Print this entry

Sheryl:  I fell in love with Kangkong while travelling around Cambodia and it was the mainstay of my evening meal every day. Now that more people are talking about installing aquaponic systems, I thought I would mention it again.  Highly Recommended.

Kangkong is one of the vegetables rich in protein, calcium, phosphorous, iron and carbohydrates. It is an aquatic plant grown in swamps, rivers, rice fields and lakes. The tops or young shoots are boiled with fish or meat. The tops without the leaves are prepared as pickles. Varieties of Kangkong are the aquatic, local upland and imported dry land. The aquatic strain creeps and reaches to about 10cm in length with pale green stem, broad and dull pointed leaves with lighter colour. The local upland variety has brown stem with pale green, narrow and pointed leaves. However, the best soils for Kangkong are the swampy places, around lakes and river banks and backyard where water is available. It grows luxuriantly at sea level. It can be planted all year round either in the form of seeds, vine cuttings, shoots or rootstocks. Plant 30cm apart around fishponds, or artificial lakes, one to three rows until some vines are allowed to creep on the surface of the water to serve as partial shade. It also serves as partial feed for fish.  Ref: Dept of Ag – Philippines.

Print this entry

Kale and Oxalic Acid  Visiting Qld Garden Expo in Nambour, I was surprised to see a few plant labels saying Kale could be used in salads and you also see recipes using it in drinks. To limit oxalic acid consumption, blanch it. Contrary to what some books say, cooking does not destroy oxalic acid. However, blanching your greens for a few minutes and disposing of the water leaches out roughly one third of the oxalic acid. That’s one third of total oxalic acid but most of the soluble oxalic acid. The insoluble ones that remain pass right through us so although you may also lose some nutrients, we can recommend this method. (Consider watering some plants with the cooled cooking water to keep those nutrients in the system!)  In lower doses, oxalic acid can be considered an anti-nutrient, limiting the absorption of some nutrients, particularly calcium and iron. When oxalic acid combines with calcium and some of these other minerals it creates oxalate crystals, which can contribute to kidney stones, gout, vulvodynia and rheumatoid arthritis in some people. Probiotics is another strategy. Naturally occurring gut flora bacteria Oxalobacter formigenes break down oxalates as a food source. Many antibiotics may kill these beneficial bugs, increasing the risk of kidney stones and the other mentioned symptoms, so if you’ve ever taken antibiotics and have these symptoms, you might consider consulting your doctor to see if specific Oxalobacter probiotics are available. Fermented foods and off-the-shelf probiotics can help also. The common Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria as found in yoghurt and sauerkraut can also break down oxalic acid. One foraging note is that oxalic acid tends to be in higher concentrations in plants during dry conditions. Read the full article here: www.eatthatweed.com/oxalic-acid/

Print this entry

This plant is very slow growing unless you pamper it. Charles Novak from the USA has fruited his in 2 years from seed by: full sun, tons of water, heavy feeding. The seedlings he puts in big pots in bigger buckets with the buckets partially full of water so they can drink their fill.  Seedlings should triple in size over a season. He also mulches the top heavily.

Print this entry

• Post Entry Quarantine is Lional Rajapaske (supervisor) or Michael Berglin or Ross Lisle and can be contacted on (07) 3246 8758 or 8766 or 8752 respectively.
   
• The export seeds person is Danny Genn (Supervisor Export Grain)  Ph (07) 3246 8724 Fax (07) 3246 8778
   
• The export plants person is Bronwyn Pearson (Export Manager, Horticulture) Ph (07) 3246 8603 Fax (07) 3246 8778
   
• All have email which is in the format firstname.lastname@aqis.gov.au (all in lower case with a dot between the Christian name and Surname)

Print this entry

Either soak seed in a Giberellic acid solution overnight or plant them on a seedling heat mat. Both work. They grow on the sides of volcanos in Honduras and the ground is apparently quite warm to the touch.  With no treatment, Ilama seeds can sit there for 6-12 months with no germination.

Print this entry

• Not washing your hands is the key ingredient in stopping the spread of bacteria.
   
• University of Auckland scientists found moisture left on the hands mobilises bacteria and acts as a germ highway allowing high numbers of bacteria to be transferred by touch contact.
   
• The research showed that careful drying of hands reduced more than 99% of the bacteria.
   
• It also found drying with paper towels for 10 secs removed 80% of bacteria while hot air blowers needed 45 seconds to remove only 60%.
   
• Wear a mask when dealing with mulch. Aspergilus (Farmers Lung) and Rhizerpus (Tree Loppers Lung) are real threats to our health.

Print this entry

• Superior cultivars  ‘Northern Gold’, ‘Glom Sali’, ‘Hawaiian Pink Supreme’, ‘Mexican Cream’, ‘Giant Thai White’, ‘Sweet White Indonesian’, ‘Pear’. Ref: Col Metcalf
   
• A guava orchard that I visited in Thailand air layered all their guavas. Language was a problem but thought I understood that air layering was the only way they propagated their guava.  Ref:  Samar – India

Print this entry

Promoted as an Amazonian wonder nutrient is often added to drinks but the magic ingredient is caffeine so if you have a heart condition, kidney disease or suffer from anxiety and you are getting caffeine from another source, then be cautious.

Print this entry

• Make sure they have plenty of water when they are in bloom and the fruit has set. Here in Portugal, they drop the fruits/flowers at the slightest hint of dryness. The only time I got fruits from mine, the water line had punctured and a small pond had formed around the grumichama, which was growing on a raised bed. Ref:  Sérgio Duarte, Algarve, Portugal
   
• Yellow Grumichama  Get a cutting grown one otherwise seeds can go either black or yellow.