Worm Wicking - One Year On

LastAugust,Iwrote an article for SGA about my first attempt at a Sustainable Wicking Worm Bed. For details see(http://www.sgaonline.org.au/sustainable-wicking-worm-bed/). The bed above is a larger versiondeveloped to suit the needs of my small suburban back yard.

I have kept the size down because I will need 4 of these to replace my conventional 4 bed croprotation system, and I have limited space. The length of wicking beds is restricted only by theavailable length of plastic liner, but usually their width is limited by the distance you can reachwithout climbing all over it. This bed is 2700mm long x 1650mm wide x 600mm deep.

I have smaller specialised beds for growing dwarf fruit trees (Meyer lemon and Hamlin orange),Tomatoes and Strawberries (runners just planted). The Tomato bed is growing Broccoli until it getswarm enough for Tomatoes.

I have used the past 12 months gathering knowledge and applying it to the first wicking worm bed Imade. I learned that the bed worked extremely well using very little water and maintaining a moistsoil ideally suited to growing vegetables. The worm farm prospered in the moist conditionsconsuming about 1 litre of finely chopped kitchen/garden waste per week. The bed above is usingtwice that quantity. Two different types of worm inhabit my wicking worm beds. These arecomposting worms and burrowing earthworms.

Composting Worms are surface dwellers that thrive in decomposing organic matter. They prosper in the ideal conditions provided by awicking bed worm farm with its consistent moistenvironment, protected from predators and shaded fromsunlight. My composting worms are a mix of thefollowing:-

Red Wrigglers [Lumbricus Rebellus].

TigerWorms[Eisenia Fetida].

Indian BlueWorms[Perionyx Excavatus.

Garden worms burrow deep into the soil creating nutrient rich pathways for plant roots to coloniseas well as fertilising the soil. They distribute nutrients and micro-organisms from the worm farmthrough the plant growing area. Their tunnels provide efficient distribution of water and air to theplants roots. When establishing a new wicking worm bed, I harvest garden worms from soil in myconventional organic garden beds, and supplement these by buying Amynthus Gracious/Cortiusworm eggs.

Despite the high levels of microbial activity in the bed and the continuous supply of nutrients fromthe worm farm, I top up the soil after harvesting a crop with rich material from my compost heap. The bed has an isolated ecosystem, and I need to maintain this supply of diverse micro-faunaoriginating in the larger garden ecosystem.

I also inoculate some of my plants with Mycorrhizal Fungi (available on the internet) by dusting theseeds before sowing them, or the root ball when planting seedlings. This fungi develops a symbioticrelationship with plants by penetrating their roots to set up nutrient exchange sites. They then sendtheir long fine root like Hyphae in search of nutrients and water. The Hyphae exude enzymesdissolving rock and lignin in the soil, releasing nutrients and building soil structure.

In return for the fungi’s supplies of nutrients and water, the plant manufactures vitamins andcarbohydrates for the fungi’s use. Unfortunately Brassicas and beets do not form symbioticrelationships with Mycorrhizae.

I don’t dig the soil in my wicking worm beds; it breaks up the structure and disturbs the worms toomuch. The soil doesn’t get compacted because it is continuously aerated by the worms and micro-organisms in the soil.

I use very little fertiliser to supplement the finely choppedkitchen/garden waste I supply to the worms. However,before planting crops, I add a little blood and bone and rockdust to the beds surface. If the growth of flowering andfruiting plants is too lush and sappy, I supply extra potassiumby adding seaweed extract to the bed’s water tank. A littlelime is added as a surface dressing for plants requiring aneutral or alkaline soil. I test for pH to get this right.

I have a non commercial web site which provides detailed information on how I built my (so far) 5above ground wicking worm beds, 1 triple in-ground wicking worm bed and 8 wicking bins foranyone who would like to try. The address is www.jas49580.blogspot.com .

Photos:

Sustainable Wicking Worm Bed

Progress Updated March 2013When I built my first wicking worm bed 10 months ago, it was a test bed designed to gainexperience with the process. My plan was to eventually convert my vegetable and fruitgrowing backyard from conventional organic drip line gardening to wicking worm beds.

As far as I am concerned the experiment was a success. Soil fertility has improved andvegetables remained pest free without resorting to external inputs of fertilisers andpesticides. Water use is significantly reduced, yet soil condition has been maintained atoptimum moisture levels.

I have just built my first large wicking worm bed designed to replace one of my 4conventional beds, but last spring I built 3 new beds of a different design. I wanted toexplore a cheaper more versatile option for potential gardeners who have little or no accessto a garden of their own.Two years ago I began my retirement with a desire to create a model backyard vegie garden. Iwanted it to carry the lightest carbon footprint possible, and conserve precious water supplies. I hadstarted out years earlier by the conventional organic route, with no synthetic chemical fertilizers orpest controls. I had installed water tanks and surface drip irrigation, and I had composted largeamounts of material in my twin bin arrangement.

I was happy with the results, but during the recent years of drought, I had found it hard, even toaverage over a year, Melbourne’s drinking water target usage of 155 litres per person per day. So Ibegan my search for a better way, and about a year ago, I came across Colin Austin’s wicking bedinnovation. (see www.wickingbed.com)

I began to experiment with cheap 60 litre bins (see above) with great results. The vegies always hadenough water, yet used very little. Recently, I built a larger unit with a built-in worm farm, and pestexclusion frame. (see above behind wicking bins).

