LFC News June 1 2022

Jun 022022
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ben Wrigley, Bev Middleton, Carmen Bruest, Cecilia Macauley, Megan Goodman, Natalie Nigol and Robin Gale-Baker.

If you are Gmail user and didn’t successfully receive our newsletter last week, read this short guide on how to stop Google’s blocking of our future newsletters.

Bordeaux Mix has been banned in the UK and 17 EU countries! (by Robin Gale-Baker)

Bordeaux mix was first discovered in France in the 19th century by a botany professor from the University of Bordeaux who was studying downy mildew on grapes. He noticed that road side spraying of grapes with a mix of copper and lime, carried out to prevent theft of grapes by passers-by, also prevented a range of fungal diseases. Since then, Bordeaux mix has been a staple spray in French vineyards, and in vineyards and orchards around the world.

Bordeaux mix is a combination of copper sulphate and quick lime. As these are both natural ingredients, Bordeaux mix can be marketed as ‘organic’ and used on Certified Organic farms. However, when it builds up over years of use, it becomes a heavy metal pollutant, and it does not break down in soil.

Bordeaux mix is a preventative only – that is, it is sprayed on the bare limbs of fruit trees in winter to prevent diseases developing in spring such as powdery mildew, downy mildew, leaf curl, blight, canker, apple scab, black spot, brown rot and (on raspberry leaves) raspberry rust . Spraying it after leaves have appeared will burn them, burn any developing flowers and kill beneficial insects. Of course, should there be any fruit developing, it will coat these and, because it adheres despite rain, there is a risk that if there is a lack of rain during the growing season, you will ingest copper when the fruit is ready to eat. It is also sometimes sprayed on fruit and vegetables including potato, tomato, peas, beans, celery and cucumber, and on grapes, strawberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, walnut, olives and cherries.

Bordeaux mix has been banned in the UK and 17 EU countries. This is because it is highly toxic to wildlife, particularly earthworms, livestock, fish and beneficial insects including bees. Furthermore, there is concern about copper leaching into waterways from contaminated soil or run-off. It also degrades fertility and soil microbiology. Copper application to crops exacerbates some pests, including mites, nematodes and some fungi that attach to insects as a parasite (entomopathogenic fungi).

Should you choose to use Bordeaux mix:

  • Wear protective clothing, including gloves and glasses, during both the mixing and spraying.
  • Cover the soil and understory with thick newspaper or cardboard and dispose of it in the waste bin after spraying.
  • Keep chooks locked up both during spraying and afterwards, until you are sure there is no mix on the ground or in their reach.

There is apparently considerable opposition to the banning of Bordeaux mix in Europe, particularly from the viticulture industry, and this is the reason that 10 EU countries are still permitted to use it. In Australia, regulations allow organic farmers to use copper sulphate at a regulated rate per hectare.

Various alternatives to Bordeaux mix are being explored in Australia. As summarised in a Review of impacts on soil biota caused by copper residues from fungicide application by Lukas Van-Zwieten, Graham Merrington and Melissa Van-Zwieten: “‘A recent review of alternative fungal control agents has recently been published (Van Zwieten et al. 2004b), with products including: selected biological control agents; compost; inoculated compost; surfactants and biosurfactants; antifungal compounds; compost tea; pH modifiers and bicarbonates; foliar calcium and silicone; milk products and other organic amendments (e.g. molasses); essential oils (e.g. tea tree) and polymer coatings all showing promise as alternatives to copper for disease control.”

In the home garden, fruit trees can be sprayed with lime sulphur when bare. Lime sulphur is both an anti-fungal and pesticide. It is regarded as organic because it is a mix of sulphur and builder’s lime (not garden lime). It is used in the same way as Bordeaux mix and, in my experience, is very effective. For more information on how to use lime sulphur, refer to this article by Angelo Eliades.

References Bordeaux mix:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/bordeaux-mixture
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7481.html
https://www.rhs.org.uk/prevention-protection/withdrawn-chemicals
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13593-018-0503-9
http://www.regional.org.au/au/asssi/supersoil2004/s3/oral/1573_vanzwieten.htm.

