Real World Gardener-Horticulture, Gardening, Learning to Grow

KITCHEN GARDEN

Banana Growing parts 1 & 2Did you know that bananas are the world's largest herb. Have you ever wondered if it would be possible to grow your own bananas?

 You may have seen the plants for sale in a couple of plant catalogues and thought to give it a try, but never got around to it.Would it help if I told you that a number of gardeners around Australia already do it and it’s surprisingly not that difficult.

I'm growing the sugar banana or "Musa 'Ducasse.' The flower is pictured here and yes, it's a big plant.

The trunk is actually layers of tissue that are wrapped like a swiss roll.

The key to fruiting is keeping the amount of stems or suckers down to a manageable number so the plant doesn't take over your garden.

 

A good number is three which includes the mother plant which has an active flowers on it, then one sucker ,and a smaller sucker.

Get rid of all the others by chopping them to the ground.

Once the mother plant has finished flowering, it won't produce anymore, so cut the stem to the wrong and mulch it up for the garden.

 

Banana 'Ducasse' growing in my garden photo M Cannon

 

NOTE: You have to buy banana plants from a QABN-Quality Approved Banana Nursery, that way you are buying a disease free plant.

You can't just take a sucker from somebody else's garden.

Bananas do like a lot of moisture so during periods of drought, the banana plant do not throw as many flowers.

 

The other suggestions which I thought was worth a try, is to bury some kitchen scraps in the ground near the main stem of your banana plant.

 

Have a listen to find out more.  I'm talking with  Toni Salter https://theveggielady.com/growing-backyard-bananas/

 

If you want more information about bananas why not email [email protected] or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Banksia ericifolia and Banksia spinulosa: what's the difference?

Scientific Name: Banksia spinulosa

Common Name: Hairpin Banksia

Family: Proteaceae

Plant height: Mostly a multi-stemmed lignotuberous shrub. Varies greatly in height 1 -3 m 

Position: Full sun, frost hardy including Canberra winter frosts.

Leaves:long and narrow, 3-8 cm long by 2-7 mm wide, and variably toothed. Leaf margins often recurved which is an adaptation to dry environments.

Flowering:The flower spikes range from 10-20 cm in length. A spike may contain hundreds or thousands of individual flowers, each of which consists of a tubular perianth made up of four united tepals, and one long wiry style.

Position: Prefers to grow in the open where it makes a nice rounded shrubs.

Shade makes it spindly.

Banksias are an import source of nectar during autumn and winter when flowers are scarce.

Scientific Name: Banksia ericifolia

Common Name: Heath Banksia

Family: Proteaceae

Plant height: Mostly a multi-stemmed shrub. Varies greatly in height 3-6 m

Position: Full sun, frost hardy including Canberra winter frosts.

Leaves: The linear dark green leaves are small and narrow, 9–20 mm long and up to 1 mm wide, generally with two small teeth at the tips. 

The leaves are crowded and alternately arranged on the branches..

Flowers: cylindrical flower spikes are quite large at 4-6 cm wide and up to 30 cm long

Differences: Banksia ericifolia has much narrower leaves and is fire-sensitive in that it does not have a lignotuber for vegetative regeneration after bushfires. The species relies on seed for regeneration - seeds are retained in the cones for many years and are released by the heat of a fire.

Pruning:

People are afraid to prune Banksias because they think of them as being a bit tricky.If you’re not sure what type of Banksia you have, then only light pruning.If you know your Banksia has a woody rootstock (lignotuber) then it can be heavily pruned.

 Only low phosphorus fertilisers should be used if at all. I’d recommend Blood n Bone.

Here's an interesting tidbit: Historically B. ericifolia is supposed to be the first specimen collected by Sir Joseph Banks at Botany Bay in 1770. 

For some reason, Banks did not describe this new discovery however and it was left to Carl Linnaeus who later named the genus Banksia in honour of Banks in 1782.

Have a listen to the podcast.

I'm talking with Adrian O’Malley, qualified horticulturist and avid native plant expert.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Winter flowering Grevilleas

Scientific Name: Grevilliea

Common Name: Grevillea

Family: Proteaceae

There’s a lot to choose from but before you run out to the nursery to buy up all the winter flowering ones for your garden. Let’s look at what conditions Grevilleas need to thrive.

Red soil is too heavy for many grevilleas. So if you live in Moree, you may not be able to grow many grevilleas  because of the heavy soil.

Grevilleas like air in the soil, so a light sandy soil is preferable,but you could easily just plant them on a bit of mound mixed with good compost and some light potting mix in it so they  can get established first..