My aim with this unit is to restrict consumption of fertilisers, pesticides and water to a minimum.(even organic fertilisers and pesticides). The theory is that by incorporating a worm farm into thewicking bed, the whole bed becomes part of the worm habitat, and the soil is fertilised and aeratedby worm activity. Microbial activity is enhanced by the breakdown of Pine bark in the waterreservoir. Fertility in the reservoir is also boosted by the direct leaching of worm wee from above.

I am uncertain at this stage what will happen to all the worm poo. At this stage (2 months wormactivity), I seem to keep adding new waste to the farm all the time and I assume it is beingdistributed as poo throughout the bed. If it builds up too much in the worm farm, I may need toempty one side periodically and apply the worm poo (and accompanying worms) as a top dressing inthe open bed. The worms will find their way home.

If all goes well, the only additions to the system, apart from water, will be vegetable waste fromgarden and kitchen.

Wicking Worm Bed 1500mm x 900mm x 600mmThe bed is partly buried in the ground, and the timber walls of the bed are lined with pond liner toenable a water reservoir to be created in the bottom 300mm of the bed. Below the shade meshshown in the photo above is a 300mm layer of aged Pine Bark Chips. The shade mesh acts as abarrier stopping the soil from mixing with the Pine bark but allowing water to wick up out of thereservoir into the soil.

Right at the bottom of the reservoir is a double loop (shaped like an 8) of 50mm slotted irrigationpipe joined by a moulded PVC “T”. A vertical piece of 50mm PVC tube is attached to the “T” andextends above the timber walls (as shown above). This arrangement allows the reservoir to be filledfrom the top without soaking the soil and plants.

Just inboard of the filler pipe is a fibro cement divider set so that there is a 70mm gap between itand the shade mesh barrier. This divider separates the soil in the open bed from the decomposingwaste in the worm farm. The above photo shows the bed partially filled with good soil to a height of70mm above the shade cloth barrier. This layer of soil extends under the fibro cement divider andinto the worm farm allowing the worms access to the open garden bed. The open bed is then filled tothe top with more soil.

A 3 piece cover protects the worms from sunlight and predators, and provides access to the wormfarm. A strip of shade mesh is used to provide further protection for the worms and help containmoisture. The filler tube is capped to prevent access to snails, slugs and mosquitos, and a water

level gauge pokes through a hole in the cap. This gauge is simply a table tennis ball glues to a lightstick. The stick is painted with the high and low water level marks.Just visible in the bottom middle of the photo, is a 13mm drain hose, which is set just under theshade cloth barrier level. This drain allows you to accurately fill to that level, and preventsoverfilling in the event of heavy rain.

The metal angle corners serve to hold the timber walls together, and support a set of removableframes covered with insect exclusion netting. The netting is rated at 21% shading, and this willprovide summer protection against Melbourne’s fierce summer sun. It remains to be seen howsuccessful this prototype backyard wicking worm bed is going to be, but if it works well, I intend toreplace my conventional beds with larger versions of it.John Ashworth

Tell us your story!This post has been submitted by one of SGA’s Cuttings readers. We want to share your greatgardening stories with the rest of our readers. Do you have an interesting gardening story to tell?Click here to find out more.

Wicking BedsYou know, I’ve been doing this horticulture thing for a while, and over that time, I’ve seen a numberof garden designs, products and “innovations” come and go. Remember the giant scoping rake

hands? What about the combination chilli sauce/garden pest spray? Even the ever-popular “upsidedown tomato planter” has me scratching my head a little! But every now and then I come across aninspired innovation, a dandy design that makes me excited to get out into the patch and give it a go. One of these I’ve been convinced of this week is wicking beds, and I hoped you’re as interested inthem as I am.

What Is a Wicking Bed and Why Would I Want One?

So, what in the world is a wicking bed? Well, as I explained to a colleague of mine, it’s essentially agiant “self watering pot” in the form of a garden bed. Okay, there is a fair bit more to it then that,but the idea is a garden bed designed to draw water up from a reservoir below, hence “wicking”through the soil directly to the roots. A system devised by Australian engineer Colin Austin, wickinggarden beds (and wicking worm beds) are gaining popularity as a wonderfully water wise gardenbed alternative.

Drawing water from a reservoir below the growing medium, wicking beds operate on the concept ofcapillary action, with the soil and plant roots drawing this water upwards as required. Essentially,this means that a properly constructed and maintained wicking bed should have nice, moist soil mostof the time, with the roots accessing the water as they require it.

Wicking beds have a number of benefits, both environmentally and horticulturally. Firstly, it’s a fabset up for thirsty gardens (like vegie patches) in areas that have lower rainfall, or are affected bywater restrictions. Wicking beds also deliver the water were it’s needed (the plant roots), whichminimises water wastage, and can also help to reduce the risk of funky fungal foliage issues. Also,wicking beds are said to be more effective at sequestering atmospheric carbon then many othertraditional types of garden bed set ups, meaning it’s a win for us, and the planet.

The Wicking Bed How To

Alright, it is a bit wishy washy to explain, so let’s just have a look at the nuts and bolts ofconstructing a good, functioning wicking bed. Essentially, it’s all about have the right depth, rightmedium (both for drainage and for growing you plants) and taking a bit of time to construct the bedproperly. Yeah, it may sound tedious, but you will thank me in the long run. So where do we start

and how do we get this cranking?

1. Choose a suitable site for your patch (full sun for vegies), ensuring that it is level (or you are ableto level it) – wicking beds work best when they are level, as this ensures even water dispersal downthe track.

