Mar 1, 2009
ORGANIC GROWING NEWS
Levin Branch, NZ Soil & Health Association
Patron Fay Te Kira 364 5168 President Ian Sheen 364 3299 singa@xtra.co.nz Treasurer Liz Baucke 368 0009Minute Secretary Va Nicol 37 8320 Secretary Annmarie Coote 367 3753
Committee Emily Williams 362 6684 Barbara van der Valk 364 3244 Jill Scott 363 7567 Michael Hunt 364 8053
Ambassador at Large: Winifred Bourn, 23a Fairfield Road, Levin Fax 368 6271, ph 368 6701
www.organicnz.org/page/Levin
Newsletter 258 – March 2009
Soil & Health
The Soil & Health Association of NZ is the world’s oldest organisation dedicated to organic production. Since 1941, we have led the debate on issues surrounding health, sustainable development, safe food, pesticides, GE and organic food production. We rely on the generosity of members to continue working on your behalf.
By subscribing to the Association’s magazine, Organic NZ, you also become a member of the Association. Subscription costs $40 for one year (six issues) or $70 for two years (twelve issues). Family memberships, allowing two votes, are available for an extra $5 per year.
Send your subscription, or gift a subscription to family or friends, to Soil & Health Association of NZ, PO Box 36170, Northcote, Auckland, or via the website www.organicnz.org. You can pay by cheque, Visa, Mastercard or Amex.
AGM and visit to Ramblers FlowersSunday 29 March at 1.30pm sharp
SH1 North, Levin, please park opposite in Lindsay Road
There is no gate charge for the AGM. Members are welcome to donate a plate of food for the afternoon tea.
After the AGM, Tony Robinson will talk about the benefits of biology and why we should compost. There will also be a slide show of successful biological programmes in NZ and Australia
Kapiti Sustainable Home and Garden Show 4-5 April
We will be having an information stand at the show, to be held at Kapiti Primary School, Rimu Road Paraparaumu. If you would like to help, please call Singa on 06 364 3299.
Soil & Health Association Levin BranchField Day at Winifred Bourn’s, 22 February 2009
“Summer Pruning with Kath Irvine”
A group of about 50 keen gardeners gathered at Winifred’s wonderful garden to learn a few fruit pruning techniques with Kath Irvine.
The introduction from Kath was:
“Look after your fruit trees for all year care with pruning regularly in different seasons i.e. summer and winter throughout the tree’s life, will bring its reward to you, always looking at the health of the whole tree”
- Before pruning stand back and look at the tree.- Look for the three “D’s” Dead, Damaged, Diseased.
- Prune to what shape will suit you. A very tall fruiting tree may be just too
difficult to harvest.
- Minimise gradually to get the required shape.
- The more off shoot branches the more weakness.
Prune for a more open look and take the centre out for easier care.
- Cut to a ‘growth point’, so not to encourage too much growth or die back, again prune
- At summer pruning – think towards how the tree will be in winter.
- For fruit trees that have 3 to 5 years of neglect, patience in pruning will avoid too much wasted growth. Time will bring your tree back.
- It is better not to prune whilst the tree has fruit on.
- Look for the fruiting buds in apples and pears – don’t cut those!
- Organic fed trees rarely see virus diseases.
- If mealy bug is a problem – use Neem oil or maybe Meths for a small tree (cotton bud dipped in Meths to hand remove).
- Wasps will also pollinate, but to attract beneficial insects plant around the base of the tree with companion plants for instance like nasturtium, borage and comfrey.
- Curly leaf fungus – for a small tree pick off the offending leaves; don’t put in compost, burn or rubbish bin. Hanging strips of seaweed on the tree is a good organic remedy. Copper sprays or copper wire wrapped around the tree or copper nails hammered into the trunk is another remedy.
- A selection of good fruiting peaches are:
*April White – good for Horowhenua area.
*River Peach. *Golden Queen. *Blackboy Peach.
- Edible Garden Ltd in Palmerston North is one of the best nurseries and includes Koanga heritage fruit trees. Contact Sarah Frater, 107 James Line, RD 10, Palmerston North. Phone 06 353 8987 www.ediblegarden.co.nz or email sarah@ediblegarden.co.nz
- To follow more good gardening advice from Kath Irvine. Join the “On to it” Great ideas for the Kapiti Coasters email ontoit@kapiticoast.govt.nz - Val
The next committee meeting will be held on Monday 6th April at 10am with Singa at 8 Kitchener Street, Te Horo. All members are welcome to attend.
President’s Report 2008
Last year was another productive one for the branch.
Our stall at the Organic River Festival in January was again successful, although the committee later decided that it was a very big commitment at an inconvenient time of the year for most of us. Our first branch meeting of 2008 was the AGM, held in the lovely natural surroundings of Riverslea Retreat in Otaki Gorge. In April we visited Debbie Lang’s 16 acre lifestyle farm in Te Horo, and in May we looked at the rammed earth home of Barbara and Cliff Glass. June saw us back outside with a pruning demonstration by Kath Irvine.
