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You are here: Home / Archives for Nursery Plants

Mulberry

24/09/2018 By

Morus alba, M. nigra, M. rubra, M. macroura
Common Name: Mulberry
Origin: Asia (white mulberry), United States (red mulberry) and Middle East (black mulberry)
Best Climate: Widely climatically adaptable
Plant: Any time in the sub-tropics, although winter is best
Harvest: Early spring
Large, stunning trees belonging to the same family as fig. Faster growing White (leaves used for silkworm larvae) compared to slower growing black producing the larger, sweeter clusters of fruit.
Both grow in this area and can handle a variety of soils, as long as they are reasonably deep and well drained.  Trees can be pruned similar to an apple – open vase and they require watering until well established. They can also be grown in pots (dwarf form) so they’re easier to protect from birds.
Flowering takes place over many weeks and fruit ripens from early Spring onwards in Sunshine Coast.
Apart from birds eating the fruit a common disease affecting leaves during wet weather is Mulberry Leaf Spot. Bordeaux Spray can be used only after leaf fall up until bud burst. For 10 litres dissolve 100g copper sulphate with hot water in a plastic bucket, then pour into sprayer 3/4 filled with cold water. Now mix 100g hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) with a small amount of water to make a slurry and add to your copper sulphate solution. Stir and add water to make 10 litres. Add 50ml white oil to assist with sticking to leaves. Stir constantly to avoid nozzle blockage.

Filed Under: Nursery Plants Tagged With: know your plants, Mulberry, Plant, Plant of the month, plants

Sweet Leaf (Sauropus androgynous)

21/05/2018 By

Common names: Sweet Leaf, Tropical asparagus, Chang Kok, Star gooseberry, Katuk

Origin: Tropical and Sub-Tropical Asia

Plant: Sweet leaf will grow in most soils, including heavy clay. It tolerates high rainfall as well as dry conditions, will grow in full sun or handle shade.

Harvest: All year (growth does slow in winter)

Propagation: By seeds, suckers or cuttings

A prolific, heavy yielding nutritious green leafed bush which grows to 1-2.5m in height. It has flat, round orange/red flowers but generally does not set seed in SE Qld conditions.
Growth is prolific in the warmer months and slows down or goes dormant in winter. Fertilise regularly and mulch to retain soil moisture.
An extract made from the plant has been found to have strong activity again pine-wood nematodes and may have use against other species.
It has a high (49%) protein content and 14-18% fibre as well as vitamins (A,B,C) and minerals including potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium & iron.
Sweet leaf has been used medicinally as a blood builder, cell rejuvenator and beneficial to circulation, intestinal flora and regular bowel elimination.
It is used extensively in cooking in East Asia as the leaves taste like fresh peas, with a nutty flavour.
Leaves can be added to salads, sandwiches, scrambled eggs, tossed in curries, dips, casseroles, stir-fries or used as a garnish.
Consuming large quantities of raw plant material can cause serious lung damage so cooking is mostly recommended

Plants available in our nursery

Filed Under: Know Your Plants, Nursery Plants Tagged With: edible plants, know your plants, Leafy Greens, nursery, Plant, plants, Sauropus androgynus, Sub-tropical edibles, Sweet Leaf, Yandina community Gardens

Malabar Chestnut (Pachira aquatica; Bombacaceae)

20/04/2018 By

Common names: Malabar Chestnut, Guiana, Guiana Chestnut, Guyana Chestnut, Provision tree, Saba Nut, Money Tree

Origin: Native of area between southern Mexico to Guyana and northern Brazil

Plant: Requires a frost-free location with some protection from hot, drying winds. Enjoys full-partial sun. Soils need only to be well-drained and trees enjoy consistent and regular watering during dry months.

Harvest: Feb, March, April

Propagation: By seed or cutting

A lovely evergreen tree with greenish bark that generally grows to 2-5 m with a spread of 1.5-2.5 m. Takes 4-5 years before able to harvest nuts.

Flowers are white and curl back from the base to reveal a spectacular cluster of 1-2cm cream-white stamens.

Fruit are ovoid, woody green pod which can reach 2-5cm in length and resemble a kapok or silk floss seed pod. The tightly packed nuts inside enlarge until the pod bursts and fall to the ground. These can be eaten raw or roasted. The raw nuts taste like peanuts and will keep for months in a cool, dry place. Roast nuts with oil and garlic or grind into flour for baking.

Plants available in our nursery

(photos courtesy of Flora and Fauna of tropical Asia & Lush Plants)

Filed Under: Know Your Plants, Nursery Plants Tagged With: Eating sustainably, know your plants, Malabar chestnut, plants, sustainable living, Yandina community Gardens

Rosella (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

10/02/2018 By

Rosella (Roselle, Florida Cranberry, Red Sorrel, Indian Sorrel, Mesta

Hibiscus sabdariffa)

Origin: Hawaii and West Indies

Plant: September – December

Harvest: February – April

Propagation: Seeds

A hardy, annual bush originating from Hawaii and the West Indies grows to 1-2m high. Allow 1 m spacing between plants grown in full to partial sun with well-drained soil.

Each bush can produce 1-2 kg of fruit or more, depending on soil fertility, climate conditions, day and night temperatures and how the bush is cared for. Picking off the plump, red calyces as soon as they mature, encourages regular flowering and more fruit set.

Source of Vitamins A, B, C and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, cobalt, manganese, zinc, silicon, phosphorus and very rich in selenium and chromium.

To prepare rosellas, the red calyces need to be pulled off the seed capsule by hand. You can freeze the calyces until you have enough to make jam.

 

Filed Under: Know Your Plants, Nursery Plants, Sustainable Living Tagged With: jam, know your plants, nursery plants, plants, Rosella, Rosella jam, sustainable living, Yandina Community Garden

Support Species For Tropical Vegetables

18/01/2018 By

Tropical vegetables and fruit trees are traditionally grown in a polyculture (NOT monoculture) in a food garden system among support plants. This provides a ‘micro-climate’ providing shade, helping to save moisture in the soil and establishing an ideal atmosphere for plant growth.

Support species create a source of nutrient-rich living mulch, assisting to retain moisture by reducing evaporation, prevent weed growth or erosion, as well as providing habitat for beneficial insects and pollinators. As the support species grow they can be chopped (coppiced) and used as mulch around your food producing plants assisting to buffer the soil from extremes of heat or rainfall.

Planting support species is done from Spring and they can be planted throughout the Summer and into Autumn. Mulch is very important in our sub-tropical environment and growing your own “living mulch” means avoiding expensive inputs like hay (which requires fossil fuels) to do this job.

Support species are often legumes and this means they convert Nitrogen from the air into the soil, especially when they are coppiced pre-flowering. The cuttings are then used around your vegetables to provide an additional nutrient source and increase the amount of humus in your soil.

Support Species available from YCG:

Pigeon Pea

Lemongrass

Crotalaria

Popcorn Cassia

Queensland Arrowroot

Comfrey

Come into our nursery and buy your support species today

Filed Under: Nursery Plants Tagged With: confrey, crotalaria, lemon grass, Pigeon Pea, popcorn cassia, support species

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