References lime sulphur:
“https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/2020/01/23/winter-pest-and-disease-control-with-lime-sulphur/
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/disease/using-lime-sulfur-in-gardens.htm.

Food storage

I recently came across these handy food storage charts produced by Moreland Council. The left hand chart is for vegetables and the right hand one is for fruit.

    

Jpg images are never really good enough quality for printing purposes. If you want to print off the charts, use this high resolution pdf version.

Want to identify a plant?

Carmen Bruest has written in to point out that, since iOS 15, iPhones have had the inbuilt facility to identify plants (or other things). Read this page for a demonstration and instructions.

Android phones have a similar capability using Google’s Lens app.

My (Guy) experience, however, is that specialist plant identification apps are better at correct identification. After trying many of the apps, I think that the best one is PlantNet, which is available in both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store.

The Zoe Behind Greasy Zoes

Read this interview with Zoe Birch, the chef and owner of the Greasy Zoes restaurant in Hurstbridge.

Greasy Zoes is a unique restaurant and a unique experience: an ever changing set menu of multiple (my memory is around 8-10) courses, using seasonal ingredients; tiny/intimate, with a current seating capacity of only 8(!); and a mouth-watering cost ($175 per head). Like Coober Pedy, it is something you should do at least once if possible. Ideally, try and find someone who will shout you the experience!

Podcast of the month

The Urban Plant Health Network, which is part of Agriculture Victoria, publish around 6 podcasts a year on gardening matters. There are currently 17 podcasts available.

Meg’s garden this month

We have had the first hint of frost here on our south facing block and the broad beans are starting to lean towards the lessening light. Like the broad beans, we move the chairs on our deck outwards chasing the autumn sun as the days grow shorter. It is a good time to get some tasks done in the garden and I will spend time constructing supports for the broad beans so that they are strong when they have the weight of their pods to bear. I will also construct some extra frames ready for peas which I will plant this month.

The rain has assisted the growth of the root vegetables sown last month and the seedlings now need to be patiently thinned to provide space for growth. The tops of thinned seedlings can be used in a mixed salad with the rocket which has self-seeded amongst the broad beans.

The light fades and it is time to head inside. We are missing those late summer days already. This slice is one where you can open a jar of summer preserves such as apricots to give you a little taste of sunshine.

Coconut and jam slice

The base
1¼ cups plain flour
125g butter, chopped
90g cream cheese, chopped

Beat all of the ingredients until well combined (will be a little crumbly) and press into a 20cm slice pan. Bake at 180degC for 20 minutes and allow to cool.

The topping
½ cup of jam (I like apricot)
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded coconut
50g melted butter cooled

Spread the jam over base.

Then beat together the sugar, egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in the coconut and butter. Spread the coconut mix on top of the jam. Bake at 180degC for 15-20 minutes.

Cool well before cutting.

Note: if using homemade jam, add a little lemon juice to maintain colour.

Read more of Megan Goodman’s other recipes on our website.

What veggie seeds to plant in June

Here is a list (see the June planting guide for more detail):
Broad beans
Coriander
Garlic
Lettuce
Mizuna
Mustard greens
Onion
Peas
Radish

The list is pretty short. It’s your last chance to plant broad beans and garlic, and arguably too late for them.

Some of our articles you might have missed over the last month

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was Simone Boyd’s online veggie seed shop.

b33e661f-c100-4ebe-9ffa-847952e0da4e.jpgJoke (or pun) of the week

Every loaf of bread is a tragic story of a group of grains that could have become whisky but didn’t.

Read more jokes.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Not local but interesting

Zen permaculture, starting at the kitchen sink; Sunday, 5th June; $280 including lunch; Hepburn Springs.

Learn patterns from nature for setting up productive areas inside your home and life, and expand from there. The things you should do become the things you want to do, and this changes everything. It will be a playful, regenerative day where you will use your body and re-wire your thinking. Featuring Cecilia Macauley and located in a Japanese guesthouse. Cecilia is also holding an event on Sunday, 4th September entitled Declutter your body, create a garden of food in your fridge.

