Page 65 - Tropic Magazine Issue 31

TROPIC • GARDENING

Backyard pantry

EDIBLE GARDEN
Tips and tricks for growing a
garden that’s good enough
to eat.

No longer is growing food relegated to Top 3 easy-to-grow fruits
a small veggie plot at the back of the Mulberry Fast-growing, great for
garden. More and more, people are 1 suburban yards and making cubby
realising the benefits of swapping lawn houses in. The fruits are sweet-
for food crops – producing highly- tart, high in vitamin C, iron and
nutritious organic fare, saving money antioxidants.
and being an environmental steward
among them. Earth Mumma Tonielle Banana From the fruit to the flower,
Christensen is a permaculturalist and 2 leaves and trunk, there are so many
owner of the Nature Kids Permaculture uses! The plant is actually a herb
program who designs, creates and and a support species in any
educates about edible landscapes every permaculture garden.
day. Here, she shares some of her top tips.
Tip: Plant ‘banana circles’ with different
What to plant when varieties and use the centre as a mulch
In general, most salads, leafy greens, pit for household organic wastes.
brassicas and annual herbs will grow Use the leaves as plates!
throughout the dry, colder months.
Vine vegetables, perennial vegetables 3 Passionfruit A strong, evergreen
and fruits thrive in the wet season, along climber great for fence lines or
with vine beans and tomatoes. The bush trellising. Children love to scratch their
varieties do better in the colder months, name on the developing fruit to tag
so you can grow them year-round by which ones they want to eat!
choosing your variety.
Go to tropicnow.com.au/edible- Tip: Davidson’s plum is an amazing
planting-guide for your detailed tropical native, with large clusters of fruit that
planting calendar. uniquely hang down the tree.
They’re true superfoods, providing a
Tip: Join your local Seed Savers Network huge dose of antioxidants, more lutein
for local seed and plant stock as well as than avocados as well as being a good
specific gardening advice for your area. source of potassium, vitamin E, folate,
zinc, magnesium and calcium.

Correcting common mistakes

Wrong soil pH Most annual veggies need a neutral Too much work Design is the key. Create small,
pH to absorb nutrients. Do a basic pH test and add energy-efficient systems in zones. Place plants that
lime for overly acidic soil. For alkaline soils, add require lots of attention close to the house and fruit
compost, manures, mulch or powdered sulphur. trees further away.

Nutrient deficiency Just like us, plants need to be Wrong spots Knowing how the sun, water and wind
fed and need a healthy environment to thrive. move across your landscape helps with identifying
I like to add compost around the base of plants micro-climates. Use this knowledge to place plants
every full moon and provide a liquid foliar every new in the right place.
moon (worm tea, bokashi juice, weed tea, seaweed).
MORE: earthmumma.co

65 • tropicnow.com.au