Zucchini, pumpkin and cucumbers go into peat pots with potting mix

I’ve had great fun over the last few weeks planting seed and watching them come up. I love the fact that more and more now it is possible to buy organic seed. This means that not only are my plants grown organically, but they are organic right from the beginning. I would urge everyone to support the seed suppliers who sell organic seed. There are many small suppliers and  bigger suppliers who are now sourcing and selling Organic Seeds (see the list at the end of the article).

Yates now has a range of organic seed.

Seeds sown in punnets in seed raising mix

Diggers lists those seed that are organically certified, as do Green Harvest and now Yates have released a range of Organic seed too. I try to grow seed from a range of different suppliers, so those pictured come from a several sources. They are all good and all seem to sprout reliably.

I grow smaller seeds in punnets in seed raising mixture, and bigger ones like zucchini and pumpkins in potting mix, in individual small pots, often peat or coir (coconut husk). I like these pots because the seedlings go straight into the ground, pot and all, and this minimizes root disturbance. The trick with these is to make sure the whole pot and seedling is very wet before planting, and that the pot is completely buried under the soil. This stops the pot from drying out, which would kill the roots trying to grow through it.

Any plastic pots that are being reused need to be carefully cleaned. I wash them with a Eucalyptus based wool wash, mainly because I always have some and because the Eucalyptus oil is a strong antiseptic and fungicide that will kill any bacteria or fungi on the pots. I also carefully inspect the surfaces of my potting area to make sure that there are no slugs or snails hidded in any crevices, and then put copper bands around the legs of the tables to stop and slugs or snails making their way up to my tender seedlings and snacking on them for lunch. Finally each pot or punnet is carefully labelled.

The seedlings are pushing their way through

Gently touch the tops of the seedlings to stop them becoming leggy

I’ve had a great strike rate this year and have way too many seedlings for the spaces in the garden, but I’ll give some away (tomatoes, capsicum, cucumber, pumpkin and zucchini), plant some more thickly and then harvest every second or third when still small, leaving room for the others to reach full size (lettuce, mizuna, Chinese greens) and put the flowers into every corner I can find. For everything else I will find a grow bag or pot, fill it with soil, plant and hope for the best. It really is a lovely time of year, full of renewal and hope.

Tomato seedlings are coming through

These small green tops are a great way to water

These suppliers sell both organic and non-organic seeds. Generally organic seeds are labelled as such.

Diggers
Green Harvest
Greenpatch Organic Seeds
Southern Harvest
Yates

The delicate yellow dill flowers attract beneficial insects.

Dill, Anethum graveolens, is a delightful tall annual herb that grows to about 1 m from a taproot, with a single stem and many feathery blue-green leaves and branches. These are topped by groups of umbrella-shaped flower heads made up of small yellow flowers. The flowers are followed by flat, oval, brown seeds, which self-sow readily if left on the plant. Dill is probably one of the oldest medicinal herbs. It was used by the Egyptians before 3000 BC. The name dill is found in several old European languages, reflecting its widespread use, but its derivation is unclear. In medieval times, dill developed a reputation for protecting anyone who carried it against witches. It was a common ingredient in potions and spells and English country brides would wear a sprig of dill on their wedding day, while in Germany, a bride would put dill and salt in her shoes to bring her good luck. By the beginning of the seventeenth century dill was grown in many countries all over the world because it was known as ‘a gallant expeller of wind’.

Sowing, growing, harvesting
Grow dill from seed sown preferably in spring where the plants are to grow, as they do not transplant well. In warm weather, the plants will mature in about seven weeks, so small numbers of seeds will need to be planted every few weeks to be sure of a constant supply of fresh leaves. Dill grows in most well-drained soils and likes full sun. Dill tastes best if you pick the leaves just before use but if they have to be picked earlier, store in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. I never bother to dry dill as the leaves don’t hold their flavour well when dried. But the seed is well worth drying. Harvest seed just as it starts to turn from green to brown. Dry by hanging upside down in bunches with the seed heads covered by paper bags.� Once the seeds are completely dry they will have dropped into the bottom of the bags. Dill and fennel are similar to look at but the leaves of dill are more blue-green, and the flavour of fennel is more strongly aniseed.

Remedies
The ground or gently bruised seed is the part generally used and it has wide range of uses. Chew the seeds to sweeten the breath. Ground seeds, added to a biscuit mixture for teething babies to chew on, are very soothing. Give a diluted, strained infusion made from the seeds to soothe colic. If drunk by nursing mothers the effect will be passed on to babies through the milk as well as increasing milk flow. Dill also helps with acidity, indigestion and flatulence in adults. Drink an infusion made from the seeds to calm and tone the digestive system, ease indigestion and acidity and reduce flatulence.

