blend into the soil and irrigated weekly for up to of moist soil. Sand grains can be felt easily nutrients but prone to water logging. 10-12 weeks before planting. amongst the smooth and slippery silt and clay. Slower Method Soil pH Gradually building up the soil with good compost is best. Worm castings and properly made The pH of a soil is a measure of the degree of acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Measured over a scale of fourteen points with pH 7 being neutral, less than 7 is acid and more than 7 is p.17). Composted animal manures and com- !"#$%&'()"*+,%$-+%$*.")(+ alkaline. Most vegetables prefer a slightly acid soil, pH 6.5. Alice Springs town water supply posted kitchen scraps are the most common materials used to increase the organic content ,.##-$/+0'(1+.0+(%,2%0#+(."+ is slightly alkaline and is high in dissolved calcium salts. Over time, irrigated soils tend to - of vegetable garden beds. Adding compost to 1-32+$-&'(-+.34.3)")#5+."&+ soil improves the soil nutrition, structure and 0.3)")#5+2$%63-,0+)"+0%)307 to the plant roots and nutrient deficiencies may become apparent, with yellowing of leaves water holding and drainage capabilities. To or stunting a common symptom. Cheap pH test kits can be purchased from nurseries to achieve optimum growth compost needs to be determine what the pH of your soil is; some nurseries will even check a sample for you. added to the soil for at least every second crop. There are heavy feeding crops such as toma- Prevention of alkalinity can be achieved by regular applications of compost and sulphur and toes, corn, cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli that require more nutrients and these can be fol- by avoiding excessive irrigation, over-fertilising and any use of lime or dolomite. lowed by light feeders such as carrots, beetroots, swedes, radish, turnips, parsnips, and rocket. 14 15
  • 10. Green Manure crops are planted for the sole purpose of being dug back into the ground in order to increase the amount of organic matter in the soil. Examples include:- clover, beans, oats, wheat, sorghum and mustard. They are fast growing and should be dug composting). Green manures are vigorous and keep down weeds as well as fixing nitrogen in the soil in the case of legumes. Liquid Fertilisers/ Soil Conditioners Liquid fertilisers can provide a useful adjunct to other sources of nutrients in the garden. They can be commercial mixtures such as Fish emulsion, Nitrosol or seaweed extracts, or can be homemade. Homemade fertilisers can be made using various manures, worm castings,weeds or even prawn heads. Whether your preference is for organic or inorganic sources of plant nutrients, or a combination of both, regular application of fertiliser is necessary to replace the nutrients used by the previous crop. Make sure the recommended rates are not exceeded. Although they do encourage fast growth there are also downsides to consider. You may be force-feeding plants rather than letting them take the nutrients they need from compost. Seaweed extracts, unlike other fertilisers, are low on nutrients and can be given to plants at all stages of growth. They are biostimulants containing various growth promoting substanc- es. Benefits include longer flowering, increased root growth, increased yields, increased microbacterial activity, increased nutrient content in foods and increased drought and frost resistance. All are particularly relevant to Central Australia. Compost teas that are sprayed onto plants leaves have also proven to be beneficial due to their bacterial content which ap- parently enables nutrients to be taken up. Worm Farms and Vermicomposting Worm castings are one of the best fertilisers known. Worm farms are ideal for the home garden as they require very little effort and are capable of turning a household’s waste into rich worm castings and fantastic liquid fer- tiliser. Commercially available worm farms are compact, clean and convenient. They easily allow ‘worm juice’ liquid fertiliser to be tapped off and diluted with a little water and used to feed plants. Worm farms can easily be made at home, look online for designs or experiment with buckets, foam boxes or old baths make their home cool, dark and moist. With cold winter temperatures in Alice Springs your worms will slow down and hibernate in the winter. They are not dead, and they have laid eggs so come the warmer months they will heat in. If possible move your worm farm to a more sheltered position. If you have an active hot compost pile you could put some worms in it during winter, although worms in your compost during summer might die. In summer pay particular attention to keeping your worm farm constantly moist, cool and out of direct sun. Ensure garden beds are moist and mulched before adding worms or they will dry out and die. 16