We then moved into our winter talk season at Thompson House. James Chappell talked about electromagnetic fields and health in July; in August Richard Morrison told how home design and practices can effect health and energy consumption; and in September Murray Jones gave a fruit tree grafting demonstration. In October we joined Transition Towns Otaki for an edible garden tour. Our Christmas function at the end of November was at Pat and Graeme Booth’s eco-house and property.
During the year we made submissions to ERMA about the GE application by Ag Research, and we also financially supported various GE and fluoride action groups.
At the end of 2007 we published the Organic Garden Calendar by Kath Irvine. This has now sold about 900 copies and is approaching its third printing.
Sadly, Ray Bourn passed away in September. The branch we have today is very much Ray and Winifred’s legacy to us, and is a testament to their lives of commitment.
Finally, I would like to thank my fellow committee members for their work in 2008. We have a very active branch, and everyone on the committee contributes towards the many different things that we need to do. If you would like to help too, please join us, or let us know that you would like to volunteer part-time.
APRIL IN THE ORGANIC GARDEN
from the Organic Garden Calendar by Kath Irvine
- Sow final winter salads- Direct sow broad beans
- Remove old raspberry canes that have fruited this year
- Plant strawberries into well composted beds
MOON PLANTING GUIDE - April
2, 3, 12, 29, 30 – Harvest crops (except for root crops)8 – Sow all seeds
13, 14 – Late sowing lettuces and other leafy winter veges
18, 19, 27 – make and apply compost, harvest root crops
20, 21 – late transplanting of broccoli and cauliflower
23, 24 – transplant leafy crops
Kapiti Coast On to it In this month’s newsletter, Kath Irvine has an extended column with information on managing aphids, scale, passionvine hoppers, shield bugs and mealybug. If you haven’t subscribed to this newsletter yet, email “Subscribe” to ontoit@kapiticoast.govt.nz
Tim Jenkins soil science seminar
Thanks to Deirdre Kent for the following write-up:
Thanks to a friend who took me there, I went to Palmerston North recently to an all day lecture on soil science by Tim Jenkins, former lecturer at the Lincoln University’s Biological Husbandry Unit.
Having had a great improvement on three chronic health conditions by using a supplement containing eight biological sugars or polysaccarhides, I pricked up my ears when I heard Tim talk about the role of bacteria in soil. He said bacteria produce sticky polysaccharide gums and these gums hold soil together. They are produced also by fungi and actinomycetes and some protists (a form of bacteria), all part of the rich microbial life in healthy soil.
If you till the soil and apply chemicals the bacteria numbers reduce drastically and the profile of the soil will change. Sick soil produces empty food. Almost all supermarket food is grown on soil short of nutrients, including complex sugars. So never use chemicals like superphosphate or your food won't be nutrient dense! Another reason not to break up the soil too much is that it breaks up the fungi threads which pick up phosphorus.
Tim recommends lime flour to increase soil biology. Worms need calcium to replenish their calciforous glands so they love lime flour from which calcium is so available. Use agricultural lime as well to keep the calcium level high, which means other cations are available. Mulch, mulch and mulch to keep microorganisms happy, reduce need for weeding, watering and it also makes for faster growing. Make compost using a lot of stalky, woody stuff to get the C:N ratio up to 30:1. Use rockdust for long term phosphorus. It’s great for soil biology.
Upcoming meetings: 26 April - A visit to Common Property: garlic planting and growing, no-till gardening methods, weed identification and assessment with Singa
24 May – Storing fruit and veges with Emily and Gary Williams
28 June – A tour and talk at Fantails café. Levin
EM (Effective Micro-organisms)
- EM 1 available in 750ml, 2 litre and 20 litre containers.- Bokashi Zing Compost Buckets and Bokashi Zing.
- Full range of EM Ceramics and EMX.
- EM Practical Workshops..... to be advised.
Dave Johnston, 39 State Highway 1, Otaki, ph 06 364 6101, email lao@ihug.co.nz
A1 SHELTER BELT TRIMMERS for all your shelter belt and hedge trimming. Height reduction and decrowning now available. Competitive prices, prompt service. Phone Marty (06) 362 6737
MAWHENUA FARM - organic since 1986. Beef, hogget & lamb processed & packaged under MAF licence. Craft & knitting wools available. For price list and inquiries contact Warren and Trish Gilbert, RD 7, Dannevirke (06) 374 8281.
AGRISSENTIAL NATURALLY BETTER FERTILISERS BIOGRO certified Rok Solid and Organic 100, available from IMAGO ORGANIC ORCHARD For information phone Ann (06) 368 3858
World’s first fully certified organic SKINCARE, BODYCARE AND COSMETIC PRODUCTS. 100% free of synthetic chemicals. Discount and free shipping available.
Order on-line www.organics4you.net.nz or phone Louise (06) 364 2190