Eating
Try adding a few dill leaves to your next sandwich. It goes really well with cucumber and fish like tuna or salmon. Also add fresh leaves to dip, salads, soups and stir fries. It makes a decorative garnish too. The seeds are added to a range of different spice mixes as well as breads and preserves and pickles.

Dill pickle

Dill pickle

3 small firm cucumbers
2 handfuls of fresh dill leaves
50 g coarse salt
1 teaspoon dill seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
half a teaspoon mustard seed
4 cups water
half a cup white wine vinegar
clean medium-sized screw-top jar
1) Wash and dry the cucumbers and place them with the dill in the refrigerator while you prepare the vinegar mixture.
2) Place the salt, dill seed, peppercorns, mustard seed, water and vinegar into the saucepan. Bring to the boil, simmer for 3 minutes, remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
3) Place the jar in the oven (remove any rubber seals first) and heat to 180°C, leave for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the jar to cool.
4) Remove the cucumbers and dill from the refrigerator, slice the cucumber into thick slices, about 5 mm, and roughly tear the dill into smaller pieces. Pack the cucumber and dill into the jar in alternate layers.
5) Pour the vinegar, spice and water mixture over the top. Make sure that the cucumbers are completely covered and that all the spices are tipped into the jar. Discard any excess liquid.
6) Seal tightly and leave to sit in a cool, dark position for about 3 weeks before opening. Once the jar has been opened keep it in the refrigerator.

This recipe is from my book Growing Easy Herbs for Beauty Fragrance and Flavour

Plant two bean seeds close together

Beans are a very rewarding crop and relatively easy to grow. I love them because they don’t take up much space but within a few weeks you can harvest an abundance of crisp, flavoursome beans. Soak seeds overnight to increase the speed of germination. Just put the seeds you want to plant into a bowl and cover with water. The next morning, water the soil where you are going to put the beans and plant seeds two at a time pushing them about 4cm into the soil. I always plant two because often one will not grow. Cover with soil but don’t water as the soil and the seeds are already wet. If you don’t soak the seeds then you will need to water. Leave about 20cm between plants if they are dwarf forms, or 15cm if they are climbers.

Place a guard around each pair of seeds

The guard protects the young plants from snails

The bright red flowers of scarlet runner beans

Snails and slugs are a problem in my garden, and snails and slugs love breakfasting on beans, so as soon as the seeds go in I put a guard with copper tape on it around the spot I have planted each pair of beans. I use lengths of drainage pipe but pots with the bottom cut out work just as well. The copper tape comes in a roll with adhesive tape on the back so it is simple to put a complete ring of copper around the guard. The snail or slug touches the copper and gets a small electric shock, so it heads elsewhere for breakfast. Although the copper tape is not cheap, the guards last for years and can be used over and over again. Once the young bean seedlings appear, if both have grown, nip out the smaller one so that there is just one plant in each guard. I leave the guard around the base of the bean until the final bean is harvested.

You can grow beans in pots or garden beds, but wherever you put the climbing beans they will need support. Try tying a tripod of sticks together and planting one bean seed at the base of each. Or grow them up a fence, or an arch or even a old bed spring base. I always plant a few at the base of my corn plants (once the corn is growing well). You are only limited by your imagination. Some of my favourite climbing beans are pictured below.

My soil is acid so when I plant I add a handful of lime per square metre of soil,  once the beans are growing well I mulch with mushroom compost which is usually alkaline. I also water every couple of weeks with seaweed extract. In no time at all you will have a bountiful bean crop. And remember, when the crop has finished, don’t pull the beans from the soil, cut them at the base and leave the roots to enrich and add nitrogen, being a legume, beans add nitrogen to the soil.

Golden wax pole bean

Purple King beans

Lazy Housewife beans

A fine leafed form of coriander

Coriander, also known as cilantro and Chinese parsley, is one of the most ancient herbs still in use today. It is also claimed by some to be the world’s most widely used herb. Whether this is true or not, coriander leaves and seeds are essential to the cuisine of central and southern America, South-East and northern Asia as well as India and the Middle East.
History
Coriander comes originally from southern Europe where the seeds have been used for centuries, but the leaves were not usually used. Coriander seeds have been found in Egyptian tombs dating from more than 3000 years ago. The Egyptians cultivated coriander in their gardens and offered it at funeral ceremonies. It was used by Hippocrates and other Greek physicians as early as the fifth century B. C., while the Chinese considered that coriander had the ability to bestow immortality. This plant has the distinction of being one of the few herbs mentioned in the Old Testament Num. 11:7
“Now the manna was like coriander seed.”
The botanical and common name, coriander, comes from the Greek word koris which means ‘bug’. This presumably relates to the fact that the smell and flavour of coriander has been unfavourably compared with that of stink bugs.
This erect annual herb has lower leaves that are rounded and lobed, while the upper leaves are linear and finely dissected. Small flat umbels of pale pink flowers appear from mid-summer, and these are followed by fruits that are small green berries and which become brown and ridged when fully ripe. These drop very quickly once they are ripe and will self sow readily. The whole plant contains a fragrant volatile oil. There are now several cultivars that vary in flavour, size and tendency to bolt to seed in hot conditions.

