Seed storage
Posted by Phytopath on Feb 25, 2010
Here in the Southern Hemisphere autumn is just around the corner. It’s time to start collecting and storing seed of your favourite vegetables, herbs and flowers.
When on a quest to collect seed, make sure you have all of the equipment ready and at hand.
You will need paper bags or envelopes, pen or pencil, glass jars, sieve, paper towel and silica gel crystals.
Most flower and vegetable seed have a viability of about three to five years under good storage conditions but there are always exceptions to the rule so this blog post is a general guide.
Generally, the larger the seed or the thicker the seed coat, the longer the seed will store for. Why don’t seed store indefinitely? Because they are a living organism and while in storage they are still respiring even if it is very slowly – a bit like being in a coma. So if you can provide optimum conditions while they are hibernating – they will last that little bit longer.
The aim is to keep the temperature almost constant and the humidity level low, 5% to 10% if possible. This should keep the life process of the seed at the lowest rate. For most vegetable seed the ideal temperature is around five degrees centigrade, so for long term storage a refrigerator would be ideal.
It is also extremely important that the seed are dry before storing. If the seed are damp they can soon generate their own heat and if they have been placed in a plastic bag or sealed container they will go mouldy. If they are not in a sealed container but in open-air conditions, the seed will absorb moisture from the atmosphere and if the temperature is to their liking, they may sprout.
The thickness of the seed coat will dictate the rate at which the seed absorbs moisture.
At low moisture levels the seed are also able to handle temperature fluctuations better.
To save storage space it may be beneficial to extract the seed from the fruiting body. A good example would be parsley seed. If you harvest the whole seed head, they are bulky and get tangled and just take up too much room, but if you rub the umbels between the palm of your hands or run them over a sieve, the seed easily falls out of the umbel and is much easier to store.
Label the paper bags with the name of the seed, the date, the place of collection and the collectors name (this could be a friend or relative from out of town). I also like to jot down any peculiarities the seed may have. For example “refrigerate for two months then warm, moist stratify for two months” or “extra long germination, up to 18 months”.
Place the seed in the paper bag or zip-lock plastic bag if you are absolutely sure it is dry, then put the paper bag into a glass jar (several small paper bags can go into one large glass jar). At this point, I drop in a silica gel sachet that I acquired when I bought my last pair of shoes, or that leather handbag [grin]. I am always telling friends to save those little sachets for me. Close the lid on the glass jar and place in the refrigerator, or at least in a dark cupboard where the temperature is pretty even.
A note about tropical and sub-tropical tree seed. They cannot be completely dried. Drying destroys the embryo inside the seed. Most sub-tropical seed have a very short viability and need to be sown soon after harvest.
Once they have germinated, the young seedlings can be held in their containers in a dormant state, if placed in a moist shady position. When they are given more light the growing process will continue.
Rain-forest seed are cool-stored in moist peat in a plastic bag until planted out. Palm tree seed can be stored and germinated in this way.
As mentioned earlier, there are always exceptions to the rule (there’s one in every crowd). Citrus seed cannot be dried out nor should they be stored under low relative humidity. They are best sown in moist sand and kept in high humidity under refrigeration.
If all goes well and you have managed to store the seed without any weevils or other insect pests, then you can hope for a good germination rate when the time comes to sow the seed.
Avocado
Posted by Phytopath on Feb 22, 2010
When I was younger I had the misfortune of being served avocado at a Christmas function. My reaction at the time was that the taste and texture was somewhat like soap.
Being at a flashy pub and in ‘important’ company, I couldn’t just spit it back out of my mouth and onto the plate, so I swallowed the mucky stuff with an agonizing look on my face. But here we are many, many years later and I was served a guacamole dip at a function. Well what do you know. I actually liked it. Perhaps it was the crackers that accompanied it.
Anyway, I now have an avocado tree growing because I have developed a taste for the fruit.
Avocado (Persea americana syn P. gratissima) is a member of the Lauraceae family.
It is native to central and south America in the tropical latitudes.
There are three main groups – Guatemalan, West Indian and Mexican.
The Guatemalan varieties are from tropical highlands and can cope with a light frost. Their fruit has a thick rough skin.
