Casino Community Garden
Monthly Newsletter #17 Issued August 2014
Around Casino Community Garden this Month
Gardening: Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 8.30am
BYO Lunch: Every Wednesday 12 noon.
Monthly Meeting: First Wednesday of Month.
Lunch 12 noon, MEETING 12.30 for about an hour.
Tidy Town judging at Garden
Pic from Keep NSW Beautiful FB page
NEWS FROM MEETING WEDNESDAY 6TH AUGUST 2014
· We boiled the electric jug for the cuppa today, as THE POWER IS ON! Thanks to Linda for the delicious soups lately.
· Welcome to Spring Garden Clinic—Samantha Burston will speak on Roses and the second speaker and topic to be confirmed.
· The form has been submitted to enter the local Garden Club competition. The judging is on 8th and 9th September and Open Garden on 27th.
· We are in the planning stage for a composting toilet.
· We have a few projects kicking off soon, including a pagoda-stage area.
· Thanks to all who helped with the preparation and distribution of the Appreciation Certificates
· International Kitchen Garden Day on Sunday 24th August. Linda and Jan would be happy to put on a cuppa / light lunch if there is any interest. Please phone Linda 66673373 or Jan 0429080640 or email casinogarden@gmail.com or accept for the ‘event’ on Facebook.
· Thanks to Doreen Matthews for donating a working whippersnipper and staghorns, and also Casino Trading in Johnston Street for shelving for storage in the sheds. Linda was painting them today, see pic.
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NATIONAL TREE DAY 2014
Seven people attended the gardens on Friday and planted the trees donated by St Marks, Casino, to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Parish.
Our selection was a lychee, kaffir lime, blueberries and a curry plant. A hole was initially dug for each plant ant then filled with water to allow the ground below to absorb this water for the new roots to chase, The roots of the plant are then gently loosened and placed in the hole so that the soil level of the plant in the pot is the same when planted in the ground.
Back fill the hole ensuring the ground is firm around the plant and water well again to remove the air from around the roots. leave a water well around the plant for subsequent watering in the coming days. Ensure the plant is watered regularly until established and new growth appears.
Words and pics National Tree Day - Linda Brooks
MANAGING YOUR CITRUS TREES
Citrus trees were an integral part of an Australian backyard and still have an important place in today's garden. Not only does the Vitamin C in their fruit protect against colds and flu in the colder months, citrus are also highly productive. Citrus trees don't require a lot of attention throughout the year (they can be virtually neglected, and still weigh down their branches with fruit, season after season) and they are a fruit most children enjoy, especially mandarins.
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Try incorporating some citrus trees and chooks in your backyard to create a mini ecosystem, and a great source of interest for your kids. In Don's own garden he has planted citrus trees next to the chook shed. The tree roots have grown under the shed to get at the continuous supply of rich chook manure. Additionally, the chooks act as mobile compost heaps, devouring all the kitchen scraps and adding manure to the soil. They also help clean up pests.
Eureka Lemon is recommended for warm areas.
Citrus Care
- Full sun
- Before planting, dig in plenty of chook, cow or horse manure into the ground.
- Ideally, citrus should be fertilised in August and February. It is good to alternate fertilisers - say Dynamic Lifter in August/September and Complete Citrus Food in February.
- Keep citrus trees well watered when young fruit is forming in Spring and early Summer. Use a sprinkler twice a week to deep water trees in the warmer months.
Grass and citrus don't mix. Keep the area beneath your citrus free of grass and weeds. Cover with a mulch such as lucerne, composted leaf litter or compost, but keep the mulch away from the tree trunk to avoid collar rot.
Edited from Don Burke factsheets.
Pruning
Most citrus trees bear fruit all year round, particularly the Eureka Lemon. The little trick with most of the other citrus crops is to prune once they finish fruiting. If you miss that window, they will flower straight away. Leave it too late and you will end up cutting the flowers off, and consequently you end up removing the fruit. The best time to prune is between the last of the fruit and the first of the flowering.
Take the last of the fruit off, give it a prune back, and you'll find that it will flower in Spring, and bear fruit in the coming season. The harder you prune back citrus, the less chance you have of getting back that crop the following year. If you just trim it, and keep it trimmed every year, the tree will be in reasonable shape.
