June 2019 Issue #166

Hello,

What fun that we both love gardening. Thanks for joining me.

1) Multi-tasking veg
2) Eco gardening tips
3) Colorful Squash Pizza

Who knows how they water this, but it's a rather stunning London pub

Are you listening? Please follow orders, see what the rock says at No-dig Garden's Facebook page.

Eco gardening tips

• Multi taskers
  Leafy greens like chard/silver beet, collards such as kale, and spinach can have a dual use. The young leaves are delicious eaten raw in salads, and leaves that get older can be cooked as a vegetable.




• Soil science
  Whether you're clued or clueless about gardening, do yourself a favour and get a soil test. Don't add lime, bonemeal, or any NPK fertilizer unless you know what your soil needs or not.

  For example bone meal is high in phosphorus and calcium, and soils aren't usually deficient in these. So if you add them, you may alter the balance of minerals and cause disruption to the uptake of other minerals in your plants.

  Buy a test kit, here's a good one or find your nearest testing center by looking online or asking at a garden center and you'll get instructions on how to send a soil sample off for testing.




• Trace elements
  If the idea of trying to work out what deficiency your plants might be suffering from sends your eyes rolling into space, no worries! Do they have:
  • Yellowing between the veins in new leaves (possibly lime-induce chlorosis), or
  • In older leaves (poss manganese deficiency), or
  • Yellow bands that turn brown between veins (poss magnesium deficiency), then…

Try a general cure all of compost. This may take up to 3 months to work, but you can speed things up by using a seaweed liquid feed or very diluted sea water (1-20), and the wide range of trace elements will generally cure the problem quickly.

Best little planter garden in the world!

I have two friends who both live in units with pocket-sized outdoor areas. They love having their own raised bed gardens with these planters. No need for any other support. They are tough and long-lasting, enabling you to grow your own vegetables and flowers with the minimum of fuss and mess, even on a balcony. Brilliant for a kid's garden too. Read more HERE

Colorful Squash Pizza

Ingredients

• 2 summer squash, preferably one green, like zucchini and one yellow like crookneck or scallop zucchinis—both approximately 20cm (8") long
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• I large clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
• 2½ tsp salt
• 1-2 tsp finely chopped herbs such as a mix of oregano, sage, rosemary, thyme etc. Or use 1 small tsp dried mixed herbs
• 1 squirt sriracha sauce or ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, chopped finely
• Handful of basil leaves—about 10 good leaves, chopped finely
• Pre-cooked thin pizza crust or flatbread, approximately 30 cm (12") diameter
• Black pepper and olive oil for topping.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F).
2. Slice the squash into thin rounds, approximately 3.5 mm (1/8"). Put slices in a colander, mix in salt and leave for about 15 minutes. This will release liquid which you can squeeze out with your hands.
3. Meanwhile mix the ricotta cheese, garlic salt, herbs, sriracha sauce or pepper flakes, and chopped basil in a bowl.
4. Put the pizza crust on a pizza baking tray or oven rack. Spread the ricotta mixture over the crust, allowing a 13 mm (½") border around edge.
5. Now put squeezed squash on a kitchen cloth and fold over and press again to absorb as much moisture as you can.
6. Arrange the rounds of squash in overlapping concentric circles, alternating green and yellow slices. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of pepper.
7. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until pizza has a crisp crust and the squash colors slightly. Slide pizza onto a wooden board, let cool for 5 minutes or so, then slice into 8 wedges.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes: 8 servings

Live, love and garden
Megan