The West Indian varieties (not from West India) are from tropical lowlands of central America and are very cold sensitive. The fruit from this group has smooth leathery skins and the lowest oil content.
The Mexican avocado tree’s leaves have a distinct aniseed aroma and the fruit is small with thin skin and the highest oil content of the three varieties.
The tree is evergreen and small to medium in size (6-15m) for grafted varieties but seedling grown trees can reach a whopping 30m.
They need very well drained soil (they are susceptible to root rot),rich in humus with a pH neutral to slightly acid. Their requirements are similar to growing citrus.
Of utmost importance is protection from strong winds, hot or cold. They have brittle limbs and a shallow root system.
Because of their shallow root system it is very beneficial to mulch heavily in hot climates. They are also not drought tolerant so water must be given freely during summer.
While the plants are young they will also need protection in regions with hot summers, from direct sun and afternoon sun. Also plant them with the graft side facing away from the sun.
Try not to damage the roots when planting out and after planting care should exclude any cultivation near the root system.
Grow them in a frost free area if possible or on a north facing wall in the southern hemisphere or a south facing wall in the northern hemisphere if you are in a cold area. The best varieties for colder areas are Mexican and Guatemalan cross. Pull any mulch away over winter, otherwise it will increase the incidence of frost damage to the leaves of young trees.
Avocado trees can be pruned to keep them small and keep the fruit at a better picking height. Remember the brittle branches? That means it’s not safe to climb the tree for the fruit.
With a young tree, prune it at 2 metres in height to encourage lateral branching (and easy picking).
Varieties and hybrids differ in their size and shape with Hass (Guatemalan) growing tall and Fuerte (hybrid Mexican x Guatemalan) having a straggly spreading habit.
Grafted trees commence bearing in about four to five years while seedlings may take nine years. Some seedlings also require a pollinator and you can never be sure what the tree will look like or what the fruit will taste like.
The fruit does not start to soften until it is picked from the tree and you can leave some of the fruit hanging there until you need it.
Avocado fruit is very nutritious, containing 14 vitamins including A, B1, B2 and C, and 11 minerals including potassium. The fruit is also 2.1% protein.
They are very easy to grow from seed but make sure the seed is fresh as viability is short. Remove the outer tunic, keep the seed moist and in a humid micro-climate an voila, an avocado tree. The seedling can then be grown on or used as rootstock for a named variety. The scion (top part of a grafted tree) can be grafted using whip, whip & tongue, cleft or side graft.
Give it a try and let me know how you go.
Stuffed capsicum (pepper)
Posted by Phytopath on Feb 19, 2010
A friend visited me recently and came bearing gifts. He is a commercial vegetable grower and missed picking a few squash and zucchini, so they were the size of a wallaby (slight exaggeration).
He wanted to know how to cook a stuffed zucchini so I used my recipe for stuffed capsicum. They weren’t too bad but “stuffed capsicum have more taste”, I told him. So the next evening we stuffed some capsicum (he also bought a truck load of them as well (another exaggeration).
They were a great hit, so for my friend and anyone else who likes stuffed capsicum, here is the recipe.
Ingredients:
6 red or green (or any colour) capsicum/peppers
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
500g minced steak
salt & pepper to taste
half cup wine or stock
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup tomato juice or chicken stock
Method:
Slice tops off capsicum and remove seeds and membrane.
Combine steak, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, wine and tomato. Add rice and mix well
Fill capsicums with the mixture and place in baking tray or slow cooker.
Pour the tomato juice or chicken stock over the lot and cook until minced steak is done, approx 40 mins in a moderate oven or three hours on low in a slow cooker.
This recipe will serve six people with a side dish, or three very hungry people.
They go well with a green salad and garlic bread.
Robinia pseudoacacia
Posted by Phytopath on Feb 17, 2010
Robinia, aka Black Locust, Honey Locust, False Acacia.
Whatever you want to call it, it should be banned.
I was pulling out Robinia suckers today, they were in the lawn, garden beds and the orchard. As I was doing this and cursing the day I planted them, I started to wonder why the heck did I plant them in the first place? Granted, the flowers are pretty, but was that the only reason?
