Radish

Radish

The great thing about growing radish is that they are simple and easy to grow, mature early and taste good. It is an ideal vegetable to encourage children and adults to try vegetable gardening.

Radishes grow in any good, well cultivated soil. Sow the seed in rows at a depth approximately 7 times the diameter of the seed. It is normal to grow radish as an early crop but it is best to wait until the soil temperature is over 8 degrees centigrade for rapid growth.

Sow seed thinly in the rows. This will save time consuming thinning out of the seedlings as they grow. Once growing they need to grow unchecked for about 40 days until maturity for the best flavours. Sow a short row every three weeks to ensure a continuous supply to pick and eat.

The European radishes we normally grow are small and tasty round or oblong root crop in a range of colours from dark red to white and all variations in between.

Some people suggest growing radish with a row of carrots as the radish grow first and show gardeners where the row is. However if left too long in the carrots they will smother the carrots and slow their growth down. A better option is to sow separate rows of radish or sow a row between rows of carrots so that the carrots can grow unchecked.

European radishes are best eaten straight from the garden when they are fresh and plump. Keep cool in a fridge and remove the green tops, clean and eat raw in salads.

There are two groups of radish, European red radish and the Asian radish with their long, usually white, mild roots. The Asian radish are more versatile as a vegetable and can be grated in salads or pickled, and stir fried or used in soups, casseroles and sauces.

In Japan 25% of their total vegetable crop is Daiken radish – a long white root crop of which there are several varieties; “White Icicle”, Minowase Long White F1” and “Tokinash”. These longer Daikon radishes are quite easy to grow in deep friable soil. Sow the seeds about 25mm deep in the row and cover. Once growing thin out the seedlings so they are about 80mm apart to allow them to grow rapidly to full size.

These radishes stay fresh, crisp and tender longer than European varieties.

There are a number of different cultivars to grow depending upon your requirements.

·         Round red Cultivars

·         Longer red Cultivars

·         Daikon radish cultivars

·         Pink and purple round radish

·         Round Black radish

·         Radish “watermelon” White with pink centre.

In New Zealand a great range of radish cultivars can be purchased from Kings Seeds (http://www.kingsseeds.co.nz) or Egmont Seeds (https://www.egmontseedsshop.co.nz)

Hamamelis mollis – Witch Hazel

Flowering in the late winter the distinctive flowers provide a highlight in the garden leading up to spring. The Witch Hazels, of which there are many different cultivars, start flowering in mid winter and flower for the next 6-8 weeks or longer.

There are about 20 genera in the family Hamamelidaceae  including such well known plants such as Liquidambar, Fothergilla, Parrotia and Hamamelis which has the following species H. mollis (China), H.japonica (Japan), H.macrophylla (SE USA), H.verna (S USA), and H.virginiana North America). H.mollis and H.japonica hybridise easily producing a large group of hybrids and named cultivars with the botanical name Hxintermedia.

Hamamelis mollis grows very well in all temperate climates. It prefers well drained rich soil although will adapt to a variety of soil types. It needs full sun for its new shoots to grow strongly and ripen but it is also happy in dappled shade. In spring the new ovate shaped leaves emerge. They may be dull green or green grey in colour, glabrous (smooth without hairs) and pubescent (covered in fine hairs) below and occasionally lustrous. It can be propagated by layering the lower branches.

The flowers open slowly like a spring unwinding as the very long narrow strap like bright lemon yellow petals emerge from the buds until they are stretched fully open. The sweet scent is pleasant and provides an additional attraction in the garden or as a picked flower inside.

Hamamelis mollis is an aristocratic shrub with a distinctive conservative branching structure growing in a wide vase shaped pattern. Its low maintenance requirements in terms of care, pest and disease resistance and lack of pruning make it ideal for the modern garden. 

The Penny University - Just imagine before blogging!!

The following article is taken from Wikipedia.

Penny University is a term originating from the eighteenth century coffeehouses in London, England. Instead of paying for drinks, people were charged a penny to enter a coffee house. Once inside, the patron had access to coffee, the company of others, various discussions, pamphlets, bulletins, newspapers, and the latest news and gossip. Reporters called "runners" went around to the coffee houses announcing the latest news, to hear about the newest developments and business ideas.

This environment attracted an eclectic group of people that met and mingled with each other at these coffee houses. In a society that placed such a high importance on class and economic status, the coffee houses were unique because the patrons were people from all levels of society. Anyone who had a penny could come inside. Students from the universities also frequented the coffee houses, sometimes even spending more time at the shops than at school.

It is easy to imagine the wide range of ideas that were produced as a result of this intermingling of people. The term “Penny University” is often used in reference to the eighteenth century coffee houses because of this reason. Coffee houses encouraged open thought and gathering of community. This environment, which was so conducive to intellectual discovery, could almost be called a school of social learning. To some people this was probably more of a school than rigid classrooms where people could not step out of a particular social role.

The original sense, of a coffee house, probably grew out of a common experience: that you came out of a coffeehouse feeling ten times as smart as you were when you went in. As, indeed, wide-ranging conversations ensued therein, from the commercial (leading to the founding of, in London, Lloyd's of London, and in New York, the New York Stock Exchange) to the political, and the purely intellectual; the idea that one could acquire an education for the price of a cup of coffee, that is, a penny, took hold of the poetic imagination.

