May 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 Val Nicol 367 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 260 – May 2009Why you should join 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.
Visit to Emily and Gary Williams, 107 South Manakau Road Sunday 24 May at 1.30pm
Vegetable and seed storage and an introduction to local wheat and flour production.
A time to share experiences of food storage - different preserving possibilities and seed saving. Emily and Gary will share their experience of growing and harvesting wheat and oats, and making sour dough bread. Members are invited to bring along their own favourite recipes for pickles, jams, fermented foods, fruit and vegetable preserves etc.
There is a $2 gate charge or members can bring a plate. No dogs please.
Other Future Meetings
28 June – Heather Watson, Fantails Organic B&B, 40 Macarthur St, Levin.
26 July – Amor Walter Shiatsu healing, Thompson House, 4 Kent Street, Levin
23 August – Deidre Kent will be our guest speaker at Thompson House.
27 September – An introduction to Kefir and Kombucha and other fermented foods.
Also mark your calendars to donate some time to help on the S & H stall: February 2010 Medieval Market, Levin AND April Kapiti Sustainable Garden Show
Soil and Health April meeting: Visit to Common Property, Te Horo. Permaculture, weed identification and growing garlic, with Singa
A group of 35 plus saw Singa begin by noting that there are four different groups of people currently involved with Common Property. They are the owners who deal with the vegetable and herb seedlings; a few people growing salad greens who supply 100kg of cut salad greens per week; another group who have started an operation this year and are growing food crops such as potatoes, leeks and wheat and Singa, who – other than garlic -does not grow commercially. He has a half acre section and considers it more of a hobby or an allotment
For a number of years Singa helped on this site with a commercial operation, until he took over the plot last year. He had noticed a lack of lime and carbon due to the constant cultivation with a rotary hoe and so decided to start from scratch this year and stop cultivating with mechanical tools. It is all experimental with this being considered a base year; where he is letting things grow. He will see what does grow and how well and then decide how he can assist this in the future, which is not to say he won’t change back to mechanical means next year.
Different areas within the half acre plot have different weed problems as the soil is different in subtle ways. Singa noted a common saying in permaculture is that ‘nature knows best’. Every weed that grows is fixing the soil in its own way, for example a deep rooted weed will help alleviate compacted soil. Singa’s philosophy on weeds is if it is interfering with a plant, then he will take it out but otherwise if it is doing a job e.g. covering and assisting the soil, then it is left alone. Noxious weeds like thistle or blackberry, however, are removed.
Another permaculture philosophy is to start at the home base and put the things you use the most, closest to the house. In line with this he has a small glasshouse with a tap and two rows of frequently used vegetables and herbs, right at the beginning of his plot.
He is still discovering what it is like to grow in this environment and has found, like many of us, that not everything he planted came up. The garden beds, however, were all scattered with silverbeet plants of differing varieties, none of which have been grown on this plot for the last four years. He is unsure where it all came from but it is obviously strong enough to grow and dominate, so he has left them all.
A plant needs to get above the weeds to start them off so a clean bed initially is advisable. Singa digs over a bed and composts it prior to planting, noting that being covered in organic material allows the life of the soil to work on itself, which will progressively improve it over time. He then puts another handful of compost around each seedling as it is planted out and continues to initially keep this area weed free to give each plant a competitive edge in this environment.
The colour of a weed or the colour of its flower indicates nutrient deficiencies in the soil as well as what that weed is putting into the soil. Singa likes big healthy lush weeds as this means the soil I in good condition. At times he will remove one of these big weeds leaving room for a number of smaller plants.
In terms of some specific weeds, amaranth, which is very prolific and can smother other plants, can be placed in a barrel which is then filled with water to rot - called sludging, this can then be used as compost. The effectiveness of this method lies in the fact that although there are many seeds, when covered in water they begin to germinate and then die in the inhospitable environment. Singa encourages dandelions as these are in fact a crop and also chicory as this attracts beneficial insects.