2. The total depth of the patch may vary depending on what you wish to plant, but, for a wickingvegie bed, the overall depth needs to be 600mm. This equates to 300mm for the reservoir/watersaturation zone and 300mm for the growing/root zone. It should be noted here that wicking bedwizards all agree that water cannot be wicked further than 300mm, so bear this in mind when youare looking at preparing your patch.

3. Of the 300mm reservoir/saturation area, about half of this (150mm) will contain a gravel or scoria(we prefer scoria) and the water inlet pipe, while the other 150mm will contain a soil blend. Preparethis area first.

4. If you are gardening on soil, dig a hole to a depth of 150mm, ensuring it is level. This will formthe water reservoir. If you are placing your garden on a hard surface, ensure it is level and move tonext step.

5. Whack up the sides, so the bed has a total depth of 600mm (including the hole you just dug). Linethe entire bed with good quality builders plastic or pond liner, ensuring there are no tears or holes. To prevent tears in the builder’s plastic, you may wish to add a shallow bed of sand to the base of

the reservoir hole.

6. Now it’s time to pop in the water delivery system. To do this, whack about an inch of scoria intothe bed for the horizontal pipe to site on. This will act to improve the drainage. Then, install alength of 50mm PVC pipe vertically, attached to a PVC 90 degree elbow the will sit near the base ofthe bed on top of the scoria you have just placed. Next, attach a length of 50mm slotted agi pipe tothe elbow, and this will run the length of the bed, along the centre. Place a cap on the end of the agipipe.

7. Cover the pipe and the bottom of the bed with scoria, to a depth of 150mm. Cover this scoriawith shadecloth, to prevent soil particles moving into the reservoir and blocking the pore spaces.

8. Fill the next 150mm of the wicking bed with a good quality water retentive soil – this will form the“saturation layer” and is NOT where your vegies will be planted.

9. At the top of this soil level (300mm), you will need to install an overflow – this will allow excesswater to leave the wicking bed after significant irrigation events, or long periods of rain. One of theeasiest ways to do this is to use a water tank tap outlet, and drill an appropriate size hole throughthe end of the wicking bed opposite the water inlet. This is important, and may help prevent the soilin the root zone becoming waterlogged and useless.

10. Fill the remainder of the bed (another 300mm or so) with a good quality soil/compost blend. Werecommend 1/2 mushroom compost, 1/2 organic soil mix, as research and experience has shown thatwicking beds work best with a higher than usual compost portion. DON”T use the soil fromsurrounding gardens, especially if it has a high clay content. Mulch well with a straw based mulch(to about 5-7cm), taking care not to cover the PVC pipe opening.

11. Using a hose, and in accordance with local water restrictions, fill the wicking bed reservoir

using the PVC pipe opening. You may wish to use an old tomato stake or similar as a “dipstick” tosee how deep the water is. Fill the reservoir to about 200mm.

12. Once the soil is damp (you may need to water from the top initially as well to encourage thewicking to begin), plant out your wicking bed with your favourite incredible edibles.

13. Sit back, water less, and enjoy your wicking bed and its harvest!

We know you may need a printout to take out into the patch and get constructing, so we havewhacked together a PDF for you here!

How To Keep Your Wicking Bed Ticking

Like all things in the garden, the wicking bed is certainly NOT a no maintenance set-up, and, if leftuntended for a long period of time, could very easily turn into a sludgy, smelly, salty unproductivemess. So, some things you may need to be aware of and monitor in your wicking bed over time areas follows:

Ensure the overflow/drainage hole or pipe (at the 300mm point) does not become blocked or non-■

functional. Give this a good clean out every few months.Be aware that, as a closed system, everything you put into the bed stays in the bed. Overuse of■

fertilisers (even some of our trusted organically derived ones) may see the soil sour fairly rapidly,leading to an increase in saltiness. This is certainly NOT ideal for many of our productive vegiesand herbs.Greywater (that is, water from the bathroom and laundry) should NOT be used in a wicking bed at■

any timeCompost and soil mixture will need to be topped up seasonally, as will the mulch. A good idea may■

be to lightly turn the top 300mm of growing area with a garden fork at this time, to “freshen up”the soil.Cover the open end of the PVC pipe (the water inlet) with a tile, brick or similar. This will prevent■

mosquito larvae from hanging out in the tube or garden reservoir.

So that’s the wash on wicking beds, but, being that this is a fairly new concept, we just KNOW thatthere will be trailblazing gardeners out there already having successes and stories to share. Now, ifyou have some info on wicking beds, or would like to tell us about your attempts, whack in acomment at the end of this article. We would LOVE to hear what’s going on in the wonderful worldof the wicking bed!

Ashwood College Permaculture FoodGarden - Sustainable Gardening in GoodCompany

Excitingthingsareafootin the Ashwood College Permaculture Food Garden. New volunteer gardeners keep coming back tomake a difference. They help weed, mulch, fertilise, water, sow and plant in our unique communitygarden. The Ashwood College Permaculture Food Garden (ACPFG) is a communal garden where weall pitch in with what needs doing on the day, and at the end of the session we harvest and takehome the bounty. Sometimes the bounty doesn’t make it home, as was the case with themulberries… They were delicious!

Ashwood is a suburb 14 kilometres south east of Melbourne’s CBD. Ashwood College is a statesecondary school with very large grounds, some of which have been dedicated to a permaculturefood garden run by local community members. The land belongs to the school, but we garden to ourheart’s content with support and encouragement from the Ashwood College Council and Principal,Kerrie Croft.