Once they are older they don't seem to mind the heavier soil, but  drainage is a must.

superb. 1.5 x 1.5m. Red to yellow flowers, Yellow tips on the stamens. Tolerates frost to -30C Bird attracting.

coconut ice2 x 1.5m. Reddish pink flowers through out the year. Dense semi-spreading habit. Not like coconut ice confection atl all. Tolerates frost to -40C

Grevillea Coconut Ice : photo M Cannon

G Honey Gem, an old favourite although rather big. 4 x3m Large leaves which are deeply lobed, dark green above silver reverse. The flowers cylindrical and bright orange which drip with sweet nectar. Bird attracting. Tolerates frost to -30 C

Grevillea 'Peaches and Cream' grows to 1.5m x2m. with cream flowers which change to pink as they age. Flowers all year.

Have a listen to the podcast.

I'm talking with Adrian O’Malley, qualified horticulturist and avid native plant expert.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Scientific name: Alyogyne heugeli

Common Name:Blue Hibiscus or Lilac Hibiscus

Family: Malvaceae

Flowering: late spring to summer

Position: Full sun to part shade.

Fertiliser; low phosphorus (P) or native fertiliser only.

As in all Hibiscus, the flowers open in the morning and last one day.  

huegilii is a prolific flowerer-lots of flowers from late spring until the end of summer.

I’ve seen it grown at the back of the border, amongst exotics like May Bush, Loropetalum, and in front of Princess Lillies, and I must say, I regret having pulled mine out because the flowers are really lovely.

This plant blends so well with any other plant on the planet.

The original A. heugelii needs to be pruned to promote lower growth and this one grows to about 2 ½ metres tall. 

Although, you can keep it down to 1 ½ metres because it sends out fast-growing shoots from old wood.

There are new select forms that are more compact and lower growing.

Alyogyne heugelii Karana-a medium shrub 1.5m by 1.5m wide

Alyogyne heugelii Misty-a medium shrub 1.5m by 1.5m wide; also frost tolerant.

Have a listen to the podcast.

I'm talking with Adrian O’Malley, qualified horticulturist and avid native plant expert.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Correa glabra and other correas.

Scientific name: Correa species- Correa Glabra, Correa reflexa, Correa alba, Correa nummularifoliaCommon name: Native FuchsiaFamily: Rutaceae

Distribution: Mainly eastern Australia  from southeast South Australia, through Victoria to eastern New South Wales and continues into south-east Queensland; it includes eastern Tasmania and Kangaroo Island off South Australia.

 

Australia has many small shrubs that are equivalent to if not better than some northern hemisphere plants and this one is no exception.Plant breeders love this plant so much that there are now many hybridised forms with bigger flowers or flowers on a plant that can take full sun.

Correa Canberra bells

Did you know that there is a correa study group?

Or that Correas makes great small bird habitat and also are a food source for insects and small birds.

Correas are also great for those dry shady spots, so think about planting one soon.

Correas are generally easy to grow. 

Correa alba and C. glabra varieties are the hardiest withstanding heavy frost and severe droughts. Correa glabra varieties have fragrant leaves.

Correa lawrenceana is the largest of the correas. These need to be grown in the shade and do best in an understorey habitat.; attractive to birds for both nectar and nest sites and are ideally planted in a thicket.

Correa pulchella varieties produce the most beautiful coloured bells ranging from pale pink to deep orange to carmine. They need to be grown in part shade and watered regularly.

Correa reflexa varieties range in colour from green to deep red: these also need to be grown in a partly shaded position and watered regularly.

Correa reflexa nummularifolia

You need to know which species of correa you have so that you know their particular requirements.

Some of the more modern hybrids can take sun but others need morning sun and/or dappled all day shade.

To grow correa at its best, a light sandy soil with good drainage and a position protected from wind, with broken or morning sunlight, is desirable. 

Groups of three to five offer added protection and enhance visual appeal.That was Adrian O’Malley, qualified horticulturist and avid native plant expert.

GINGER AND GALANGAL

What's the difference?Are you into Asian cooking?Not with the pre-made pastes but starting from scratch.Even if it’s just a stir fry, you may be wondering about two items you can buy in the supermarket.Both are used in Asian cooking but one is a more reddish brown colour and the other a sort of light brown.

Both are rhizomes,and both are members of the Zingiberaceae family, so what’s the difference?

Galangal tends to get used in South East Asian cooking.

Galangal has a very different and somewhat stronger fragrance to ginger.

Centuries ago, powdered galangal was used as snuff!

There's two varieties of Galangal,

Greater galangal is used mainly in cooking.

Lesser galangal is used mainly for medicinal purposes.

Some alternative names for galangal is Laos powder, and Siamese ginger.

Ginger can be bought fresh as a brown rhizome, but it's also available in various preserved forms.

Candied ginger; ginger in syrup; pickled ginger (pink in colour); ginger powder is derived by slicing the ginger root, then drying it and pummeling it into a powder. 

