ORGANIC ACTION
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Top:Popcorncassia(Sennadidymobotrya)
providesshadeandnitrogen.
Above:Ethiopiancabbageisalsoknownas
‘OldWomenMeetandGossip’.Tropica
Action alert: You need to prepare for dry times and
major downpours all in the one season. Observe water
and how you can slow it down, capture it and allow the
soil time to absorb it but still have water moving in
heavy downpours. On any slope consider terracing,
swales or diversion drains and ensure the water is
directedawayfromyourhouse.Top tip: Add liquid humic acid to soil to increase its
water-holding capacity (up to seven times), while also
enhancing soil biology and creating a soil ‘crumb’
structure, improving nutrient uptake, resulting in
healthierplants.Availableatgardencentresandonline.Pest alert: Pick up fallen fruit from mango trees
every couple of days to control pest infestation. Good
fruit can be eaten, dried, frozen or cooked as chutney or
jam. Spoilt fruit can be fed to chooks in small amounts,
otherwise solarise in a plastic bag for fi ve days to kill
off pests, then place in rubbish bin. Leonie ShanahanSutopica
Action alert: If passionfruit isn’t fruiting it could be
a pollination problem. Use a paint brush to move pollen
from one fl ower to another, and plant fl owering plants
around them to attract bees (try salvias, Queen Anne’s
Lace or cosmos). Some passionfruit need a companion to
fruit, plant a second vine 1.5m away. Apply minerals,
anda foliarsprayoftraceelements,andwaterwell.Must do: Plant edible overstory plants to create a
canopy that will provide shade and protection for plants
and soil. Tall overstory plants include arrowroot,
cassava, cranberry hibiscus, aibika, pigeon pea,
pawpaw,popcorncassiaandtamarillo.Plant now: Hardy, attractive Ethiopian leaf cabbage
(Brassica carinata syn Melanosinapis abyssinica) is an open
head cabbage variety that loves our hot, humid climate.
It grows to 1.5m. Harvest leaves growing from the trunk.
Use young sweet-tasting leaves in salads, cook older
leaves, and the fl ower shoots can be used as broccoli
substitute. Self-seeds. Leonie ShanahanPHOTOS: LEONIE SHANAHAN