Bathtubwicking beds

Our garden is thriving. There are over 2,000 square metres of land, 200 metres of cyclone meshfence, 55 fruit trees, two 75,000 litre rainwater tanks, a shade house, a pergola, a pizza oven, bathtub wicking beds, culinary and medicinal herbs, and bee hives.

What kind of fruit trees, I hear you ask? Many! Nine different types of apples including GrannySmith, Early McIntosh, Sturmer Pippin, Gala, Cox’s Orange Pippin, and Orange Blenheim. Threevarieties of pear trees including Josephine, Red d’Anjou, Doyenne du Comice, and a nashi pear. Apeach, a nectarine, an apricot, two matching avocadoes, macadamias, a mulberry (finished for theseason…) a lemon tree, a fejoa, and an olive tree. And don’t forget the figs! There are threedifferent types of figs!

What particularly exciting thing is afoot this March? In the next couple of weeks the chickens arereturning after a three year absence. Foxes took our hard-working ladies and we’ve been looking fora solution to keep our chooks safe ever since. We think we have found the solution in the form ofelectric poultry fencing. This mobile type of fence gives us the flexibility we need and also providessafety for the chickens. By the time this article is published we hope that the chickens will be back inaction in our garden and you’ll be able to see photos of the installation on Facebook! Make sure youcheck out our page. Better still, if you live in or near Melbourne, come and check out the chooks foryourself. The ACPFG is open on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

Our Reason for Being – sustainable gardening iscomplexThe ACPFG has been going for 6 years now. When we started in 2007 we thought the main purposeof the garden was to grow food. Over the years we have learnt not only that it takes time to build soiland soil fertility, but that gardening sustainably is complex. To our surprise and delight, the garden’smain product over the last number of years has been gardeners. In the process of turning a largegrassy field into a productive garden, many people have come to the garden, helped out enormously,learnt what they needed to learn, and have moved on to develop their own gardens. These gardenersoften go on to have chickens, worm farms and compost bins they might not have used so confidentlybefore.

Growing your own food is like printing your own

moneyAccess to fresh whole food is fundamental to good health. Research conducted in our local areashows that food security is a real issue. In particular, people living in boarding houses andinternational students in the region were groups specifically affected. Ashwood College is located inwhat’s technically known as a ‘food desert’: there is no fresh whole food within walking distance.Take-away food shops yes, fruit & veg no. A weekly community market has been established whereyou can purchase fruit & veg at wholesale prices. Once the chickens come back to the AshwoodCollege Permaculture Food Garden, we’ll be ramping up vegie production, and with the fruit treesbeginning to come of a productive age we look forward to regularly contributing fresh food to thiscommunity market. Meanwhile all local residents are invited to come and help out.

Story and photos copyright to Mariëtte Tuohey, business owner of Sense & SustainabilityFacebook page: http://tinyurl.com/PermacultureFoodGarden

The Living SoilWhen I started experimenting with wicking beds a few years ago, I was concerned about theisolation of the wicking bed’s soil. The bed’s water tank was an effective barrier to the biodiversityin the rest of the garden, so I decided to fit a build-in worm farm and populate it with compostingworms to try to maintain a viable separate ecosystem.

It soon became apparent, that soil fertility required more than the worm farm could deliver, andcomposting worms were not the best species to distribute their vermicasts throughout the bed. Istarted to populate the bed with earthworms from my compost heap and garden beds. I top dressedthe soil with compost and rockdust under a thick mulch of straw. I did this every time I harvested acrop in preparation for the next one, leaving it to “mature” for several weeks before planting. Ifound lots of earthworms in the compost residue when I planted my new crop, and crop health andgrowth rate improved noticeably.

Colin Austin in his blog www.waterright.com began to talk about the symbiotic relationship formedbetween mycorrhizal fungi and the plants through their roots, and how he sets up bio-packs toestablish a mycorrhizal network of hyphae (an extremely effective micro root system) which newplants can hook into and share. His interest prompted me to research soil biology on the net to seeif I could understand it better.

I came across the Soil Foodweb Inc., and Dr Elaine Ingham who provided some very interestingi n s i g h t s t h r o u g h h e r s e r i e s o f Y o u T u b e i n t e r v i e w s(e.g.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtl09VZiSU : “soil not dirt”). She explains the soil food webas a system involving an extraordinary diversity of organisms living in their billions in natural soil

including earthworms, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, arthropods and protozoa.

The soil food web includes the plants and animals above ground which are so dependent on theactivities of the organisms in the soil. They help feed the microbes with their waste including deadand decaying organic matter.

In natural soils, earthworms (and other small animals and insects) harvest this organic material fromthe surface and drag it underground. They consume it and, in the process, shred and grind it so thatwhen evacuated from their bodies it is in a form which is perfect for the microbes to feed upon. Bacteria, fungi and nematodes break down this material, rich in essential minerals, and liberatemore minerals from sand and clay particles in the soil. They absorb these essential minerals intotheir bodies, and their predators convert the minerals into a form easily assimilated by the plant’sroots. Note that the sand and clay particles have been formed over millions of years from geologicalaction on the parent bedrock and that is the primary source of all the minerals used by the plants to

make our food, in natural soil.

This intense activity by the soil organisms, not only provides readily available food for the plants,they create a structure in the soil which enables free movement of air and water, and easy passagefor roots as they grow. Water drains easily through this structure so that the soil does not stay wetfor too long, but also retains some of the moisture, so the soil does not dry out too quickly.