So back to my library I went. I told myself I needed to do some research, but in reality I just needed a break from working in the baking heat. I’m not getting any younger.
One reference book told me that the tree is native to eastern United States from Pennsylvania to Georgia and west to Iowa, Missouri and Oklahoma. It is planted as an ornamental shade tree, growing up to 25 m (80ft) with very fragrant flowers (probably why I planted it).
Another book confirms this information and also adds, the tree is common in open dry sites with poor sandy soil (probably why I bought it) and has wood that is among the hardest, heaviest and most rot resistant of any tree in North America. This particular book also claims that the tree has a limited native occurance, found mostly in the Ozarks and the central and southern Appalachians.
Interestingly both books have conflicting information on the toxicity or lack of, for this Robinia. One particular book on edible plants, goes into great detail on the correct time to harvest the flowers for eating, even describing the taste and offering suggestions for their use in cooking.
The next segment of the same book goes on to explain that the seeds are also edible and the author has personal experience in eating them. He also makes a comment that some other authors claim the seeds are poisonous but he has been unable to find any verification of their toxicity.
On to the next book, which is about common poisonous plants. This author mentions that the entire tree is toxic, particularly the bark, leaves and seeds which contain poisonous proteins similar to ricin in Castor Bean, but less toxic.
He goes on to say that human poisoning from Robinia is potentially serious but rare and fatalities are unknown.
So who is correct? The doctors and chemists who analyze the plant parts or the forager who has gathered the information from family and friends over decades of use.
I don’t know, so I went for a third book in the library. This one is big and bulky and looks impressive, but what about the information?
According to my third source, Native American Cherokee used the root bark for toothache and the trunk bark as a seasoner to flavour medicine. Horses also foraged on the leaves and chickens foraged on the seeds.
So what is the answer? Anything that I currently have in my pantry sounds better than peeling bark from a tree or climbing 25 m to pick some flowers for fritters. Oh for an easy life.
Kaffir lime
Posted by Phytopath on Feb 11, 2010
kaffir lime fruit
Kaffir lime or Citrus hystrix is an interesting plant from SE Asia.
It is a small tree and grows from three to five metres tall but if kept in a pot it will often only reach 1.5 metres.
Coming from SE Asia you would expect that the tree likes a warm climate and indeed it dislikes temperatures below 7 degrees Celsius (45F).
If you can supply a warm site the tree will reward you with glossy green leaves that look like they have been strangled in the middle or if you prefer, they look like two smaller leaves joined together in the middle. Theses leaves can be harvested throughout the year for use, fresh or dried and are used in Asian stir fries, curries and soup.
The flowers are small and white with the typical sweet citrus perfume and these are followed by green warty, knobbly fruit. The fruit is not used as we would typically use a lime because it does not contain much juice. Instead the rind or zest is candied or dried to flavour curry pastes.
If you are contemplating growing one make sure the soil is well drained and well mulched in the summer months. Give the plants plenty of sunshine and water in the growing season and fertilize with a citrus fertilizer in spring and late summer. No pruning is required luckily, because the branches have sharp thorns.
Chinese Greens
Posted by Phytopath on Feb 8, 2010
I was talking to a friend on the phone today, who happened to mention that he experienced some confusion when it came to differentiating between Bok Choy and Pak Choi.
So – for my friend and any one else who experiences the same dilemma.
Pak Choi also known as Chinese white cabbage in the West, but also called bok choy by Cantonese. Now this does make it confusing, so luckily we can count on botanical names.
Pak choi, correctly known as Brassica rapa var.chinensis was originally from South China and has been cultivated there since the fifth century AD. It is a cool season crop preferring to grow at temperatures of 15-20 degrees Celsius (in the 60′s in F) and is a biennial (growth over two years) with a shallow root system.
The seeds are best sown in autumn with growth occurring over autumn and winter. If seeds are planted in spring with growth continuing into summer, the plant may ‘bolt’ to seed prematurely. The plant can also ‘bolt’ or run to seed in the first year of growth if there is insufficient water. Under good growing conditions the plant will mature in 35-55 days after sowing the seed.
The whole plant is edible, that is, the leaves, leaf stalks and young flowering shoots. It does not store well and is best used fresh although the Chinese traditionally dried the leaves for use in winter.
