Natural pest management
Intercropping is a technique by which plants help each other to grow and to protect one another from intense pest attack. They do this by disguising each other’s scent and by conditioning the soil to aid recovery. In this photo you can see a companion planted stone fruit orchard under planted with herbs and fragrant plants. Dense planting helps to retain soil moisture .
Bountiful capsicums
Capsicums, will live to the ripe old age of nine years. Regular watering and compost will keep the plant healthy and productive. Seen here is a four year old plant in full production. Some of my plants have lived for eight to ten years. I have found that once the plant reaches middle age, it can withstand insect attacks, harsh sun and chilly weather.
Intercropping for plant support and protection
Here we see a lettuce variety, ‘great lakes’ nestling under the leaves of the tough, all weather red cabbage. Lettuce can be bleached by the sun, burnt by the summer winds and pounded to death by heavy rain. When the red cabbage had formed it first leaves, I plant lettuce seeds. This is nature at work in my garden.
Growing cucumbers
Cucumbers love water! They love to bake in the morning sun. To retain moisture in the soil, grow leaf lettuce around the stem of climbing cucumber plants. To prevent the plant from breaking under its own weight, provide a sturdy trellis. Here in the photo you can see we have utilised an old piece of wire mesh. Simply affixing it with zip ties, to two recycled pool fence poles. One healthy cucumber plant can feed a family for eight to ten weeks. In my garden I grow one Lebanese cucumber plant and one Apple cucumber plant. Every year I look forward to making a year’s supply of cucumber pickle and cucumber relish.
Plants supporting each other
Here is a group of variegated garlic chives providing protection from the wind and afternoon sun, for vulnerable coriander and parsley seedlings. Parsley will at times grows faster than coriander. Thus providing dappled shade for coriander as it grows.
Heavy rain
Heavy rain followed by 40c heat, is a recipe for rotting fruit on trees. Summer can produce fluctuating temperatures which play havoc with fruit trees. I always keep a watchful eye on the weather. In the early hours of the morning I harvested weather-scarred fruit on the dwarf Chinese Flat Peach tree. Fresh, sweet and delicious!!
A sample of plants that don’t complain about their leaves being attacked by insects
Throughout every season of the year, I grow cauliflower, broccoli and white turnips. During the summer season insects like to feast on their leaves. I love to watch nature at play. Gleaming in the sun, is a large white cauliflower sharing its growth journey with leaf munching insects. White turnips ready for the pot, discard their leaves for the chickens. In every season nature has a lot to teach us.
Kitchen garden herbs
My busy kitchen herb garden, is planted in a rockery to guarantee a warm environment in which herbs thrive. My kitchen herb collection includes, tarragon, sage, perilla, parsley, marjoram, onion chives, garlic chives, chamomile, oregano, lemon thyme, turkish thyme, spanish thyme, sweet woodruf, basil, heartease, lebanese cress, salad burnette, lime verbena, lemon verbena, summer savory, winter savory, bay, pineapple sage, lemon balm and spearmint, peppermint and ginger mint in pots.
Tricking insects
In my annual race to beat the WHITE CABBAGE moth and its baby grubs from devouring members of the Brassica family, I organise my plantings and harvesting schedule, to guarantee success. I do not grow crops of Brassicas until the cabbage moth has moved into its seasonal decline. All members of the Brassica family are heavy feeders. I use Companion Planting to help the soil. As you can see in this photo, broccoli is planted with snow peas. I companion planted with plant types, that revitalise the soil not deplete it. Bean and Peas are very helpful in keeping soil healthy.
BROCCILI: Pay attention to broccoli and it will continue to feed you for up to fifteen months. When harvesting its flower head (vegetable) be sure to make a clean cut. Fertilise the plant to encourage more flower heads which are usually smaller in size but plentiful. Each time you harvest flower heads, be sure to fertilise and mulch the broccoli plant. As the plant matures, it may sprout new plants from its base, which may be gently separated and planted.
Storing The Harvest: When packaged appropriately, members of the brassica family have a long “fresh” shelf life in a Fridge. Cabbage, up to six months. Cauliflower up to four months. Broccoli up to three months.