It’s a well known saying amongst organic gardeners that you should feed the soil not the plants. Idon’t know whether old time gardeners realised this meant feeding the microbes. Anyway, I nowrealise why it is so important to maintain the soil food web, and that using pesticides, herbicides andinorganic chemical fertilisers is such a bad idea.

Like Colin Austin, I am keen to convey the message to as many people as will listen, that industrialagriculture with its dependence on synthetic inorganic fertilisers is producing food so deficient invital micronutrients, that we are becoming dependent on supplements to maintain bodily health. Why would you not eat organic food, and preferably, grow your own in your own garden.

If you are interested in my quest to develop a gardening system which uses very little water, whichsequesters carbon and is as sustainable as I can make it, take a look at my non-commercial blogfrom time to time www.jas49580.blogspot.com.au .

Article copyright to John Ashworth. http://jas49580.blogspot.com.au/

Photo: The Soil Foodweb Institute

What are the possibilities when moderncommunities grow more of their own food?Earlier in the year around 70 SGA supporters made the trek out toBrunswick to participate in the first in a series of World Café style eventsas part of SGA’s ongoing commitment to inspire, empower and connectcommunities to garden sustainably. A World Café event typically revolvesaround a single question that participants discuss with each other over aseries of rounds. The question for the evening was “what are thepossibilities when modern communities grow more of their own food?” Atthe end of the evening our panelists Pete Huff (Yarra City Council),Natasha Kuperman (My Home Harvest) and Cam Walker (Friends of the Earth) answered questionsfrom our participants.

The evening kicked off with a welcome address from SGA FuturesCommittee member and MC for the evening, Linette Harriott. She askedparticipants to begin discussing the topic with the rest of their table andthen, after 10 minutes to elect a captain who would remain seated whilethe rest of the participants found another table. The table captainsrecorded ideas and questions in what was a very exciting and positiveatmosphere.

We made a Wordle from the recorded ideas. It captures the frequency of word use and eliminatescommon words such as “but”, “however” and “about”.We noted some interesting words such assharehood,enoughnessand guerrilla.

In the third and final round, each table had to formulate one question that would then be posed tothe expert panel. The key questions were:

If you could do something immediately to make possibility “reality”, what would you do?■

How do you engage people in seeing themselves as a community growing food?■

Can local government be influenced to increase access to backyard food production strategies?■

What are the most common barriers for councils in opening public space up for gardening?■

From a local government perspective, how do we capture the enthusiasm of new/novice gardeners■

and provide them with the knowledge they need to keep gardening?What have you learned in your roles about confronting the challenges facing modern communities■

E.g. climate change, biodiversity, connecting with each other?How do we get more support in our schools for great benefits of gardening and cooking of■

produce?What about kerbside/naturestrip gardening, garden patches in new estates, encouraging front yard■

veggie patches?How can we develop the CERES model in each community? Is there a better model?■

How do we enable individuals and communities to grow more food? E.g government involvement■

versus bottom up and connecting isolated individuals and groups.

Pete Huff, Urban Agriculture Facilitator for Yarra City Council discussedpragmatic aspects of working with local government in establishingcommunity produce gardens. Pete believes that building relationships withlocal councillors and being flexible with ideas are a great way to start. Bybringing together diverse cultures and celebrating food and producegardening Pete believes we can keep the sustainable agriculture movementsurging forward.

Natasha Kuperman, talked of the changing nature of home produce gardening with more peoplelooking online for information and to make connections within their local communities. She believesby encouraging beginners and improving access to information for the whole community we canhelp individuals start growing their own food. According to Natasha, food swaps, sharing know-howand rediscovering forgotten skills are just some of the benefits of communities growing their ownfood.

Cam Walker focused on more long-term aspects in relation to sustainable agriculture, in particularsustaining motivation and interest with relevant stakeholders. According to Cam there is nodownside to locally produced and community controlled food and that this is something we need tocontinue promoting along with its obvious benefits. Cam encourages us all to maintain aninternational consciousness when considering the changing nature of food production around theworld as peri-urban agricultural practices evolve in line with exploding urban populations.

We thank our expert panellists, our participants and the Courthouse Hotel for hosting us. If youhave any ideas for a future World Café or any feedback you would like to provide us with pleaseleave or comment or send an email.

The video below records the panel discussion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBngfC2QGV0

Harvesting and storing garlic

Garlic bulbs are ready to harvest in late spring or summer, from seven to eight months after they areplanted. The outward signs are the green leaves, which will begin to turn brown, and the flowerstems – if present – which will begin to soften, although staying green. If you are not sure, just pullback the soil around one of your bulbs, if the clove ridges are clearly defined and the bulbs are adecent size, and some of the leaves have died back, then harvest them.

Don’t leave harvesting until the leaves die back completely as with onions, because by this time thebulbs will have started to split. Once the bulbs have split, they are still fine to eat, but won’t store forlong. So eat these ones first.

Some cultivars with curled flower stems, are ready to harvest as the coil in the stem begins tostraighten. Most hardneck cultivars though, should have their flower stems removed before thistime, because growing a flower stem reduces the nutrients going to the bulb so that bulbs aresmaller. But there is also some evidence to show that leaving the flower stem attached until aftercuring will lengthen storage times. So you may need to choose between bulb size and length ofstorage!