  • 11. Compost Good compost is essential to sustainable food production in arid conditions. Composting at home is also a great way to reduce the amount of household waste sent to landfill whilst creating nutrient-rich fertiliser that will greatly benefit your garden, costing only your time and energy. Soils that receive regular doses of healthy compost can generally hold oxygen, nutrients and water better, have good drainage and encourage an environment of helpful micro-organisms. Making good compost takes persistence, patience and observation of trials and errors. Effective compost making also requires a bit of time, energy and attention. If you don’t have plenty of space, time and energy, perhaps a worm farm is a better option. Compost bins are a great option for the home garden. There are numerous different and error and learning from your mistakes. The location of your compost bin, the blend of ingredients used and turning it are all key elements to successful composting. The secret to successful composting is layering and adding small quantities of different materials as you build up your compost bin. Add layers of both - pings, cow manure, sand, food scraps, vacuum contents and hair will make for a good blend. Bokashi buckets allow you to compost your daily food scraps and make liquid fertiliser reasonably quickly, with minimal space, mess, time and energy. They’re relatively expensive, however if ease of use makes the differ- ence between having a readily available supply of compostable material or not, it’s definitely worth it. The contents of the Bokashi Bucket are usually added to the garden and disappear within weeks. The contents of the Bokashi Bucket can however be added to the compost bin. When for example placed in a tumbler com- decomposition. A Compost Pile - ume of material, from 1 to 2 cubic metres. Once you have started the heap avoid adding new material to it unless you suspect a shortage of a particular component. Ongoing food scraps can be composted in a worm farm or compost bin/bucket. There are lots of books, websites and workshops on composting and all the different ways of doing it. It is also something you will get better at with practice. A combination of tech- niques is ideal. 17
  • 12. How to Make a Healthy Compost Pile Select a shady, well-draining posistion for the pile, you may want to build a three-sided box Carbon – Woody, brown, dry to stop contain it a little. It takes careful observation and practice to Putting your compost pile inside your get the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and water chicken coop means when you turn it in the right proportions so keep at it!! bugs that will be uncovered. Don’t put meat, fish, bones, dairy, A diverse mix of ingredients will help get the de- sired amounts of approximately 3 parts carbon to Nitrogen- Fresh, green, wet pet faeces or oils in your compost. 1 part nitrogen. This is not the only ratio to follow for success, but both are needed as micro- Meat, fish and dairy may be com- organisms need nitrogen to break down carbon. posted in a Bokashi bucket. Also try to limit the amount of bread You will also need water and a garden fork. you put in or just give it to the coffee grounds, tea) chickens or worms. Start with coarse twigs or straw to allow for some breathing, then add a layer of green/nitro- - als. The soil adds micro-organisms to get the heap started quicker but is not essential. Water each layer as you go. Example quantities are given in the illustration below. Turning compost is hard work, but vitally important to the aerobic process. Turning your Finish up with shredded newspaper on top or cover with a tarp or someother material to compost pile every few days is great, once a week is essential. If you don’t turn it, you might keep the pile from drying out. have to wait a year or more for your compost. Check moisture levels and add water whilst turning. Protecting your compost pile from larger animals such as dogs can be done by fencing off the compost pile with an simple chicken wire and star-picket fence. Moisture Especially in Central Australia it is important to keep an eye on your compost moisture levels. You want your compost moist but not saturated. Cover with moist hessian sacks to keep the pile from drying out. Temperature Soil layer - posting process and will kill pathogens and weed seeds. If the pile doesn’t heat up, it might be too small or might need turning or watering. Nitrogen layer The end result - Humus Compost should take between 6 weeks to 4 months to mature, the length of time taken is dependant on the method used and how vigilant you are in turning the pile. Its ready to put on the garden when it is dark brown and crumbly but still moist, and most of the original Carbon layer material is unrecognisable. This earthy smelling material is called humus and is full of ben- eficial nutrients and micro-organisms for your garden. Sticks & carbon for 19