Also remember to feed well with citrus fertiliser, after you've pruned back. That will promote growth.
Mulching
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Grass and weeds compete with your tree for water and nutrients, if left to grow long and rank under the tree they also encourage collar rot. Wet newspaper, at least 10 sheets thick, can be used to kill weeds and grass under the tree and then topped with mulch regularly to prevent weeds returning. Always mulch past the drip-line of the tree as this is the area where most of the feeder roots are found.
Gardening Gurus.
Pest Control
This is too big a subject to cover in the newsletter, as there are so many bugs and conditions that can affect your trees, including fruit fly, gall wasp, borers, leaf miner etc.
Talk it over with Mark or Linda at the garden, ask at your local nursery, or see if you can identify the problem on google. Do look for an organic solution, and your trees and your health and the health of your family will thank you for it. (Editor)
New donated Kaffir Lime. Pic Linda Brooks
TLC GARDEN VISIT
Julie Antill was asked to speak on the Turramurra Lookout Community Garden Journey at our next garden clinic, but dates didn't work out, so Julie kindly offered to meet garden members on her visit to Casino last week, and shared her 36 slide presentation, which she has given at meetings in the Sydney area.
TLC started in 2010 in Lookout Park, near the station with no residential neighbours except a large retirement village, Now there are 24 individual plots and communal gardens including the food forest.
As with our garden, they grow fresh organic fruit and vegetables, make new friends, connect with the community and learn about healthy and sustainable living habits.
It started with interested people looking at other community gardens and doing a permculture course, and with the help of community grants.
About 50 people work in the garden now, with about 30 people for morning tea on Saturday mornings.
The website is at http://www.tlcgarden.org.au and
Pic from presentation by Julie Antill
VEGETABLE PLANTING GUIDE BY GARDENING AUSTRALIA FOR AUGUST
Amaranth, Artichoke Globe, Asparagus, Asparagus Pea, Basil, Beans, Beetroot, Burdock, Cabbage, Capsicum, Carrots, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Chilli, Chives, Cucumber, Eggplant, Huauzontle, Jerusalem Artichoke, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Malabar Greens, Mangle-Wurzel, Mitzuna, Mustard Greens, Okra, Parsnip, Potato, Pumpkin, Quinoa, Radish, Rockmelon, Shallots, Silverbeet, Spring Onions, Squash, Sunflower, Sweet Corn, Tomato, Turnip/Swede, Watermelon.
http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/vegieguide/
RECIPE CORNER
Mini Dampers made with Soda Water
Recipe Linda Brooks
Great to call in at the Garden on Thursday and see Linda instructing two students making mini dampers and baking them in the pizza oven. We had them for lunch with the hearty veggie soup supplied by Linda.
Ingredients for about 10 people
1 kg SR flour
1 teaspoon salt
600 mls soda water or as required
Put flour in medium bowl, then mix in salt.
Gently stir in soda water until mix comes together as a soft slightly sticky dough.
Put about half cup extra flour in separate bowl to dip fingers in so they don't get too sticky.
Pinch off pieces of dough about size of rounded tablespoon.
Gently shape each piece into a ball and place on baking tray.
Bake in hot oven bout 8-10 minutes until golden.
If not sure done, check by tapping one lightly.
A hollow sound means they are done.
To serve split and butter, or just dip in the soup.
Also yummy with butter, and rosella jam from the garden.
Pic of leftovers.
NEW ART ON GARDEN BEDS BY AMY DELLOW
Pics Amy
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Suggestions and photos welcome, by email to Jo (see below) or
Jan—email casinogarden@gmail.com
or bring to lunch Wednesdays or the meetings.
Ask Jo about being a member of the Garden— $5/ annum
Scroll down for back issues of the newsletter
Words and photos byJan Brine unless otherwise stated.
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Casino Community Garden
A Project of the Casino Neighbourhood Centre
Contact: Jo Nemeth on 6662 5435 Email: coordinator.cdp@cnci.org.au
Location: Head for Entrance to Queen Elizabeth Park at South Casino—
Garden on Left—corner Adam & Hartley Streets
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