Garlic that has been planted in light soils can just be pulled out of the ground. If your soil is heavierand/or you have planted them more deeply, then the best way to get the bulbs out is to insert a forkunder them and carefully lift the whole plant. Shake or brush off any excess dirt. Don’t bang themagainst each other or anything else as this will bruise them and shorten storage life. Some books andarticles suggest drying the bulbs in the sun for a few days before curing. This may be OK in coolcountries and climates, but in Australia our summers get too hot and the bulbs are likely to getsunburnt. The protective skins don’t fully develop until after curing. In dry areas, some growersplace freshly dug bulbs in groups on top of the soil, to dry out and start the curing process. They arearranged so that the green leaves from one clump of bulbs, protect the next clump from the sun.However, even then some garlic bulbs can get sunburnt, and the dramatic rise and fall intemperature from day to night can harm the bulb, reducing storage times. If an appropriate space isavailable they are better cured under cover, where temperatures fluctuate less. Leave plants intact(don’t remove leaves, flower stalks or roots) and hang in bunches or place on racks in a dry airyposition that doesn’t get too hot. An old window screen, resting on sawhorses or something similar,makes a good drying tray. Or hang them from the eaves, as long as they are out of the sun. Leavethem for a minimum of two to three weeks but if you can leave them for two months then they arelikely to store for longer. In more humid areas it is a good idea to cut the roots really short orremove them altogether as they can act as a wick absorbing moisture and carrying it to the bulbthus increasing the chance of fungal diseases. Also, keep an eye on the leaves and if they show anysign of going mouldy, cut them off immediately because this mould will spread to the bulb.

Curing is particularly important if the bulbs are not quite mature, as the bulb continues to absorbmoisture and nutrients from the stem and leaves after harvest. If you haven’t already removed the

flower stem, then harvest and dry hardneck garlics with the flower head and stem still attached.Bulbs with the leaves attached can also be plaited into strings and hung in a dry airy position. Seewww.pennywoodward.com.au/articles for photographs that show you how to do this.

Storing

Once the bulbs are cured the skins will be papery and dry and the bulbs should feel firm and tightlypacked. Check for any diseased, damaged or bruised bulbs and remove them. If the damage is onlyminor then just eat them. This is also a good time to select the bulbs you want to use for replanting.Choose the best and the healthiest, set them aside and store them separately from the bulbs to beconsumed. This way they won’t get eaten by mistake. To allow for replanting,10 to 15 percent of thecrop needs to be retained. The optimum storage temperature for bulbs for replanting is 10°C, withlimits of 5°C and 18°C.

Unless the bulbs are to be plaited or hung in bunches, all the leaves and stems are now cut off about2 cm from the bulb. Leave only 1 cm of the roots. Don’t try to wash off dirt or separate the individualcloves as either of these actions will radically shorten the storage life. Store bulbs in shallowcardboard boxes, in slatted wooden boxes, on trays, in net slings, in stockings, or in plaits – in fact inany way that allows air circulation around each bulb. The room where they are stored must be dry,airy and not too cold or hot. Check bulbs every few weeks and remove any diseased ones. Properlystored, some cultivars will last for twelve months or longer.

The optimum temperature for long storage of commercial crops is 0°C. These bulbs are not suitablefor planting though, as bulbs grown from cloves kept at very low temperatures tend to be rough,

produce side shoots as they mature, or mature too early. For the home grower, storagetemperatures around 10°C are ideal, but consistency of temperature is important too. Don’t keep thebulbs in a position where they get very hot or very cold. Enjoy eating your own home grown garlicand if you run out or can’t grow your own then look for Australian grown garlic. I never eat importedgarlic as all imported garlic is treated with Methyl bromide before being allowed into Australia. Fordetails on locating locally grown garlic go the Australian Garlic Industry Association websitehttp://www.garlicaustralia.asn.au/

Article and photographs copyright Penny Woodward

Photographs:1 Freshly harvested white softneck garlic2 Garlic left in the ground too long so that the bulbs have split.3 Freshly harvested Korean Red garlic4 Garlic hanging to cure in a dry, airy position out of direct sunlight.5 A garlic crop after curing, and trimming to remove roots and leaves.

Hydroponic Gardening

This post has been submitted by one of SGA’s Cuttingsreaders. See the bottom of this post for info on how you toocan contribute to our website.

Gardening can be a lot of fun and getting your hands dirty is part and parcel of working outdoors.However conventional gardening can be hard work – raking, tilling, hoeing and weeding are justsome of the strenuous jobs that come with being a gardener. There are also the pests such ascutworms and soil borne diseases and pesticides needed to combat them. However there is analternative and it is called hydroponics.

How Does Hydroponics Work?

Hydroponic gardening involves growing plants in a nutrient solution rather than soil. The advantageof hydroponics is that you can avoid many of the problems that affect soil grown plants such ascutworms and soil-borne diseases that can ruin your crop. This means herbicides and pesticides canbe avoided. Also you have more control over the nutrients that feed your plants. It is easier to varythe nutrients that the plant receives at various stages of its development ensuring optimum growth.

Instead of soil, a porous growing aggregate is used. This can include sand, vermiculite, gravel,coconut coir, clay balls or perlite. This allows air and nutrients to circulate more freely allowing abetter distribution of oxygen and food to each plant. Nutrients and water are fed directly to the rootswhich enable the plant to spend more of its energy growing above the soil rather than pushingthrough soil to compete for nutrients. Because the roots are smaller the plants can be grown closertogether thereby conserving space. This can mean everything grows faster and produces higheryields within a smaller space. Hydroponics is so versatile that NASA has explored the use ofhydroponics in their space programs and possible use of hydroponically grown food on planets suchas Mars.