  • 13. Compost pile Troubleshooting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he Alice Springs library has: Recycle Your Garden and The ultimate organic guide both by Tim Marshall The Healthy Soil Handbook published by Earth Garden Books Worm Farm Management by Eric Wilson Organic Growing with Worms by David Murphy www.bokashi.com.au has more information on Bokashi bucket composting www.wormfarmguide.com has lots of information on composting and worm farming in- The DesertSMART CoolMob information sheet Composting in an Arid Environment www.desertsmartcoolmob.org 20
  • 14. Mulch Mulch is an essential part of any arid garden as it drastically reduces the amount of water wasted whilst protecting plants and soil from weeds and extremes in soil temperature. Mulching: More on Mulch: Avoid putting mulch right up to the plant evaporation stems and tree trunks to prevent ‘collar rot’ dds nutrients to the soil as the mulch damage. Loosen regularly if it gets com- slowly breaks down pacted to ensure free movement of water and air. - gal soil borne diseases Mulch should be applied thickly at a depth of at least 7-10cm. warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot reducing stress for plants Organic mulch can be made of straw, hay, dry grass, woodchips, sawdust, native by reducing runoff grasses, even shredded paper. You can col- encouraging deep rooting in plants as pea-straw) by the bale from nurseries and garden supplies. For best results apply a slow release nitrogen fertiliser prior to alkalinity problems spreading the mulch as raw organic material will draw nitrogen from the soil away from the plants. Different types of beneficial invertebrates will also benefit from a protective layer of mulch. These bugs aer- ate the soil and convert mulch and compost into organic material plants Buffel grass grows wild around Alice Springs. It consti- can use. tutes a serious fire hazard and needs to be cut regularly. In conjunction with LandCare, local gardeners have had More Information great success collecting cut Buffel grass and using it as The Alice Springs Library mulch. Try cutting it yourself using a whipper snipper has The Magic of Mulch by with a metal blade. Michael J. Roads and The Miracle of Mulch by Mary Horsfall. 21
  • 15. Chickens Chook health Prevention is the best medicine for chook health. If your chooks get regular green feed, clean food and water then you are most of the way there. You could also plant a a vegie garden. They provide chicken manure, recycle kitchen scraps, lay eggs and ‘chook garden’ near the chook pen where you can grow herbs such as comfrey, net- can provide hours of entertainment for old and young alike. There are also wider tle, tansy, wormwood and kale which all have medicinal properties to keep chooks benefits to the community- with scraps going to chickens instead of landfill you are healthy. reducing the production of tonnes of Chooks make a great family pet Green feed can be weeds from your garden or specially grown for the chooks, various methane, a potent greenhouse gas. types of kale, chicory or raddicio are good. Local weeds growing on the streets and parks like Sow thistle, Dandelion, wild lettuce and clover are all common in Alice Springs, In summer, ensure chickens always have especially during the winter and they are full of good stuff that will make the chickens’ eggs ample water to avoid dehydration and dark orange, taste great and be healthier for you. Chickens like many animals are a pretty death. Water feeders are available that they need more of that item. designed to be heavy or hard for them www.poultryone. to knock over. Alternatively, make the Chicken Manure com has lots of great container large enough to be too heavy to “Everyone I know has times when their chooks go off the lay Fresh chicken manure is too ‘hot’ for young plants and can burn them, move when it is full. You may also want to but it never seems to be the same time for everyone.” due to its high nitrogen content. An easy way round this is just to wait with advertising boxes hook the chickens’ water into the irrigation - Bron Grieves until you clean out the whole coop and add the manure and hay to your dispersed throughout) compost which will break it down quickly. Keeping the compost pile in about raising chick- in the shade to minimise evaporation. When chickens pant like a dog with their wings held the chook pen also attracts bugs for the chickens to eat, however if you ens, building coops, out from their body, they are hot but should be fine as long as they have water and shade have lots of chickens they may spread the pile out too much; allowing tips on feed, wing throughout the day. It is also normal for your chickens to eat less during summer because clipping and general they are not burning energy to keep warm. If you have the space