Coriander starts with flat parsley-like leaves but older leaves are slender and deeply divided.

Growing and harvesting
Grow coriander from seed sown in spring or autumn. Although I prefer autumn because then you get months of harvesting before they even think about going to seed. Plant the seed where you want the plants to grow as plants don’t like being moved. Seed can take a while to germinate and it may be several weeks before the first young leaves appear. Thin to about 15 cm between plants. In areas with hot, dry summers, seedlings will go to seed very quickly, so in these places coriander is best planted in autumn. Coriander does well in any good, nutrient-rich soil that is well drained. In most regions in Australia, coriander does best in partial shade, but in cooler regions grow it in full sun. Keep well watered. Start harvesting leaves after about 30 days. Leaves have the best flavour while the stems are still soft and before the flowers start to form. Whole plants can be harvested for their roots at the same time. As the seeds ripen towards the end of summer their strong odour gives way to a sweet, orangy scent, when crushed. The seeds need to be harvested quickly, as they turn from green to brown, before they drop. Cut off the whole seed head and hang upside down in a paper bag, in a dry, airy, shaded position. When the seeds are dry, strip them from the stems and store in an airtight container out of direct light.
Cooking and eating
Coriander is a nutritious herb rich in calcium, phosphorous, beta carotene and vitamin C. It has an unusual, very strong taste when fresh, and both the leaves and roots are commonly used in Asian cooking. Leaves are used as garnish and to add fragrance to soups, meat dishes and particularly fish dishes. They are always added towards the end of the cooking process. Don’t bother drying the leaves as they don’t keep their flavour. The Chinese use leaves in dim sum stuffing and in soup. The Vietnamese use fresh coriander leaves in soups, salads and noodle dishes. Thais add fresh roots to a range of dishes and a combination of coriander root, garlic and pepper all crushed together is an essential seasoning in many Thai dishes. The dried seed has a sweet, almost orangy, taste and is an important ingredient of most curry spice mixes. Ground coriander, cumin and turmeric are the basic ingredients of most curry powders. The flavour of the seeds is enhanced if they are lightly cooked in a dry frying pan and then crushed just before they are to be used. Dried powdered seed is used to disguise the flavour of some of the more unpleasant medicines, and chewing the seed stimulates gastric juices and aids digestion. Bruised seeds can be applied externally to rheumatic joints to relieve the pain. They are also used in baking to flavour bread and cakes, in confectionary and to flavour liquers.

Ingredients for coriander and salmon dip

Coriander and salmon dip

from Growing Easy Herbs for Beauty Fragrance and Flavour
handful of fresh coriander leaves
1 small tin pink salmon (about 105 gm)
3 tablespoons of spreadable cream cheese (about 150 gm)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sprig of coriander
dry biscuits or corn chips for dipping
1) Finely chop the coriander and place into a bowl.
2) Drain the liquid from the salmon and add to the coriander, then add the cream cheese and lemon juice.
3) Mash with a fork or puree with a food blender until a smooth paste is formed.
4) Place into a small decorative bowl, garnish with coriander leaves and serve with biscuits or corn chips for dipping.
Other herbs that can be added to this and other dips are basil, borage flowers, chives, dill, fennel, garlic leaves or cloves, lemon balm, parsley, salad burnet and tree onion leaves.

Turk's Turban, Delicata, Potimarron, Australian Butter, Buttercup and Bohemian are just a few of the heirloom varieties of pumpkins available to grow.

Heirloom varieties of squash, gourds and small pumpkins

At Petty’s Orchard they held the Heritage Apple Day with over 100 varieties of apples to try. From the beautiful sweet dessert apples like Cox’s Orange Pippen to the more tart but sublime when cooked Edward VII (a late season English cooking apple first recorded in 1902) , and even cider apples like Dabinett, an old Somerset cider apple producing bittersweet cider.

Such a rich panoply of tastes and textures, colours and scents. So much to loose if we don’t make an effort to preserve our heritage of varieties. So what can we all do? It’s pretty simple really, support the organizations and companies that sell these precious seed and grow unusual varieties of vegetables and fruit. Grow these vegetables and harvest and store our own seed, that way we help to preserve genetic diversity for future generations. Volunteer for the organizations that keep these fruit going, like the Heritage Fruits Society — PW

Scarlet Stymared

Sweet Coppin