Hydroponics isn’t new – the Ancient Babylon’s built the hydroponically-engineered ‘hanging gardensof Babylon’ in the palace courtyard located just outside of present day Baghdad, Iraq. Also thefloating gardens of the Aztecs of Mexico and those of the Chinese. Archeological evidence showsthat when soil isn’t ideal for agriculture, hydroponics’ was often a viable alternative.

Lighting

As with all gardening artificial lighting is not required if you are growing outdoors in sunlight. Themore you substitute for nature the more complicated any system will become. However if you chooseto grow indoors you should use a grow light. You should also consider a grow tent with a reflectiveinner surface to ensure the plants receive the maximum amount of light and so ideal growingconditions are maintained. Many grow lights for plants are inefficient and expensive to run. However

due to advances in technology grow lights have become more efficient, longer lasting and powerful.

Hydroponic Nutrients

Nutrients dissolved in a water solution are often called nutrient salts and these should contain themicro and macro nutrients required for plant growth. You can make your own nutrient solution usingwater and fertilizer salts or you can buy one ready-made. The nutrient solution is than mixed withwater to provide the correct concentration for the plant and then poured over your aggregate, orpumped through the hydroponic system. Some ready-made nutrient solutions also contain microbes,enzymes, vitamins, amino acids, crop enhancers such as root boosters, non-ionic surfactants and PHstabilizer and buffers. However all of these additional nutrients are not necessary. Also the ready-made solutions containing these exotic ingredients can be expensive. To make your own nutrients allyou require are some fertilizer salts containing the macro and micro nutrients plants require.

Hydroponic Systems

To grow plants with a nutrient solution you require a hydroponic system. A hydroponic system isrequired to ensure that the nutrients and water solution are replenished and the roots can absorboxygen.There are many different types of hydroponic growing systems. The most common hydroponicsystems are the Ebb and Flow system, drip method, Aeroponic growing system, Nutrient FilmTechnique, the wick method and water culture system. You can also make your own DIY hydroponicsystem which is cheap but still affective.

Ebb and Flow system

One of the most adaptable hydroponic systems is the Ebb and Flow system. It involves a pump torelease nutrient solution into a grow tray. The pump is controlled by a timer which floods the growtray. The solution is then drained away back into a reservoir several times a day.

Hydroponic Drip Method

Probably one of the most widely used methods in hydroponics. A timer is used to control asubmersed pump that releases nutrients onto the base of each plant. This can involve either arecovery drip system were excess nutrient solution is collected and reused or a non-recover dripsystem that does not collect and re-use the nutrient solution.

Aeroponic Growing System

The aeroponic growing system is one of the most high tech and usually involves the roots beingsuspended in air and misted with nutrients every few minutes. The rate at which the plants aremisted can be controlled with a timer.

The Nutrient Film Technique

Another common hydroponic system is the N.F.T system. This involves a constant flow of nutrients.It does not require a timer but does involve a pump which draws a nutrient solution into a grow traywhere the plant roots are held in plastic containers with the roots hanging in the nutrient solution.The solution is then drained away back into the reservoir.

Wick System

This is probably the simplest and most versatile hydroponic system as it can be set up on a small orlarge scale and does not involve any moving parts. A wick releases a nutrient solution into the growtray where it is utilized by the roots. The wicks cannot supply large amounts of water so it is moresuited to smaller plants rather than larger plants that require more water.

Water Culture System

This is another simple method but a less affective way of distributing nutrients and air to plants. It isonly suitable for some plants such as leaf lettuce. It involves a Styrofoam platform whereby theplants float on the nutrient solution and air bubbles travel up from the bottom of the reservoirthereby supplying oxygen to the plant roots.

Whatever system you choose to use hydroponic gardening is the most efficient and productivemethod available for growing plants indoors or outside. Once you’re setup the system doesn’trequire the same level of work that conventional gardening requires and you can make your ownhydroponic system and nutrients making it a cheap and sustainable alternative.

Note from SGA - Simon runs a fantastic hydroponic website. For loads more detailed informationon everything Hydroponic, head to www.buyhydroponic.net

Tell us your story!This post has been submitted by one of SGA’s Cuttings readers. We want to share your greatgardening stories with the rest of our readers. Do you have an interesting gardening story to tell?Click here to find out more.

SGA welcomes Wilson Botanic ParkWilson Botanic Park has become the latest publicpark to be given Eclips Accreditation. The City ofCasey put 40 of their staff though a training programon environmental management, run onsite at thegardens by SGA. This accreditation identifies to thepublic that the gardens are maintained and managedwith minimal use of water and minimal or no use ofchemicals. On an ongoing basis and whenever theyare redesigning sections of the gardens, City ofCasey is committed to enhancing biodiversity,avoiding invasive plants and avoiding disruption ofnatural systems.

The GardensDriving up the oak lined driveway into the 39 hectares of botanic gardens in the heart of Berwick, itis difficult to imagine the site was an operational quarry until the late 1970s. The quarry wasfounded by William Wilson in 1859 and transformation began in the 1980’s to what you can seetoday.

During the operational days they found fossils dating back 22 million years. They now boast 2 fossilseams within the park. The fossils found include wood, leaves and pollen from both flowering plantsand conifers. Studies into these fossils have found both temperate and tropical species in the onelocation. This shows that many years ago the area was a tropical rainforest.