and the time you could also add manure to the soil care for chickens. and allow it to break down over 10-12 weeks before planting into that In winter, as the days get shorter chickens may lay less and eat slightly more. They are hardy soil. Alternatively you can bury lines of chook poo 30cm away from your seedlings when to most winter conditions, although winter rain may test them so see if you can provide some shelter from this. Make sure all perches are wooden and not metal. Keeping the coop chooks warm in winter. The coop should be situated so that they get some direct sunny spots Varieties some time during the day. They also need a dry spot with dirt so they can dust bathe. During There are a variety of chicken breeds to choose from, some the first year of laying they may lay well all through the winter. are better with children and don’t mind being held, others are great layers and they all have their own personalities. Ask around for what other people have and then look in the classified section in the local newspapers and check notice boards to find some. As most people are When building a chook coop consider: looking for egg layers - Isabrown chickens are easy to get for this purpose. They lay very well and have lovely out big eggs but only for a couple of years. As they begin to Protect them with a layer of brick, rocks or tiles. misshapen eggs. Heritage breeds will lay longer and as they are deciduous providing shade in summer and warm Bantam) are especially good with children. sun in the winter of 12 meters from a house 22 23
  • 16. Pests Aphids A variety of pests and diseases are common in Alice Springs but a particular set of plants. They reproduce very quickly, reach large numbers and make many fortunately most can be controlled easily. If you are unsure what vegetables seem unappetising. Their sap sucking can also drastically reduce seed production your pest is, ask your local nursery if they provide free pest identifica- on flowering and fruiting plants. Control Caterpillars & Loopers There seems to be an infinite variety of caterpillars in Alice Springs. The proximity of our to avoid using them. Soapy water smothers and suffocates aphid while not harming preda- diverse native bush means a diverse moth and butterfly fauna are always ready to make tors. Pyrethrins are effective but will also kill predators and sometimes the oils they contain can burn plants in warmer weather. Aphids take a while to breed up in the warmer weather of spring but it is usually inevitable. If you are planning on saving seed from plants like broc- a major problem. before aphids have reached large numbers. The key to successfully controlling aphids is to Control maintain a stable population of predators. This also means maintaining some aphid popu- Derris dust is the powdered root extract of a tropical vine. When caterpillars eat leaves with lations throughout the year. The exception to this is the grey cabbage aphid. Try to have a derris on them, they die quickly. It is only effective for one day and needs to be reapplied if period in the summer when you have no brassicas that will support these so you do not have problems persist. It is however toxic to fish and care must be taken if using it on windy days. to deal with an early outbreak of grey cabbage aphids in late winter/ spring. Dipel bacterial culture comes in a powder. The powder is mixed with water and sprayed on plants. Caterpillars that eat the bacteria die as the bacteria multiplies inside them. Slaters Although not normally recognised as a major pest, certain garden practices can encourage Grasshoppers/ locusts slaters in plague proportions. When in these large numbers they can cause significant damage - to certain vegetables and almost all seedlings. Part of the reason they can be a pest in Alice ing or chooks. Most grasshoppers come from the bush and will come by Springs and not in other places is that we have no introduced blackbirds, which are a major hopping so good fencing can keep a lot of them at bay in the early stages of an out- break. predator of slaters in other capital cities. Control Control Covering young fruit trees with fly screen or shade cloth is a good idea. As is netting off young You can also make decoy areas that are more attractive to the slaters than your garden. Make a plants and seedlings. Greenguard fungal spray is an alternative that will remain effective until washed off. It does work well but currently is only sold in large batches that have to be mixed chickens eat a certain number of slaters but they may need to be supervised so that they don’t up all at once resulting in hundreds of litres. Slugs and snails - In Alice Springs our dry environment limits their population and most of the time it would carb”. be too dry for them to move large distances. Drip irrigation probably also limits their activity while spray