There are different forms and varieties, some having slightly different coloured leaves and/or stalks and growing anywhere from 8 cm (3″) to 60 cm (24″) in height. There are two main types available at the store, one has white leaf stalks and the other has green. The green stemmed types are more hardier, while the white stemmed varieties are juicier.
Young plants are tender but can become stringy if grown in very hot weather.
Pak choi has loose heads of about a dozen leaves with smooth margins and the leaf stalks are described as spoon shaped. There is a hint of mild mustard in the flavour and the leaves of pak choi are more nutritious than Chinese cabbage leaves (bok choy).
Bok Choy also called wong bok and Chinese cabbage.
Botanically it’s name is Brassica rapa var. pekinensis and it is believed to be a cross between pak choi and a turnip from northern China.
Bok choy is from southern China and is a biennial but it is grown as an annual. It likes to grow in cool weather, similar to pak choi, and dislikes temperatures above 35 degrees C (95F).
There are three main types. Hearted, loose-headed and cylindrical. The hearted and loose-headed are also known as barrel types.
The hearted type have large compact heads 20-25 cm (8-10″) high and 15-23 cm (6-9″) wide. They are quick to mature, taking about 55-70 days and are slow to bolt.
The loose-headed type are also slow to bolt, mature in 55-70 days but are more cold tolerant and disease resistant.
The cylindrical type is slow growing, taking 70-100 days to mature and is quick to bolt. It grows to 38-46 cm (15-18″) tall and 10-15 cm (4-6″) wide.
Leaves vary from smooth and roundish to frilly and wavy. It has a general likeness to cos lettuce and needs similar growing and nutritional requirements. Bok choy likes plenty of water while it is growing.
Bok choy stores well in the fridge and can be used as an iceberg lettuce substitute in sandwiches and hamburgers.
Hope that helps
Growing Basil
Posted by Phytopath on Feb 1, 2010
Basil, it’s name reminds me of a TV program that was around years ago.
This year, for some reason that I have now forgotten, I decided to grow basil in a pot instead of in the ground (big mistake). I bought a packet of mixed basil seed and up-ended the lot into a rather large terracotta pot.
I know better . You should never over sow because of the risk of damping off and it is a real chore if you have to prick out all of the young seedlings. Never the less, the whole packet was sown so that I could have a forest of assorted basil to pick and make pesto.
I kept the pot inside my plastic poly tunnel expecting growth to be rapid. I check the plants in there daily and I was keeping a close eye on the germinating basil. It was like watching grass grow.
The baby basil plants are currently about two inches high. I checked the label to see what the date was when I sowed the seeds. I couldn’t believe it, 30 th October 2009. The little buggers were three months old and still only two inches tall. Hmm, I thought, a new dwarf variety.
The lesson for me is to plant the basil in the ground (like I usually do), so the plants can take up nutrients from the soil. They are gross feeders and will take as much fertilizer as you can give them. Something they didn’t get while growing in the pot. No home-made pesto this year.
Basil plants prefer to grow in rich, well drained, light soil in full sun, although in extremely hot climates it appreciates a bit of afternoon shade. Basil does not particularly like being transplanted so is best sown in situ.
Basil leaves can be harvested throughout the growing season but do not collect more than 50% of the leaves from any individual plant. The leaves can be used fresh or juiced, or even dried for later use.
Whole plants can also be harvested. If you are going to do this, harvest just before flowering starts, but remember to let at least one plant go to seed for next seasons planting.
The leaves are usually associated with tomato recipes and pasta sauces (pesto) but can also be used with vegetables, soup, vinegars and herbal oil.
The oil from the basil plant is used commercially as a food flavouring and also in dental products. Aromatherapists use it as do perfumeries, oh, and it is also used in insect repellents.
Medicinally, basil is used for treating cold and flu symptoms, nausea, insomnia, skin infections, poor digestion, migraine, gastroenteritis, anxiety(probably from the gastro) and snake bite. Snake bite !!!
Considering I had a 1.2 meter red bellied black snake at my front door about a week ago, I think I had better go and fertilize those dwarf, not happy, basil plants in the pot.
Red-bellied black snake