Since that time, various coffee shops all over the world have used the name "Penny University".

Today, many coffee house visitors come alone to read or with a small group of friends for intellectual conversation. They walk up to a counter, pay for their beverage and find a nice quiet corner to settle into. The ambiance in a modern coffee house is created with perhaps a fireplace, the sweet smell of flavoured syrups, and mellow ballads flowing out of strategically placed speakers. The stimulating effects of caffeine give rise to the lovely humming of inspired conversation and the sound of frantic scribbles of a pencil upon paper. Should a person from eighteenth century London walk into this scene, they may not even recognize this evolved form of what they used to call a coffee house. Wikipedia.

Tamarillo Fruit

Tamarillos - Cyphomandra betacea

The Tamarillo is a native of the Andrean Region of Peru South America and was introduced to New Zealand from plants grown in India in 1891. It is a member of the Tomato family producing many large egg shaped fruits ready to harvest in autumn and winter.

Often called the Tree Tomato in NZ it is quite popular as a fresh fruit. Two varieties are grown, red fruited and yellow fruited. Flavour can be quite tart to some people but for others it is a fresh tasting highly flavoured fruit when eaten raw. It can be used as a stewed fruit as a filling or even poached and decorated as a desert. The yellow varieties are milder in flavour.

It is a subtropical plant and tolerates only very light frosts requiring warmer climates or special microclimates. It is grown commercially in the northern parts of New Zealand.

Growing is quite easy as it copes with a variety of soil types provided it does not get wet feet. The large leaves are easily damaged by wind.

Once established it grows quite quickly with thick soft branches. Good training of a strong branch system is important to support the leaves and weight of fruit. They flower on fruit on new seasons growth which means pruning in early to late spring to get the longest growing season possible.

Harvest fruit from late autumn through to early spring. Fruit ripening will depend on local conditions and the time pruning took place. Early pruning in spring will give an early crop with later pruning giving a later crop.

Common pests and diseases include whitefly, aphids, looper caterpillar and powdery mildew.

Tamarillos are great talking points in the garden their large leaves make an impressive statement. While the flowers are small and sometimes insignificant the fruit makes a fine display and a great talking point.

July in the Garden 2010

here is a link to what to do in your garden in July


July in the Garden 2010

Hope you enjoy this and if you have any suggestions for gardening in NZ in July please let me know by leaving a comment.

happy Gardening

Alan

Chimonanthus praecox - Winter sweet.

The Winter Sweet is a lovely plant to produce a fabulous winter perfume. The flowers set flush to the small branchlets are a fabulous pale yellow and waxy looking cup shaped marked with a purple stain in the centre. Unfortunately it does have a rather unruly appearance and is best placed at the back of a border.

It grows best in a warm sunny place and succeeds well in any well drained soil.

Originally from China where it is a native plant it was introduced into England in 1766. Two cultivars are widely grown.

Chimonanthus praecox ‘Grandiflorus’ a form with deeper yellow flowers and a very conspicuous red stain in the centre.

Chimonanthus praecox ‘Aureus’ which has larger flowers again which are a clear yellow and there is no red or purple stain in the flower.

This is a great plant and excellent for picking a few twigs each day to take inside and add a beautiful scent to the home.

Pruning demonstration

Pruning demonstration

Saturday 14 August
9.30am – 11.30am Mona Vale Gardens
Fendalton Christchurch 
Open to the public free

Daphne appearing

Daphne odora just appearing in the depths of winter

It has been very busy here for the winter. I have been taking a gardening course for a group of  mowing and gardening franchisees as well as  the Canterbury Horticultural Society garden classes. All on top of my day job at the university. Not only that the Minister of Education appointed me as a trustee of a local health camp School. It is very small but plays an important part in young peoples lives.

As always lots to do and so little time to do it in.

Galanthus - The Snowdrop

Terrible weather lately has kept many people inside this winter. Of course the weather is really bad at the weekend and sometimes quite fine during the week when we are all at work.

Galanthus - The Snowdrop

At this time of the year the true snowdrops are flowering. This small plants should not be confused with the larger and more popular Snowflakes that flower later.

Galanthus are found in the wild throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. There are 20 species in the genus. They have been cultivated from many years and many species and forms provide an interesting display in the garden when there is nothing else in flower. They do best in cool climates.

Galanthus byzantinus from southern Europe is one of the best species. Its wide, long deep green leaves which set off the white, globular flowers held aloft on longer stems.

Galanthus caucasicus is quite desirable and flowers earlier than the others. It has large rounded white flowers

Galanthus elwesii is one of the best snowdrops. It produces several stems of white flowers with green markings on the petals.

Galanthus nivalis is the most common species and there are several cultivars. Single white flowers tipped with green are borne on the stems in early spring.

Galanthus plicatus has very large flowers with prominent green markings around the inner segments and it flowers later. 

Winter has arrived - first flowers for the new year.

Eranthus hyemalis, Winter aconite