irrigation would encourage them. Snails are most problematic with new seedlings. Red Spider Mite Control Beer traps attract snails, which eat their fill and then Autumn. Their presence is indicated by white spotting on the leaf ’s surface and silk webs on drown. Iron-based snail baits are harmful only to the underside of the leaf. They are particularly fond of tomatoes, capsicum and chili plants but slugs and snails and break down to harmless sub- will feed on other plants as well. They are more likely to infest plants in sheltered areas near stances in the soil. Some baits contain metalaldehyde houses or in hot houses where humidity levels are slightly higher. and although harmless in their breakdown products, Control they can be harmful to a range of helpful garden crea- Or use non-toxic tures as well as pets. commercial sprays suffocate them.)” - Geoff Miers pest oil). 24 25
  • 17. Fruit fly Nematodes or Eelworms Fruit fly affects many fruit trees but also tomatoes, capsicums, chillies and eggplants. These These microscopic unsegmented worms feed on the roots of a wide range of plant species, flies breed up over the summer months using successive fruit crops. They pupate in the which in turn reduces the amount of nutrients taken up by the plant. Affected plants appear ground beneath fruit trees so cleaning up and disposing of fallen fruit breaks their life cycle. to have large knots or nodes or have variously deformed root systems with few fine roots. Unfortunately fruit fly are very mobile so their numbers will depend on your neighbourhood’s As a consequence the growth of plants is retarded and their growth can be drastically af- cleanliness practices. Stung fruit can be drowned for a week in water or placed in a plastic bag fected. The most favoured soils for nematodes are moist, warm, sandy soils. Most gardens in the sun for the same period. If you live in the rural area, you may be isolated enough for with nematodes have had them introduced from contaminated soil, which can occur on frut fly to be less of a problem. Control Control Home made fruit fly traps only catch male flies but importantly they indicate when fruit flies There are various ways to minimise the impact nematodes have. Some plants are more sus- are present in your garden. On noting their presence you need to initiate other actions. Sticky ceptible to nematodes than others. The worst effected include tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, traps also indicate the presence of fruit fly attracting both male and female flies. You may want to use fine netting to keep fruit fly off your fruit trees and tomatoes, or put a cloth or netting weather vegetables may be affected, they will still do quite well. bag around each fruit. Be careful you aren’t unintentionally breeding fruit fly in your compost Soil solarisation: Use a large sheet of black plastic ensuring you secure the edges. The tem- perature build up under the plastic simply cooks the soil killing the nematodes in the top it and die. This product may work better in more humid climates where it is less likely to dry out. It can also be used as a bait to put in traps. Green manure: It is most desirable to grow a green manure crop that is totally resistant to Certain fruit trees are more likely to be affected by fruit fly due to the fruiting time. Anything nematodes, such as Velvet Bean, French marigold, sorghum, some crotolaria species, white that fruits in mid to late summer may be quite susceptible such as late fruiting citrus, decidu- mustard, oats, wheat and others. Each crop adds rich organic matter to the soil and it is ous fruiting trees and some exotic fruits. known that nematodes dislike organic matter in the soil so by adding compost and manure, populations will also fall. A well composted organic soil will reduce the nematode popula- White Cabbage Caterpillars and Moths tion by up to 90% It’s the blue-green caterpillar of the white winged moth that does the damage by Beware mulberries and figs: They are very popular with nematodes. If these tree roots eating large holes in leaves. They like other vegetables such as broccoli, brussel invade your vegetable garden, your efforts to reduce nematode populations may be nullified sprouts and salad greens as well as cabbage. as their roots can support a constant population and allow crops to be re-infested. Control : Nematodes are not very mobile so it is possible that you only have an Scatter washed half white egg shells or place white golf balls around your garden to deter isolated occurrence. Moving your vegetable garden can be a solution. them. Pick them off when you have them. See pp.29-31 for companions and integrated pest management ideas. Spray weekly with Dipel, a safe environmentally-friendly biological con- Resistant crops: These following vegies may still have nematodes but they can produce a trol, it