Upcoming face-to-face events – introduction

You can view various calendars on our website by type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else and Free.

You can also view various calendars on our website by Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Introduction to home brewing; Wednesday, 8th June, 7-9pm; $5; Hurstbridge.

The purpose of the meeting is twofold. First, for those interested in starting brewing beer at home, go long and learn how it’s done and what types of kits are available on the market. Second, for more experienced home brewers, discuss the possible formation of a local grain brewing group. The event is sponsored by Hurstbridge Men’s Shed.

Winter wine and cheese night with Boat O’Craigo; Friday, 10th June, 6-8pm; $75 ($38 per hour); Croydon.

Explore a range of French-made cheeses paired with condiments and local wines from Boat O’Craigo. Chris Downes from Calendar Cheese and Travers Graham from Boat O’Craigo Wines will be hosting the evening. Organised by Platter Pantry.

Men – top foods to keep your motor running; Tuesday, 14th June, 11am-midday; free; Warrandyte.

What you put into your engine (your body and brain) does make a difference. Find out which foods help your engine to run smoothly and with full power. The presenter will be a qualified dietitian from Access Health. Organised by Warrandyte Library.

Wine tasting and regenerative agriculture; Thursday, 16th June, 6.30-9pm; $50 ($20 per hour); Rosanna.

The Kangaron range of wines from Crittendens’s Estate on the Mornington Peninsula are grown using regenerative agriculture practices. The ticket price includes a tasting of three of the wines, namely Chardonnay, Rose and Pinot Noir. There will be finger food, and a (short) discussion on regenerative agriculture and the importance of carbon in building healthy soil. Organised by Soil Week Alliance.

Growing mushrooms at home; Saturday, 18th June, 10am-12.30pm; $95 ($38 per hour); Alphington.

Presenter: Julia Laidlaw from Sporadical City Mushrooms. This hands-on, beginners workshop will cover basic oyster mushroom growing. It is a skill sharing ‘tips and tricks’ lesson from an experienced commercial mushroom grower who started growing very basically at home in a small space with no technical equipment in the inner city. You will take home your own mushroom growing kit that you have prepared during the workshop, the materials and instructions needed to prepare a kit at home (re-purposed plastic bucket & lid, oyster mushroom grain spawn, enough straw for a grow kit, bag for pasteurising straw, small bottle of isopropyl alcohol for sterilisation).

Meet the maker – Nerida, the PavQueen; Saturday, 18th June, 3-4pm; $19 ($19 per hour); Alphington.

Go along to hear about what Nerida, from Pav Queen, loves about pavlovas and taste from her range.

Meet the maker – Nerida, the PavQueen; Saturday, 18th June, 4.30-5.30pm; $19 ($19 per hour); Alphington.

Go along to hear about what Nerida, from Pav Queen, loves about pavlovas and taste from her range.

How to prune your fruit trees with Angelo Eliades; Sunday, 19th June, 10am-midday; $51 ($26 per hour); Preston.

You will learn how to: carry out formative pruning to shape young trees; maintenance pruning to maintain the size of established trees; and renovation pruning to tidy up overgrown trees and reduce their size. For gardeners of all experience levels, this session will cover: the basic theory and fundamentals of fruit tree pruning; how to prune trees with special pruning requirements such as figs, pomegranates and persimmons; and winter fruit tree pest control. Organised by Oakhill Farm.

DIY hot compost with Kelly Gillespie; Sunday, 19th June, 1-3pm; $51 ($26 per hour); Preston.

Learn how to get your compost living life in the fast lane. Organised by Oakhill Farm.

Worm farming with Angelo Eliades; Saturday, 25th June, 10am-midday; $51 ($26 per hour); Preston.

Learn everything you need to know to set up and maintain worm farms. This workshop is for all ages and will include demonstrations on how to set up a new worm farm, construct an in-ground worm farm from recycled materials, and build your own worm farm from recycled foam boxes. It will also cover what to put in your worm farm and what not to, how to harvest and use the worm castings and liquid from the worm farm, and how to care for worms during hot summers and wet winters. Organised by Oakhill Farm.

