How To Build A Berry Patch

berry

Winter is the perfect time to prepare your patch for that crop of summer berries you’ve always wanted. No more plastic punnets, an unrivalled depth of flavour and the joy of being able to pick the sweet taste of summer straight from the bush. We show you how to build a berry patch.

Coming in many shapes and sizes, berry bushes and vines are a delicious and prolific addition to the edible garden. The group of plants we commonly call berries includes cane-grown fruits like raspberries, bush-grown fruits like blueberries and small plants like strawberries. Cane-fruiting berries can be unruly ramblers and usually require trellising, while bush-fruiting berries grow as compact-sized bushes or low spreading plants, and can be well suited to growing in pots.

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May-August

map of aussie

Seasonal garden guides for Australian climates

Moon planting

The moon’s phases and its associated gravitational pull has a significant effect on the behaviour of tidal oceans, so it’s easy to understand how the moon can have a similar effect on the moisture in our soils and plants. By planning what you sow to coincide with the phases of the moon best suited to the type of vegetable and how you’re planting, you’ll give yourself a higher chance of success as well as increase your yields.

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Radish

radish

Raphanus sativus – from the Greek raphanus meaning ‘easily grown’ and the Latin sativus, which means ‘cultivated’.

Origin

Radishes have a long history of cultivation and their origins are not certain. Alphonse de Candolle (1886) mentions that wild specimens were found near Mt Ararat in Turkey, and in Palestine and Armenia. It is thought there were two major centres of origin: the warmer parts of Europe and Asia.

Description

The radish varies enormously in size and shape, from small red ones to large white ones.

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Sheep Sorrel

sheep-sorrel

Native to Asia and Europe, this lemony edible plant has naturalised widely in Australia and is commonly found in backyards.

What Is Sheep Sorrel?

Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella) is a species of flowering perennial weed in the Polygonaceae family. The name sorrel is derived from the Germanic word ‘sur’ and the old French word ‘surele’ meaning sour.

Sometimes referred to as field sorrel, garden sorrel, sour weed or sour dock, it favours acidic soils and sunny positions. With a high concentration of vitamin C, sheep sorrel has been consumed as a tea for a very long time, as well as being added to a variety of foods.

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Native Cherry

native-cherry

As well as producing a sweet edible stem, Australia’s native cherry has important ceremonial and protective properties.

The native cherry (Exocarpus cupressiformis), also known as cherry ballart, cypress cherry or wild cherry belongs to the sandalwood family and is endemic to Australia. A partial parasite, the tree lives in harmony with the host tree, particularly eucalyptus, without causing it any harm. The plants work together to support each other and in Aboriginal teachings, it is used as an example of how working together is of benefit to all.

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Letters To The Editor

We’d love to see if we’ve inspired you to embark on any projects. The letter of the issue will receive a limited-edition Pip magazine print featuring archival inks on textured 300 gsm rag paper. Email your letters and photos to editorial@pipmagazine.com.au

Powerless preserving

I’m wondering if you have any ideas or tips about the best ways to store vegies without putting them in the bottom of the fridge? I live in Tasmania, and now we’re heading into winter, I figure that a Tassie winter is probably the same temperature as lots of people’s fridges anyway!

I prefer the idea of storing my organically grown food somewhere natural rather than poking it into an expensive artificial climate, so I am hoping someone might have some experience with outdoor larders or root cellars?

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Brains Trust

Brains Trust

Much of Australia’s eastern seaboard has experienced devastating floods over recents months. And while most of us are all too aware of the work required to clean, restore and even rebuild homes and buildings, Pip has received plenty of questions about the impact floods can have on our plants, soils, food crops and animals.

Some of my plants look like they might not recover after they experienced flooding. Is there anything I can do to save my favourites?

Unfortunately, no. As well as nutrients, healthy soil is providing the roots of your plants with oxygen through air pockets within the soil structure. But once soil has been immersed in water for any period of time, all of the air and oxygen is forced out and the root system begins to wilt and die. As well as any unknown contaminants that may have moved into your yard with the floodwaters, the roots systems will not recover, so you’ll need to remove all of the plants and start again.

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5 Staples For Every Garden

silverbeet

There are not many things more satisfying than pulling a lemon off your own tree, picking some salad leaves to have with dinner or even unearthing potato treasures from your soil. There are some things that are a must- have in your garden that will help feed your family and now is a great time to try your hand at growing some of them. Whether you live in a house, share house,

apartment or acreage, these five edible garden staples will help feed your family all through the year and all of them are just as happy in a pot or tub as they are in a garden bed. Harvesting your own produce to use for your next meal is a great way to make sure your food is nutritionally dense, full of life and has the added bonus of saving you money.

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International Projects

school-nature

The School of Nature (Escola da Natureza) is set within the Piracanga ecovillage, on the coast of Bahia in Brazil. It is a school of permaculture and ecological practices set up to promote – and immerse people in – planetary regeneration and engage children in nature- based experiences.

Since 2011, the school has been regenerating 10 acres of degraded land (within the 100-acre ecovillage), transforming it into a food forest while becoming a reference centre for ecological design and small-scale technologies. The School’s ‘Campus Floresta’ is dedicated to the development of immersion experiences including where people stay, the programs offered and the exploration of ecological awareness and action. Visitors are welcome to learn and volunteer at both the ecovillage and the school.

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Pip Picks – Things We Like

sun-seeker

Sun Seeker – SUN-TRACKING APP

This comprehensive sun-tracking app is the perfect companion when planning your vegie garden, greenhouse or considering solar panels. Using GPS, a magnetometer and gyroscope, the app will tell you the corrct solar position and therefore the exact path the sun will take across your yard at any time of the day or year. As well as various other handy features, it shows the sun’s direction in hourly intervals (in a flat compass or augmented reality 3D view), seasonal sunlight hours and sunrise calendar.

$14.99 www.apps.apple.com/au

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