only affects caterpillars and grubs. For severe outbreaks spray with pyrethrum for an reasonable crop despite this: instant kill. Asparagus Sage Chives Mustard Broccoli Basil Cress Onion Mealy Bug Brussel sprouts Chinese greens Garlic Radish These funny little creatures are commonly seen on branches and fruits of citrus. Cabbage Cape gooseberry Globe artichoke Rhubarb - Sweet corn Chicory/Raddiccio Horseradish Shallots tended by ants which harvest nectar that is excreted. Parsley Celery Jerusalem artichoke Snake beans Control Coriander Chillies Leek Sweet potato Physically squash them with your fingers, pick them off, cut-off small branches severely af- fected, spray with an oil or soap spray covering the insects to smother them. A soap spray with garlic/chili can be most effective. Confidor is an environmentally sound systemic spray that is absorbed into the plants sap stream and is consumed by insects that feeds on the plant. 26 27
  • 18. What to do? @+*%*0 !"#$%&#*0 '&6%-&/09+%4&2* @-&2):%*0 (+%%&0$/%88"30$"+*&(%0$ L"*1/$ 58*49$,&2%4#2$48'2#%+%7$ J%:";%$1*+#2$">$18*&#2$ 3*#%+0$ =1),72$ '&7%+$8%*;%2$*&7$"&$&%3$ ",8$ (+"3#) "'#5+%*92 21+*/ larve eating fruit from the inside, possible dark M4"N I+',#$I8/ patches visible on fruit &*#'+*8'+%$ ";%+$%*4)$>+',#< skin K*#%+1,88*+2$ P*&7$+%:";%$*#$&,()#$"+$ Q,1%8$"+$ )"8%2$4)%3%7$,&$8%*;%2 O$H""1%+2 %*+8/$:"+&,&( Q%++,2$7'2# P*&7$+%:";%$*#$&,()#$"+$ R+*22)"11%+2$ )"8%2$4)%3%7$,&$8%*;%2$ R+%%&('*+7$ %*+8/$:"+&,&(<$!%#->%&4%$ O$$H"4'2#2 O$2#%:2 >'&(*8$21+*/ ">>$/"'&($#+%%2< 2#'&#%7$"+$&"$(+"3#)0$ !"$S',49$2"8'#,"&20$L%%$ !%:*#"7%2$$ 7,2#"+#%7$5'85"'2$+""#2$ *5";%$"+$K":1*,"&$ M%83"+:2 @8*&#,&(<$ J%7$L1,7%+$ Spray milk and water on white spotting on leaves Confidor F,#% both sides of leaves 4)%3%7$2%%78,&(2$"+$ 18*4%$5*++,%+2$*+"'&7$ L8*#%+2$O$ F%#),"4*+5$ 8%*;%2$#"'4),&($#)%$ 2%%78,&(2$"+$+%:";%$:'84)$ F,88,1%7%2 1%88%#2< (+"'&7 >+":$*+"'&7$2%%78,&(2 L8'(2$*&7$ )"8%2$,&$8%*;%20$%*#%&$ P*&7$+%:";%<$Q+,1$ G+"&N5*2%7$ 2&*,82$ 2%%78,&(2 ,++,(*#%<$T%%+$#+*12< 1%88%#2 7,2#"+#%7$*&7$2)+,;%88%7$ 6)+,12 $@%2#$",8$ 8%*;%2 ?),#%$ P"8%2$,&$8%*;%2$*&7$8"#2$ L1+*/$3,#)$ K*55*(%$ @,49$#)%:$">><$ Q,1%8 K*#%+1,88*+ *5"'#
  • 19. Integrated Pest Management & Companion Planting using chemicals in the garden by utilising a range of tools including observation, ben- eficial predators, companion planting, crop rotation and good garden hygiene. IPM is about managing pest’s numbers, not eliminating them. Does it really matter that a lettuce leaf diverse, balanced garden ecology where nature introduces its own control tools such as predators like the ladybird that will feed on pesty aphids. The most important thing to consider during pest outbreaks is to look closely before spraying method that will preserve the predators. Healthy soil full of organic mat- ter grows healthy plants which are naturally more resistant to pests and diseases. Observation A lot can be learnt from experimenting and observing what happens in your garden. Keeping a record of your observations is good practice and can prepare you in advance to likely major outbreaks giving you time to plan and initiate preventative measures such as building physical to pests it’s ok. Share your observations with your friends, neighbours, community garden- ers so everybody can learn from each other. Planting at just the right time also encourages healthy plants which are more resistant; keeping notes of when you planted last year can help with this too. Garden hygiene Prune fruit trees to open up and allow air flow as well as promptly removing dead and dis- eased parts. Remove diseased plants and infested fruit from the garden immediately. Break the fruit fly cycle by placing infected fruit in a sealed bag Planting natives and adding ponds, in the sun or submerged in a bucket of water for a weeks water features, rocks and logs will or so. provide habitat and attract birds and wildlife into your garden that will Beneficial predators help eat a range of insects, grasshop- There are a host of tiny garden predators in all gardens. pers and pests. These are the good guys. They might be small, but their effect can be profound. The aim of organic gardening is to increase the populations and varieties of beneficial predators so that they are present throughout the year. There are many flowering plants that are recommended to assist in maintaining predator populations. These plants flower early in the spring or throughout winter and so keep predators around ready for when pests begin to build up in spring. Letting your vegetables go to seed is also a great way to attract and breed up predators, especially coriander, carrots, Chinese greens and broccoli. Chinese greens are especially good as they will readily flower during the winter if they are up to that stage in their growth. Mulch can also provide a habitat for beneficial predators. 29