Berries and vines with Angelo Eliades; Sunday, 3rd July, 10am-midday; $51 ($26 per hour); Preston.

Learn how to grow a range of berries and vines in the garden and in pots, including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries (and their hybrids), grapes, passionfruit, kiwifruit, goji berries, and some native bush foods. The session will cover: their growing and feeding requirements; harvesting, pruning/maintenance; and protection from pests. It will also include instructions on propagation. Organised by Oakhill Farm.

Growing micro greens at home with Sustainable Gardening Australia; Thursday, 14th July, 6.30-7.30pm; free; Box Hill.

Learn how to grow microgreens on your own kitchen window sill. This class will cover both indoor and outdoor growing as well as crop selection, planting, growing conditions and harvesting. Participants will learn: how to select and sow seeds; growing strategies to produce an optimal crop; and how to care for and harvest microgreens. Organised by Box Hill Library.

In June
In July
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Fruit bottling; Saturday, 4th June, 11am-2pm; $11; Abbotsford.

Members of the CWA will show you the fundamental techniques for bottling fruit. They will be working with what is currently in season – apples, pears and pineapples – but you’ll be able to use the skills gained in this workshop to preserve other fruit. Take home the jars that you prepared. Organised by Collingwood Children’s Farm.

Waste minimisation cooking; Saturday, 11th June, 11am-1pm; $16 ($8 per hour); Abbotsford.

This workshop will be a part demonstration / part hands-on workshop sharing ideas about waste minimisation, with recipes using random veggies, cheese, bread, pasta and milk. The focus will be on ideas and recipes about how to use up vegetables, herbs, random bits of cheese, tail-end bags of pasta, stale bread and close-to-date milk for some seasonal dishes. Following this, participants can sample the food prepared. Presenter: Melanie Ryan. Organised by Collingwood Children’s Farm.

Sourdough bread making; Saturday, 18th June, 9am-midday; $61 ($20 per hour); Panton Hill.

Learn how to make sourdough bread. You will take home both a crusty loaf and you own sourdough starter. Tutor Jenna Farrington-Sear. Organised by Panton Hill Neighbourhood House.

Bush foods; Saturday, 18th June, 11am-1pm; $11; Abbotsford.

The workshop will provide a cooking demonstration using some popular native foods and introduce participants to: the native foods that will thrive in Melbourne gardens; their tastes, aromas and health benefits; tips on growing the plants; culinary uses; and possible garden designs. Presenter: Julie Weatherhead and Anthony Hooper from Peppermint Ridge Farm. Organised by Collingwood Children’s Farm.

Waste-free lunchbox ideas; Sunday, 26th June, 2-3pm; free; Reservoir.

Learn some tasty ideas on how to make your lunchbox waste-free and get ready for Plastic Free July! Learn to make healthy and yummy lunch recipes (without all the packaging) that can be made quickly and easily and share ideas on what you can make at home. Organised by Friends of Regent Community Garden.

A Devonshire tea workshop (thermomix); Saturday, 9th July, 2-4pm; $15 ($8 per hour); Eltham.

The menu will include: Butter; Buttermilk Scones; Whipped Cream; Jam Drop Biscuits; Chai Tea Powder; Chai Latte; and Strawberry Jam. Presenter: Tess Murray.

Middle Eastern cooking; Thursday, 14th July, 10.30am-1.30pm; $80 ($27 per hour); Park Orchards.

Learn about the flavours of Middle Eastern cooking. Try out recipes and cooking methods while preparing a three course menu. Stay and share your freshly prepared dinner with the group. Organised by Park Orchards Community House.

Asian dumplings class; Sunday, 24th July, 2-4.30pm; $106 ($42 per hour); Fitzroy.

Dee Williams will show you how to make a pork-based dumpling, which may also be modified into a vegetarian version. You will also learn how to make a black spiced vinegar dipping sauce. You will then plate and devour your creations with your new found foodie friends!

In June
In July
Regular classes

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