Perennial Edible Gardening
Straight forward instructions for getting started in gardens big and small. Knowledge from real down to earth gardeners who walk the walk with busy lives and productive gardens.
- Site assessment (Sun, aspect, wind, slope, existing elements, drainage)
- Plant selection (shelter, stability, nitrogen fixers, perennials and annuals)
- Soils (carbon, nutrients, biota)
- Water management
- Garden maintenance
Feijoa
Common Name: feijoa, pineapple guava, guavasteen Scientific Name:Feijoa sellowiana, syn. Acca sellowiana Height: 2-5 m Width: 2 m Plant type: Perennial tree Climate: Sub-tropical, tropical, cool and warm temperate, tolerant of wind once established. Soil: Most soil types. Position: Full sun to part shade. Feijoa fruit well in our subtropical Brisbane garden, however like most guava species, they are very prone to…
Fruit Fly Resistant (relatively) Crops
Folks out this way are compiling a list of fruits that are not heavily affected by fruit fly. Has anyone had major fruit fly issues with any of these fruits? Any suggestions for the list? Mulberry varieties (Morus sp.) Pitomba (Eugenia luschnathiana) Ice Cream Bean (Inga sp.) Brazilian Guava (Psidium guineense) Jaboticaba (Plinia cauliflora) Mango…
Strawberry Guava
Common Name: Strawberry Guava Scientific Name: Psidium littorale var. longipes syn. Psidium cattleyanum Origin: Brazil Height: 3 – 5 m Width: 3 m Plant type: Perennial tree Climate: Sub-tropical, tropical, cool and warm temperate Soil: Most soil types. Position: Full sun to part shade. Uses: Fruits – best eaten fresh from the tree. The flesh is sweet, if a little seedy. The…
Black Brazilian Cherry
This selection of Brazilian cherry, known as Black Beauty, ripens to a deep purple/black colour and has exceptional flavour. Not to be confused with the common red Brazilian cherry (Eugenia uniflora), also known as the pitanga, which has a resinous and tart flavour. Ideally suited to our subtropical growing conditions. So well suited that it…
Madagascar Bean
Madagascar Bean (aka seven year bean) Phaseolus lunatus syn. P.limensis Origin: Tropical and sub-Tropical regions Plant: in Spring Harvest: When pods have dried on vine The Madagascar bean is a perennial vine perfectly suited to Brisbane growing conditions. Best planted in Spring, this vigorous vine will last for up to 7 years (thus the common name 7-year bean).…
Subtropical Edible Plant List
Acerola cherryBanana (Blue Java)Banana (Dwarf Ducasse)Banana (Dwarf Cavandish)Banana (Pissang Celon)Jaboticaba (black, yellow and scarlet)RolliniaJapanese raisinBlack sapoteJackfruitCapsicum, Capsicum annuum, a local sweet cultivar sourced through the crop swapKaffir lime, Citrus hystrixLime, Tahitian, Citrus x latifoliaMandarin, Imperial and EmperorPawpaw, Carica papaya ‘Southern Red’Pepino, Solanum muricatumTomato, Cherry, ‘black cherry’ Oakleaf pawpawGrumichama (Eugenia brasiliensis) – black and yellowMiracle fruit…
Purple amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus)
When planning an edible garden it is a good idea to plant a variety of nutrient sources. Starchy vegetables are a good basic but many peoples go it are crops like potato but there are a range of undervalued, and very low maintenance crops, which will thrive in our wonderful subtropical climate. Crops like Cassava…
Gardening in a Rental
Compost Make the most of what you have, especially organic matter. Don’t throw your precious green waste away! Composting systems don’t have to be large, permanent or expensive. If you are in a rental, it can often be a good idea to keep it small and portable. While bayed compost systems are awesome for large…
Kwai muk
(Artocarpus. hypargyreus, but possibly A. nitida var. lingnanensis) The Kwai muk is a tropical fruit tree from southern China. Growing it a height of 10 m it is best kept pruned to keep the delicate fruits in reach. The soft, peach sized fruits have an unusual flavour similar to a mix of a soursop and…
Pumpkins
What a bumper year it has been for pumpkins! The rosellas may not have been as good as previous years but the pumpkins sure have. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin curry, pumpkin soup and roasted pumpkin. It’s not too late to get your pumpkins in. In frost free subtropics pumpkins can be planted year round. What pumpkins…
Make a Harvest Bag
This is one of our homemade large produce harvesting bags (obviously small berries would fall through the holes but this is great when citrus is in season). Made from an old trawler net which you can buy cheaply second hand (or unfortunately find washed up on the beach). It’s a good simple sewing project for…
Currant Pie
Looking for a simple but delicious recipe for weekend morning teas. We were privileged to try this old granny Quakers recipe earlier this week and it was a real hit. This is all there is to it. Puff pastry 1box currants 100 grams butter 100 grams sugar 1 egg Bake 180 for 30mins Cream butter…
Lablab (Lablab purpurea)
If you ever need a productive Autumn cropper, Lablab Bean (Lablab purpurea, Hyacinth bean) is excellent. The bean is high protein and full of nutrients, just a bit coarse and containing a toxin that requires good cooking, like stews and curries. Leaves and flowers are edible and nutritious as well. Prepare green lablab beans like…
Choko
Grown in almost every granny’s backyard, the humble choko is making a comeback! Most of us are familiar chokos but did you know that they also come in white and yellow. You may also see a very spikey version which is apparently the offspring of a white and a green that have interbred. Chokos, not…
May in the Food Forest
May is my absolute favourite month in our subtropical garden. In season now are pawpaws, citrus, edible ginger flowers and a huge abundance of pumpkins and bananas. If you are lucky enough there are also beautiful rosellas! Also, capsicums, cherry tomatoes, loquats, custard apples, the last of the peanut butter fruits and acerola cherries. Then…
Native River Mint
(Mentha australis) •Australian native • This beautiful low growing perennial herb is a relative of the larger peppermint and spearmint. The flavour is similar but much stronger than other mints. •Unlike other mints it doesn’t die down in winter but instead looks beautiful year-round. •Will grow in full sun (with enough water) but does very…
Water Parsley
(Oenanthe javanica) •Excellent spreading groundcover for wet or boggy ground. •Grows well in the shade or sun (with adequate water). •The young leaves and stems can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in stir-fries. •Has a light, carrot/parsley-like flavour. •Rich source of vitamins and minerals. •Widely eaten throughout the Orient. •Also grows well has…
4ZZZ Interview
Listen in to Brisbane’s 4ZZZ to hear Ketah from Brisbane Edible Gardening talking about underrated subtropical edible plants perfect for our climate as well as the awesome upcoming Herb Awareness Fair. http://ondemand.4zzzfm.org.au/eco-radio Click on the 15/5 show. Listen for a few minutes of music then edible gardening! Brisbane Edible Gardening is a community initiative that…
Beyond the Supermarket
There are over 30 000 edible food plants in the world yet here in Australia we commonly eat less than 1% of these varieties. Given our versatile subtropical climate there is so much more on offer out there than the standard supermarket fare. Commercial crops are not always the most delicious or nutritious. They are…
Green Leaf Tart
Nothing in the pantry but a bit of pastry, cheese and an over abundance of green leaves in the garden. Here is a simple tart to whip up. Usually we make this with eggs but the girls had a run in with a goshawk recently and all 18 of them are refusing to lay a…
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Brisbane Edible Gardening 