Lemongrass Woes...

Time to have a good look at my lemongrass tuffs. I started with five small pots about two years ago. One tuft has since died two winters ago. It was also planted at the wrong spot, a shady one. The other four are still alive but have very thin stems. I thought it would take a while for the stems to thicken. After visiting a neighbour who also grows lemongrass (but really pulp ones), she told me it should not take so long for them to mature. I realised the soil where I have planted the tufts must be the culprit.

Thin stems for the lone tuft in my back garden.

Thin stems for the three tufts in my front garden.

I have since pulled up as many as I can from those tufts, making sure there are some roots on the individual stems, and replanted them into pots, using premium potting mix and fish granules fertiliser. I wanted to see if they would grow better.  Fingers crossed, I can harvest a few pulp stalks!

I also gave the existing tufts a trim, having read it as one of the to-do items from one gardening magazine here.

Edibles Update.

The last three days have been sunny and warm with temperatures between 21-23 deg celsius. So, every day, we spent some time out in the garden doing things. The work really does seem never-ending.

Common Onion Chives /Allium Schoenprasum

Two evenings ago, I went out to the front garden to harvest some chives for a pasta dish. It was then that I realised I have two types of chives growing at the same spot. I did some researching and found some info on http://www.herbsociety.org/factsheets/chives.pdf. The picture above shows the chives used in western cooking. I have grown these from seeds. These chives have leaves which have hollow cylindrical interiors. I did a check and am quite sure that they are called Allium Schoenoprasum or common onion chives.

Chinese or Garlic Chives/ Allium Tuberosum

The chives in this above picture is actually Chinese or Garlic chives, Allium Tuberosum. My friend, Eliada, gave two small pots of these to me. They were given to her by another friend. As the chives looked very similar when young, I thought they were onion chives. Now that they are older, I can actually see that these two tufts are Chinese/Garlic chives. In dialect, they are called Gu Cai. These have flat leaf blades. I am actually very happy knowing they are Chinese/garlic chives, as I use them in Chinese cooking and need larger amounts. Onion chives are used as garnishes and only small amounts required.

Yesterday, I repotted the  Kao Kee cuttings. They have 100%  rooted as each stem cutting is putting on new leaves. Now I will wait and see how they grow.

Water chestnuts! It's been a headache trying to figure how I should grow them. I dont like failed experiments but how can experiments always be 100% successful? The styrofoam tub where I first planted the corms is covered with a layer of algae. After chatting on http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/forum/, I dug out the corms, prepared a few pots (potting mix+fish fertiliser), planted them in, topped up with garden soil, stood them in a tub of water. Here goes the experiment... The corms which I have harvested are really small, about 1 to 2 cm in diameter. I feel cheated by the company where I bought them from. I dont hold much hope that they will grow well.

Here are  some carrot seedlings.  Free seeds from Bunnings Wareshouse. It is my first go at it.

The rest of the seedlings (eggplant, okra/lady'sfinger, capsicum etc) are growing really slowly, even though I put the pots in a styrofoam box and cover well to get as much warmth from sun. I do not have a green house or seed propagator tray, which will speed growth up. At the local nurseries, I could already buy bigger plants.

My white currant plant has put on its green leaves and clusters of flowers too. Looking forward to having white currants. The blackcurrant plant is just beginning to catch up but no flower clusters in sight yet.

The Carolina Black Rose grape vine has produced lots of shoots. It is amazing to see new shoots sprouting every other day. And there are lots of flower clusters. I contemplate pruning off shoots to allow for fewer but stronger flower clusters but did not get down to it in case it is a mistake. I have not seen bees visiting my back garden but thankfully grape flowers are bisexual so they are self-pollinating.

Product Study : Champignons & Cereals

Time for an entry on products which I like. I use champignons some times for my dishes, especially when I cook ginger and sesame chicken with dark soya sauce. I have loved champignons since childhood. My grandma used to put lots of these in soups.

Over here in Australia, I always go for 'Homebrand' Whole champignons from Safeway Supermarkets. They are large and almost always do not have any blemish. Many other brands which I have tried will have some sort of blemishes such as black spots.

Cereals are convenient breakfast foods and I give it to my son a few times a week. The usual cereals in supermarkets really do have a lot sugar and salt in them.  I steer clear of brands like Kellogs, Uncle Toby's, Nestle etc. Cereals are meant to be good for health due to the fibre in them, but to get loaded with sugar and salt from eating cereals is surely not a good thing.

I usually visit the 'health foods' section to get our cereals.  They may be slightly more expensive than the usual brands featured on tele, but I find them worth buying and affordable. One of my favourite brands is 'Freedom'. They have a few flavours. One of them is 'Cocoa Puffs' (shown above). Here are the ingredients : gluten free flour mix (rice, maize and wholegrain sorghum flour), sugar, chocolate syrup 8.5%, coca powder, psyllium, salt, emulsifier, natural chocolate flavour, mineral (iron), vitamins (niacin, thiamine, folic acid)

Another is the Maple Crunch.  Ingredients : Gluten free flour mix (rice, wholegrain sorghum and maize), sugar, apple juice concentrate (6%), psyllium, salt, emulsifier (471), Tricalcium phosphate, nature identical flavours (maple, butterscotch), mineral (iron), vitamins (niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, folate)

'Orgran' is another brand which I buy. They have 'Rice O's' wild berry' flavour.  Ingredients : brown rice 59%, dextrose, milled yellow pea 12%, millet flour 8%, psyllium 2%, pear juice concentrate, calcium carbonate, brown rice syrup, emulsifier(vegetable-derived monoglycerides), beetroot powder, salt, natural raspberry flavour (0.3%), vegetable-derived stabliliser(guar gum), natural caramel colour, tumeric, citric acid.

'Itsy Bitsy Cocoa O' is Orgran's chocolate wholegrain cereal. Ingredients : Brown rice flour 65%, raw sugar, wholegrain sorghum flour 8%, psyllium 2%, coca 2%, natural caramel colour, calcium carbonate, salt, brown rice syrup, emulsifier (vegetable-derived monoglycerides), natural chocolate flavour.

Fresh Gai Choy/Mustard Green & Pak Choy Green

I have sown this patch with gai choy/mustard green and pak choy seeds towards the end of winter in August.  They were growing at snail's pace until recently when spring came and the weather warmed up. They are yelling out to me to harvest them.

The spinach in the planter in front of the raised vege patch are almost ready too.

This flowering pak choy has overtaken Big Fig in its pot. Big Fig does not seem to grow well this spring, its leaves rather shrivelled and there is only one fig in sight. The flowers of pak choy is is mildly fragrant and an attraction to bees. I am letting the seed pods formed so I can harvest more pak choy seeds.

Such a beautiful sight of the artichoke flower emerging among its architectural silvery leaves.

So here is some harvest of my gai choy/mustard green. My friend taught me to cook it with some roast chicken pieces (I used the wings and drumsticks), tamarind pieces and dried chillies.  And true enough, there is no bitter taste from the vege. The dish tasted sourish and spicy and very nice!

I also harvested some parsley for meatballs and baby pak choy for miso soup.

Pak Choy Green & Gai Choy/Mustard Green

All the pak choys that I have planted in winter are ready for harvesting....those in the large pot,

The baby ones in another large pot,

And those in the raised vege.  The gai choy/mustard green are also ready for use in cooking.