Within the park there is a large rose collection, native gardens, indigenous grass lands as well as

exotic species making up over 1000 different species.

SGA would like to congratulate the City of Casey and all the staff involved in the management ofthese wonderful gardens.

For more information head to http://www.casey.vic.gov.au or contact the City of Casey on (03) 97075818 or email wbp@casey.vic.gov.au

Wilson Botanic Park668 Princes Highway, Berwick, Vic 3806

Pics 1, 2 & 3 – Drew EchbergPic 4 – Clare Hart from City of Casey

Footprint Flicks How-To Videos

Whether you’re a first time gardener or a seasonedgreen thumb, these bite-sized, fast-paced, funny littleflicks will get you growing in no time. For the low-down on everything from worm farming andcomposting to saving water, reducing your foodmiles and growing incredible edibles, you’ll find it allin these compact episodes of gardening wisdom.Gardening videos like you’ve never seen before.

Episode 1 – Lord of the Bins (Part 1)Lord of the Bins is a hard-hitting, 2 part expose of the relationships in your compost bin. In part oneHelen reveals the uncensored story of decomposition that’s smouldering in the backyard compostbin. Capture carbon, improve your soil, feed a worm, reduce household waste and discover why ahot and healthy relationship with your compost is an essential part of being a planet consciousgardener.

Episode 2 – Lord of the Bins (Part 2)Things really start to warm up in part two as we delve deeper into the compost heap. Helen sharesher own special family recipe for sweet smelling compost, no science degree required. Find out whatmakes your compost sing and what should go in the rubbish bin, it’s all about the balance in thisrelationship. Who would have thought that reducing your carbon footprint could be so steamy!

Episode 3 – Mulch Ado about NothingWrap your soil up in a blanket of mulch to conserve water use, add nutrients, suppress weeds andenhance habitat. But what to use where? Meander through a multitude of mulches with Helen as sheshow us what to goes where, what’s sustainable, what’s not and how to avoid common problemswhen mulching. From straw, to stone, to living mulches, this flick makes mulch ado about mulchingand will have your garden beds snug and warm in no time.

Episode 4 – Renter’s Guide To Sustainable GardeningIf you only ever venture into your garden for a quick hack before property inspection, then this film’sfor you. Find out how to grow plants in a pot, up a wall, in a shoe and on a budget… withoutjeopardizing your bond. Create a moveable vegie patch and cultivate much more than couchpotatoes. Tips and tricks for low cost, temporary and mobile gardening that all gardeners can use.There’s even something for the indoor gardener in this priceless pic.

Episode 5 – We Love ToolsThe behind-the-scenes tour of where it all happens – the toolshed. Get to know the colourfulcharacters who make your garden dream a reality.

Episode 6 – Grow Your Own Incredible EdiblesTurn your food miles into metres with a backyard full of brag-worthy produce all home grown byyou. Produce in pots or bountiful plots, Helen makes it easy to grow fruit, herbs and vegies nomatter where you live. Prepare and mulch your soil, planting from seed and seedling, companion

planting, organic pest controls and more. Everything you need to know to get growing your own.

Episode 7 – Trees, not just for hugging

Think like a Koala and take a look at trees from a whole new perspective. The home of our famousAussie icon can also add significant value to our homes, reducing energy use, improving air flow,building soil health, and more. Our friendly neighbourhood koala (who resembles a certainhorticulturalist we know), gets enthusiastic about the many sustainable benefits of trees at homeand how to maximize their value in the backyard. And if you have never seen a koala ride a bike,watch on…

Episode 8 – Weeds, not in my backyard

Prevent a triffid-style invasion of the worst kinds of weeds. Not just in your backyard but into thebush and beyond. Be alert and be very alarmed!

Episode 9 – Return of the weeds

So they’ve made it past your defences and past your bio-controls. They are running rampantthreatening to take over. Fear not, help is at hand with these tried and tested and very sustainablegarden weed remedies.

Episode 10 – Wheeley good green waste solutions

Ever felt like the third wheel? Now you know how the green bin feels. It’s here for good and not forevil, so treat it right and feed it nice. One of our most misunderstood and intriguing bins.

Episode 11 – Tank Girl

You are about to embark on a relationship that will be long and lasting. And as there is no ‘d-i-v-o-r-c-e’ in tank world, let us help you get it right the first time. Relationship training for you and yourtank that will bring everlasting bliss and satisfaction.

Episode 12 – OMG I’m going grey!

Just be thankful you’ve got any water at all, even if it has been around the block once or twicebefore. But treat it with caution and ensure that you follow the ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ of greywater use toensure happy soil, plants and neighbours!

Episode 13 – DIY water tank

So you want to store water but you don’t have the big bucks for a glamorous tank? Fear not, you canstill have water. Learn how to turn and old wheelie bin into a portable water carrier. So ingenious!

Episode 14 – Don’t be a drip!

Take the irritation out of irrigation and go sub-surface. It’s fast, efficient and it makes the most ofevery precious drop. Go on your garden will love you for it!

Episode 15 – Wicking beds

Loved by many, enjoyed by few. The ultimate ‘How-to’ guide for creating and enjoying your very owngarden wicking bed. And once the plants have been tucked in for the season, blissful self-wateringtakes over.

Episode 16 – How to be a good parent to your worms

Parenting worms demands a certain amount of attention to their voracious vegan appetites.However they are rarely seen and constantly produce wondrous liquid fertilisers and worm castings.Really, like any family member, they’re more than worth their weight in gold.