 

Ian's TipsIf you often buy fresh ginger from the supermarket, or even grow your own, the best tip for peeling it is not with a knife or a vegetable peeler, but scraping it off with a spoon.

The other tip is to use a ceramic grater especially designed for grating ginger and not the skin off your fingers.

Fresh ginger should not be fibrous.

The longer the ginger stays in the ground, the hotter and more fibrous it gets.

What great tips from Ian!

Can you substitute galangal for ginger?

Use about half but do not use it in sweet cooking because it has more of a savoury flavour.

 

You can grow your own ginger even though it's a tropical rhizome. 

Growing it in a container in cooler climates is perfectly acceptable.

 

So let’s find out more.

I'm talking with Ian Hemphill from www.herbies.com.auIf you want more information about any herb or spice, why not email [email protected] or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

SHADY GARDENS Part 4

Plants for a Shady Side Passage

 

Often there's one side of the house which is quite neglected because it's cold and not much light gets there, and and as much as you've tried, no plants have survived.

It's time to re-look at that side passage, usually the south side of the house, and give it another red hot go.

Steve thinks these are 'little gems.'

 

 

Treated in the right way, this could be a turned into a special place.

One suggestion is stone flagging with border plants.

What about some narrow plants?

Viburnum Dense Fence and 

Nandina domestica or sacred bamboo.; there are many varieties of this old favourite.

Some trees will fit.

Blueberry ash , (Eleaocarpus reticulatus)

Steve likes the idea of Japanese maples, (Acer palmatum.) Being deciduous it can take the extra cold in winter especially if there's no light.

 

Let’s find more of what will grow there?

I'm talking with Steve McGrane, agriculturalist and horticulturist.

SHADY GARDENDS PART 3

Plants for a Shady Balcony, Porch or VerandahThis series is about what you can grow in a shady area around your house or garden.Balconies or verandah’s look better with plants, but what if they’ve got shade for most or a good part of the day?

This situation is a bit of a challenge , Steve says he gets customers into his nursery that say they have shade in this situation but get some afternoon sun.Golden can palm is a perfect example for such a situation, plus they provide a fantastic screen.

This palm then provides a microclimate for other containers underneath.

 

You don’t have to be limited by shade on your verandah or balcony, because there are quite a lot of choices.

 

Think about a particular look that you like such as a tropical big leafed look, then add a bamboo palm and the fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata).  

Pots or containers that are elevated are a good idea to take advantage of more indirect light.

My favourite right now are hoyas of all types, in fact I’ve started a collection of about 8 so far, with 6 in hanging pots. (pictured right.). The hanging baskets and pole assembly were from Aldi of all places.

 

Let’s find out what will grow there?I'm talking with Steve McGrane, agriculturalist and horticulturist.

SHADY GARDENS PART 2

What to plant under the shade of trees.

Shade trees are great, but what can you plant under them that can cope with the root competition and low levels of sunlight throughout the year.

You want something attractive of course and not just a bare area.In one of my shady spots 

 

I've attached a birds nest fern (pictured) to the trunk of a silk oak (Grevillea robusta).

 

In the same space are many cliveas, which is a bit of  a standout with evergreen foliage and available in more colours than just bright orange, pastel colours such as creams, yellows and white.

 

Neomarica gracilis or walking iris, are another perfect suggestion.

 

Shade in gardens that is provided by trees has a much bigger cooling effect that say shade soils or umbrellas.

Other suggestions this time  for cool climate gardens are Huechera species.  This shady garden series is not so much what makes the best shade trees, but what can grow in various types of shade, whether it’s a shady side passage, a shady balcony, or just a shady part of the garden.

 

Let’s find out more ? I'm talking with Steve McGrane, agriculturalist and horticulturist.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

SHADY GARDENS PART 1

This shady garden series is not so much what makes the best shade trees, but what can grow in various types of shade, whether it’s a shady side passage, a shady balcony, or just a shady part of the garden.Do you have some shade in your garden?Perhaps it’s a really shady garden because of neighbouring trees or buildings, or perhaps your own trees have grown quite big and created a lot of shade.Over the next four weeks, Steve and I will be discussing what plants do best in a variety of shady gardens, but today, why is shade in a garden so important?

Shady gardens will provide refuge from the heat in summer. Your garden may be basking in full winter sun right now, but in summer, you and some of your plants will want more shade for cooling.

The leaves take advantage of even the slightest of breezes providing some air movement.

Shade in gardens that is provided by trees has a much bigger cooling effect that say shade sails or umbrellas.On a hot day, the shade under a mature tree can be up to 10 degrees cooler than the actual temperature but the trick is to find what grows under those shade trees. 

Alternatively, you may be able to lift the canopy so that more light reaches the lower levels or the understorey.

Let’s find out more? I'm talking with Steve McGrane, agriculturalist and horticulturist.