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For planting garlic, Singa recommends breaking the cloves up two weeks before planting to allow moisture from the air to plump them up and give them a head start. Depending on variety, garlic can be planted successively from late April to August or September, May and June are often the best months. Plant the clove blunt side down and firmly press it into the soil as garlic, if not firmly planted, can heave itself out by the roots. He tends to plant four inches apart. Two weeks after planting he weeds and composts again and then after four weeks a mulch of straw or similar can be applied. The growing tips of the garlic will spear up through the mulch.
Singa treats garlic as a green crop rather than as a root crop, noting that for 6-7 months they are growing the green top and in the final month of growth they draw down energy from this green top into the cloves. The green top can also be eaten, but doing this will halt further bulb growth.
When choosing garlic, Singa tries to plant the bigger cloves. Many have a number of smaller cloves towards the centre which he doesn’t tend to use. The original garlic planted on this plot was of three varieties sourced from Hastings. Singa saves some cloves each year for replanting. As nitrogen is needed by garlic, planting after beans is an option as the latter fixes nitrogen into the soil. Early spring is known for a general nitrogen deficiency in the soil, so feeding is required at this time. Feed monthly from August or September through to November, but then stop feeding in December. Biodynamic practitioners can feed just before and after the full moon.
Garlic should be harvested from late December, after the cloves have swollen to a good size, but before too many of them have started to split up. Singa suggests digging a few up to check on their progress. Another way to tell if the garlic is ready is by observing the browning off of the tops, which begins with the bottom outside leaves. When four to six of these leaves have turned brown the garlic is generally ready. Waiting until all of the leaves have turned brown means the garlic has probably already started to split and may not keep as well.
Harvesting involves carefully digging the garlic up, gently shaking off any loose dirt and leaving them to dry on the surface. Garlic, like beetroot is delicate at this stage and should be handled with care, because if it is bruised it will go rotten. These are left for a day of two but care should be taken to avoid exposing them to dew.
The next committee meeting will be held on Monday 8th June at 10am with Winifred Bourne at 23a Fairfield Road, Levin. All members are welcome to attend.
MAY and JUNE IN THE ORGANIC GARDEN
from the Organic Garden Calendar by Kath Irvine
May:
- Continue to plant out garlic
- Mulch carrots and yams
- Lettuces under cloches
June:
- Plant deciduous fruit trees
- Consider making a sawdust path in your garden
- Sow leeks
MOON PLANTING GUIDE – late May
16, 17, 24 – make and apply compost, harvest root crops23 – plant out strawberries and other fruit crops e.g. apples. Prune fruit trees
30, 31 – sow broad beans
- early June
2, 3, 4, - plant garlic5 - harvest root crops, except for root veges
6 – sow all seeds
9, 10 -– plant out strawberries and other fruit crops e.g. apples. Prune fruit trees
12, 13 – make and apply compost, harvest root crops
Wanted: Small quantities of organic and spray-free produce, free range eggs etc. Te Horo-Otaki area for Friday pick-up. Contact Singa 06 364 3299.
Te Horo market. Saturday mornings to 1pm. Behind Hyde Park Café and Museum, cnr Te Horo Beach Road and SH1. Local crafts and organic and spray-free produce. Contact Cath 021 524585 cath@sugarspice.co.nz
FLAX PLANTS WANTED to revegetate wetland areas. If you are digging out unwanted plants or know of anyone who is, don't throw them away. Just phone and I will collect. Tel: Anne 027 695 4058.
Breadmaking wheat 25kg for $35. Agria Potatoes 10kg $15. Certified Organic. Contact Sean 027 276 8825
Yoga Horowhenua
“Sunday Brunch” Yoga Classes for Men & Women (Beginners welcome)
· Increase your flexibility· Promote your own health & wellness
· Learn to relax
9.30 -11.00am Sundays
Classes underway now. New students can start on any Sunday
More Dance Studio, 268a Oxford St, Levin
10 classes for $80/$10 casual class
Phone Peter Macdonald: (06) 3681454 or (0274) 418358
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
